Nikon D80 vs Canon G1 X Comparison

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Nikon D80

10 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CCD Sensor

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Canon G1 X

14 MP | 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon D80 vs Canon G1 X Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon D80, which was introduced in September 2006 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Canon G1 X, which was introduced in March 2012 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 14.0MP 1.5-inch sensor. As you can see, D80 is 6 years older than G1 X. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D80 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2006-09-23

10MP - APS-C CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600 ( expands to 3200)

Nikon F Mount

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

668g. 132 x 103 x 77 mm

Replaced Nikon D70 Compare

Canon G1 X Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-03-29

14MP - 1.5-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800

28-112 mm F2.8-5.8 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fully Articulated Screen

Optical (tunnel) viewfinder

2 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

534g. 117 x 81 x 65 mm

Nikon D80 was replaced by Nikon D90. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D90 vs Nikon D80
Nikon D90 vs Canon PowerShot G1 X

Canon G1 X was replaced by Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II vs Canon PowerShot G1 X
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II vs Nikon D80

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Canon PowerShot G1 X

Continuous Shooting	3.0fps vs 2.0fps	1 fps faster
Flash Coverage	13.0m vs 7.0m	6m longer range
Color Depth	22.1 vs 21.7	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	11.2 vs 10.8	higher dynamic range
Sensor Pixel Area	37.14µm² vs 18.44µm²	101% larger pixel area
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G1 X over Nikon D80

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen	Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	14 MP vs 10 MP	39% more pixels
Max ISO	12.800 vs 1.600	700% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	920k dots vs 230k dots	300% higher resolution screen
Weight	534 g vs 668 g	134 g lighter
Low Light ISO	644 vs 524	better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
Built-in ND Filter	3.0-stops vs No	Use larger aperture under strong light
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs No	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Canon PowerShot G1 X

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Nikon D80 and Canon PowerShot G1 X

Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Nikon D80 vs Canon G1 X: 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 D80 and Canon G1 X side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon D80 has external dimensions of 132 x 103 x 77 mm (5.2 x 4.06 x 3.03″) and weighs 668 g (1.47 lb / 23.56 oz) (including batteries). Canon G1 X has external dimensions of 117 x 81 x 65 mm (4.61 x 3.19 x 2.56″) and weighs 534 g (1.18 lb / 18.84 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X. Canon G1 X is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 15mm narrower, 22mm shorter and 12mm thinner than Nikon D80. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon G1 X has a built-in lens but Nikon D80 doesn't. Once you put a lens on D80, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon G1 X is significantly lighter (134g ) than the Nikon D80 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 D80, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D80 nor Canon PowerShot G1 X 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 DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon G1 X's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon D80's 2.5" screen.

Moreover, Canon G1 X 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. On the other hand, Nikon D80 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to G1 X.

Nikon D80 vs Canon G1 X: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D80 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Canon G1 X has a 14.0MP 1.5-inch (18.7 x 14 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5 processor.

Below you can see the D80 and G1 X sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X Cameras

As seen above, Nikon D80 has a 1.4x Larger sensor area than Canon G1 X. 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.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, D80 has scored 61, 1 points higher than G1 X.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Nikon D80	61	22.1 bits	11.2 Evs	524 ISO
Canon G1 X	60	21.7 bits	10.8 Evs	644 ISO

What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Canon G1 X 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 D80 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G1 X for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G1 X for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon G1 X for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
112 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G1 X for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
668g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details

Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
Compact Body
4.0X Optical Zoom
534g
Body Thickness 65mm
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon G1 X for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D80 vs Canon G1 X: 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 D80 and Canon G1 X, 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 D80 and Canon G1 X scores compare:

Nikon D80

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #71 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #612 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Canon G1 X

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #35 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #308 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Canon G1 X is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon D80 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Canon G1 X vs Nikon D80 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon D80	Canon PowerShot G1 X
Brand	Nikon	Canon
Announced	2006-09-23	2012-03-29
Body Type	Mid-size SLR	Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
Size	APS-C	1.5-inch
Dimensions	23.6 x 15.8 mm	18.7 x 14 mm
Area	372.88mm²	261.80mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	14 megapixels
Max Resolution	3872 x 2592	4352 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	3200 ISO	-
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 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	n/a	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	no lens	28-112 mm (4x)
Max Aperture	no lens	F2.8-5.8
Macro Focus Range	no lens	20cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fully Articulated
Size	2.5"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)	Optical (tunnel)
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	0.64x	n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	13.00 m	7.00 m (via hot shoe EX series Speedlites, Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX)
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	2.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	n/a	H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	668g	534g
Dimensions	132 x 103 x 77mm	117 x 81 x 65mm
Battery Life	n/a	250 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	61	60
DxO Color Depth	22.1	21.7
DxO Dynamic Range	11.2	10.8
DxO Low Light ISO	524	644
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