Nikon D80 vs Panasonic GF2 Comparison

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Nikon D80

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

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Panasonic GF2

12 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon D80 vs Panasonic GF2 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 Panasonic GF2, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, D80 is 5 years older than GF2. 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 Panasonic GF2 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

Panasonic GF2 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-02-24

12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3" Fixed Type Screen

3 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

310g. 113 x 68 x 33 mm

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Compare

Nikon D80 was replaced by Nikon D90. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D90 vs Nikon D80
Nikon D90 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

Panasonic GF2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Nikon D80

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D80 and Panasonic GF2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

Viewfinder	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
Flash Coverage	13.0m vs 6.0m	7m longer range
Color Depth	22.1 vs 21.2	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	11.2 vs 10.3	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	524 vs 506	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	37.14µm² vs 18.74µm²	98% larger pixel area
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 over Nikon D80

Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
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	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Weight	310 g vs 668 g	358 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs None	Higher Resolution Video

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

In-body Image Stabilization	No vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Nikon D80 vs Panasonic GF2: 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 Panasonic GF2 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). Panasonic GF2 has external dimensions of 113 x 68 x 33 mm (4.45 x 2.68 x 1.3″) and weighs 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D80 and Panasonic GF2. Panasonic GF2 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 19mm narrower, 35mm shorter and 44mm thinner than Nikon D80.

Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Panasonic GF2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D80 and Panasonic GF2.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Panasonic GF2 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic GF2 is significantly lighter (358g ) than the Nikon D80 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 Nikon D80 has an APS-C sized sensor and Panasonic GF2 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic GF2's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Nikon D80 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D80

GF2

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D80

GF2

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D80 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 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

Panasonic GF2'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 Panasonic GF2: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D80 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Panasonic GF2 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.

Below you can see the D80 and GF2 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Panasonic GF2 Cameras

As seen above, Nikon D80 has a 1.7x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GF2. 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 Panasonic GF2 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, 7 points higher than GF2.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Nikon D80	61	22.1 bits	11.2 Evs	524 ISO
Panasonic GF2	54	21.2 bits	10.3 Evs	506 ISO

Nikon D80 vs Panasonic GF2 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 Panasonic GF2. There are 309 lenses for Nikon D80's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 107 lenses for Panasonic GF2's Micro Four Thirds 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 31 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with IS.

Lens Type	# of Nikon D80 Lenses	# of Panasonic GF2 Lenses
Standard Zoom	33	15
Standard Prime	21	13
Wideangle Zoom	33	5
Wideangle Prime	48	29
Telephoto Zoom	53	18
Telephoto Prime	45	9
SuperZoom	30	8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	8	5
Macro Prime	26	4
Perspective Control Prime	11	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	309	107

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Nikon D80 and Panasonic GF2 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF	25.5 - 82.5mm	755gr	1423gr	111mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS	24 - 70mm	305gr	615gr	74mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM	75 - 225mm	1350gr	2018gr	198mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS	70 - 200mm	357gr	667gr	100mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Nikon 35mm f1.8G	52.5mm	210gr	878gr	53mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH	50mm	205gr	515gr	55mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED	15 - 36mm	460gr	1128gr	87mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH	16 - 36mm	315gr	625gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo

24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Nikon DX 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR	24 - 120mm	480gr	1148gr	86mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS	24 - 120mm	320gr	630gr	86mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR	80 - 400mm	1570gr	2238gr	203mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3	200 - 800mm	985gr	1295gr	172mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Panasonic GF2 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Panasonic GF2 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

Panasonic GF2 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF2 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GF2 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

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

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

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

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
310g
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GF2 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D80 vs Panasonic GF2: 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 Panasonic GF2, 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 Panasonic GF2 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

Panasonic GF2

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #92 out of 128 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #405 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic GF2 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 GF2 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 Panasonic GF2.

Panasonic GF2 vs Nikon D80 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon D80	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Brand	Nikon	Panasonic
Announced	2006-09-23	2011-02-24
Body Type	Mid-size SLR	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
Size	APS-C	Four Thirds
Dimensions	23.6 x 15.8 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	372.88mm²	224.90mm²
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	-
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	23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	309	107
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.5"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)	None
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	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	13.00 m	6.00 m
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	3.0 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	AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	668g	310g
Dimensions	132 x 103 x 77mm	113 x 68 x 33mm
Battery Life	n/a	300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	61	54
DxO Color Depth	22.1	21.2
DxO Dynamic Range	11.2	10.3
DxO Low Light ISO	524	506
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