Nikon B700 vs Sony A6300

The Nikon Coolpix B700 and the Sony Alpha A6300 are two digital cameras that were announced in February 2016. The B700 is a fixed lens compact, while the A6300 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on a 1/2.3-inch (B700) and an APS-C (A6300) sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 20.2 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 B700		Sony A6300
Fixed lens compact camera		Mirrorless system camera
24-1440mm f/3.3-6.5		Sony E mount lenses
20.2 MP – 1/2.3" sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/30p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-3,200		ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)
Electronic viewfinder (921k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0" LCD – 921k dots		3.0" LCD – 922k dots
Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
5 shutter flaps per second		11 shutter flaps per second
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
350 shots per battery charge		400 shots per battery charge
125 x 85 x 107 mm, 565 g		120 x 67 x 49 mm, 404 g

Check B700 offers at
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Check A6300 offers at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Coolpix B700 and the Sony Alpha A6300? 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

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Nikon B700 and the Sony A6300. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The B700 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the A6300 is also available in two color-versions, but different ones (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A6300 is notably smaller (24 percent) than the Nikon B700. It is noteworthy in this context that the A6300 is splash and dust-proof, while the B700 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the B700 has a lens built in, whereas the A6300 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the A6300 and their specifications in the Sony E-Mount Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the B700 gets 350 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL23 battery, while the A6300 can take 400 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FW50 power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. 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	Street Price
1.		Nikon B700	125 mm	85 mm	107 mm	565 g	350	n	Feb 2016	EUR 509	ebay.com
2.		Sony A6300	120 mm	67 mm	49 mm	404 g	400	Y	Feb 2016	EUR 1 099	ebay.com
3.		Canon 80D	139 mm	105 mm	79 mm	730 g	960	Y	Feb 2016	EUR 1 285	ebay.com
4.		Canon 1300D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	EUR 449	ebay.com
5.		Canon G9 X Mark II	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	206 g	235	n	Jan 2017	EUR 499	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX70	127 mm	91 mm	117 mm	608 g	325	n	Sep 2018	EUR 549	amazon.com
7.		Fujifilm X100F	127 mm	75 mm	52 mm	469 g	390	n	Jan 2017	EUR 1 399	ebay.com
8.		Kodak AZ901	139 mm	104 mm	119 mm	777 g	400	n	Jan 2016	EUR 519	amazon.com
9.		Nikon D3400	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	EUR 499	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	EUR 819	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic FZ82	130 mm	94 mm	119 mm	616 g	330	n	Jan 2017	EUR 349	amazon.com
12.		Panasonic TZ90	112 mm	67 mm	41 mm	322 g	380	n	Apr 2017	EUR 429	ebay.com
13.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	EUR 549	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	EUR 1 049	amazon.com
15.		Sony A6500	120 mm	67 mm	53 mm	453 g	350	Y	Oct 2016	EUR 1 699	ebay.com
16.		Sony HX350	130 mm	93 mm	103 mm	652 g	300	n	Dec 2016	EUR 449	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	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 B700 was launched at a lower price than the A6300, 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants 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 are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon B700 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and the Sony A6300 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the A6300 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 B700 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the A6300 offers a 3:2 aspect.

With 24MP, the A6300 offers a higher resolution than the B700 (20.2MP), but the A6300 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 1.18μm for the B700) 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 B700 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A6300 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A6300 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 B700 are 25.9 x 19.4 inches or 65.8 x 49.4 cm for good quality, 20.7 x 15.6 inches or 52.7 x 39.5 cm for very good quality, and 17.3 x 13 inches or 43.9 x 32.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The A6300 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Nikon Coolpix B700 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 3200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A6300 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-51200.

In terms of underlying technology, the B700 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the A6300 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.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar 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 B700	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.4	11.8	818	48
2.		Sony A6300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.4	13.7	1437	85
3.		Canon 80D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.2	1135	79
4.		Canon 1300D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
5.		Canon G9 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.9	12.5	522	65
6.		Canon SX70	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1063	51
7.		Fujifilm X100F	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.9	13.2	1704	81
8.		Kodak AZ901	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/30p	20.3	11.7	806	48
9.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
10.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
11.		Panasonic FZ82	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.5	11.9	900	49
12.		Panasonic TZ90	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	19.1	10.6	106	36
13.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
14.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
15.		Sony A6500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.5	13.7	1405	85
16.		Sony HX350	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	896	49
17.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
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 (4K/30p).

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the A6300 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the B700 (2359k vs 921k dots). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon B700 and Sony A6300 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 B700	921	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Sony A6300	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 80D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 1300D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon G9 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	8.2/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon SX70	2360	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Fujifilm X100F	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
8.		Kodak AZ901	202	n	3.0 / 920	swivel	n	1/2000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Nikon D3400	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Panasonic FZ82	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
12.		Panasonic TZ90	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
14.		Sony A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
15.		Sony A6500	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Sony HX350	202	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/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 A6300 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).

The Nikon B700 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The B700 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A6300 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A6300 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the B700 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 B700 and Sony Alpha A6300 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 B700	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Sony A6300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon 80D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon 1300D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon G9 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon SX70	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Fujifilm X100F	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Kodak AZ901	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Nikon D3400	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
10.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Panasonic FZ82	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Panasonic TZ90	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
13.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
15.		Sony A6500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony HX350	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the A6300 has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The B700 does not feature such a mic input.

Both the B700 and the A6300 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The A6300 was replaced by the Sony A6500, while the B700 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the B700 and A6300 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon B700 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A6300 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon B700 or the Sony A6300 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Advantages of the Nikon Coolpix B700:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the A6300 requires a separate lens.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• 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 A6300:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 20.2MP), which boosts linear resolution by 11%.
• 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 live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2359k vs 921k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
• More compact: Is smaller (120x67mm vs 125x85mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (400 versus 350) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• 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 individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A6300 is the clear winner of the contest (17 : 8 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape 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 B700 and the Sony A6300 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens 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 B700 or the A6300. 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 expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major 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	Street Price
1.		Nikon B700	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Feb 2016	EUR 509	ebay.com
2.		Sony A6300	4.5/5	+	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2016	EUR 1 099	ebay.com
3.		Canon 80D	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	EUR 1 285	ebay.com
4.		Canon 1300D	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	EUR 449	ebay.com
5.		Canon G9 X Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	EUR 499	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX70	..	+ +	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Sep 2018	EUR 549	amazon.com
7.		Fujifilm X100F	5/5	+	3.9/5	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	EUR 1 399	ebay.com
8.		Kodak AZ901	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2016	EUR 519	amazon.com
9.		Nikon D3400	4/5	+	4/5	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	EUR 499	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	EUR 819	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic FZ82	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	EUR 349	amazon.com
12.		Panasonic TZ90	..	+ +	4/5	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	EUR 429	ebay.com
13.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	EUR 549	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	EUR 1 049	amazon.com
15.		Sony A6500	5/5	+ +	3.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	EUR 1 699	ebay.com
16.		Sony HX350	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Dec 2016	EUR 449	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted 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 comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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