The Canon versus Nikon debate has been around for almost as long as Coke versus Pepsi or dogs versus cats (well, maybe not quite). Both manufacturers make excellent cameras, but that hasn't stopped people from choosing sides. Naturally, we here at DPReview love a good debate, so we've decided to put the two flagship compact cameras from Canon and Nikon against one another in a head-to-head battle.
This review is going to be a bit different to those you'd normally read here on Digital Photography Review, in that rather than looking at one camera and placing it in context alongside its competitors, we'll be directly comparing how two cameras compare in terms of design, features, performance, and photo quality. Which one will come out the winner? You'll have to read on to find out.
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| It came from the year 2000... the Canon PowerShot G1 (left) effectively created the high-end compact camera class. As you can see, in terms of design philosophy, Canon hasn't changed the fundamental recipe much in 13 years. |
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Both the PowerShot G15 and Coolpix P7700 have a rich history. The PowerShot G1 debuted way back in October 2000, and featured a 3.3 megapixel CCD, 3X zoom lens, optical viewfinder, swiveling LCD, and hot shoe. The Coolpix P7700's family tree is a bit more convoluted, though it's probably fair to say that its original ancestor is the Coolpix 5000 from 2001. That camera offered a similar feature set to the aforementioned G1, but sported a 5 megapixel sensor.
Before we begin, here's a quick look comparison of features and spec on the two cameras - if one of them bests the other in any particular way, we've indicated it in green.
 Canon PowerShot G15 |
 Nikon Coolpix P7700 |
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|---|---|---|
| Sensor size/type | 1/1.7" CMOS | 1/1.7" BSI CMOS |
| Resolution (total/effective) | 13.3 / 12.1 megapixel | 12.8 / 12.2 megapixel |
| Lens focal range | 28 - 140 mm (5X) | 28 - 200 mm (7.1X) |
| Lens max aperture | F1.8 - F2.8 | F2.0 - F4.0 |
| Min. focus distance | 1 cm | 2 cm |
| LCD size/style | 3-inch / Fixed | 3-inch / Fully articulated |
| LCD resolution | 922,000 dots | 922,000 dots |
| Optical viewfinder | Yes | No |
| ISO range | 80 - 12800 | 80 - 6400 |
| Burst mode (claimed) | 10.0 fps | 8.0 fps |
| Max movie resolution | 1920 x 1080 / 24 fps | 1920 x 1080 / 30 fps |
| Ext. mic input | No | Yes |
| GPS support | No | Optional |
| Remote control | Wired | Wired, wireless |
| On-board memory | None | 86 MB |
| Battery life (CIPA) | 350 shots | 330 shots |
| Street price * | $449 / £399 / €465 | $389 / £299 / €401 |
| * At time of publication | ||
Hopefully, you can immediately see what separates these two cameras: the G15 offers the faster lens and optical viewfinder, but has less zoom power and a fixed LCD. The P7700, on the other hand, has more zoom power and a swivel LCD, but no viewfinder. It's also cheaper at time of publication in the USA, UK and Europe, as you can see in the table above.
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital
Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help
you understand some of the terms used).
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Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C. |
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This article is Copyright 2013 and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.
Nikon COOLPIX P7700 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 7.1x Optical Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and 3-inch Vari-Angle LCD | Too low to display |
Nikon COOLPIX P7700 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 7.1x Optical Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and 3-inch Vari-Angle LCD | Too low to display |
Nikon Coolpix P7700 Digital Camera (Black) with 32GB Card + Flash + Case + Battery + 3 Filters + Tripod + Remote + Accessory Kit | $469.95 |
Nikon COOLPIX P330 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 5x Zoom (Black) | Too low to display |
Nikon COOLPIX P7100 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 7.1x Optical Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and 3-Inch Vari-Angle LCD | $395.00 |
Nikon COOLPIX P7700 Digital Camera (Black) with 16GB Card + Case + Filter + Accessory Kit | $447.95 |
Nikon Coolpix P7000 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 7.1x Wide Zoom-Nikkor ED Lens and 3-Inch LCD | $304.30 |
Nikon COOLPIX P7700 Digital Camera (Black) with 32GB Card + Case + Battery + 3 (UV/CPL/ND8) Filters + Flex Tripod + Remote + Accessory Kit | $449.95 |
Nikon COOLPIX P7800 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 7.1x Optical Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and 3-inch Vari-Angle LCD | $546.95 |
Nikon COOLPIX P520 18.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 42x Zoom Lens and Full HD 1080p Video (Black) | $376.95 |
Nikon COOLPIX S9500 Wi-Fi Digital Camera with 22x Zoom and GPS (Black) | $259.99 |
Canon PowerShot G15 12MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black) | Too low to display |
Canon PowerShot G16 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 1080p Full-HD Video | Too low to display |
Canon PowerShot G15 12MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black) | Too low to display |
Canon Powershot G15 12 MP High-Performance Digital Camera 32GB Bundle | $458.95 |
Cardinal Camera Canon PowerShot G15 Digital Camera 32GB Package 6 | $449.00 |
Canon PowerShot G15 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide-Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Deluxe Bundle With With 8 GB Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Memory Card, Digpro Compact Camera Deluxe Carrying Case | Too low to display |
Canon PowerShot G15 Digital Camera (Black) with 32GB Card + Battery + Case + Flex Tripod + Accessory Kit | $459.95 |
Canon PowerShot G15 Digital Camera (Black) with 32GB Card + Flash + Case + Battery + HDMI Cable + Wide Angle & Telephoto Lenses + Hood + Filters Kit | $499.95 |
Canon PowerShot G1 X 14.3 MP CMOS Digital Camera | $599.00 |
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 12MP Digital Camera with 2.8-Inch LCD (Black) | Too low to display |
Canon G12 10 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8 Inch Vari-Angle LCD | $749.00 |
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