Leica D-LUX 5 vs Nikon AW120

Here is a extended review of the Leica D-LUX 5 and Nikon AW120, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Waterproof by brands Leica and Nikon. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the D-LUX 5 (10MP) and AW120 (16MP) and the D-LUX 5 (1/1.63") and AW120 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The D-LUX 5 was manufactured 4 years prior to the AW120 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the D-LUX 5 scores versus the AW120 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Leica D-LUX 5 & Nikon Coolpix AW120. The entire galleries are provided at Leica D-LUX 5 Gallery & Nikon AW120 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Leica D-LUX 5 has external dimensions of 110mm x 66mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Nikon AW120 has proportions of 110mm x 66mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.0") and a weight of 213 grams (0.47 lbs).

Contrast the Leica D-LUX 5 and Nikon AW120 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the D-LUX 5 and the AW120.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the D-LUX 5 and AW120 is 88 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the D-LUX 5 and AW120.

As you can see, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The D-LUX 5 because of its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Nikon AW120 will result in greater detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs more aggressively. The older D-LUX 5 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.