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Nikon D80 vs Leica M-E Typ 220 Comparison

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Nikon D80

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

Nikon D80
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Leica M-E Typ 220

18 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CCD Sensor

Leica M-E Typ 220
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Nikon D80 vs Leica M-E Typ 220 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 M-E Typ 220, which was introduced in September 2012 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 18.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, D80 is 6 years older than M-E Typ 220. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220 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 M-E Typ 220 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-09-17
  • 18MP - Full frame CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 2500
  • Leica M Mount
  • 2.5" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (rangefinder) viewfinder
  • 2 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 585g. 139 x 80 x 37 mm

Nikon D80 was replaced by Nikon D90. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D90 vs Nikon D80
Nikon D90 vs Leica M-E Typ 220

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Leica M-E Typ 220
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting
3.0fps vs 2.0fps 1 fps faster
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR


Reasons to choose Leica M-E Typ 220 over Nikon D80
Viewfinder Magnification
0.68x vs 0.64x Larger Viewfinder
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 10 MP 80% more pixels
Max ISO
2.500 vs 1.600 56% higher Max ISO
Weight
585 g vs 668 g 83 g lighter
Color Depth
22.7 vs 22.1 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
11.7 vs 11.2 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
787 vs 524 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
47.73µm2 vs 37.14µm2 28% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220
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
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Size
2.5" vs 2.5" Small display
LCD Screen Resolution
230k dots vs 230k dots Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon D80 vs Leica M-E Typ 220: 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 M-E Typ 220 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 M-E Typ 220 has external dimensions of 139 x 80 x 37 mm (5.47 x 3.15 x 1.46″) and weighs 585 g (1.29 lb / 20.64 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220. Leica M-E Typ 220 is 23mm shorter and 40mm thinner than Nikon D80 but it is also 7mm wider.

Nikon D80 vs Leica M-E Typ 220 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220.
Nikon D80 vs Leica M-E Typ 220 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Leica M-E Typ 220 is 83g lighter than the Nikon D80 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Leica M-E Typ 220 has a Full frame sensor and Nikon D80 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Nikon D80's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Leica M-E Typ 220 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D80
M-E Typ 220
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D80
M-E Typ 220
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D80 nor Leica M-E Typ 220 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 Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 2.5".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon D80 vs Leica M-E Typ 220: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D80 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Leica M-E Typ 220 has a 18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Leica M-E Typ 220's sensor provides 8MP more than Nikon D80's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the D80 and M-E Typ 220 sensor size comparison.

Nikon D80 vs Leica M-E Typ 220 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220 Cameras


As seen above, Leica M-E Typ 220 has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Nikon D80. 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

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It 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. Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that M-E Typ 220 has a better overall score of 69, 8 points higher compared to D80's score of 61.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Nikon D80 61 22.1 bits 11.2 Evs 524 ISO
Leica M-E Typ 220 69 22.7 bits 11.7 Evs 787 ISO
Nikon D80 vs Leica M-E Typ 220 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D80 has an advantage over Leica M-E Typ 220. There are 309 lenses for Nikon D80's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 60 lenses for Leica M-E Typ 220's Leica M lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 106 lenses for Nikon F mount and 0 lenses for Leica M mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Nikon D80 Lenses # of Leica M-E Typ 220 Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 n/a
Standard Prime 21 15 (15 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 33 1 (1 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 48 32 (32 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 53 n/a
Telephoto Prime 45 10 (10 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 30 n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 n/a
Macro Prime 26 1 (1 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 11 1 (1 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 309 60 (60 Full Frame)

What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Leica M-E Typ 220 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 M-E Typ 220 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 Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Leica M-E Typ 220 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
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 Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Leica M-E Typ 220 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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Leica M-E Typ 220 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
668g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
585g
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Leica M-E Typ 220 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
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 Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Nikon D80 vs Leica M-E Typ 220: 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 M-E Typ 220, 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 M-E Typ 220 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
Leica M-E Typ 220
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #120 out of 128 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #543 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Leica M-E Typ 220 scores higher than the Nikon D80 thanks to its better general imaging quality, compact size and higher value for the money. On the other hand, Nikon D80 has some extra features which may become a game changer if you have some specific requirements.
We recommend you to read our detailed Pro's and Con's section and see if any Pro of Nikon D80 is a must-have for you. If not, choose the Leica M-E Typ 220.

Nikon D80
Nikon D80
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Leica M-E Typ 220
Leica M-E Typ 220
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Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Nikon D80 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D80 Leica M-E Typ 220
Brand Nikon Leica
Announced 2006-09-23 2012-09-17
Body Type Mid-size SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CCD CCD
Size APS-C Full frame
Dimensions 23.6 x 15.8 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 372.88mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 18 megapixels
Max Resolution 3872 x 2592 5212 x 3472
Max Native Light sensitivity 1,600 ISO 2,500 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 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Leica M
Number of Available Lenses 309 60
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 2.5" 2.5"
Resolution 230k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (rangefinder)
Viewfinder Coverage 95% Unknown
Viewfinder Magnification 0.64x 0.68x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 13.00 m no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/180s
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 None
Video Formats n/a n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 668g 585g
Dimensions 132 x 103 x 77mm 139 x 80 x 37mm
Battery Life n/a n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 61 69
DxO Color Depth 22.1 22.7
DxO Dynamic Range 11.2 11.7
DxO Low Light ISO 524 787
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