Nikon Z30 vs Sony A5000

The Nikon Z30 and the Sony Alpha A5000 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in June 2022 and January 2014. Both the Z30 and the A5000 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 20.7 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 19.8 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Nikon Z30		Sony A5000
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Nikon Z mount lenses		Sony E mount lenses
20.7 MP – APS-C sensor		19.8 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/60i Video
ISO 100-51,200 (100 - 204,800)		ISO 100-16,000
No viewfinder, LCD framing		No viewfinder, LCD framing
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 461k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
11 shutter flaps per second		3.5 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body		not weather sealed
330 shots per battery charge		420 shots per battery charge
128 x 74 x 60 mm, 405 g		110 x 63 x 36 mm, 269 g

Check Z30 price at
amazon.com
Check A5000 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Z30 and the Sony Alpha A5000? 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 Z30 and the Sony A5000 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The A5000 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the Z30 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 A5000 is notably smaller (27 percent) than the Nikon Z30. Moreover, the A5000 is markedly lighter (34 percent) than the Z30. It is worth mentioning in this context that the Z30 is splash and dust resistant, while the A5000 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 Z30 gets 330 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL25 battery, while the A5000 can take 420 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 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	Street Price
1.		Nikon Z30	128 mm	74 mm	60 mm	405 g	330	Y	Jun 2022	US$ 709	amazon.com
2.		Sony A5000	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	269 g	420	n	Jan 2014	US$ 449	ebay.com
3.		Canon G1 X Mark III	115 mm	78 mm	51 mm	399 g	200	Y	Oct 2017	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
4.		Canon M10	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	301 g	255	n	Oct 2015	US$ 499	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm X-T100	121 mm	83 mm	47 mm	448 g	430	n	May 2018	US$ 599	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D3300	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D3500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	415 g	1550	n	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
10.		Nikon Z50	127 mm	94 mm	60 mm	450 g	320	Y	Oct 2019	US$ 859	amazon.com
11.		Nikon Z fc	135 mm	94 mm	44 mm	445 g	300	n	Jun 2021	US$ 959	amazon.com
12.		Sony A5100	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	283 g	400	n	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
13.		Sony A6100	120 mm	67 mm	59 mm	396 g	420	n	Aug 2019	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
15.		Sony NEX-3N	110 mm	62 mm	35 mm	269 g	480	n	Feb 2013	US$ 499	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	US$ 999	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-E10	115 mm	64 mm	45 mm	343 g	440	n	Jul 2021	US$ 699	amazon.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 retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The A5000 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 37 percent) than the Z30, 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. 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. 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. 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.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the A5000 is 3 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 20.7MP, the Z30 offers a slightly higher resolution than the A5000 (19.8MP), but the Z30 has marginally smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.22μm versus 4.25μm for the A5000). However, the Z30 is a much more recent model (by 8 years and 5 months) than the A5000, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the Z30 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Z30 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Nikon Z30 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 51200, which can be extended to ISO 100-204800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A5000 are ISO 100 to ISO 16000 (no boost).

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 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 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 Z30	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	13.9	2230	86
2.		Sony A5000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.8	13.0	1089	79
3.		Canon G1 X Mark III	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	13.2	1649	81
4.		Canon M10	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.4	753	65
5.		Fujifilm X-T100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1829	83
6.		Nikon D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
7.		Nikon D3500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.4	1851	83
8.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
9.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
10.		Nikon Z50	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1963	84
11.		Nikon Z fc	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2131	85
12.		Sony A5100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	12.7	1347	80
13.		Sony A6100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1947	84
14.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
15.		Sony NEX-3N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.8	12.5	1067	74
16.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
17.		Sony ZV-E10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2134	85
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the Z30 provides a higher video resolution than the A5000. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the Sony is limited to 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The Z30 and the A5000 are similar in the sense that neither of the two has a viewfinder. The images are, thus, framed using live view on the rear LCD. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon Z30 and Sony A5000 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 Z30	none	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
2.		Sony A5000	none	n	3.0 / 461	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
3.		Canon G1 X Mark III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon M10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.6/s	Y	n
5.		Fujifilm X-T100	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D3300	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D3500	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon Z50	2360	n	3.2 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon Z fc	2360	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
12.		Sony A5100	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
13.		Sony A6100	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	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 NEX-3N	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
16.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony ZV-E10	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The Z30 has a touchscreen, while the A5000 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

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 Z30 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 Z30 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 Z30 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A5000 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

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 Z30 and Sony Alpha A5000 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 Z30	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony A5000	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon G1 X Mark III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
4.		Canon M10	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Fujifilm X-T100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Nikon D3300	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Nikon D3500	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
8.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Nikon Z50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Nikon Z fc	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
12.		Sony A5100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Sony A6100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
14.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
15.		Sony NEX-3N	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony ZV-E10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the Z30 has a hotshoe, while the A5000 does not. This socket makes it possible to easily attach optional accessories, such as an external flash gun.

The Z30 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Nikon. In contrast, the A5000 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the A5000 was succeeded by the Sony A5100. Further information on the features and operation of the Z30 and A5000 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon Z30 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A5000 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Nikon Z30 and the Sony A5000? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Nikon Z30:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60i).
• 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 LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 461k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 3.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 2.0).
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More modern: Reflects 8 years and 5 months of technical progress since the A5000 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha A5000:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• More compact: Is smaller (110x63mm vs 128x74mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 136g or 34 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (420 versus 330) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (37 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in January 2014).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the Z30 is the clear winner of the match-up (15 : 7 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 Z30 and the Sony A5000 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the Z30 or the A5000. 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 hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear 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 Z30	4/5	..	4/5	86/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2022	US$ 709	amazon.com
2.		Sony A5000	3/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 449	ebay.com
3.		Canon G1 X Mark III	5/5	+	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2017	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
4.		Canon M10	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Oct 2015	US$ 499	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm X-T100	4/5	+	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2018	US$ 599	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D3300	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D3500	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
10.		Nikon Z50	5/5	..	5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2019	US$ 859	amazon.com
11.		Nikon Z fc	4/5	..	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2021	US$ 959	amazon.com
12.		Sony A5100	4.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
13.		Sony A6100	..	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	5/5	Aug 2019	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
15.		Sony NEX-3N	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	US$ 499	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	US$ 999	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-E10	4/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2021	US$ 699	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated 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 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? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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