Nikon D3100 vs Sony A65
68 Imaging
54 Features
59 Overall
56
64 Imaging
63 Features
85 Overall
71
Nikon D3100 vs Sony A65 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200 (Expand to 12800)
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Nikon F Mount
- 505g - 124 x 96 x 75mm
- Announced December 2010
- Earlier Model is Nikon D3000
- Replacement is Nikon D3200
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Raise to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 622g - 132 x 97 x 81mm
- Introduced November 2011
- Refreshed by Sony A68
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month Nikon D3100 vs Sony A65 Overview
Let's look closer at the Nikon D3100 versus Sony A65, both Entry-Level DSLR digital cameras by competitors Nikon and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the D3100 (14MP) and A65 (24MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor sizing (APS-C).
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesThe D3100 was revealed 10 months before the A65 and they are of a similar age. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact SLR).
Before we go in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the D3100 scores versus the A65 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Photography Glossary Nikon D3100 vs Sony A65 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon D3100 & Sony SLT-A65. The full galleries are viewable at Nikon D3100 Gallery & Sony A65 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon D3100 over the Sony A65
| D3100 | A65 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony A65 over the Nikon D3100
| A65 | D3100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | November 2011 |  | December 2010 | More modern by 10 months |
| Display type | Fully Articulated |  | Fixed | Fully Articulating display |
| Display resolution | 921k |  | 230k | Crisper display (+691k dot) |
| Selfie screen |  | Easy selfies |
Common features in the Nikon D3100 and Sony A65
| D3100 | A65 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually |  | Very exact focus | ||
| Display sizing | 3" |  | 3" | Equivalent display measurement |
| Touch display |  | Neither comes with Touch display |
Nikon D3100 vs Sony A65 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera often, you should consider its weight and volume. The Nikon D3100 comes with outside measurements of 124mm x 96mm x 75mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0") and a weight of 505 grams (1.11 lbs) while the Sony A65 has sizing of 132mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") having a weight of 622 grams (1.37 lbs).
Contrast the Nikon D3100 versus Sony A65 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the D3100 compared to the A65.
Using size and weight, the portability score of the D3100 and A65 is 68 and 64 respectively.
Nikon D3100 vs Sony A65 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is hard to envision the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading specifications. The image underneath will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the D3100 and A65.
To sum up, each of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same megapixels. You can expect to see the Sony A65 to deliver more detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images far more aggressively. The more aged D3100 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.
Nikon D3100 vs Sony A65 Screen and ViewFinder
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Nikon D3100 vs Sony A65 Specifications
| Nikon D3100 | Sony SLT-A65 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Nikon | Sony |
| Model type | Nikon D3100 | Sony SLT-A65 |
| Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Announced | 2010-12-21 | 2011-11-15 |
| Body design | Compact SLR | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Expeed 2 | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 23.1 x 15.4mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 355.7mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 14MP | 24MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4608 x 3072 | 6000 x 4000 |
| Highest native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
| Highest enhanced ISO | 12800 | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Selective autofocus | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Autofocus live view | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Total focus points | 11 | 15 |
| Cross type focus points | 1 | 3 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Nikon F | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Number of lenses | 309 | 143 |
| Crop factor | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
| Screen size | 3 inch | 3 inch |
| Screen resolution | 230k dot | 921k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Screen technology | TFT LCD monitor | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,359k dot |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.53x | 0.73x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 30s | 30s |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
| Continuous shutter speed | 3.0 frames per sec | 10.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 10.00 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | 1/200s | 1/160s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| 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 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | MPEG-4 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | Optional | BuiltIn |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 505 gr (1.11 pounds) | 622 gr (1.37 pounds) |
| Dimensions | 124 x 96 x 75mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0") | 132 x 97 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 67 | 74 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 22.5 | 23.4 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.3 | 12.6 |
| DXO Low light rating | 919 | 717 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 550 photos | 560 photos |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | EN-EL14 | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Launch price | $565 | $700 |