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Nikon D80 vs Sony A500 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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Sony A500

12 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A500
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Nikon D80 vs Sony A500 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two DSLR cameras from Nikon and Sony. Nikon D80 was introduced to market in September 2006 and Sony A500 was launched in August 2009. As you can see, D80 is 3 years older than A500. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both cameras have APS-C sensors but Nikon D80 has a 10.0 MP and Sony A500 has a 12.0 MP resolution.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon D80 and Sony A500 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

Sony A500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-08-27
  • 12MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 630g. 137 x 104 x 84 mm

Nikon D80 was replaced by Nikon D90. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D90 vs Nikon D80
Nikon D90 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A500

Sony A500 was replaced by Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 vs Nikon D80

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D80 and Sony A500 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
Viewfinder Magnification
0.64x vs 0.53x Larger Viewfinder
Flash Coverage
13.0m vs 12.0m 1m longer range
Color Depth
22.1 vs 21.8 higher color depth
Sensor Pixel Area
37.14µm2 vs 30.12µm2 23% larger pixel area
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Optical Viewfinder Type
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror Pentaprism Viewfinders are brighter than Pentamirror type


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 over Nikon D80
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
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
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 3.0fps 2 fps faster
Weight
630 g vs 668 g 38 g lighter
Dynamic Range
11.6 vs 11.2 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
772 vs 524 better High ISO performance

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
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
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D80 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
LCD Screen Resolution
230k dots vs 230k dots Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)
No vs No no option to fine tune Auto focus
Nikon D80 vs Sony A500: 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 Sony A500 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). Sony A500 has external dimensions of 137 x 104 x 84 mm (5.39 x 4.09 x 3.31″) and weighs 630 g (1.39 lb / 22.22 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D80 and Sony A500. Nikon D80 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 5mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Sony A500.

Nikon D80 vs Sony A500 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Sony A500 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D80 and Sony A500.
Nikon D80 vs Sony A500 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Sony A500 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A500 is 38g 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 Sony A500 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
A500
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D80
A500
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D80 nor Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 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

Sony A500's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon D80's 2.5" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Sony A500 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Nikon D80 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A500.
Nikon D80 vs Sony A500: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D80 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Sony A500 has a 12.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.

Below you can see the D80 and A500 sensor size comparison.

Nikon D80 vs Sony A500 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Sony A500 Cameras


Nikon D80 and Sony A500 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.

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 Sony A500 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A500 has a better overall score of 64, 3 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
Sony A500 64 21.8 bits 11.6 Evs 772 ISO
Nikon D80 vs Sony A500 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 Sony A500. There are 309 lenses for Nikon D80's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 143 lenses for Sony A500's Sony/Minolta Alpha lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A500 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 Sony A500 Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 20
Standard Prime 21 9
Wideangle Zoom 33 11
Wideangle Prime 48 18
Telephoto Zoom 53 26
Telephoto Prime 45 12
SuperZoom 30 19
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 4
Macro Prime 26 12
Perspective Control Prime 11 10
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 2
TOTAL 309 143


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Nikon D80 and Sony A500 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
Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM Lens Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM
24 - 75mm 577gr 1207gr 88mm 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
Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM Lens Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM
82.5 - 300mm 305gr 935gr 85mm 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
Sony 35mm F1.4 G Lens Sony 35mm F1.4 G
35mm 510gr 1140gr 76mm 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
Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 II LD Lens Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 II LD
15 - 36mm 406gr 1036gr 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
Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA Lens Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA
24 - 120mm 445gr 1075gr 83mm 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
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II Lens Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II
70 - 400mm 1500gr 2130gr 196mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Sony A500 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Sony A500 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

Sony A500 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
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 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A500 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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A500 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
Good Battery Life: 520 shots
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A500 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 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
630g
Body Thickness 84mm
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony A500 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 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D80 vs Sony A500: 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 Sony A500, 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 Sony A500 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
Sony A500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #45 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #341 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Sony A500 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D80 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon D80
Nikon D80
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Sony A500
Sony A500
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Sony A500 vs Nikon D80 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D80 Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
Brand Nikon Sony
Announced 2006-09-23 2009-08-27
Body Type Mid-size SLR Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size APS-C APS-C
Dimensions 23.6 x 15.8 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 372.88mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 3872 x 2592 4272 x 2848
Max Native Light sensitivity 1,600 ISO 12,800 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 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Sony/Minolta Alpha
Number of Available Lenses 309 143
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 2.5" 3"
Resolution 230k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.64x 0.53x
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 12.00 m
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/160s
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 None
Video Formats n/a n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 668g 630g
Dimensions 132 x 103 x 77mm 137 x 104 x 84mm
Battery Life n/a 520 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 61 64
DxO Color Depth 22.1 21.8
DxO Dynamic Range 11.2 11.6
DxO Low Light ISO 524 772
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