NIkon S9900 vs Nikon B700

I recently purchased a Canon G5x as I didn't want to take my larger Nikon DSLR. I now have a zoom, a fast lens (in low light!), and the ability to take pics on an Aperture setting (as well as others). And it shoots in Raw and/or jpg. And, it fits in my purse. I've been getting used to it these past few weeks, and I think it's going to be perfect for international travel when you're trying to travel light.

I have a Canon SX 230 Point and shoot also. I found it to be not as user friendly as the Nikon. I will look at the Canon you have.

Here are a couple of online comparisons of your cameras.

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon-Coolpix-B700-vs-Nikon-Coolpix-S9900

http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/nikon/s9900/vs/nikon/b700/

The B700 is newer and has double the zoom. But it is more expensive and much much bulkier.

IMO, you do not gain much by switching to the B700. The megapixels difference is not huge. Both have slow consumer apertures. As far as I can see, the sensors are the same size. With the S9900 you actually have higher iso, and gps. Theoretically, the higher iso should make it easier for you to shoot in low light, but not necessarily produce better images.

If you think your low light photos with the S9900 were crappy, with the B700 you will take the same crappy low light photos but zoomed in closer. I strongly prefer the compactness of the S9900,

My suggestions:

1. Keep the s9900, and work on your technique. In low light, try not to max out the iso, maybe keep it no more than 800 to avoid graininess or noise in the images​. With the lower iso, the shutter spead will be slower. You then need to learn to hold the camera extra steady or brace the camera against a fixed object to avoid motion blur. Or use a mini tripod. The low light results can be dramatically improved if you do a little extra work. I can use a 10 year old digital point and shoot without image stabilization and still take a decent sharp photo in a dark church by setting the camera on a railing and using the timer.

2. If you really really really need to buy something new, look for a camera with a bigger sensor and or larger aperture i.e. smaller f-number (like the Canon G5X or Sony RX100). Those are specs which translate to real gains in image quality. But you will pay a bit more money. All other features e.g. big zoom, wifi, gps etc are just convenience features, imo.

Thanks so much! This definitely answers my question. I had a feeling this might be the case.

If I were shopping for a point and shoot that could handle low light situations, I would look at either the Panasonic LX100 or the Sony RX100. A bigger sensor and a wider aperture will help you more than a long zoom for low light pictures.

Thanks ,Marie.. I think, for now I will experiment with my Nikon.