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Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D3

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Nikon D7100

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

Nikon D7100
$728.00

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Nikon D3

12 MP | Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D3
$5450.00

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Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D3 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two DSLR cameras by Nikon. Nikon D7100 was introduced to market in April 2013 and Nikon D3 was launched in April 2008. As you can see, D3 is 5 years older than D7100. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Nikon D7100 has a 24.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Nikon D3 has a 12.0MP Full frame sensor.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D7100 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-04-25
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 50-25600)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 6 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 765g. 136 x 107 x 76 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D7000 Compare

Nikon D3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2008-04-18
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 6400 ( expands to 100-25600)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 11 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 1300g. 160 x 157 x 88 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Nikon D7100 was replaced by Nikon D7200. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D7200 vs Nikon D7100
Nikon D7200 vs Nikon D3

Nikon D3 was replaced by Nikon D3S. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D3S vs Nikon D3
Nikon D3S vs Nikon D7100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D7100 over Nikon D3
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution 24 MP vs 12 MP 100% more pixels
LCD Screen Size 3.2" vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution 1.229k dots vs 922k dots 33% higher resolution screen
Weight 765 g vs 1300 g 535 g lighter
Microphone Port Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Color Depth 24.2 vs 23.5 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 13.7 vs 12.2 higher dynamic range
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 vs None Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Autofocus at f/8 aperture Center point vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
Reasons to choose Nikon D3 over Nikon D7100
Continuous Shooting 11.0fps vs 6.0fps 5 fps faster
Battery Life 4300 shots vs 950 shots 3350 more frames with a single charge
Low Light ISO 2290 vs 1256 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area 71.40µm2 vs 15.28µm2 367% larger pixel area
Flash Sync Port Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Shutter Life Expectancy 300000 cycles vs 150000 cycles Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Common Strengths of Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
Top LCD Display Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune) Yes vs Yes Adjust each lens for accurate focusing
Shutter Life Expectancy 150000 cycles vs 300000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3
Image Stabilization No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Articulating Screen No vs No No flexible viewing angles
Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D3: 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 D7100 and Nikon D3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3. Nikon D7100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 24mm narrower, 50mm shorter and 12mm thinner than Nikon D3.

Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D3 Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3.


Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D3 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D7100 is significantly lighter (535g ) than the Nikon D3 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Nikon D3 has a Full frame sensor and Nikon D7100 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Nikon D7100's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Nikon D3 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D7100
D3
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D7100
D3
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both D7100 and D3 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D7100's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon D3's 3" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don\'t tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D3: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D7100 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Nikon D3 has a 12.0MP Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor.

Nikon D7100's sensor provides 12MP more than Nikon D3's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Nikon D7100's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the D7100 and D3 sensor size comparison.

Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D3 Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Nikon D3 has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Nikon D7100. 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.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, D7100 has scored 83, 2 points higher than D3.

What types of Photography are Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3 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 D7100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D3 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D7100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D7100 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D3 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
15 Cross Type Focus sensors
51 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 950 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
Good Battery Life: 4300 shots
Good Low Light ISO
No Image Stabilization
Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon D7100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
765g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1300g
Body Thickness 88mm
Read the details

Nikon D7100 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D3 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details


Nikon D3 vs Nikon D7100 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Both Nikon D7100 and Nikon D3 have 304 native lenses available but be careful that since Nikon D3 has a full frame sensor, only 223 of these lenses can cover the full frame sensor of D3.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 101 lenses with Image stabilization for Nikon F mount.

Lens Type # of Nikon D7100 Lenses # of Nikon D3 Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 33 (17 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 20 20 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 33 33 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 47 47 (45 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 53 53 (43 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 43 43 (42 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 30 30 (6 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 8 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 25 25 (22 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 11 11 (11 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1 (0 Full Frame)
TOTAL 304 304 (223 Full Frame)
Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D3: 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 D7100 and Nikon D3, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 D7100 and Nikon D3 scores compare:

Nikon D7100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #30 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #96 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Nikon D3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #9 out of 16 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #238 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Nikon D7100 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D3. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that D7100 trails behind the D3: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Nikon D3. If not, we recommend the Nikon D7100.

Nikon D7100
Nikon D7100
$728.00

Nikon D3
Nikon D3
$5450.00

Nikon D3 vs Nikon D7100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D7100 Nikon D3
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2013-04-25 2008-04-18
Body Type Mid-size SLR Large SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C Full frame
Dimensions 23.5 x 15.6 mm 36 x 23.9 mm
Area 366.60mm2 860.40mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 4256 x 2832
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO 25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 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 51 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 304 304
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.2" 3"
Resolution 1,229k dots 922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.63 0.7
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps 11.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 None
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Optional None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 765g 1300g
Dimensions 136 x 107 x 76mm 160 x 157 x 88mm
Battery Life 950 shots 4300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 83 81
DxO Color Depth 24.2 23.5
DxO Dynamic Range 13.7 12.2
DxO Low Light ISO 1256 2290
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