Sony A5000 vs Nikon D3100
The Sony Alpha A5000 and the Nikon D3100 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in January 2014 and August 2010. The A5000 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the D3100 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 14.2 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 A5000 and the Nikon D3100? 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 Sony A5000 and the Nikon D3100 are illustrated 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 A5000 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the D3100 is available in two color-versions (black, red).
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D3100 is considerably larger (72 percent) than the Sony A5000. Moreover, the D3100 is substantially heavier (88 percent) than the A5000. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the A5000 nor the D3100 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 (A5000) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D3100). Mirrorless cameras, such as the Sony A5000, 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 A5000 gets 420 shots out of its Sony NP-FW50 battery, while the D3100 can take 550 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL14 power pack. The power pack in the A5000 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 A5000 | 110 mm | 63 mm | 36 mm | 269 g | 420 | n | Jan 2014 | 449 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D3100 | 124 mm | 96 mm | 75 mm | 505 g | 550 | n | Aug 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon M10 | 108 mm | 67 mm | 35 mm | 301 g | 255 | n | Oct 2015 | 499 | ebay.com | |
4. | Nikon D3000 | 126 mm | 97 mm | 64 mm | 536 g | 500 | n | Jul 2009 | 599 | ebay.com | |
5. | Nikon D3200 | 125 mm | 96 mm | 77 mm | 505 g | 540 | n | Apr 2012 | 599 | ebay.com | |
6. | Nikon D3300 | 124 mm | 98 mm | 76 mm | 430 g | 700 | n | Jan 2014 | 499 | ebay.com | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | 127 mm | 104 mm | 80 mm | 590 g | 510 | n | Apr 2009 | 749 | ebay.com | |
8. | Nikon D5100 | 128 mm | 97 mm | 79 mm | 560 g | 660 | n | Apr 2011 | 749 | ebay.com | |
9. | Nikon D7000 | 132 mm | 105 mm | 77 mm | 780 g | 1050 | Y | Sep 2010 | 1,499 | ebay.com | |
10. | Sony A3000 | 128 mm | 91 mm | 85 mm | 411 g | 470 | n | Aug 2013 | 329 | ebay.com | |
11. | Sony A5100 | 110 mm | 63 mm | 36 mm | 283 g | 400 | n | Aug 2014 | 549 | ebay.com | |
12. | Sony A6000 | 120 mm | 67 mm | 45 mm | 344 g | 360 | n | Feb 2014 | 599 | ebay.com | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | 110 mm | 62 mm | 35 mm | 269 g | 480 | n | Feb 2013 | 499 | ebay.com | |
14. | Sony NEX-5T | 111 mm | 59 mm | 39 mm | 276 g | 330 | n | Aug 2013 | 699 | ebay.com | |
15. | Sony RX100 II | 102 mm | 58 mm | 38 mm | 281 g | 350 | n | Jun 2013 | 749 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony RX100 III | 102 mm | 58 mm | 41 mm | 290 g | 320 | n | May 2014 | 799 | ebay.com | |
17. | Sony RX100 IV | 102 mm | 58 mm | 41 mm | 298 g | 280 | n | Jun 2015 | 999 | 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 A5000 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 25 percent) than the D3100, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. 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 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. 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. 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 19.8MP, the A5000 offers a higher resolution than the D3100 (14.2MP), but the A5000 has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.25μm versus 5.01μm for the D3100). However, the A5000 is a much more recent model (by 3 years and 4 months) than the D3100, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels.
The resolution advantage of the Sony A5000 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A5000 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 D3100 are 23 x 15.4 inches or 58.5 x 39 cm for good quality, 18.4 x 12.3 inches or 46.8 x 31.2 cm for very good quality, and 15.4 x 10.2 inches or 39 x 26 cm for excellent quality prints.
The Sony Alpha A5000 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 16000. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D3100 are ISO 100 to ISO 3200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-12800.
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.
Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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. Of the two cameras under review, the A5000 provides substantially higher image quality than the D3100, with an overall score that is 12 points higher. This advantage is based on 1.3 bits higher color depth, 1.7 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.2 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.
Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sony A5000 | APS-C | 19.8 | 5456 | 3632 | 1080/60i | 23.8 | 13.0 | 1089 | 79 | |
2. | Nikon D3100 | APS-C | 14.2 | 4608 | 3072 | 1080/24p | 22.5 | 11.3 | 919 | 67 | |
3. | Canon M10 | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.2 | 11.4 | 753 | 65 | |
4. | Nikon D3000 | APS-C | 10.0 | 3872 | 2592 | none | 22.3 | 11.1 | 563 | 62 | |
5. | Nikon D3200 | APS-C | 24.1 | 6016 | 4000 | 1080/30p | 24.1 | 13.2 | 1131 | 81 | |
6. | Nikon D3300 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.3 | 12.8 | 1385 | 82 | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | APS-C | 12.2 | 4288 | 2848 | 720/24p | 22.7 | 12.5 | 868 | 72 | |
8. | Nikon D5100 | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3264 | 1080/30p | 23.5 | 13.6 | 1183 | 80 | |
9. | Nikon D7000 | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3264 | 1080/24p | 23.5 | 13.9 | 1167 | 80 | |
10. | Sony A3000 | APS-C | 19.8 | 5456 | 3632 | 1080/60i | 23.7 | 12.8 | 1068 | 78 | |
11. | Sony A5100 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 23.8 | 12.7 | 1347 | 80 | |
12. | Sony A6000 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.1 | 13.1 | 1347 | 82 | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | APS-C | 16.0 | 4912 | 3264 | 1080/60i | 22.8 | 12.5 | 1067 | 74 | |
14. | Sony NEX-5T | APS-C | 16.0 | 4912 | 3264 | 1080/60p | 23.6 | 13.0 | 1015 | 78 | |
15. | Sony RX100 II | 1-inch | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 1080/60p | 22.5 | 12.4 | 483 | 67 | |
16. | Sony RX100 III | 1-inch | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 1080/60p | 22.4 | 12.3 | 495 | 67 | |
17. | Sony RX100 IV | 1-inch | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 4K/30p | 22.8 | 12.6 | 591 | 70 |
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 A5000 provides a higher frame rate than the D3100. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60i, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/24p.
Feature comparison
Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the D3100 has an optical viewfinder, which can be very useful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the A5000 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Sony A5000 and Nikon D3100 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar 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 A5000 | none | n | 3.0 / 461 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 3.5/s | Y | n | |
2. | Nikon D3100 | optical | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
3. | Canon M10 | none | n | 3.0 / 1040 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 4.6/s | Y | n | |
4. | Nikon D3000 | optical | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
5. | Nikon D3200 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
6. | Nikon D3300 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | optical | n | 2.7 / 230 | full-flex | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
8. | Nikon D5100 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
9. | Nikon D7000 | optical | Y | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 6.0/s | Y | n | |
10. | Sony A3000 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 2.5/s | Y | n | |
11. | Sony A5100 | none | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 6.0/s | Y | n | |
12. | Sony A6000 | 1440 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 11.0/s | Y | n | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
14. | Sony NEX-5T | optional | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 10.0/s | n | n | |
15. | Sony RX100 II | optional | n | 3.0 / 1229 | tilting | n | 1/2000s | 10.0/s | Y | Y | |
16. | Sony RX100 III | 1440 | n | 3.0 / 1229 | tilting | n | 1/2000s | 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 A5000 writes its imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the D3100 uses SDXC cards. The A5000 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the D3100 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 A5000 and Nikon D3100 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 A5000 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
2. | Nikon D3100 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
3. | Canon M10 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
4. | Nikon D3000 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
5. | Nikon D3200 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
6. | Nikon D3300 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Nikon D5100 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
9. | Nikon D7000 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
10. | Sony A3000 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
11. | Sony A5100 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
12. | Sony A6000 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
14. | Sony NEX-5T | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
15. | Sony RX100 II | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
16. | Sony RX100 III | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
17. | Sony RX100 IV | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - |
It is notable that the A5000 offers wifi support, while the D3100 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.
Both the A5000 and the D3100 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D3100 was replaced by the Nikon D3200, while the A5000 was followed by the Sony A5100. Further information on the features and operation of the A5000 and D3100 can be found, respectively, in the Sony A5000 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D3100 Manual.
Review summary
So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Sony A5000 better than the Nikon D3100 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.
Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha A5000:
- More detail: Offers more megapixels (19.8 vs 14.2MP) with a 18% higher linear resolution.
- Better image quality: Scores substantially higher (12 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
- Richer colors: Generates images with noticeably better colors (1.3 bits more color depth).
- More dynamic range: Captures a larger spectrum of light and dark details (1.7 EV of extra DR).
- Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60i versus 1080/24p).
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (461k vs 230k dots).
- More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
- More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (3.5 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- More compact: Is smaller (110x63mm vs 124x96mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
- Less heavy: Is lighter (by 236g or 47 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.
- 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.
- Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (25 percent cheaper at launch).
- More modern: Reflects 3 years and 4 months of technical progress since the D3100 launch.
Advantages of the Nikon D3100:
- Easier framing: Has an optical viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
- Longer lasting: Gets more shots (550 versus 420) out of a single battery charge.
- Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
- More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2010).
If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A5000 is the clear winner of the match-up (18 : 4 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 A5000 and the Nikon D3100 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 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 A5000 or the D3100. 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.
Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sony A5000 | 3/5 | + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2014 | 449 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D3100 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 72/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon M10 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | Oct 2015 | 499 | ebay.com | |
4. | Nikon D3000 | .. | + | .. | 72/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jul 2009 | 599 | ebay.com | |
5. | Nikon D3200 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 73/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2012 | 599 | ebay.com | |
6. | Nikon D3300 | 3/5 | + | .. | 77/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2014 | 499 | ebay.com | |
7. | Nikon D5000 | .. | + + | .. | 75/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2009 | 749 | ebay.com | |
8. | Nikon D5100 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 76/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2011 | 749 | ebay.com | |
9. | Nikon D7000 | 4/5 | .. | .. | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2010 | 1,499 | ebay.com | |
10. | Sony A3000 | 3/5 | + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Aug 2013 | 329 | ebay.com | |
11. | Sony A5100 | 4.5/5 | + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Aug 2014 | 549 | ebay.com | |
12. | Sony A6000 | 5/5 | + | 4.5/5 | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2014 | 599 | ebay.com | |
13. | Sony NEX-3N | 3/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2013 | 499 | ebay.com | |
14. | Sony NEX-5T | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2013 | 699 | ebay.com | |
15. | Sony RX100 II | 5/5 | + + | .. | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2013 | 749 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony RX100 III | 5/5 | + + | .. | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | May 2014 | 799 | ebay.com | |
17. | Sony RX100 IV | 4.5/5 | + + | .. | 85/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2015 | 999 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
The above review scores should be interpreted with care, 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 200D vs Sony A5000
- Canon M50 Mark II vs Nikon D3100
- Canon M50 vs Nikon D3100
- Leica CL vs Nikon D3100
- Nikon D3100 vs Nikon D5200
- Nikon D3100 vs Nikon D6
- Nikon D3100 vs Olympus E-PL5
- Nikon Z30 vs Sony A5000
- Olympus E-510 vs Sony A5000
- Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony A5000
- Panasonic G9 vs Sony A5000
- Sony A5000 vs Sony A9 II
Specifications: Sony A5000 vs Nikon D3100
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 A5000 | Nikon D3100 |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Mirrorless system camera | Digital single lens reflex |
Camera Lens | Sony E mount lenses | Nikon F mount lenses |
Launch Date | January 2014 | August 2010 |
Launch Price | USD 449 | USD 599 |
Sensor Specs | Sony A5000 | Nikon D3100 |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | APS-C Sensor | APS-C Sensor |
Sensor Size | 23.2 x 15.4 mm | 23.1 x 15.4 mm |
Sensor Area | 357.28 mm2 | 355.74 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 27.8 mm | 27.8 mm |
Crop Factor | 1.5x | 1.5x |
Sensor Resolution | 19.8 Megapixels | 14.2 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 5456 x 3632 pixels | 4608 x 3072 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 4.25 μm | 5.01 μm |
Pixel Density | 5.55 MP/cm2 | 3.98 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | Anti-Alias filter |
Movie Capability | 1080/60i Video | 1080/24p Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 16,000 ISO | 100 - 3,200 ISO |
ISO Boost | no Enhancement | 100 - 12,800 ISO |
Image Processor | BIONZ X | EXPEED 2 |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 79 | 67 |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | 23.8 | 22.5 |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 13.0 | 11.3 |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | 1089 | 919 |
Screen Specs | Sony A5000 | Nikon D3100 |
Viewfinder Type | no viewfinder | Optical viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 95% | |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.53x | |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 3.0inch |
LCD Resolution | 461k dots | 230k dots |
LCD Attachment | Tilting screen | Fixed screen |
Shooting Specs | Sony A5000 | Nikon D3100 |
Focus System | Contrast-detect AF | Phase-detect AF |
Manual Focusing Aid | Focus Peaking | no Peaking Feature |
Continuous Shooting | 3.5 shutter flaps/s | 3 shutter flaps/s |
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 | UHS-I | no |
Connectivity Specs | Sony A5000 | Nikon D3100 |
External Flash | no Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
HDMI Port | micro HDMI | mini HDMI |
Wifi Support | Wifi built-in | no Wifi |
Near-Field Communication | NFC built-in | no NFC |
Body Specs | Sony A5000 | Nikon D3100 |
Battery Type | Sony NP-FW50 | Nikon EN-EL14 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 420 shots per charge | 550 shots per charge |
In-Camera Charging | USB charging | no USB charging |
Body Dimensions |
110 x 63 x 36 mm (4.3 x 2.5 x 1.4 in) |
124 x 96 x 75 mm (4.9 x 3.8 x 3.0 in) |
Camera Weight | 269 g (9.5 oz) | 505 g (17.8 oz) |
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