Nikon Coolpix A10 vs Nikon Coolpix S9900 — Which Is Better?

The Nikon Coolpix A10 and Nikon Coolpix S9900 are both fixed-lens compact cameras, but they split sharply on capability. The S9900, announced in February 2015, is the larger and more versatile model in this pair; the A10, announced in January 2016, is the smaller and lighter option.

The A10 is the more pocketable camera of the two. It measures 96 x 59 x 29 mm and weighs 160 g, while the S9900 measures 112 x 66 x 40 mm and weighs 289 g. The S9900 needs more room in a bag, and that extra size comes with a broader feature set.

The S9900 is the stronger camera for action and moving subjects. It shoots at 7 frames per second against 1.2 fps on the A10, so it has a far better chance of catching a child mid-laugh or a dog catching a ball. It also has 16 autofocus points against one on the A10, giving you more freedom over where focus lands in the frame.

Both cameras share the same resolution and sensor format, pairing 16 megapixels with a 1/2.3-inch sensor, so prints and cropping room from your stills are comparable. The S9900 uses a CMOS sensor where the A10 uses CCD. Its top shutter speed of 1/4000 second gives a shorter exposure than the A10's 1/2000 for freezing fast motion, and its ISO range reaches 6400 against the A10's 1600.

The S9900 is the clear choice for video. Its maximum resolution is Full HD against the A10's Standard HD, and its maximum frame rate is 60 fps against 30 fps, so its footage holds more detail on a large screen and movement looks smoother. It also offers a built-in timelapse mode the A10 lacks, handy for condensing a sunset or a busy street into a short clip.

File formats overlap. Both cameras record in MOV, and the S9900 also offers MPEG-4, so it provides a second format choice for your clips. For casual clips either camera works, but footage you plan to keep or share beyond a phone favours the S9900.

The S9900's articulating screen is its most practical advantage for people shots and travel photography. You can tilt the 3-inch, 921,000-dot display to frame a self-portrait or hold the camera overhead at a viewpoint; the A10's 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot screen is fixed, so composing from awkward angles means guessing.

Both cameras offer touch control, Wi-Fi and live view, so sharing photos to a phone works the same way on either. The S9900 adds GPS, which tags every photo with its location and makes organising holiday pictures by place much easier. The A10 instead offers Bluetooth, useful for a low-power link to a phone. Neither camera has weather sealing or supports an external flash.

Each camera takes a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card, so one card can move between them and storage capacity depends only on the card you buy. Neither has a second card slot.

The batteries split by travel style. The A10 runs on two AA batteries rated for 400 shots, so carrying fresh spares is simple on a long trip away from a charger. The S9900 uses a rechargeable EN-EL19 pack rated for 300 shots and charges over USB, which is convenient when a power bank or laptop is at hand.