Nikon D3100 vs Sony A3000
68 Imaging
53 Features
59 Overall
55


69 Imaging
62 Features
54 Overall
58
Nikon D3100 vs Sony A3000 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200 (Raise to 12800)
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Nikon F Mount
- 505g - 124 x 96 x 75mm
- Announced December 2010
- Previous Model is Nikon D3000
- Newer Model is Nikon D3200
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Introduced August 2013
- Successor is Sony a3500

Nikon D3100 vs Sony A3000 Overview
The following is a complete assessment of the Nikon D3100 and Sony A3000, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Nikon and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the D3100 (14MP) and A3000 (20MP) but they possess the same exact sensor dimensions (APS-C).

The D3100 was revealed 3 years earlier than the A3000 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Nikon D3100 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony A3000 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise view of how the D3100 matches up vs the A3000 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Nikon D3100 vs Sony A3000 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon D3100 and Sony Alpha A3000. The full galleries are provided at Nikon D3100 Gallery and Sony A3000 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon D3100 over the Sony A3000
D3100 | A3000 |
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Reasons to pick Sony A3000 over the Nikon D3100
A3000 | D3100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | August 2013 | ![]() | December 2010 | Newer by 32 months |
Common features in the Nikon D3100 and Sony A3000
D3100 | A3000 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent display sizing |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Exact same display resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Missing selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Missing Touch friendly display |
Nikon D3100 vs Sony A3000 Physical Comparison
If you're going to travel with your camera, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Nikon D3100 comes with external measurements of 124mm x 96mm x 75mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0") along with a weight of 505 grams (1.11 lbs) whilst the Sony A3000 has specifications of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).
Contrast the Nikon D3100 and Sony A3000 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the D3100 and the A3000.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the D3100 and A3000 is 68 and 69 respectively.

Nikon D3100 vs Sony A3000 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it is tough to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reading a spec sheet. The image below should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the D3100 and A3000.
As you can see, each of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different megapixels. You should anticipate the Sony A3000 to offer you extra detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The more aged D3100 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.

Nikon D3100 vs Sony A3000 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon D3100 vs Sony A3000 Specifications
Nikon D3100 | Sony Alpha A3000 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Nikon | Sony |
Model | Nikon D3100 | Sony Alpha A3000 |
Class | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Announced | 2010-12-21 | 2013-08-27 |
Physical type | Compact SLR | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | Expeed 2 | BIONZ image |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 23.1 x 15.4mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 355.7mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixel | 20 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 4608 x 3072 | 5456 x 3632 |
Max native ISO | 3200 | 16000 |
Max enhanced ISO | 12800 | - |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 11 | 25 |
Cross focus points | 1 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Nikon F | Sony E |
Number of lenses | 309 | 121 |
Crop factor | 1.6 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen tech | TFT LCD monitor | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.53x | 0.47x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter rate | 3.0fps | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100) |
Flash options | Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain | Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync. |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Max flash synchronize | 1/200 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (24 fps), 1280 x 720 (30, 25, 24 fps), 640 x 424 (24 fps) | 1920 x 1080 |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | MPEG-4 | AVCHD, H.264, MP4 |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | Optional | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 505 gr (1.11 lbs) | 411 gr (0.91 lbs) |
Dimensions | 124 x 96 x 75mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0") | 128 x 91 x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 67 | 78 |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.5 | 23.7 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 11.3 | 12.8 |
DXO Low light score | 919 | 1068 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 550 images | 470 images |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | EN-EL14 | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes | Yes (2-sec. or 10-sec. delay) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | - |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Launch price | $565 | $398 |