Nikon D780 vs Sony A57
57 Imaging
75 Features
89 Overall
80


64 Imaging
57 Features
85 Overall
68
Nikon D780 vs Sony A57 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 25MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3.2" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Boost to 204800)
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Nikon F Mount
- 840g - 144 x 116 x 76mm
- Announced January 2020
- Succeeded the Nikon D750
(Full Review)

Nikon D780 vs Sony A57 Overview
Lets look a bit more closely at the Nikon D780 versus Sony A57, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Nikon and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the D780 (25MP) and A57 (16MP) and the D780 (Full frame) and A57 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizing.

The D780 was brought out 7 years later than the A57 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Nikon D780 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the D780 scores against the A57 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Nikon D780 vs Sony A57 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon D780 & Sony SLT-A57. The entire galleries are provided at Nikon D780 Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon D780 over the Sony A57
D780 | A57 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2020 | ![]() | September 2012 | Fresher by 90 months |
Screen dimensions | 3.2" | ![]() | 3" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Screen resolution | 2359k | ![]() | 921k | Clearer screen (+1438k dot) |
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Nikon D780
A57 | D780 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Common features in the Nikon D780 and Sony A57
D780 | A57 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very precise focusing |
Nikon D780 vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison
If you're aiming to carry your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Nikon D780 has got physical measurements of 144mm x 116mm x 76mm (5.7" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 840 grams (1.85 lbs) whilst the Sony A57 has measurements of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") having a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).
Compare the Nikon D780 versus Sony A57 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at the time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the D780 vs the A57.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the D780 and A57 is 57 and 64 respectively.

Nikon D780 vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizing merely by checking technical specs. The photograph below should provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the D780 and A57.
As you can tell, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The D780 due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Nikon D780 will resolve more detail having its extra 9 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots more aggressively. The fresher D780 should have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.

Nikon D780 vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon D780 vs Sony A57 Specifications
Nikon D780 | Sony SLT-A57 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Nikon | Sony |
Model type | Nikon D780 | Sony SLT-A57 |
Category | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2020-01-07 | 2012-09-13 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Expeed 6 | - |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 35.9 x 23.9mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 858.0mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 25MP | 16MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 6048 x 4024 | 4912 x 3264 |
Highest native ISO | 51200 | 16000 |
Highest boosted ISO | 204800 | 25600 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Lowest boosted ISO | 50 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Total focus points | 51 | 15 |
Cross type focus points | 15 | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Nikon F | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Available lenses | 309 | 143 |
Crop factor | 1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Tilting | Fully Articulated |
Display size | 3.2 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of display | 2,359 thousand dot | 921 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Display technology | - | Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,440 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.7x | 0.7x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 900s | 30s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 7.0 frames per sec | 12.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) |
Flash settings | no built-in flash | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | - | 1/160s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 120p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 100p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 3840x2160 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | Yes | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 840 gr (1.85 lbs) | 618 gr (1.36 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 144 x 116 x 76mm (5.7" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 75 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 23.4 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 13.0 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 785 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 2260 shots | 550 shots |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | EN-EL15b | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible) | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | 2 | Single |
Cost at launch | $2,297 | $1,000 |