Leica D-LUX 5 vs Nikon S9900

Here is a complete assessment of the Leica D-LUX 5 versus Nikon S9900, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Leica and Nikon. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the D-LUX 5 (10MP) and S9900 (16MP) and the D-LUX 5 (1/1.63") and S9900 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

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The D-LUX 5 was announced 5 years prior to the S9900 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise view of how the D-LUX 5 matches up vs the S9900 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Leica D-LUX 5 and Nikon Coolpix S9900. The whole galleries are viewable at Leica D-LUX 5 Gallery and Nikon S9900 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Leica D-LUX 5 provides outside measurements of 110mm x 66mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Nikon S9900 has measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 40mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") along with a weight of 289 grams (0.64 lbs).

Analyze the Leica D-LUX 5 versus Nikon S9900 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the D-LUX 5 compared to the S9900.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the D-LUX 5 and S9900 is 88 and 88 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing only by reading through technical specs. The graphic below will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the D-LUX 5 and S9900.

As you have seen, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The D-LUX 5 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Nikon S9900 will give you extra detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older D-LUX 5 is going to be behind in sensor technology.