Fujifilm X100 versus Nikon D3400

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 and the Nikon D3400 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2010 and August 2016. The X100 is a fixed lens compact, while the D3400 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Fujifilm has a resolution of 12.2 megapixel, whereas the Nikon provides 24 MP.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Fujifilm X100 and the Nikon D3400. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also toggle the display to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the X100 – represents the basis or 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D3400 is notably larger (29 percent) than the Fujifilm X100. Yet, the two cameras share the same weight. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the X100 nor the D3400 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the X100 has a lens build in, whereas the D3400 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can find an overview of optics for the D3400 and their specifications in the Nikon Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the X100 gets 300 shots out of its NP-95 battery, while the D3400 can take 1200 images on a single charge of its EN-EL14a power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D3400 is 2 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the D3400 offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixel, compared with 12.2 MP of the X100. This megapixel advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 5.53μm for the X100). However, it should be noted that the D3400 is much more recent (by 5 years and 10 months) than the X100, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. Of the two cameras under consideration, the D3400 offers substantially better image quality than the X100 (overall score 13 points higher). The advantage is based on 1.9 bits higher color depth, 1.5 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.3 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the D3400 provides a better video resolution than the X100. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60p, while the Fujifilm is limited to 720/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the X100 has an electronic viewfinder (1440k dots), while the D3400 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Fujifilm X100 and Nikon D3400 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras. If you need more detail on the specs, you can find comprehensive listings, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

The D3400 is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock. In contrast, the X100 has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the X100 was succeeded by the Fujifilm X100S.

Summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Fujifilm X100 and the Fujifilm X100? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Fujifilm FinePix X100:

• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• Ready to shoot: Comes with a build-in lens, while the D3400 requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (126x75mm vs 124x98mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2010).

Advantages of the Nikon D3400:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 12.2MP), which boosts linear resolution by 40%.
• Better image quality: Scores substantially higher (13 points) in the DXO overall evaluation.
• Richer colors: Generates noticeably more natural colors (1.9 bits more color depth).
• More dynamic range: Captures a broader range of light and dark details (1.5 EV of extra DR).
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (1080/60p vs 720/30p).
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.8") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (921k vs 460k dots).
• More flexible: Makes it possible to change lenses and thus to use specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1200 versus 300) out of a single battery charge.
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 10 months of technical progress since the X100 launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the D3400 is the clear winner of the contest (11 : 4 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the X100 or the D3400. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites. You can find the full text of the reviews, respectively, at cameralabs.com, dpreview.com, ephotozine.com, imaging-resource.com, and photographyblog.com.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other comparisons

If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored. If you do not see the camera that you are looking for, kindly get in touch, and I will try to update the database with the necessary infos.