CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison
  • BRANDS
    • Sony Cameras
    • Canon Cameras
    • Nikon Cameras
    • Pentax Cameras
    • Fujifilm Cameras
    • Olympus Cameras
    • Panasonic Cameras
    • Leica Cameras
    • Samsung Cameras
  • BODY TYPE
    • Mirrorless Cameras
    • DSLR Cameras
    • Compact Cameras
    • Bridge Cameras
    • Waterproof Cameras

Nikon D80 vs Pentax K100D Super Comparison

x
Camera to replace
Change

Nikon D80

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

Nikon D80
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Change

Pentax K100D S

6 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) CCD Sensor

Pentax K100D S
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Nikon D80 vs Pentax K100D S Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two DSLR cameras from Nikon and Pentax. Nikon D80 was introduced to market in September 2006 and Pentax K100D S was launched in June 2007. There is only 9 months difference between D80 and K100D Super so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Both cameras have APS-C sensors but Nikon D80 has a 10.0 MP and Pentax K100D S has a 6.0 MP resolution.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S 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

Pentax K100D S Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2007-06-28
  • 6MP - APS-C CCD Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 3200
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 2.5" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 646g. 129 x 91 x 71 mm
  • Replaced Pentax K100D Compare

Nikon D80 was replaced by Nikon D90. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D90 vs Nikon D80
Nikon D90 vs Pentax K100D Super

Pentax K100D S was replaced by Pentax K200D. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax K200D vs Pentax K100D Super
Pentax K200D vs Nikon D80

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Pentax K100D Super
Viewfinder Magnification
0.64x vs 0.57x Larger Viewfinder
Max Sensor Resolution
10 MP vs 6 MP 66% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution
230k dots vs 210k dots 9% higher resolution screen
Optical Viewfinder Type
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror Pentaprism Viewfinders are brighter than Pentamirror type


Reasons to choose Pentax K100D Super over Nikon D80
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Max ISO
3.200 vs 1.600 100% higher Max ISO
Viewfinder Coverage
96% vs 95% More accurate viewfinder
Weight
646 g vs 668 g 22 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
61.08µm2 vs 37.14µm2 64% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D Super
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
Top LCD Display
Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D Super
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Max Resolution
10 MP vs 6 MP Less details and smaller prints
LCD Screen Size
2.5" vs 2.5" Small display
LCD Screen Resolution
230k dots vs 210k dots Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon D80 vs Pentax K100D S: 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 Pentax K100D S 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). Pentax K100D S has external dimensions of 129 x 91 x 71 mm (5.08 x 3.58 x 2.8″) and weighs 646 g (1.42 lb / 22.79 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S. Pentax K100D S is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 3mm narrower, 12mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Nikon D80.

Nikon D80 vs Pentax K100D S Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax K100D S is 22g 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 both Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S have the same APS-C sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D80
K100D Super
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D80
K100D Super
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D80 nor Pentax K100D Super 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S'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 Pentax K100D S: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D80 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Pentax K100D S has a 6.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the D80 and K100D Super sensor size comparison.

Nikon D80 vs Pentax K100D S Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S Cameras


Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon D80 vs Pentax K100D S 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 Pentax K100D S. There are 309 lenses for Nikon D80's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 155 lenses for Pentax K100D S's Pentax KAF2 lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Pentax K100D S has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Nikon D80 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 106 lenses for Nikon F mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Nikon D80 Lenses # of Pentax K100D S Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 22
Standard Prime 21 21
Wideangle Zoom 33 12
Wideangle Prime 48 25
Telephoto Zoom 53 21
Telephoto Prime 45 14
SuperZoom 30 15
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 3
Macro Prime 26 14
Perspective Control Prime 11 8
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 309 155


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S 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 Lens Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF
25.5 - 82.5mm 755gr 1423gr 111mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED Lens Pentax DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED
24 - 75mm 565gr 1211gr 99mm 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 Lens Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM
75 - 225mm 1350gr 2018gr 198mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED Lens Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED
75 - 202.5mm 685gr 1331gr 136mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Nikon 35mm f1.8G Lens Nikon 35mm f1.8G
52.5mm 210gr 878gr 53mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L Lens Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L
31mm 345gr 991gr 69mm 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 Lens Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED
15 - 36mm 460gr 1128gr 87mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 12-24mm F4.0 ED AL Lens Pentax 12-24mm F4.0 ED AL
18 - 36mm 430gr 1076gr 84mm 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 Lens Nikon DX 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR
24 - 120mm 480gr 1148gr 86mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 17-70mm F4.0 AL SDM Lens Pentax 17-70mm F4.0 AL SDM
25.5 - 105mm 485gr 1131gr 94mm 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 Lens Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR
80 - 400mm 1570gr 2238gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM Lens Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM
120 - 400mm 1640gr 2286gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Pentax K100D S 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

Pentax K100D S 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 APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K100D S for Street Photography

GOOD
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 APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax K100D S for Sports Photography

GOOD
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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
11 Focus Points
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K100D S for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
668g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Large Body
646g
Body Thickness 71mm
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax K100D S 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 APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Nikon D80 vs Pentax K100D S: 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 Pentax K100D S, 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 Pentax K100D S 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
Pentax K100D S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #72 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #624 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Nikon D80 has a higher Overall Score than the Pentax K100D S mainly because of its huge advantage in Image quality. In all other areas, Pentax K100D S excels. It is a tough choice!
If image quality is your priority, get the Nikon D80.
If you are ready to compromise image quality for extra features, compactness and value, choose Pentax K100D S

Nikon D80
Nikon D80
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Pentax K100D S
Pentax K100D S
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Pentax K100D S vs Nikon D80 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D80 Pentax K100D Super
Brand Nikon Pentax
Announced 2006-09-23 2007-06-28
Body Type Mid-size SLR Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CCD CCD
Size APS-C APS-C
Dimensions 23.6 x 15.8 mm 23.5 x 15.7 mm
Area 372.88mm2 368.95mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 6 megapixels
Max Resolution 3872 x 2592 3008 x 2008
Max Native Light sensitivity 1,600 ISO 3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 3200 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 200 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 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Pentax KAF2
Number of Available Lenses 309 155
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 2.5" 2.5"
Resolution 230k dots 210k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 96%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.64x 0.57x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 13.00 m n/a
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/180s
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 None
Video Formats n/a n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 668g 646g
Dimensions 132 x 103 x 77mm 129 x 91 x 71mm
Battery Life n/a n/a
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
Report a correction Report a correction


FOLLOW US


Most Popular Cameras
Nikon Z7
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Sony A6000
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Sony A7 III
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Fujifilm X-T3
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Canon R
30 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Sony A6400
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Nikon D5600
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Nikon D850
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Top Rated DSLR Cameras
Top DSLR Cameras Under $500
Top DSLR Cameras Under $750
Top DSLR Cameras Under $1000
Top DSLR Cameras Under $1500
Latest Cameras
Pentax K-m
10 MP | APS-C Sensor | Pentax KAF2 Mount
Pentax K-3 III
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Pentax KAF2 Mount
Sigma fp L
61 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Fujifilm GFX 100S
102 MP | Medium format Sensor | Fujifilm G Mount
Fujifilm X-E4
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Sony a1
50 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Leica SL2-S
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Leica Q2 Monochrom
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm
Copyright © 2021 by CameraDecision
About Feedback Privacy Cameras

Report a Correction