Leica D-LUX 5 vs Panasonic FZ80

Its time to look more in depth at the Leica D-LUX 5 and Panasonic FZ80, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Leica and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the resolutions of the D-LUX 5 (10MP) and FZ80 (18MP) and the D-LUX 5 (1/1.63") and FZ80 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The D-LUX 5 was released 7 years prior to the FZ80 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Leica D-LUX 5 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going right into a complete comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the D-LUX 5 grades against the FZ80 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Leica D-LUX 5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The complete galleries are viewable at Leica D-LUX 5 Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Leica D-LUX 5 comes with outside dimensions of 110mm x 66mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ80 has proportions of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") along with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Look at the Leica D-LUX 5 and Panasonic FZ80 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the D-LUX 5 and the FZ80.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the D-LUX 5 and FZ80 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to see the gap in sensor sizes merely by viewing technical specs. The image here may give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the D-LUX 5 and FZ80.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The D-LUX 5 featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FZ80 will render more detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged D-LUX 5 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.