Nikon D40 vs Sony A330
71 Imaging
45 Features
33 Overall
40


67 Imaging
50 Features
50 Overall
50
Nikon D40 vs Sony A330 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 6MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 200 - 1600 (Boost to 3200)
- No Video
- Nikon F Mount
- 522g - 124 x 94 x 64mm
- Launched December 2006
- Updated by Nikon D3000
(Full Review)
- 10MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 529g - 128 x 97 x 71mm
- Introduced May 2009
- Older Model is Sony A300

Nikon D40 vs Sony A330 Overview
Lets look much closer at the Nikon D40 and Sony A330, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by brands Nikon and Sony. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the D40 (6MP) and A330 (10MP) but they feature the same exact sensor sizing (APS-C).

The D40 was revealed 3 years before the A330 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact SLR).
Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the D40 scores versus the A330 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Nikon D40 vs Sony A330 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon D40 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The full galleries are viewable at Nikon D40 Gallery and Sony A330 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon D40 over the Sony A330
D40 | A330 |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony A330 over the Nikon D40
A330 | D40 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | May 2009 | ![]() | December 2006 | Fresher by 29 months |
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Screen sizing | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Common features in the Nikon D40 and Sony A330
D40 | A330 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focus | ||
Screen resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | The same screen resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Lack of Touch screen |
Nikon D40 vs Sony A330 Physical Comparison
In case you're aiming to carry your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Nikon D40 has got outer measurements of 124mm x 94mm x 64mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 522 grams (1.15 lbs) and the Sony A330 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).
Take a look at the Nikon D40 and Sony A330 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the D40 versus the A330.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the D40 and A330 is 71 and 67 respectively.

Nikon D40 vs Sony A330 Sensor Comparison
Often, its hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizing purely by going through technical specs. The visual underneath will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the D40 and A330.
As you can tell, the two cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different megapixels. You should count on the Sony A330 to show more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older D40 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Nikon D40 vs Sony A330 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon D40 vs Sony A330 Specifications
Nikon D40 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A330 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Nikon | Sony |
Model type | Nikon D40 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A330 |
Class | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Launched | 2006-12-21 | 2009-05-18 |
Physical type | Compact SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 23.7 x 15.5mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor surface area | 367.4mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 6 megapixel | 10 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 3008 x 2000 | 3872 x 2592 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
Max boosted ISO | 3200 | - |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | - | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Nikon F | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Available lenses | 309 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen size | 2.5 inches | 2.7 inches |
Screen resolution | 230k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.53x | 0.49x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | 3.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 17.00 m | 10.00 m |
Flash options | Front curtain, Rear curtain, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/500 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Max video resolution | None | None |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 522 grams (1.15 pounds) | 529 grams (1.17 pounds) |
Dimensions | 124 x 94 x 64mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.5") | 128 x 97 x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 56 | 64 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.0 | 22.4 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.0 | 11.5 |
DXO Low light rating | 561 | 535 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 230 images |
Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | EN-EL9 | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 to 20 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC card | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Launch cost | $500 | $545 |