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Nikon P500 vs Leica X Vario Comparison

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Nikon P500

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P500
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Leica X Vario

16 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Leica X Vario
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Nikon P500 vs Leica X Vario Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon P500, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Leica X Vario, which was introduced in June 2013 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 16.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, P500 is 2 years older than X Vario. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon P500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 494g. 116 x 84 x 103 mm

Leica X Vario Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-06-11
  • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12500
  • 28-70 mm F3.5-6.4 Zoom Lens
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 680g. 133 x 73 x 95 mm
  • Replaced Leica X2 Compare

Nikon P500 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P510. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Nikon Coolpix P500
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Leica X Vario

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Leica X Vario
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs Electronic (Optional) Better framing and control
Weight
494 g vs 680 g 186 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide
23mm vs 28mm 5 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
810mm vs 70mm 740 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
36× vs 2.5× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.40 vs 3.50 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
5.70 vs 6.40 faster lens at tele


Reasons to choose Leica X Vario over Nikon Coolpix P500
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
12.500 vs 3.200 290% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
11 vs 9 2 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter
1/2000s vs 1/1500s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 1.0fps 4 fps faster
Battery Life
450 shots vs 220 shots 230 more frames with a single charge
Sensor Pixel Area
23.13µm2 vs 2.34µm2 888% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Leica X Vario
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
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure
Yes vs Yes better exposure control
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Leica X Vario
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele
5.70 vs 6.40 Slow lenses at tele
Nikon P500 vs Leica X Vario: 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 P500 and Leica X Vario side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon P500 has external dimensions of 116 x 84 x 10 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06″) and weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 oz) (including batteries). Leica X Vario has external dimensions of 133 x 73 x 95 mm (5.24 x 2.87 x 3.74″) and weighs 680 g (1.50 lb / 23.99 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario. Leica X Vario is 11mm shorter and 8mm thinner than Nikon P500 but it is also 17mm wider.

Nikon P500 vs Leica X Vario Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario.

Nikon P500 vs Leica X Vario Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario.
Nikon P500 vs Leica X Vario Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon P500 is significantly lighter (186g ) than the Leica X Vario which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

P500
X Vario
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

P500
X Vario
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix P500 nor Leica X Vario 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 Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Nikon P500 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Leica X Vario has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P500.
Nikon P500 vs Leica X Vario: Sensor Comparison

Nikon P500 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Leica X Vario has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the P500 and X Vario sensor size comparison.

Nikon P500 vs Leica X Vario Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario Cameras


As seen above, Leica X Vario has a 13.3x Larger sensor area than Nikon P500. 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 P500 vs Leica X Vario Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P500 features a 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 36× zoom lens whereas Leica X Vario features a 28-70 mm F3.5-6.4 2.5× zoom lens.

Nikon P500 has 5mm wider coverage than the Leica X Vario. At f3.40, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon P500 has 740mm longer reach than the Leica X Vario. At f5.70, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
X Vario
Widest - Samsung WB2200F
Average
Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

P500
X Vario
Longest - Nikon P1000
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

P500
X Vario
Fastest - Olympus 1
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

P500
X Vario
Fastest - Sony RX10 III
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Leica X Vario 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 P500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Leica X Vario for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Leica X Vario for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Leica X Vario for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
810 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
11 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
70 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Leica X Vario for Daily Photography

GOOD
35.2X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
494g
Body Thickness 103mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
680g
Body Thickness 95mm
2.5X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Leica X Vario for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Leica X Vario: 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 P500 and Leica X Vario, 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 P500 and Leica X Vario scores compare:

Nikon P500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #50 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #556 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Leica X Vario
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #41 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #378 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Leica X Vario scores higher than the Nikon P500 in Overall. It has better image quality and better value than Nikon P500. On the other hand, Nikon P500 is more portable and has more features than Leica X Vario.
If image quality is very important for you and you want to get the most bang for your bucks, choose the Leica X Vario.
If you are looking for a small camera where you can take everywhere with you, and having more features are also important, Nikon P500 is the right choice for you.

Nikon P500
Nikon P500
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Leica X Vario
Leica X Vario
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Leica X Vario vs Nikon P500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P500 Leica X Vario
Brand Nikon Leica
Announced 2011-02-09 2013-06-11
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.6 x 15.8 mm
Area 28.07mm2 372.88mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4928 x 3272
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 12,500 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 100 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 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 23-810 mm (36×) 28-70 mm (2.5×)
Max Aperture F3.4-5.7 F3.5-6.4
Macro Focus Range 1cm n/a
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 921k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic (optional)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1500s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 8.00 m n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 494g 680g
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 103mm 133 x 73 x 95mm
Battery Life 220 shots 450 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 78
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.4
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.7
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1320
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