Nikon B500 vs Sony A68

The Nikon Coolpix B500 and the Sony Alpha SLT-A68 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in January 2016 and November 2015. The B500 is a fixed lens compact, while the A68 is a DSLR. The cameras are based on a 1/2.3-inch (B500) and an APS-C (A68) sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 24 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Nikon B500		Sony A68
Fixed lens compact camera		Digital single lens reflex
22.5-900mm f/3.0-6.5		Sony A mount lenses
15.9 MP – 1/2.3" sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60i Video		1080/60i Video
ISO 80-6,400		ISO 100-25,600
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Electronic viewfinder (1440k dots)
3.0" LCD – 921k dots		2.7" LCD – 460k dots
Tilting screen (no touchscreen)		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
7.4 shutter flaps per second		8 shutter flaps per second
Lens-based stabilization		In-body stabilization
600 shots per battery charge		540 shots per battery charge
114 x 78 x 95 mm, 541 g		143 x 104 x 81 mm, 610 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Coolpix B500 and the Sony Alpha SLT-A68? 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 B500 and the Sony A68 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 B500 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the A68 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 A68 is considerably larger (67 percent) than the Nikon B500. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the B500 nor the A68 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the B500 has a lens built in, whereas the A68 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras 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 B500	114 mm	78 mm	95 mm	541 g	600	n	Jan 2016	299	ebay.com
2.		Sony A68	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	610 g	540	n	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
3.		Nikon B600	122 mm	82 mm	99 mm	500 g	280	n	Jan 2019	349	ebay.com
4.		Nikon A1000	114 mm	72 mm	41 mm	330 g	250	n	Jan 2019	429	ebay.com
5.		Nikon P1000	146 mm	119 mm	181 mm	1415 g	250	n	Jul 2018	999	amazon.com
6.		Nikon W300	112 mm	66 mm	29 mm	231 g	280	Y	May 2017	389	ebay.com
7.		Nikon B700	125 mm	85 mm	107 mm	565 g	350	n	Feb 2016	499	ebay.com
8.		Nikon P900	140 mm	103 mm	137 mm	899 g	360	n	Mar 2015	599	ebay.com
9.		Nikon L840	113 mm	78 mm	96 mm	538 g	590	n	Feb 2015	299	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic FZ80	130 mm	94 mm	119 mm	616 g	330	n	Jan 2017	399	ebay.com
11.		Pentax K-S1	121 mm	93 mm	70 mm	558 g	410	n	Aug 2014	749	ebay.com
12.		Sony HX80	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	390	n	Mar 2016	349	ebay.com
13.		Sony A77 II	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	647 g	480	Y	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
15.		Sony A58	129 mm	95 mm	78 mm	492 g	690	n	Feb 2013	599	ebay.com
16.		Sony H200	123 mm	83 mm	87 mm	530 g	240	n	Jan 2013	249	ebay.com
17.		Sony A77	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	732 g	470	Y	Aug 2011	1,399	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

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The B500 was launched at a lower price than the A68, despite having a lens built in. 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 imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon B500 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and the Sony A68 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the A68 is 1211 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 5.6 and 1.5. The sensor in the B500 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the A68 offers a 3:2 aspect.

With 24MP, the A68 offers a higher resolution than the B500 (15.9MP), but the A68 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 1.33μm for the B500) due to its larger sensor. It is noteworthy in this context that the two cameras were released in close succession, so that their sensors are from the same technological generation. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the B500 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A68 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A68 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon B500 are 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Nikon Coolpix B500 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 80 to ISO 6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha SLT-A68 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the B500 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the A68 uses a 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 determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon B500	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	20.3	11.7	810	48
2.		Sony A68	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.5	701	79
3.		Nikon B600	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
4.		Nikon A1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
5.		Nikon P1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1044	51
6.		Nikon W300	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.5	12.0	938	50
7.		Nikon B700	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.4	11.8	818	48
8.		Nikon P900	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	727	47
9.		Nikon L840	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	20.2	11.6	721	47
10.		Panasonic FZ80	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.5	11.9	900	49
11.		Pentax K-S1	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.5	13.0	1061	78
12.		Sony HX80	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.4	11.8	822	48
13.		Sony A77 II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.4	13.4	1013	82
14.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
15.		Sony A58	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.3	12.5	753	74
16.		Sony H200	1/2.3	15.2	5184	2930	720/30p	19.9	11.2	529	44
17.		Sony A77	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.2	801	78
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 are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/60i).

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the A68 has an electronic viewfinder (1440k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the B500 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon B500 and Sony A68 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 B500	none	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.4/s	Y	Y
2.		Sony A68	1440	Y	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Nikon B600	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.4/s	Y	Y
4.		Nikon A1000	1166	n	3.0 / 1036	tilting	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Nikon P1000	2359	n	3.2 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Nikon W300	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Nikon B700	921	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Nikon P900	921	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Nikon L840	none	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.4/s	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic FZ80	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Pentax K-S1	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/6000s	5.4/s	Y	Y
12.		Sony HX80	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Sony A77 II	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
15.		Sony A58	1440	n	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Sony H200	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/1500s	0.8/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony A77	2359	Y	3.0 / 921	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the A68, but is missing on the B500 is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The B500 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A68 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A68 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the B500 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 B500 and Sony Alpha SLT-A68 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 B500	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Sony A68	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Nikon B600	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Nikon A1000	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Nikon P1000	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Nikon W300	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Nikon B700	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Nikon P900	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Nikon L840	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Panasonic FZ80	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Pentax K-S1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Sony HX80	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Sony A77 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Sony A58	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Sony H200	-	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Sony A77	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the B500 offers wifi support, while the A68 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Both the B500 and the A68 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The B500 was replaced by the Nikon B600, while the A68 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the B500 and A68 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon B500 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A68 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Nikon B500 better than the Sony A68 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Nikon Coolpix B500:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• 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 (921k vs 460k dots).
• Ready to shoot: Comes with a built-in lens, while the A68 requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (114x78mm vs 143x104mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the A68).
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (600 versus 540) on a single battery charge.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha SLT-A68:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 25%.
• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better image quality: Features bigger pixels on a larger sensor for higher quality imaging.
• Richer colors: The pixel size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger pixels capture a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger pixels means good image quality even under poor lighting.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• More flexible: Makes it possible to change lenses and thus to use specialty optics.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A68 comes out slightly ahead of the B500 (12 : 11 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 B500 and the Sony A68 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the B500 or the A68. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews 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 B500	..	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2016	299	ebay.com
2.		Sony A68	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
3.		Nikon B600	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	349	ebay.com
4.		Nikon A1000	..	+ +	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	429	ebay.com
5.		Nikon P1000	..	+	3.5/5	73/100	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jul 2018	999	amazon.com
6.		Nikon W300	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	May 2017	389	ebay.com
7.		Nikon B700	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Feb 2016	499	ebay.com
8.		Nikon P900	..	..	..	77/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2015	599	ebay.com
9.		Nikon L840	..	+ +	..	..	3.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	299	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic FZ80	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	399	ebay.com
11.		Pentax K-S1	4/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2014	749	ebay.com
12.		Sony HX80	..	..	..	..	..	..	Mar 2016	349	ebay.com
13.		Sony A77 II	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
15.		Sony A58	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	599	ebay.com
16.		Sony H200	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jan 2013	249	ebay.com
17.		Sony A77	5/5	91/100	..	81/100	..	5/5	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

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