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Nikon L120 vs Sony A35 Comparison

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Nikon L120

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

Nikon L120
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Sony A35

16 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A35
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Nikon L120 vs Sony A35 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon L120, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Sony A35, which was introduced in September 2011 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 16.0MP APS-C sensor. There is only 7 months difference between L120 and A35 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Sony A35 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon L120 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1.0fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 431g. 110 x 77 x 78 mm
  • Replaced Nikon Coolpix L110 Compare

Sony A35 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-09-20
  • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1150k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 6.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 415g. 124 x 92 x 85 mm
  • Replaced Sony SLT-A33 Compare

Sony A35 was replaced by Sony SLT-A37. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony SLT-A37 vs Sony SLT-A35
Sony SLT-A37 vs Nikon Coolpix L120

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Sony A35 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L120 over Sony SLT-A35
Internal Storage
102 MB vs None Extra built-in storage
CHECK L120 PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony SLT-A35 over Nikon Coolpix L120
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 14 MP 14% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 6.400 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
15 vs 9 6 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
6.0fps vs 1.0fps 5 fps faster
Battery Life
440 shots vs 330 shots 110 more frames with a single charge
Weight
415 g vs 431 g 16 g lighter
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 6.0m 6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
22.87µm2 vs 2.01µm2 1037% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
CHECK A35 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Sony SLT-A35
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 921k dots High resolution screens
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Sony SLT-A35
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Nikon L120 vs Sony A35: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon L120 and Sony A35 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon L120 has external dimensions of 110 x 77 x 78 mm (4.33 x 3.03 x 3.07″) and weighs 431 g (0.95 lb / 15.20 oz) (including batteries). Sony A35 has external dimensions of 124 x 92 x 85 mm (4.88 x 3.62 x 3.35″) and weighs 415 g (0.91 lb / 14.64 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Sony A35. Nikon L120 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 14mm narrower, 15mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Sony A35. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon L120 has a built-in lens but Sony A35 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A35, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon L120 vs Sony A35 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony A35 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Sony A35.

Nikon L120 vs Sony A35 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony A35 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Sony A35.
Nikon L120 vs Sony A35 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony A35 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A35 is 16g lighter than the Nikon L120 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A35, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix L120 nor Sony SLT-A35 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon L120 and Sony A35's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon L120 vs Sony A35: Sensor Comparison

Nikon L120 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Sony A35 has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.

Below you can see the L120 and A35 sensor size comparison.

Nikon L120 vs Sony A35 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony A35 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A35 has a 13.1x Larger sensor area than Nikon L120. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Sony A35 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Sony A35 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon L120 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Sony A35 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony A35 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony A35 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
525 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
3 Cross Type Focus sensors
15 Focus Points
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A35 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
21.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
431g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
415g
Body Thickness 85mm
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony A35 for Landscape Photography

POOR
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Sony A35: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon L120 and Sony A35, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon L120 and Sony A35 scores compare:

Nikon L120
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #218 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #836 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Sony A35
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #21 out of 80 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #218 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Sony A35 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon L120 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon L120. Otherwise, Sony A35 is the better camera overall.

Nikon L120
Nikon L120
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Sony A35
Sony A35
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Sony A35 vs Nikon L120 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix L120 Sony SLT-A35
Brand Nikon Sony
Announced 2011-02-09 2011-09-20
Body Type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 28.07mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 14 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4320 x 3240 4912 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9 15
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens Focal Range 25-525 mm (21×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.1-5.8 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 921k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 1,150k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.73x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.00 m 12.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 6.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720 1920 x 1080
Video Formats Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 431g 415g
Dimensions 110 x 77 x 78mm 124 x 92 x 85mm
Battery Life 330 shots 440 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 74
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.3
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.7
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 763
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