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Nikon D80 vs Sony H20 Comparison

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Nikon D80

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

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Sony H20

10 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Nikon D80 vs Sony H20 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 Sony H20, which was introduced in May 2009 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, D80 is 3 years older than H20. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Nikon D80 and Sony H20 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

2.50" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

3.0fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

668g. 132 x 103 x 77 mm

Replaced Nikon D70 Compare

Sony H20 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-05-14

10MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 3200

38-380 mm F3.5-4.4 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

2.0fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

250g. 107 x 69 x 47 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 Cyber-shot DSC-H20

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Nikon D80 and Sony H20 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

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**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nikon D80

See at AMAZON

Sony H20

See at AMAZON

Nikon D80

See at AMAZON

Sony H20

See at AMAZON

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	3.0fps vs 2.0fps	1 fps faster
Flash Coverage	13.0m vs 7.1m	5.9m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	37.14µm2 vs 2.81µm2	1221% larger pixel area
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

CHECK D80 PRICE

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20 over Nikon D80

In-built Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Internal Storage	11 MB vs None	Extra built-in storage
Max ISO	3.200 vs 1.600	100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
Weight	250 g vs 668 g	418 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs None	Higher Resolution Video

CHECK H20 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light

Common Weaknesses of Nikon D80 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
Max Resolution	10 MP vs 10 MP	Less details and smaller prints
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 230k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Nikon D80 vs Sony H20: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Nikon D80 and Sony H20 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 H20 has external dimensions of 107 x 69 x 47 mm (4.21 x 2.72 x 1.85″) and weighs 250 g (0.55 lb / 8.82 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Nikon D80 and the Sony H20. Sony H20 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 25mm narrower, 34mm shorter and 30mm thinner than Nikon D80. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony H20 has a built-in lens but Nikon D80 doesn't. Once you put a lens on D80, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of the Nikon D80 and the Sony H20 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. Sony H20 is significantly lighter (418g ) than the Nikon D80 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on D80, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither the Nikon D80 nor Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony H20's 3.00" 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 Sony H20: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon D80 and Sony H20 have 10.0 MP resolution sensors but Nikon D80's sensor is APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) and Sony H20's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ).

Since Nikon D80's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Sony H20.

Below you can see the D80 and H20 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Sony H20 Cameras

As seen above, Nikon D80 has a 13.3x Larger sensor area than Sony H20. 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Sony H20 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Sony H20 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 H20 for Portrait Photography

POOR

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

Check the Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography

Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sony H20 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

Check the Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Street Photography

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
38 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony H20 for Sports Photography

POOR

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

Check the Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Sports Photography

Image Stabilization
380 mm Tele Lens
Fast Lens at Tele: f4.40
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony H20 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

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

Compact Body
250g
10.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Body Thickness 47mm
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony H20 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

Check the Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography

Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
38 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Nikon D80 vs Sony H20: 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 H20, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 H20 scores compare:

Nikon D80

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #73 out of 96 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #659 out of 1276 in all Cameras

Sony H20

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #207 out of 478 in Compact cameras
Ranked #834 out of 1276 in all Cameras

Nikon D80 scores higher than the Sony H20 in Overall. It has better image quality and better value than Sony H20. On the other hand, the Sony H20 is more portable and has more features than Nikon D80.
If image quality is very important for you and you want to get the most bang for your bucks, choose the Nikon D80.
If you are looking for a small camera where you can take everywhere with you, and having more features are also important, Sony H20 is the right choice for you.

Sony H20 vs Nikon D80 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon D80	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20
Brand	Nikon	Sony
Announced	2006-09-23	2009-05-14
Body Type	Mid-size SLR	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	APS-C	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	23.6 x 15.8 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	372.88mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	10 megapixels
Max Resolution	3872 x 2592	3648 x 2736
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	3,200 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	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	no lens	38-380 mm (10×)
Max Aperture	no lens	F3.5-4.4
Macro Focus Range	no lens	2cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.50"	3.00"
Resolution	230k dots	230k 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	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	No	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	13.00 m	7.10 m
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	2.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	1280 x 720
Video Formats	n/a	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	668g	250g
Dimensions	132 x 103 x 77mm	107 x 69 x 47mm
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