Nikon D800 vs Nikon Z30

The following is a extended assessment of the Nikon D800 and Nikon Z30, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are designed by Nikon. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the D800 (36MP) and Z30 (21MP) and the D800 (Full frame) and Z30 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The D800 was unveiled 11 years earlier than the Z30 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Nikon D800 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Nikon Z30 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the D800 grades against the Z30 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon D800 and Nikon Z30. The full galleries are available at Nikon D800 Gallery and Nikon Z30 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and size. The Nikon D800 features exterior measurements of 146mm x 123mm x 82mm (5.7" x 4.8" x 3.2") and a weight of 900 grams (1.98 lbs) and the Nikon Z30 has specifications of 128mm x 74mm x 60mm (5.0" x 2.9" x 2.4") having a weight of 405 grams (0.89 lbs).

Contrast the Nikon D800 and Nikon Z30 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the D800 against the Z30.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the D800 and Z30 is 54 and 79 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to see the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by seeing specs. The picture here should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the D800 and Z30.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The D800 having a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Nikon D800 will produce extra detail having an extra 15 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged D800 will be behind in sensor technology.