Nikon D3300 vs Sony A850

The Nikon D3300 and the Sony Alpha A850 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in January 2014 and August 2009. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on an APS-C (D3300) and a full frame (A850) sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 24.4 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Nikon D3300		Sony A850
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses		Sony A mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24.4 MP – Full Frame sensor
1080/60p Video		no Video
ISO 100-12,800 (100 - 25,600)		ISO 200-3,200 (100 - 6,400)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 921k dots		3.0" LCD – 922k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
5 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
700 shots per battery charge		880 shots per battery charge
124 x 98 x 76 mm, 430 g		156 x 117 x 82 mm, 895 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D3300 and the Sony Alpha A850? 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 physical size and weight of the Nikon D3300 and the Sony A850 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The D3300 can be obtained in three different colors (black, grey, red), while the A850 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 A850 is considerably larger (50 percent) than the Nikon D3300. Moreover, the A850 is substantially heavier (108 percent) than the D3300. It is noteworthy in this context that the A850 is splash and dust-proof, while the D3300 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the D3300 gets 700 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL14a battery, while the A850 can take 880 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FM500H power pack.

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 D3300	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	499	ebay.com
2.		Sony A850	156 mm	117 mm	82 mm	895 g	880	Y	Aug 2009	1,999	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D3500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	415 g	1550	n	Aug 2018	429	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	699	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D3400	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	899	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D750	141 mm	113 mm	78 mm	750 g	1230	Y	Sep 2014	2,299	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D7100	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	950	Y	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	799	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D3200	125 mm	96 mm	77 mm	505 g	540	n	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7C	124 mm	71 mm	60 mm	509 g	740	Y	Sep 2020	1,799	amazon.com
12.		Sony A7 III	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	610	Y	Feb 2018	1,999	amazon.com
13.		Sony A5000	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	269 g	420	n	Jan 2014	449	ebay.com
14.		Sony A5100	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	283 g	400	n	Aug 2014	549	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
16.		Sony A99	147 mm	111 mm	78 mm	812 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
17.		Sony A900	156 mm	117 mm	82 mm	895 g	880	Y	Sep 2008	2,999	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 D3300 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 75 percent) than the A850, 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 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 tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units 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 are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon D3300 features an APS-C sensor and the Sony A850 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the A850 is 135 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.5 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 24.4MP, the A850 offers a higher resolution than the D3300 (24MP), but the A850 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 5.94μm versus 3.91μm for the D3300) due to its larger sensor. However, the D3300 is a much more recent model (by 4 years and 4 months) than the A850, 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 the D3300 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Nikon D3300 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A850 are ISO 200 to ISO 3200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-6400.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. 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 Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. 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 D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
2.		Sony A850	Full Frame	24.4	6048	4032	none	23.8	12.2	1415	79
3.		Nikon D3500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.4	1851	83
4.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
5.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
6.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
7.		Nikon D750	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/60p	24.8	14.5	2956	93
8.		Nikon D7100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.7	1256	83
9.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
10.		Nikon D3200	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/30p	24.1	13.2	1131	81
11.		Sony A7C	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3407	95
12.		Sony A7 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3730	96
13.		Sony A5000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.8	13.0	1089	79
14.		Sony A5100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	12.7	1347	80
15.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
16.		Sony A99	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	14.0	1555	89
17.		Sony A900	Full Frame	24.4	6048	4032	none	23.7	12.3	1431	79
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. The D3300 indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the A850 does not. The highest resolution format that the D3300 can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The D3300 and the A850 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the A850 offers a wider field of view (98%) than the one in the D3300 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the A850 has a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.57x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Nikon D3300 and Sony A850 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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 D3300	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
2.		Sony A850	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.0/s	n	Y
3.		Nikon D3500	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
4.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Nikon D3400	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D750	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	tilting	n	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D7100	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D3200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
11.		Sony A7C	2360	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	Y
12.		Sony A7 III	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
13.		Sony A5000	none	n	3.0 / 461	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
14.		Sony A5100	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
15.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
16.		Sony A99	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	n	Y
17.		Sony A900	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The D3300 has one, while the A850 does not. While the built-in flash of the D3300 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The D3300 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A850 uses Compact Flash or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A850 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the D3300 only has one slot.

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 D3300 and Sony Alpha A850 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 D3300	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Sony A850	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Nikon D3500	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
4.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Nikon D3400	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
6.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Nikon D750	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Nikon D7100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Nikon D3200	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony A7C	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y
12.		Sony A7 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
13.		Sony A5000	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Sony A5100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony A99	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Sony A900	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A850 (unlike the D3300) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the D3300 and the A850 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D3300 was replaced by the Nikon D3400, while the A850 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the D3300 and A850 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D3300 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A850 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon D3300 or the Sony A850 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Arguments in favor of the Nikon D3300:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• More dynamic range: Captures a larger spectrum of light and dark details (0.6 EV of extra DR).
• Broader imaging potential: Can record not only still images but also 1080/60p movies.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More compact: Is smaller (124x98mm vs 156x117mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 465g or 52 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (75 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 4 months of technical progress since the A850 launch.

Advantages of the Sony Alpha A850:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (98% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.57x).
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (880 versus 700) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2009).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A850 emerges as the winner of the match-up (11 : 9 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 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 D3300 and the Sony A850 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing 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 D3300 or the A850. 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 D3300	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	499	ebay.com
2.		Sony A850	3/5	..	..	75/100	..	4.5/5	Aug 2009	1,999	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D3500	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	429	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	699	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D3400	4/5	+	4/5	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	899	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D750	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	2,299	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D7100	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	799	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D3200	5/5	+ +	..	73/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7C	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	86/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2020	1,799	amazon.com
12.		Sony A7 III	..	+ +	4.5/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2018	1,999	amazon.com
13.		Sony A5000	3/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	449	ebay.com
14.		Sony A5100	4.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	549	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
16.		Sony A99	5/5	..	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
17.		Sony A900	..	+ +	..	+ +	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2008	2,999	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods 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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