Nikon W150 vs Sony HX80

The Nikon Coolpix W150 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in April 2019 and March 2016. Both the W150 and the HX80 are fixed lens compact cameras that are based on a 1/3.1-inch (W150) and a 1/2.3-inch (HX80) sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 13 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 18 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon W150		Sony HX80
Fixed lens compact camera		Fixed lens compact camera
30-90mm f/3.3-5.9		24-720mm f/3.5-6.4
13 MP – 1/3.1" sensor		18 MP – 1/2.3" sensor
1080/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 125-1,600		ISO 80-3,200 (80 - 12,800)
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Electronic viewfinder (638k dots)
2.7" LCD – 230k dots		3.0" LCD – 922k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
4.7 shutter flaps per second		10 shutter flaps per second
Waterproof body (10m)		not weather sealed
220 shots per battery charge		390 shots per battery charge
110 x 67 x 38 mm, 177 g		102 x 58 x 36 mm, 245 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Coolpix W150 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Nikon W150 and the Sony HX80 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The W150 can be obtained in five different colors (blue, orange, white, flower, resort), while the HX80 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony HX80 is notably smaller (20 percent) than the Nikon W150. However, the HX80 is substantially heavier (38 percent) than the W150. It is worth mentioning in this context that the W150 is splash and dust resistant, while the HX80 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing. More than that, the W150 is water-proof up to 10m and can, thus, be used for underwater photography.

The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon W150	110 mm	67 mm	38 mm	177 g	220	Y	Apr 2019	159	ebay.com
2.		Sony HX80	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	390	n	Mar 2016	349	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX720	110 mm	64 mm	36 mm	270 g	250	n	Feb 2016	379	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX710	113 mm	66 mm	35 mm	269 g	230	n	Jan 2015	349	ebay.com
5.		Leica Q2	130 mm	80 mm	92 mm	718 g	370	Y	Mar 2019	4,995	amazon.com
6.		Nikon B600	122 mm	82 mm	99 mm	500 g	280	n	Jan 2019	349	ebay.com
7.		Nikon A1000	114 mm	72 mm	41 mm	330 g	250	n	Jan 2019	429	ebay.com
8.		Nikon P1000	146 mm	119 mm	181 mm	1415 g	250	n	Jul 2018	999	amazon.com
9.		Nikon W300	112 mm	66 mm	29 mm	231 g	280	Y	May 2017	389	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic TS7	117 mm	76 mm	37 mm	319 g	300	Y	May 2018	449	ebay.com
11.		Ricoh WG-6	118 mm	66 mm	33 mm	246 g	340	Y	Feb 2019	399	amazon.com
12.		Ricoh WG-60	123 mm	62 mm	30 mm	193 g	300	Y	Oct 2018	279	ebay.com
13.		Sony RX0 II	59 mm	41 mm	35 mm	132 g	240	Y	Mar 2019	699	amazon.com
14.		Sony WX800	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	233 g	370	n	Oct 2018	399	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX0	59 mm	41 mm	30 mm	110 g	240	Y	Aug 2017	699	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX100 V	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	299 g	220	n	Oct 2016	999	ebay.com
17.		Sony HX90V	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	360	n	Apr 2015	429	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The W150 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 54 percent) than the HX80, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon W150 features a 1/3.1-inch sensor and the Sony HX80 a 1/2.3-inch sensor. The sensor area in the HX80 is 75 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 7.4 and 5.6. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

With 18MP, the HX80 offers a higher resolution than the W150 (13MP), but the HX80 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 1.25μm versus 1.11μm for the W150) due to its larger sensor. However, the W150 is a much more recent model (by 3 years and 1 month) than the HX80, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony HX80 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the HX80 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 24.5 x 18.4 inches or 62.2 x 46.6 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 19.6 x 14.7 inches or 49.7 x 37.3 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 16.3 x 12.2 inches or 41.5 x 31.1 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon W150 are 20.8 x 15.6 inches or 52.8 x 39.6 cm for good quality, 16.6 x 12.5 inches or 42.3 x 31.7 cm for very good quality, and 13.9 x 10.4 inches or 35.2 x 26.4 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Nikon Coolpix W150 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 125 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80 are ISO 80 to ISO 3200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 80-12800.

In terms of underlying technology, the W150 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the HX80 uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon W150	1/3.1	13.0	4160	3120	1080/30p	22.1	13.8	4058	65
2.		Sony HX80	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.4	11.8	822	48
3.		Canon SX720	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.3	11.8	817	48
4.		Canon SX710	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	712	47
5.		Leica Q2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/30p	26.4	13.5	2491	96
6.		Nikon B600	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
7.		Nikon A1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
8.		Nikon P1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1044	51
9.		Nikon W300	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.5	12.0	938	50
10.		Panasonic TS7	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1028	51
11.		Ricoh WG-6	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1104	52
12.		Ricoh WG-60	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	20.6	12.2	1072	51
13.		Sony RX0 II	1-inch	15.4	4800	3200	4K/30p	22.1	12.4	555	65
14.		Sony WX800	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.2	1070	51
15.		Sony RX0	1-inch	15.4	4800	3200	1080/60p	22.4	12.4	548	68
16.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
17.		Sony HX90V	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	738	47
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the HX80 provides a faster frame rate than the W150. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60p, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the HX80 has an electronic viewfinder (638k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the W150 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon W150 and Sony HX80 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon W150	none	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/2000s	4.7/s	Y	n
2.		Sony HX80	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon SX720	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon SX710	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/3200s	6.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Leica Q2	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
6.		Nikon B600	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.4/s	Y	Y
7.		Nikon A1000	1166	n	3.0 / 1036	tilting	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Nikon P1000	2359	n	3.2 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Nikon W300	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic TS7	1170	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/1300s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Ricoh WG-6	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.0/s	Y	n
12.		Ricoh WG-60	none	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
13.		Sony RX0 II	none	n	1.5 / 230	tilting	n	..	5.5/s	n	n
14.		Sony WX800	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony RX0	none	n	1.5 / 230	fixed	n	..	5.5/s	n	n
16.		Sony RX100 V	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony HX90V	638	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the W150 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

Both the W150 and the HX80 have zoom lenses built in. The W150 has a 30-90mm f/3.3-5.9 optic and the HX80 offers a 24-720mm f/3.5-6.4 (focal lengths in full frame equivalent terms). Hence, the Sony provides a wider angle of view at the short end, as well as more tele-photo reach at the long end than the Nikon. The W150 offers the faster maximum aperture.

The W150 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the HX80 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The HX80 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the W150 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon Coolpix W150 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon W150	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony HX80	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon SX720	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon SX710	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Leica Q2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	-	Y	-	Y
6.		Nikon B600	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Nikon A1000	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Nikon P1000	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Nikon W300	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Panasonic TS7	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Ricoh WG-6	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	3.0	-	-	-
12.		Ricoh WG-60	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Sony RX0 II	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
14.		Sony WX800	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Sony RX0	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
16.		Sony RX100 V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony HX90V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

Both the W150 and the HX80 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The HX80 was replaced by the Sony HX90, while the W150 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the W150 and HX80 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon W150 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony HX80 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Nikon W150 and the Sony HX80? Which camera is better? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon Coolpix W150:

• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Better light gathering: Has a lens with a wider maximum aperture (f/3.3 vs f/3.5).
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 68g or 28 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Water-proof: Is rugged and sealed and can thus be used for underwater photography (up to 10m).
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (54 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 1 month of technical progress since the HX80 launch.

Advantages of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (18 vs 13MP), which boosts linear resolution by 18%.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/30p).
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.7") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (922k vs 230k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 4.7 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Wider view: Has a wider-angle lens that facilitates landscape or interior shots.
• More tele-reach: Has a longer tele-lens for perspective compression and subject magnification.
• More compact: Is smaller (102x58mm vs 110x67mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (390 versus 220) out of a single battery charge.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in March 2016).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the HX80 is the clear winner of the contest (16 : 8 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon W150 and the Sony HX80 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Travel-Zoom Camera and Best Superzoom Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the W150 or the HX80. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon W150	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	3/5	Apr 2019	159	ebay.com
2.		Sony HX80	..	..	..	..	..	..	Mar 2016	349	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX720	..	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	379	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX710	..	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2015	349	ebay.com
5.		Leica Q2	..	..	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Mar 2019	4,995	amazon.com
6.		Nikon B600	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	349	ebay.com
7.		Nikon A1000	..	+ +	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	429	ebay.com
8.		Nikon P1000	..	+	3.5/5	73/100	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jul 2018	999	amazon.com
9.		Nikon W300	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	May 2017	389	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic TS7	..	+	..	..	..	3.5/5	May 2018	449	ebay.com
11.		Ricoh WG-6	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2019	399	amazon.com
12.		Ricoh WG-60	..	..	..	..	..	..	Oct 2018	279	ebay.com
13.		Sony RX0 II	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	4/5	Mar 2019	699	amazon.com
14.		Sony WX800	..	..	..	..	..	..	Oct 2018	399	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX0	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	4/5	Aug 2017	699	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX100 V	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	999	ebay.com
17.		Sony HX90V	4/5	+ +	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2015	429	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

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