Nikon 1 AW1 vs Sony a3500

Let's examine more in depth at the Nikon 1 AW1 versus Sony a3500, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Nikon and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the 1 AW1 (14MP) and a3500 (20MP) and the 1 AW1 (1") and a3500 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The 1 AW1 was unveiled 6 months before the a3500 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Nikon 1 AW1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving through a in-depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the 1 AW1 scores against the a3500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon 1 AW1 & Sony Alpha a3500. The full galleries are available at Nikon 1 AW1 Gallery & Sony a3500 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Nikon 1 AW1 provides physical measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 356 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Sony a3500 has dimensions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

See the Nikon 1 AW1 versus Sony a3500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the 1 AW1 versus the a3500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the 1 AW1 and a3500 is 86 and 69 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes only by researching technical specs. The image underneath may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the 1 AW1 and a3500.

As you have seen, both the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The 1 AW1 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony a3500 will render greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots somewhat more aggressively.