Leica M8 vs Pentax W80

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Leica M8 versus Pentax W80, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Leica and Pentax. The resolution of the M8 (10MP) and the W80 (12MP) is very well matched but the M8 (APS-H) and W80 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The M8 was released 23 months prior to the W80 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Leica M8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief summation of how the M8 scores vs the W80 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Leica M8 and Pentax Optio W80. The complete galleries are available at Leica M8 Gallery and Pentax W80 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Leica M8 offers outside dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") and a weight of 591 grams (1.30 lbs) and the Pentax W80 has sizing of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check the Leica M8 versus Pentax W80 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the M8 versus the W80.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the M8 and W80 is 79 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to envision the contrast between sensor measurements simply by checking a spec sheet. The visual here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the M8 and W80.

Clearly, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The M8 featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax W80 will resolve more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The older M8 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.