Leica D-LUX 5 vs Pentax Optio H90: A Hands-On Comparison of Two Small Sensor Compacts

When stepping into the world of small sensor compacts - those handy pocket cameras with fixed lenses - you often trade off bulk, control, and image quality for portability and convenience. But the landscape is diverse, ranging from the premium Leica D-LUX 5 to the budget-friendly Pentax Optio H90. Having spent a lot of time with both, I want to share a practical, experience-driven breakdown that goes beyond spec sheets to real-world usability, image quality, and versatility.

Whether you’re a photography enthusiast seeking a stylish leap beyond smartphone snaps or a pro looking for a straightforward secondary camera, this comparison will help you make an informed choice aligned with your needs and budget.

First Impressions and Handling: Size, Ergonomics, and Build Quality

I always start my hands-on reviews by noting how a camera feels in hand. After all, ergonomics directly impact shooting comfort, especially on longer outings.

The Leica D-LUX 5 is noticeably chunkier and more solid-feeling compared to the Pentax H90. With dimensions of 110x66x43mm and a weight of 271g, it’s not a featherweight, but the heft instills confidence in handling. The solid metal build exudes quality and durability, typical of Leica’s premium craftsmanship. The rubberized grip area, though modest, helps secure the camera during long shoots or in less-than-ideal weather.

In contrast, the Pentax Optio H90 is more compact and lightweight (101x65x28mm, 153g). Its smaller size makes it ultra-portable - easy to stash in a pocket or small bag without noticing much bulk. However, this reduction comes at the expense of a somewhat plasticky feel and a smaller grip, which can feel less secure for extended use, especially if you have larger hands or like to shoot with one eye to the viewfinder.

One subtle ergonomic advantage of the Leica lies in its button layout and dials. It's clear Leica anticipated some manual control enthusiasts would use this camera. The Pentax aims more for simplicity and point-and-shoot ease, evident from its minimalistic controls.

Bottom line: Leica’s D-LUX 5 feels like a well-built companion for serious shooters, while the Pentax H90 plays the cheapskate’s card - light and nimble but lacking a bit in tactile substance.

Design and Controls: Which One Feels More “Camera” to Use?

The top plate controls can make or break quick shooting. In testing, I found Leica’s control cluster provided a nice blend of direct access and customization, essential for enthusiasts who like to tweak settings on the fly.

The Leica D-LUX 5 features a cluster of dials and buttons that allow for aperture priority, shutter priority, exposure compensation, and manual exposure modes - all invaluable for photographers who want creative control beyond automatic modes. The shutter speed dial, aperture ring around the lens, and dedicated exposure compensation button make adjustments intuitive once you get the hang of it.

The Pentax H90, meanwhile, has a simpler top panel, lacking dedicated exposure modes beyond fully automatic and scene presets. You won’t find aperture or shutter priority modes here, which might frustrate those wanting more control or who shoot in tricky lighting conditions.

Moreover, the Leica supports an optional external electronic viewfinder (EVF), a nod to more serious framing needs. The Pentax has no viewfinder option, relying solely on its LCD for composition.

For an enthusiast ready to take manual control, the Leica’s layout is a significant step up. The Pentax best suits casual users or beginners who prioritize point-and-shoot ease.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: How Much Does Sensor Real Estate Matter?

One of the most critical factors in camera image quality is the sensor size. Larger sensors typically gather more light, producing better dynamic range, reduced noise, and richer colors - especially in low light.

Here’s where the Leica shines: it has a 1/1.63” CCD sensor measuring 8.07 x 5.56 mm (about 44.87mm²), while the Pentax Optio H90 uses the more common compact sensor size, a 1/2.3” CCD measuring 6.17 x 4.55 mm (around 28.07mm²). This means the Leica’s sensor is roughly 60% larger in area.

This larger sensor not only offers higher potential image quality, but also allows for a shallower depth of field - key for portraits and artistic bokeh. Its maximum ISO extends up to 12,800 (though the practical use at very high ISO is limited), whereas the Pentax tops out at 6400 ISO.

In real-world shooting tests, this boils down to:

• Better color depth and tonal gradations with the Leica, especially in challenging lighting.
• Reduced noise at moderate to higher ISOs on the Leica, making night or indoor shots cleaner.
• The Pentax can hold its own for bright daylight shots and casual photos but struggles with noise and dynamic range in low light.
• The Leica’s 10MP resolution is modest but paired with the larger sensor yields sharper, clearer images. The Pentax has a slightly higher 12MP count, but resolution is often overshadowed by sensor size on small compacts.

In terms of RAW support, Leica allows shooting RAW files for maximum editing control, while the Pentax does not - a crucial consideration for enthusiasts and pros looking to push images in post.

LCD Screens and Viewfinder Options: Framing Your Shot

Both cameras rely heavily on their LCD screens for composing and reviewing images, but again the Leica leads on quality.

The Leica D-LUX 5 features a fixed 3.0-inch LCD with 460k-dot resolution - bright enough for harsh daylight and reasonably sharp for checking focus and details. Its display is non-touch, which might feel dated now but was standard at launch.

The Pentax H90 has a smaller 2.7-inch screen with 230k dots - noticeably less sharp and bright by comparison. In bright outdoor conditions, the Pentax screen quickly becomes challenging to see clearly.

Neither camera sports a built-in EVF, but the Leica supports an optional external EVF - a significant advantage for people who prefer eye-level framing or need better stability holding the camera against their face.

Bottom line: If framing precision and working in tough light matter, the Leica’s screen and EVF option improve your experience dramatically.

Lens Quality and Focal Range: What’s in Your Pocket

Leica’s lens philosophy is a huge selling point for their compact line. The D-LUX 5 sports a 24-90mm equivalent, 3.8x zoom with a bright F2.0 aperture at wide end, tapering to F3.3 at the telephoto end. This fast aperture makes a huge difference for low-light shooting and beautiful background separation in portraits.

Pentax’s H90 has a 28-140mm equivalent, 5x zoom lens with F3.5-5.9 aperture, noticeably slower than the Leica, limiting its ability to perform in dim lighting and to create shallow depth-of-field effects.

What’s more, Leica lenses are renowned for sharpness and minimal distortion - even on their small sensor compacts - whereas Pentax, while good, doesn’t quite match that optical quality.

Macro focusing is significantly better on the Leica: it boasts a close focus of 1cm, allowing for much tighter macro shots. The Pentax has a 10cm minimum focus, which limits close-up creativity.

Autofocus Performance: Speed, Accuracy, and Usability

This is an area where both models show their age and compact sensor segment limitations.

The Leica D-LUX 5 uses 23 contrast-detection AF points (no phase detection) with single AF mode only. It doesn’t offer continuous autofocus or face/eye detection, and AF speed is modest but adequate for the class. You’ll need to plan shots and focus deliberately - fast-moving subjects are a challenge.

The Pentax H90 has 9 contrast-detection AF points and adds AF tracking, though it remains limited in precision and speed. Like Leica, no face or eye detection here either.

Neither camera supports continuous AF burst modes or really excels for action or wildlife but can handle casual everyday use if the subject cooperates.

Continuous Shooting and Buffer Performance: For Action and Sports

Burst shooting in these compacts is limited:

• Leica D-LUX 5 shoots 3 frames per second (fps) continuous, which is decent for its class.
• Pentax H90 lags behind with just 1 fps continuous shooting.

Neither camera has deep buffer depths, so long bursts aren’t practical.

In my testing, this made the Leica marginally more useful for spontaneous moments, but sports, wildlife, or action photographers will find both insufficient.

Built-In Stabilization: Hand-Held Shooting Made Easier

Both cameras offer some form of image stabilization, a critical feature for small sensor compacts where tiny shakes can degrade image sharpness.

• Leica uses optical image stabilization, integrated into the lens assembly - which proved effective in my field tests, particularly at slower shutter speeds.
• Pentax features sensor-shift image stabilization, moving the sensor to counteract shake.

Both help with handheld shooting, but my experience showed Leica's optical system having a slight edge in effectiveness, especially at longer focal lengths or slower shutter speeds.

Video Capabilities: Not Just Still Photography

While these cameras were not primarily designed for video (given their 2010 era), they have HD video modes.

• Leica D-LUX 5 captures 720p HD video at 60fps, with AVCHD Lite or Motion JPEG formats. The higher frame rate offers smoother playback compared to industry norms of the time.
• Pentax H90 shoots 720p at 30fps only, saving video as Motion JPEG.

Neither camera provides microphone inputs or advanced video features like continuous autofocus during recording, external stabilization, or 4K capture. If video is a priority, modern compacts or mirrorless cameras will serve much better.

Battery Life and Storage: How Long Can You Shoot?

Neither manufacturer quotes official battery life figures for these models, which is a little odd but expected with compact cameras of this vintage.

In practice:

• Leica’s battery tends to last around 250-300 shots per charge under normal usage.
• Pentax’s smaller battery yields roughly similar shot counts but benefits from lower power draw due to simpler LCD.

Both cameras use SD/SDHC/SDXC cards for storage. Leica supports larger capacity cards; Pentax is slightly more limited in SDXC support. Neither camera offers dual slots or alternative media options.

Connectivity: Sharing Is Still Limited

In the connectivity department, neither camera sports wireless features like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth - but with one exception:

• Pentax H90 supports Eye-Fi wireless SD cards, which is a clever workaround popular at the time for wireless image transfer.
• Leica has no wireless connections at all, relying entirely on USB 2.0 and HDMI outputs.

This lack of modern wireless convenience feels dated today but was standard for their era.

Image Samples: Putting Theory into Practice

Seeing is believing. In side-by-side field tests - landscapes, portraits, and low-light environments - the Leica consistently produces more pleasing color rendition, finer textures, and better noise control. The faster lens aperture contributes to sharper focus and more attractive bokeh, ideal for portraits.

The Pentax, while respectable, showed softer images with less depth and struggled in dim settings. Its longer zoom range proved handy for casual telephoto shots but at the cost of image clarity.

Leica D LUX 5 front Leica D LUX 5 screen back Pentax H90 front Pentax H90 screen back

Genre-Specific Strengths: What Suits Your Photography?

Here’s a quick rundown based on my testing and experience:

• Portraits: Leica’s fast lens and larger sensor deliver better skin tone reproduction and more background separation. Pentax struggles with shallow depth of field.
• Landscape: Leica’s higher image quality and dynamic range edge it ahead; Pentax’s longer zoom can help reach distant details.
• Wildlife: Neither ideal due to autofocus and burst limitations, but Pentax tuning towards longer zoom could lure casual wildlife snappers.
• Sports: Leica’s 3 fps burst and manual mode offer slight advantage but both cameras fall short of specialist action shooters.
• Street: Pentax’s lighter weight and compact size may appeal, but Leica’s better image quality and optional EVF make it more versatile.
• Macro: Leica’s 1cm minimum focus distance makes this a clear winner for close-ups.
• Night / Astrophotography: Leica’s higher max ISO and better noise control give it a significant leg up.
• Video: Leica’s smoother 60fps video beats Pentax’s 30fps.
• Travel: Pentax scores for pocketability and zoom range; Leica offers a more premium, all-around package.
• Professional work: Leica’s manual controls, RAW support, and build quality make it more suitable as a compact backup or casual field camera.

Performance Ratings and Value Assessment

While I never rely solely on scores, they give a snapshot of comparative strengths.

Overall performance, factoring sensor, image quality, controls, and features puts Leica D-LUX 5 ahead decisively, while the Pentax H90 holds value as an affordable, easy-to-use compact.

At original launch price points:

• Leica D-LUX 5 sat around $800 - a premium compact asking serious money for serious users.
• Pentax H90 hovered near $150 new - a budget-friendly choice accessible to casual shooters and cheapskates alike.

Today, prices vary widely on used markets, but this gap remains a key consideration: the Leica is for those serious about image quality and control; the Pentax suits those who want an affordable, no-fuss snapshot camera.

Summary of Pros and Cons

Leica D-LUX 5

• Pros
  • Larger sensor with better image quality and noise control
  • Fast 24-90mm f/2.0-3.3 lens
  • Manual exposure modes and RAW support
  • Optional external EVF
  • Optical image stabilization
  • Higher resolution and brighter LCD
• Cons
  • Heavier and bulkier
  • No built-in EVF
  • No touchscreen or wireless connectivity
  • Expensive at launch price

Pentax Optio H90

• Pros
  • Lightweight, compact, and highly portable
  • Longer zoom range (28-140mm)
  • Sensor-shift stabilization
  • Eye-Fi card support for wireless transfer
  • Affordable price point
• Cons
  • Smaller sensor with lower image quality
  • Slower lens aperture (f/3.5-5.9)
  • No manual exposure modes or RAW support
  • No EVF option
  • Slower autofocus and continuous shooting

Final Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?

If you’re reading this as an enthusiast or professional craving a compact yet capable secondary camera, the Leica D-LUX 5 offers more to work with. Its superior sensor, faster lens, manual controls, and build quality ensure images with character and technical excellence - especially if you print large, work in challenging lighting, or want creative flexibility. Yes, it’s pricier and heavier, but for many, the tradeoff is worth it.

On the flip side, if you’re a budget-conscious beginner or casual shooter who wants a simple, lightweight camera with decent zoom and decent image quality for everyday snaps, the Pentax Optio H90 remains an attractive option - especially if you find it at a bargain used price. It’s not cutting-edge, but it gets the job done with ease and fun.

Parting Tips for Small Sensor Compact Buyers

• Don’t underestimate sensor size: bigger often equals better image quality.
• Prioritize lens speed if you shoot portraits or low light.
• Manual controls and RAW support greatly enhance creative potential.
• Consider ergonomics and size relative to your shooting style.
• Check for viewfinder options if you like eye-level framing.
• Look beyond megapixels - sensor technology and lens quality matter more.
• Budget accordingly, as your intended use will guide how much to spend.

I hope this comprehensive comparison between the Leica D-LUX 5 and Pentax Optio H90 gives you clarity on what to expect and what fits your photography goals. Remember, the best camera is the one you enjoy carrying and using - after all, a great picture often depends more on your eye and creativity than any gear spec.

Happy shooting!

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