Nikon D40 vs Sony A380

On this page, we are looking at the Nikon D40 and Sony A380, both Entry-Level DSLR digital cameras by brands Nikon and Sony. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the D40 (6MP) and A380 (14MP) but both cameras have the same sensor sizing (APS-C).

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The D40 was brought out 3 years prior to the A380 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have the same body design (Compact SLR).

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summary of how the D40 scores vs the A380 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon D40 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The entire galleries are available at Nikon D40 Gallery & Sony A380 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Nikon D40 provides outside measurements of 124mm x 94mm x 64mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 522 grams (1.15 lbs) while the Sony A380 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon D40 and Sony A380 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the D40 vs the A380.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the D40 and A380 is 71 and 68 respectively.

Normally, its tough to imagine the difference between sensor measurements only by reading through a spec sheet. The visual here will offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the D40 and A380.

As you can see, both of those cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different megapixels. You can expect to see the Sony A380 to resolve greater detail having its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older D40 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.