Sony A3000 vs Nikon D5100
The Sony Alpha A3000 and the Nikon D5100 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in August 2013 and April 2011. The A3000 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the D5100 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Sony has a resolution of 19.8 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 16.1 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A3000 and the Nikon D5100? 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 Sony A3000 and the Nikon D5100. 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.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D5100 is notably larger (7 percent) than the Sony A3000. Moreover, the D5100 is substantially heavier (36 percent) than the A3000. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the A3000 nor the D5100 are weather-sealed.
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. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras, which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Sony E-Mount Lens Catalog (A3000) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D5100). Mirrorless cameras, such as the Sony A3000, have moreover the advantage that they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance and can thus use many lenses from other systems via adapters.
Concerning battery life, the A3000 gets 470 shots out of its Sony NP-FW50 battery, while the D5100 can take 660 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL14 power pack. The power pack in the A3000 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.
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.
# | Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sony A3000 | 128 mm | 91 mm | 85 mm | 411 g | 470 | n | Aug 2013 | 329 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D5100 | 128 mm | 97 mm | 79 mm | 560 g | 660 | n | Apr 2011 | 749 | ebay.com | |
3. | Nikon D5500 | 124 mm | 97 mm | 70 mm | 470 g | 820 | n | Jan 2015 | 899 | ebay.com | |
4. | Nikon D5300 | 125 mm | 98 mm | 76 mm | 480 g | 600 | n | Oct 2013 | 799 | ebay.com | |
5. | Nikon D5200 | 129 mm | 98 mm | 78 mm | 555 g | 500 | n | Nov 2012 | 749 | ebay.com | |
6. | Nikon D3100 | 124 mm | 96 mm | 75 mm | 505 g | 550 | n | Aug 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | 127 mm | 104 mm | 80 mm | 590 g | 510 | n | Apr 2009 | 749 | ebay.com | |
8. | Sony A6400 | 120 mm | 67 mm | 50 mm | 403 g | 410 | Y | Jan 2019 | 899 | amazon.com | |
9. | Sony A5000 | 110 mm | 63 mm | 36 mm | 269 g | 420 | n | Jan 2014 | 449 | ebay.com | |
10. | Sony A5100 | 110 mm | 63 mm | 36 mm | 283 g | 400 | n | Aug 2014 | 549 | ebay.com | |
11. | Sony A6000 | 120 mm | 67 mm | 45 mm | 344 g | 360 | n | Feb 2014 | 599 | ebay.com | |
12. | Sony A58 | 129 mm | 95 mm | 78 mm | 492 g | 690 | n | Feb 2013 | 599 | ebay.com | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | 110 mm | 62 mm | 35 mm | 269 g | 480 | n | Feb 2013 | 499 | ebay.com | |
14. | Sony RX1R | 113 mm | 65 mm | 70 mm | 482 g | 270 | n | Jun 2013 | 2,799 | ebay.com | |
15. | Sony NEX-6 | 120 mm | 67 mm | 43 mm | 345 g | 360 | n | Sep 2012 | 999 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony RX1 | 113 mm | 65 mm | 70 mm | 482 g | 270 | n | Sep 2012 | 2,799 | ebay.com | |
17. | Sony NEX-7 | 120 mm | 67 mm | 43 mm | 400 g | 430 | n | Aug 2011 | 1,349 | ebay.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
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 A3000 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 56 percent) than the D5100, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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 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. 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.
Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D5100 is 4 percent bigger. 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.
Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the Sony A3000 offers a higher resolution of 19.8 megapixels, compared with 16.1 MP of the Nikon D5100. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.25μm versus 4.80μm for the D5100). However, it should be noted that the A3000 is much more recent (by 2 years and 4 months) than the D5100, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.
The resolution advantage of the Sony A3000 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A3000 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 27.3 x 18.2 inches or 69.3 x 46.1 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 21.8 x 14.5 inches or 55.4 x 36.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 18.2 x 12.1 inches or 46.2 x 30.8 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon D5100 are 24.6 x 16.3 inches or 62.6 x 41.5 cm for good quality, 19.7 x 13.1 inches or 50.1 x 33.2 cm for very good quality, and 16.4 x 10.9 inches or 41.7 x 27.6 cm for excellent quality prints.
The Sony Alpha A3000 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 16000. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D5100 are ISO 100 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.
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 Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.
# | Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sony A3000 | APS-C | 19.8 | 5456 | 3632 | 1080/60i | 23.7 | 12.8 | 1068 | 78 | |
2. | Nikon D5100 | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3264 | 1080/30p | 23.5 | 13.6 | 1183 | 80 | |
3. | Nikon D5500 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.1 | 14.0 | 1438 | 84 | |
4. | Nikon D5300 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.0 | 13.9 | 1338 | 83 | |
5. | Nikon D5200 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60i | 24.2 | 13.9 | 1284 | 84 | |
6. | Nikon D3100 | APS-C | 14.2 | 4608 | 3072 | 1080/24p | 22.5 | 11.3 | 919 | 67 | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | APS-C | 12.2 | 4288 | 2848 | 720/24p | 22.7 | 12.5 | 868 | 72 | |
8. | Sony A6400 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4K/30p | 24.0 | 13.6 | 1431 | 83 | |
9. | Sony A5000 | APS-C | 19.8 | 5456 | 3632 | 1080/60i | 23.8 | 13.0 | 1089 | 79 | |
10. | Sony A5100 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 23.8 | 12.7 | 1347 | 80 | |
11. | Sony A6000 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.1 | 13.1 | 1347 | 82 | |
12. | Sony A58 | APS-C | 19.8 | 5456 | 3632 | 1080/60i | 23.3 | 12.5 | 753 | 74 | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | APS-C | 16.0 | 4912 | 3264 | 1080/60i | 22.8 | 12.5 | 1067 | 74 | |
14. | Sony RX1R | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 25.0 | 13.6 | 2537 | 91 | |
15. | Sony NEX-6 | APS-C | 16.0 | 4912 | 3264 | 1080/60i | 23.7 | 13.1 | 1018 | 78 | |
16. | Sony RX1 | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 25.1 | 14.3 | 2534 | 93 | |
17. | Sony NEX-7 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60i | 24.1 | 13.4 | 1016 | 81 |
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 A3000 provides a higher frame rate than the D5100. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60i, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/30p.
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the A3000 has an electronic viewfinder (202k dots), while the D5100 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the A3000 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the D5100 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand, the viewfinder of the D5100 has a higher magnification (0.51x vs 0.47x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A3000, the Nikon D5100, and comparable cameras.
# | 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. | Sony A3000 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 2.5/s | Y | n | |
2. | Nikon D5100 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
3. | Nikon D5500 | optical | n | 3.2 / 1037 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
4. | Nikon D5300 | optical | n | 3.2 / 1037 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
5. | Nikon D5200 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
6. | Nikon D3100 | optical | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | optical | n | 2.7 / 230 | full-flex | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
8. | Sony A6400 | 2359 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 11.0/s | Y | n | |
9. | Sony A5000 | none | n | 3.0 / 461 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 3.5/s | Y | n | |
10. | Sony A5100 | none | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 6.0/s | Y | n | |
11. | Sony A6000 | 1440 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 11.0/s | Y | n | |
12. | Sony A58 | 1440 | n | 2.7 / 460 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | Y | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
14. | Sony RX1R | optional | n | 3.0 / 1229 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
15. | Sony NEX-6 | 2359 | n | 3.0 / 921 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 10.0/s | Y | n | |
16. | Sony RX1 | optional | n | 3.0 / 1229 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
17. | Sony NEX-7 | 2359 | n | 3.0 / 921 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 10.0/s | Y | n | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
The Nikon D5100 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 A3000 writes its imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the D5100 uses SDXC cards. The D5100 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the A3000 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 Sony Alpha A3000 and Nikon D5100 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
# | Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sony A3000 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
2. | Nikon D5100 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
3. | Nikon D5500 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
4. | Nikon D5300 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
5. | Nikon D5200 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
6. | Nikon D3100 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Sony A6400 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | Y | |
9. | Sony A5000 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
10. | Sony A5100 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
11. | Sony A6000 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
12. | Sony A58 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
14. | Sony RX1R | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
15. | Sony NEX-6 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
16. | Sony RX1 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
17. | Sony NEX-7 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - |
It is notable that the D5100 has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The A3000 does not feature such a mic input.
Both the A3000 and the D5100 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D5100 was replaced by the Nikon D5200, while the A3000 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the A3000 and D5100 can be found, respectively, in the Sony A3000 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D5100 Manual.
Review summary
So what is the bottom line? Is the Sony A3000 better than the Nikon D5100 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.
Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A3000:
- More detail: Offers more megapixels (19.8 vs 16.1MP) with a 11% higher linear resolution.
- Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60i versus 1080/30p).
- More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
- More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
- Less heavy: Is lighter (by 149g or 27 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
- Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
- More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (56 percent cheaper at launch).
- More modern: Reflects 2 years and 4 months of technical progress since the D5100 launch.
Reasons to prefer the Nikon D5100:
- More dynamic range: Captures a broader range of light and dark details (0.8 EV of extra DR).
- Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
- Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
- Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.51x vs 0.47x).
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (921k vs 230k dots).
- 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.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (4 vs 2.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
- Longer lasting: Gets more shots (660 versus 470) out of a single battery charge.
- 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 April 2011).
If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D5100 emerges as the winner of the match-up (12 : 9 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports 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 Sony A3000 and the Nikon D5100 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings 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 incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the A3000 or the D5100 perform in practice. 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.
# | Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sony A3000 | 3/5 | + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Aug 2013 | 329 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D5100 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 76/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2011 | 749 | ebay.com | |
3. | Nikon D5500 | 5/5 | + | .. | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2015 | 899 | ebay.com | |
4. | Nikon D5300 | 4/5 | + + | .. | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Oct 2013 | 799 | ebay.com | |
5. | Nikon D5200 | 4/5 | + + | .. | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Nov 2012 | 749 | ebay.com | |
6. | Nikon D3100 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 72/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | .. | + + | .. | 75/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2009 | 749 | ebay.com | |
8. | Sony A6400 | 4/5 | + | 4/5 | 85/100 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Jan 2019 | 899 | amazon.com | |
9. | Sony A5000 | 3/5 | + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2014 | 449 | ebay.com | |
10. | Sony A5100 | 4.5/5 | + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Aug 2014 | 549 | ebay.com | |
11. | Sony A6000 | 5/5 | + | 4.5/5 | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2014 | 599 | ebay.com | |
12. | Sony A58 | 3/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2013 | 599 | ebay.com | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | 3/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2013 | 499 | ebay.com | |
14. | Sony RX1R | 5/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2013 | 2,799 | ebay.com | |
15. | Sony NEX-6 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 78/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2012 | 999 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony RX1 | 5/5 | .. | .. | 79/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2012 | 2,799 | ebay.com | |
17. | Sony NEX-7 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 81/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Aug 2011 | 1,349 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. 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. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.
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.
- Canon 1D Mark II vs Nikon D5100
- Fujifilm X10 vs Nikon D5100
- Leica S Typ 007 vs Nikon D5100
- Leica X Vario vs Sony A3000
- Nikon D200 vs Nikon D5100
- Nikon D5100 vs Panasonic LX100 II
- Nikon D5100 vs Sony RX0
- Nikon D7500 vs Sony A3000
- Olympus TG-4 vs Sony A3000
- Panasonic FZ2500 vs Sony A3000
- Panasonic L10 vs Sony A3000
- Sony A3000 vs Sony RX100 VII
Specifications: Sony A3000 vs Nikon D5100
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Sony A3000 | Nikon D5100 |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Mirrorless system camera | Digital single lens reflex |
Camera Lens | Sony E mount lenses | Nikon F mount lenses |
Launch Date | August 2013 | April 2011 |
Launch Price | USD 329 | USD 749 |
Sensor Specs | Sony A3000 | Nikon D5100 |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | APS-C Sensor | APS-C Sensor |
Sensor Size | 23.2 x 15.4 mm | 23.6 x 15.7 mm |
Sensor Area | 357.28 mm2 | 370.52 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 27.8 mm | 28.3 mm |
Crop Factor | 1.5x | 1.5x |
Sensor Resolution | 19.8 Megapixels | 16.1 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 5456 x 3632 pixels | 4928 x 3264 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 4.25 μm | 4.80 μm |
Pixel Density | 5.55 MP/cm2 | 4.34 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | Anti-Alias filter |
Movie Capability | 1080/60i Video | 1080/30p Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 16,000 ISO | 100 - 6,400 ISO |
ISO Boost | no Enhancement | 100 - 25,600 ISO |
Image Processor | BIONZ | EXPEED 2 |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 78 | 80 |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | 23.7 | 23.5 |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 12.8 | 13.6 |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | 1068 | 1183 |
Screen Specs | Sony A3000 | Nikon D5100 |
Viewfinder Type | Electronic viewfinder | Optical viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 100% | 95% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.47x | 0.51x |
Viewfinder Resolution | 202k dots | |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 3.0inch |
LCD Resolution | 230k dots | 921k dots |
LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | Swivel screen |
Shooting Specs | Sony A3000 | Nikon D5100 |
Focus System | Contrast-detect AF | Phase-detect AF |
Manual Focusing Aid | Focus Peaking | no Peaking Feature |
Continuous Shooting | 2.5 shutter flaps/s | 4 shutter flaps/s |
Time-Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | Intervalometer built-in |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | Built-in Flash |
Storage Medium | MS or SDXC cards | SDXC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
UHS card support | no | UHS-I |
Connectivity Specs | Sony A3000 | Nikon D5100 |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
HDMI Port | mini HDMI | mini HDMI |
Microphone Port | no MIC socket | External MIC port |
Wifi Support | no Wifi | no Wifi |
Body Specs | Sony A3000 | Nikon D5100 |
Battery Type | Sony NP-FW50 | Nikon EN-EL14 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 470 shots per charge | 660 shots per charge |
In-Camera Charging | USB charging | no USB charging |
Body Dimensions |
128 x 91 x 85 mm (5.0 x 3.6 x 3.3 in) |
128 x 97 x 79 mm (5.0 x 3.8 x 3.1 in) |
Camera Weight | 411 g (14.5 oz) | 560 g (19.8 oz) |
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