Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100
68 Imaging
65 Features
81 Overall
71


89 Imaging
65 Features
74 Overall
68
Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Boost to 25600)
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Nikon F Mount
- 480g - 125 x 98 x 76mm
- Announced February 2014
- Older Model is Nikon D5200
- Successor is Nikon D5500
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 283g - 110 x 63 x 36mm
- Introduced August 2014
- Replaced the Sony a5000

Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100 Overview
Following is a complete assessment of the Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Nikon and Sony. The sensor resolution of the D5300 (24MP) and the a5100 (24MP) is relatively close and they feature the exact same sensor sizing (APS-C).

The D5300 was manufactured 6 months earlier than the a5100 and they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Nikon D5300 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before getting through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summation of how the D5300 scores versus the a5100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon D5300 and Sony Alpha a5100. The entire galleries are provided at Nikon D5300 Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon D5300 over the Sony a5100
D5300 | a5100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen dimension | 3.2" | ![]() | 3" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Screen resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 922k | Crisper screen (+115k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony a5100 over the Nikon D5300
a5100 | D5300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Nikon D5300 and Sony a5100
D5300 | a5100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | February 2014 | ![]() | August 2014 | Same generation |
Focus manually | ![]() | More precise focusing |
Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100 Physical Comparison
In case you're looking to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and volume. The Nikon D5300 features outside measurements of 125mm x 98mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 480 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Sony a5100 has sizing of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).
Look at the Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the D5300 compared to the a5100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the D5300 and a5100 is 68 and 89 respectively.

Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizes simply by viewing specs. The pic here may give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the D5300 and a5100.
As you can plainly see, both of those cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same exact MP and you should expect comparable quality of files however you should really take the production date of the cameras into account.

Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon D5300 vs Sony a5100 Specifications
Nikon D5300 | Sony Alpha a5100 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Nikon | Sony |
Model type | Nikon D5300 | Sony Alpha a5100 |
Class | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Announced | 2014-02-12 | 2014-08-17 |
Physical type | Compact SLR | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Expeed 4 | Bionz X |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 23.5 x 15.6mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 366.6mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 24 megapixel | 24 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 6000 x 4000 |
Max native ISO | 12800 | 25600 |
Max boosted ISO | 25600 | - |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 39 | 179 |
Cross type focus points | 9 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Nikon F | Sony E |
Available lenses | 309 | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Screen diagonal | 3.2 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 1,037 thousand dots | 922 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch capability | ||
Screen technology | TFT LCD monitor | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.55x | - |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 30s | 30s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shooting rate | 5.0 frames per sec | 6.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 4.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain | Flash off, auto, fill-flaw, slow sync, redeye reduction |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/200s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 25 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p, 25p), 1280 x 720 (120p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | BuiltIn | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 480g (1.06 pounds) | 283g (0.62 pounds) |
Dimensions | 125 x 98 x 76mm (4.9" x 3.9" x 3.0") | 110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 83 | 80 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 24.0 | 23.8 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 13.9 | 12.7 |
DXO Low light rating | 1338 | 1347 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 600 photographs | 400 photographs |
Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | EN-EL14,EN-EL14a | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous (3-5 shot)) |
Time lapse feature | With downloadable app | |
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | One | One |
Launch cost | $429 | $448 |