Nikon D80 vs Leica C Comparison

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Nikon D80

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

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Leica C

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

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Nikon D80 vs Leica C 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 Leica C, which was introduced in September 2013 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor. As you can see, D80 is 7 years older than C. 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 Leica C 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

Leica C Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-09-08

12MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)

28-200 mm F2.0-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

200k dot Electronic viewfinder

10 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

195g. 103 x 63 x 28 mm

Also known as Typ112

Nikon D80 was replaced by Nikon D90. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D90 vs Nikon D80
Nikon D90 vs Leica C (Typ112)

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

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Leica C

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Magnification	0.64x vs 0.46x	Larger Viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	95% vs 1	More accurate viewfinder
Flash Coverage	13.0m vs 7.0m	6m longer range
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 Leica C over Nikon D80

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
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	6.400 vs 1.600	300% 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
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 3.0fps	7 fps faster
Weight	195 g vs 668 g	473 g lighter
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Leica C

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Electronic)	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 Leica C

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

Nikon D80 vs Leica C: 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 Leica C 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). Leica C has external dimensions of 103 x 63 x 28 mm (4.06 x 2.48 x 1.1″) and weighs 195 g (0.43 lb / 6.88 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D80 and Leica C. Leica C is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 29mm narrower, 40mm shorter and 49mm thinner than Nikon D80. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Leica C 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 Leica C Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D80 and Leica C.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Leica C Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Leica C is significantly lighter (473g ) 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 Leica C (Typ112) 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

Leica C'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 Leica C: Sensor Comparison

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

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

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Leica C Cameras

As seen above, Nikon D80 has a 9.0x Larger sensor area than Leica C. 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Leica C Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Leica C 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

Leica C 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Leica C 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
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

Leica C 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Wireless Connection
200 mm Tele Lens
No External Flash Shoe
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Leica C 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
195g
7.1X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Leica C 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 Leica C: 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 Leica C, 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 Leica C scores compare:

Nikon D80

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #71 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #611 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Leica C

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #25 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #386 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Leica C 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 C 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 Leica C.

Nikon D80

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Leica C

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Leica C vs Nikon D80 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon D80	Leica C
Brand	Nikon	Leica
Announced	2006-09-23	2013-09-08
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	6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	3200 ISO	12800 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	no lens	28-200 mm (7.1×)
Max Aperture	no lens	F2.0-5.9
Macro Focus Range	no lens	3cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.5"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder	200k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	1
Viewfinder Magnification	0.64x	0.46x
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	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	10.0 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	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	668g	195g
Dimensions	132 x 103 x 77mm	103 x 63 x 28mm
Battery Life	n/a	250 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	61	not tested
DxO Color Depth	22.1	not tested
DxO Dynamic Range	11.2	not tested
DxO Low Light ISO	524	not tested
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