Nikon D80 vs Canon G15 Comparison

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Nikon D80

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

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Canon G15

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

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Nikon D80 vs Canon G15 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 G15, which was introduced in September 2012 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor. As you can see, D80 is 6 years older than G15. 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 G15 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 G15 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-09-17

12MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 12800

28-140 mm F1.8-2.8 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (tunnel) viewfinder

2 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

240fps High-Speed Video

352g. 107 x 76 x 40 mm

Replaced Canon PowerShot G12 Compare

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 G15

Canon G15 was replaced by Canon PowerShot G16. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot G16 vs Canon PowerShot G15
Canon PowerShot G16 vs Nikon D80

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D80 and Canon G15 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Canon PowerShot G15

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 19.9	higher color depth
Low Light ISO	524 vs 165	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	37.14µm² vs 3.46µm²	973% larger pixel area
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G15 over Nikon D80

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	12 MP vs 10 MP	19% 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	922k dots vs 230k dots	300% higher resolution screen
Weight	352 g vs 668 g	316 g lighter
Dynamic Range	11.5 vs 11.2	higher dynamic range
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
Built-in ND Filter	Yes vs No	Use larger aperture under strong light

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Canon PowerShot G15

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 G15

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

Nikon D80 vs Canon G15: 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 G15 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 G15 has external dimensions of 107 x 76 x 40 mm (4.21 x 2.99 x 1.57″) and weighs 352 g (0.78 lb / 12.42 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D80 and Canon G15. Canon G15 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 25mm narrower, 27mm shorter and 37mm thinner than Nikon D80. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon G15 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 G15 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D80 and Canon G15.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Canon G15 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon G15 is significantly lighter (316g ) 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 G15 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 G15's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon D80's 2.5" screen.

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

Nikon D80 vs Canon G15: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D80 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Canon G15 has a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5 processor.

Below you can see the D80 and G15 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Canon G15 Cameras

As seen above, Nikon D80 has a 9.0x Larger sensor area than Canon G15. 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 G15 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, 15 points higher than G15.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Nikon D80	61	22.1 bits	11.2 Evs	524 ISO
Canon G15	46	19.9 bits	11.5 Evs	165 ISO

What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Canon G15 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Canon G15 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 G15 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

Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G15 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

Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon G15 for Sports Photography

POOR

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
Fast Lens at Tele: f2.80
140 mm Tele Lens
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G15 for Daily Photography

GOOD

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

Compact Body
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
352g
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon G15 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

28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D80 vs Canon G15: 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 G15, 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 G15 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 G15

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #23 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #385 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Canon G15 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D80. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that G15 trails behind the D80: Imaging
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Nikon D80. If not, we recommend the Canon G15.

Canon G15 vs Nikon D80 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon D80	Canon PowerShot G15
Brand	Nikon	Canon
Announced	2006-09-23	2012-09-17
Body Type	Mid-size SLR	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
Size	APS-C	1/1.7-inch
Dimensions	23.6 x 15.8 mm	7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area	372.88mm²	41.52mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	3872 x 2592	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	3200 ISO	-
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 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	n/a	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	no lens	28-140 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	no lens	F1.8-2.8
Macro Focus Range	no lens	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.5"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	922k 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
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	1/2000s
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	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	668g	352g
Dimensions	132 x 103 x 77mm	107 x 76 x 40mm
Battery Life	n/a	350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	61	46
DxO Color Depth	22.1	19.9
DxO Dynamic Range	11.2	11.5
DxO Low Light ISO	524	165
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