Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D80
56 Imaging
64 Features
70 Overall
66


62 Imaging
48 Features
36 Overall
43
Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D80 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 21MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400 (Increase to 25600)
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Canon EF Mount
- 850g - 152 x 114 x 75mm
- Launched February 2009
- Succeeded the Canon 5D
- Replacement is Canon 5D MIII
(Full Review)

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D80 Overview
Below is a extensive comparison of the Canon 5D MII and Nikon D80, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by rivals Canon and Nikon. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the 5D MII (21MP) and D80 (10MP) and the 5D MII (Full frame) and D80 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

The 5D MII was unveiled 2 years later than the D80 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Mid-size SLR).
Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise summary of how the 5D MII grades vs the D80 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D80 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Nikon D80. The full galleries are viewable at Canon 5D MII Gallery and Nikon D80 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon 5D MII over the Nikon D80
5D MII | D80 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | February 2009 | ![]() | September 2006 | More recent by 30 months |
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") |
Display resolution | 920k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+690k dot) |
Reasons to pick Nikon D80 over the Canon 5D MII
D80 | 5D MII |
---|
Common features in the Canon 5D MII and Nikon D80
5D MII | D80 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither includes selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither includes Touch friendly display |
Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D80 Physical Comparison
In case you're looking to lug around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Canon 5D MII features physical measurements of 152mm x 114mm x 75mm (6.0" x 4.5" x 3.0") along with a weight of 850 grams (1.87 lbs) while the Nikon D80 has measurements of 132mm x 103mm x 77mm (5.2" x 4.1" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 668 grams (1.47 lbs).
Check out the Canon 5D MII and Nikon D80 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the 5D MII and the D80.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 5D MII and D80 is 56 and 62 respectively.

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D80 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, its difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements purely by reviewing specs. The visual here will give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the 5D MII and D80.
As you can plainly see, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 5D MII with its larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh simpler and the Canon 5D MII will offer greater detail having an extra 11 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The newer 5D MII should have an advantage in sensor tech.

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D80 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D80 Specifications
Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Nikon D80 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Canon | Nikon |
Model type | Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Nikon D80 |
Type | Advanced DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
Launched | 2009-02-13 | 2006-09-23 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Digic 4 | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 36 x 24mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor area | 864.0mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 21 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 |
Highest Possible resolution | 5616 x 3744 | 3872 x 2592 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 1600 |
Maximum enhanced ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Min enhanced ISO | 50 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 9 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Canon EF | Nikon F |
Amount of lenses | 250 | 309 |
Focal length multiplier | 1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3" | 2.5" |
Display resolution | 920 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Display tech | TFT liquid-crystal color LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder coverage | 98% | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.71x | 0.64x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 30s | 30s |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shutter speed | 4.0 frames per sec | 3.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 13.00 m |
Flash modes | no built-in flash | Auto, On, Off, Front curtain, Rear curtain, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/200s | 1/200s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video file format | H.264 | - |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 850 gr (1.87 pounds) | 668 gr (1.47 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 152 x 114 x 75mm (6.0" x 4.5" x 3.0") | 132 x 103 x 77mm (5.2" x 4.1" x 3.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 79 | 61 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 23.7 | 22.1 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.9 | 11.2 |
DXO Low light rating | 1815 | 524 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 850 pictures | - |
Battery form | Battery Pack | - |
Battery ID | LP-E6 | EN-EL3e |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Microdrive | SD/SDHC card |
Storage slots | One | One |
Retail pricing | $1,190 | $800 |