Nikon A vs Nikon D780

Let's examine more in depth at the Nikon A and Nikon D780, former is a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR and both are designed by Nikon. There is a considerable difference among the resolutions of the A (16MP) and D780 (25MP) and the A (APS-C) and D780 (Full frame) enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The A was announced 7 years before the D780 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Nikon A being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Nikon D780 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a concise overview of how the A matches up versus the D780 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix A & Nikon D780. The whole galleries are provided at Nikon A Gallery & Nikon D780 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Nikon A comes with outer measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 40mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.6") along with a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs) whilst the Nikon D780 has sizing of 144mm x 116mm x 76mm (5.7" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 840 grams (1.85 lbs).

Check the Nikon A and Nikon D780 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the A compared to the D780.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the A and D780 is 88 and 57 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizes merely by viewing a spec sheet. The image below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the A and D780.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The A using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF harder and the Nikon D780 will result in extra detail with its extra 9MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged A will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.