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Nikon D80 vs Pentax Q7 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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Pentax Q7

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

Pentax Q7
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Nikon D80 vs Pentax Q7 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 Pentax Q7, which was introduced in August 2013 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor. As you can see, D80 is 7 years older than Q7. 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 Pentax Q7 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 Q7 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-08-08
  • 12MP - 1/1.7-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Pentax Q Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 200g. 102 x 58 x 34 mm
  • Replaced Pentax Q10 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 Q7

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D80 and Pentax Q7 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Pentax Q7
Viewfinder
Optical vs Optical (Optional) Better framing and control
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Flash Coverage
13.0m vs 4.9m 8.1m 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 Pentax Q7 over Nikon D80
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift 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
460k dots vs 230k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 3.0fps 2 fps faster
Weight
200 g vs 668 g 468 g lighter
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs None Higher Resolution Video

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Pentax Q7
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 Pentax Q7
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 Pentax Q7: 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 Q7 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 Q7 has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 34 mm (4.02 x 2.28 x 1.34″) and weighs 200 g (0.44 lb / 7.05 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D80 and Pentax Q7. Pentax Q7 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 30mm narrower, 45mm shorter and 43mm thinner than Nikon D80.

Nikon D80 vs Pentax Q7 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Pentax Q7 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D80 and Pentax Q7.
Nikon D80 vs Pentax Q7 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Pentax Q7 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax Q7 is significantly lighter (468g ) 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 Pentax Q7 has a smaller 1/1.7-inch sensor, Pentax Q7'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
Q7
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D80
Q7
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D80 nor Pentax Q7 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

Pentax Q7'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 Pentax Q7: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D80 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Pentax Q7 has a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the D80 and Q7 sensor size comparison.

Nikon D80 vs Pentax Q7 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Pentax Q7 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon D80 has a 9.0x Larger sensor area than Pentax Q7. 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.

Nikon D80 vs Pentax Q7 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 Q7. There are 309 lenses for Nikon D80's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 8 lenses for Pentax Q7's Pentax Q lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Pentax Q7 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 Q7 Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 1
Standard Prime 21 2
Wideangle Zoom 33 1
Wideangle Prime 48 1
Telephoto Zoom 53 1
Telephoto Prime 45 1
SuperZoom 30 n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 1
Macro Prime 26 n/a
Perspective Control Prime 11 n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 309 8

What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Pentax Q7 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Pentax Q7 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 Q7 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
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax Q7 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
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q7 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
Image Stabilization
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax Q7 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
668g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details
200g
Medium size Body
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax Q7 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
Live-view
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 Pentax Q7: 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 Q7, 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 Q7 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 Q7
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #84 out of 128 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #374 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Pentax Q7 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 Q7 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 Pentax Q7.

Nikon D80
Nikon D80
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Pentax Q7
Pentax Q7
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Pentax Q7 vs Nikon D80 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D80 Pentax Q7
Brand Nikon Pentax
Announced 2006-09-23 2013-08-08
Body Type Mid-size SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CCD BSI-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 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 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Pentax Q
Number of Available Lenses 309 8
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 2.5" 3"
Resolution 230k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (optional)
Viewfinder Coverage 95% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.64x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 13.00 m 4.90 m (ISO100/m)
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 5.0 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, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 668g 200g
Dimensions 132 x 103 x 77mm 102 x 58 x 34mm
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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