Leica X Vario vs Nikon D4

Its time to look much closer at the Leica X Vario and Nikon D4, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro DSLR by competitors Leica and Nikon. The image resolution of the X Vario (16MP) and the D4 (16MP) is fairly close but the X Vario (APS-C) and D4 (Full frame) posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The X Vario was unveiled 18 months after the D4 making them a generation away from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Leica X Vario being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Nikon D4 being a Large SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick view of how the X Vario grades vs the D4 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Leica X Vario and Nikon D4. The full galleries are available at Leica X Vario Gallery and Nikon D4 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Leica X Vario features outside dimensions of 133mm x 73mm x 95mm (5.2" x 2.9" x 3.7") and a weight of 680 grams (1.50 lbs) while the Nikon D4 has specifications of 160mm x 157mm x 91mm (6.3" x 6.2" x 3.6") with a weight of 1340 grams (2.95 lbs).

Check the Leica X Vario and Nikon D4 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at the time. The following is a front view size comparison of the X Vario versus the D4.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the X Vario and D4 is 62 and 50 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizes merely by viewing a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the X Vario and D4.

As you can see, both of those cameras have the same MP but not the same sensor sizes. The X Vario features the smaller sensor which will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier. The newer X Vario is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.