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Nikon D80 vs Sony RX100 II 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 RX100 II

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony RX100 II
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Nikon D80 vs Sony RX100 II 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 RX100 II, which was introduced in June 2013 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 20.0MP 1-inch sensor. As you can see, D80 is 7 years older than RX100 II. 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 Nikon D80 and Sony RX100 II 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 RX100 II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-06-27
  • 20MP - 1-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800 ( expands to 100-25600)
  • 28-100 mm F1.8-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 281g. 102 x 58 x 38 mm
  • Replaced Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 Compare

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-RX100 II

Sony RX100 II was replaced by Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III vs Nikon D80

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D80 and Sony RX100 II compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D80 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
Viewfinder
Optical vs Electronic (Optional) Better framing and control
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Low Light ISO
524 vs 483 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
37.14µm2 vs 5.82µm2 538% larger pixel area
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II over Nikon D80
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Optical 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
20 MP vs 10 MP 100% 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
1.229k dots vs 230k dots 434% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 3.0fps 7 fps faster
Weight
281 g vs 668 g 387 g lighter
Flash Coverage
15.0m vs 13.0m 2m longer range
Color Depth
22.5 vs 22.1 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
12.4 vs 11.2 higher dynamic range
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs None Higher Resolution Video
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Nikon D80 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
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 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon D80 vs Sony RX100 II: 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 RX100 II 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 RX100 II has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 38 mm (4 x 2.29 x 1.51″) and weighs 281 g (0.62 lb / 9.91 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D80 and Sony RX100 II. Sony RX100 II is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 30mm narrower, 45mm shorter and 39mm thinner than Nikon D80. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony RX100 II has a built-in lens but Nikon D80 doesn't. Once you put a lens on D80, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon D80 vs Sony RX100 II Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Sony RX100 II Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D80 and Sony RX100 II.
Nikon D80 vs Sony RX100 II Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Sony RX100 II Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony RX100 II is significantly lighter (387g ) 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 Nikon D80 nor Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony RX100 II's 3 LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon D80's 2.5" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Sony RX100 II 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 RX100 II.
Nikon D80 vs Sony RX100 II: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D80 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Sony RX100 II has a 20.0MP 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Sony RX100 II's sensor provides 10MP more than Nikon D80's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the D80 and RX100 II sensor size comparison.

Nikon D80 vs Sony RX100 II Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D80 and Sony RX100 II Cameras


As seen above, Nikon D80 has a 3.2x Larger sensor area than Sony RX100 II. 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

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 RX100 II sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that RX100 II has a better overall score of 67, 6 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 RX100 II 67 22.5 bits 12.4 Evs 483 ISO
What types of Photography are Nikon D80 and Sony RX100 II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D80 and Sony RX100 II 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 RX100 II 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
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Optional External Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX100 II 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
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Optional External Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony RX100 II 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
External Flash Shoe
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX100 II for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
668g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details
Compact Body
281g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
3.6X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Nikon D80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony RX100 II for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
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
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D80 vs Sony RX100 II: 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 RX100 II, 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 RX100 II 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 RX100 II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #33 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #261 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Sony RX100 II is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon D80 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Nikon D80
Nikon D80
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Sony RX100 II
Sony RX100 II
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Sony RX100 II vs Nikon D80 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D80 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
Brand Nikon Sony
Announced 2006-09-23 2013-06-27
Body Type Mid-size SLR Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size APS-C 1-inch
Dimensions 23.6 x 15.8 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 372.88mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 3872 x 2592 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 1,600 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 3200 ISO 25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 160 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 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 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 28-100 mm (3.6x)
Max Aperture no lens F1.8-4.9
Macro Focus Range no lens 5cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 2.5" 3
Resolution 230k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Electronic (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 Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 13.00 m 15.00 m (ISO Auto (W))
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 10.0 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, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 668g 281g
Dimensions 132 x 103 x 77mm 102 x 58 x 38mm
Battery Life n/a 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 61 67
DxO Color Depth 22.1 22.5
DxO Dynamic Range 11.2 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO 524 483
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