Nikon D1 vs Sony A99

Below, we will be contrasting the Nikon D1 versus Sony A99, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Nikon and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the D1 (3MP) and A99 (24MP) and the D1 (APS-C) and A99 (Full frame) feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The D1 was launched 13 years earlier than the A99 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Nikon D1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go through a detailed comparison, below is a concise summary of how the D1 matches up versus the A99 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon D1 & Sony SLT-A99. The complete galleries are available at Nikon D1 Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Nikon D1 comes with outside dimensions of 157mm x 153mm x 85mm (6.2" x 6.0" x 3.3") having a weight of 1200 grams (2.65 lbs) whilst the Sony A99 has specifications of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") and a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Examine the Nikon D1 versus Sony A99 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the D1 versus the A99.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the D1 and A99 is 51 and 57 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to envision the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reviewing specs. The graphic here should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the D1 and A99.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The D1 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A99 will offer more detail utilizing its extra 21MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older D1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.