Nikon L120 vs Panasonic LX7 Comparison

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Nikon L120

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Panasonic LX7

10 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon L120 vs Panasonic LX7 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Nikon and Panasonic. Nikon L120 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Panasonic LX7 was launched in October 2012. There is 20 months difference between L120 and LX7 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger LX7, especially in sensor tech.

Nikon L120 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Panasonic LX7 has a 10.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon L120 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-02-09

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400

25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

431g. 110 x 77 x 78 mm

Replaced Nikon Coolpix L110 Compare

Panasonic LX7 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-10-15

10MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)

24-90 mm F1.4-2.3 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

11 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

120fps High-Speed Video

298g. 111 x 68 x 46 mm

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Compare

Panasonic LX7 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10 vs Nikon Coolpix L120

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L120 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

Max Sensor Resolution	14 MP vs 10 MP	39% more pixels
Focal Length - Tele	525mm vs 90mm	435 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	21× vs 3.8x	more flexible focal coverage

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 over Nikon Coolpix L120

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Number of Focus Points	23 vs 9	14 more focus points
Continuous Shooting	11.0fps vs 1.0fps	10 fps faster
Weight	298 g vs 431 g	133 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 25mm	1 mm wider coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	1.40 vs 3.10	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	2.30 vs 5.80	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	8.5m vs 6.0m	2.5m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	4.16µm² vs 2.01µm²	106% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Built-in ND Filter	Yes vs No	Use larger aperture under strong light

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 920k dots	High resolution screens

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic LX7: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon L120 has external dimensions of 110 x 77 x 78 mm (4.33 x 3.03 x 3.07″) and weighs 431 g (0.95 lb / 15.20 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic LX7 has external dimensions of 111 x 68 x 46 mm (4.37 x 2.68 x 1.81″) and weighs 298 g (0.66 lb / 10.51 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7. Panasonic LX7 is 9mm shorter and 32mm thinner than Nikon L120 but it is also 1mm wider.

Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7.

Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic LX7 is significantly lighter (133g ) than the Nikon L120 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120

LX7

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120

LX7

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix L120 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic LX7: Sensor Comparison

Nikon L120 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Panasonic LX7 has a 10.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor.

Below you can see the L120 and LX7 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 Cameras

As seen above, Panasonic LX7 has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Nikon L120. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic LX7 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon L120 features a 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 21× zoom lens whereas Panasonic LX7 features a 24-90 mm F1.4-2.3 3.8x zoom lens.

Panasonic LX7 has 1mm wider coverage than the Nikon L120. At f1.40, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon L120 has 435mm longer reach than the Panasonic LX7. However, with a max aperture of f2.30, Panasonic LX7 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

L120

LX7

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

L120

LX7

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

L120

LX7

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

L120

LX7

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon L120 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Panasonic LX7 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic LX7 for Street Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.40
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic LX7 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
525 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
90 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic LX7 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
21.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
431g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
298g
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Body Thickness 46mm
3.8X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic LX7 for Landscape Photography

POOR

25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic LX7: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon L120 and Panasonic LX7 scores compare:

Nikon L120

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #216 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #792 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic LX7

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #26 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #387 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic LX7 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon L120 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Panasonic LX7 vs Nikon L120 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix L120	Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7
Brand	Nikon	Panasonic
Announced	2011-02-09	2012-10-15
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/1.7-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area	28.07mm²	41.52mm²
Megapixels	14 megapixels	10 megapixels
Max Resolution	4320 x 3240	3648 x 2736
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	80 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-525 mm (21×)	24-90 mm (3.8x)
Max Aperture	F3.1-5.8	F1.4-2.3
Macro Focus Range	1cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Electronic (optional)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	6.00 m	8.50 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	11.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	431g	298g
Dimensions	110 x 77 x 78mm	111 x 68 x 46mm
Battery Life	330 shots	330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	50
DxO Color Depth	not tested	20.7
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	11.7
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	147
	Report a correction	Report a correction