Apple iPhone vs. Nikon Coolpix P5100

Nikon Coolpix P5100; 1/8 s @ f/2.7, -2, ISO 800 (12MP)

So, just for a quick comparison, I shot the same scene with my Nikon P5100 as I did with the iPhone 4S. Mind you, I had to set the exposure compensation on the P5100 to -2 stops to get the equivalent exposure. This is what I came up with…

Apple iPhone 4S; 1/15 s @ f/2.4, ISO 800 (8MP)

The Nikon version is a little warmer, but the LEDs are the cool white type, and the white balance on the iPhone is much more accurate. Here’s the tight crop again…

300px x 200px crop, Nikon

300px x 200px crop, iPhone 4S

If you consider just the normal exposure, the Nikon has just a little more resolution, but it’s also noisier and not as clean as the iPhone. But hands down, the iPhone HDR version is better than the Nikon. You can actually see the  frame around the solar cell on the Muni Machine.

Also take into consideration that the iPhone’s field of view is wider, so the resolution should be less. Then take this into consideration…

iPhone 4S sensor, actual size

Nikon P5100 sensor, actual size

The iPhone’s sensor is considerably smaller than the Nikon’s. If it were 12MP, it wouldn’t have performed as well as the Nikon’s, because the photosite density would have been just too much for its size. The area of the iPhone’s sensor is about 50% of the Nikon’s and its pixel count is about 66%, so they’re quite compatible in terms of photosite density.