Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Nikon D300 and Leica X-U side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon D300 has external dimensions of 147 x 114 x 74 mm (5.79 x 4.49 x 2.91″) and weighs 925 g (2.04 lb / 32.63 oz) (including batteries). Leica X-U has external dimensions of 140 x 79 x 88 mm (5.51 x 3.11 x 3.46″) and weighs 635 g (1.40 lb / 22.40 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Nikon D300 and the Leica X-U. Leica X-U is 7mm narrower and 35mm shorter than Nikon D300 but it is also 14mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Leica X-U has a built-in lens but Nikon D300 doesn't. Once you put a lens on D300, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Nikon D300 and Leica X-U.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D300 and Leica X-U.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Leica X-U is significantly lighter (290g ) than the Nikon D300 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on D300, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Nikon D300 and Leica X-U's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.
On the other hand, Leica X-U sports a
Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Nikon D300's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to X-U.