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Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100 Comparison

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Sony A7S

12 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7S
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Nikon D3100

14 MP | APS-C (23.1 x 15.4 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D3100
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Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7S, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Nikon D3100, which was introduced in December 2010 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 14.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, D3100 is 4 years older than A7S. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7S Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-06
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 409600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 489g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Nikon D3100 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2010-12-21
  • 14MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200 ( expands to 12800)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 505g. 124 x 96 x 75 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D3000 Compare

Sony A7S was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Sony Alpha A7S
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100 was replaced by Nikon D3200. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D3200 vs Nikon D3100
Nikon D3200 vs Sony Alpha A7S

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Nikon D3100
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder Magnification
0.71x vs 0.53x Larger Viewfinder
Max ISO
409.600 vs 3.200 12700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 11 14 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 230k dots 434% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage
100% vs 95% More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 3.0fps 2 fps faster
Weight
489 g vs 505 g 16 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth
23.9 vs 22.5 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
13.2 vs 11.3 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3702 vs 919 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 25.12µm2 183% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone


Reasons to choose Nikon D3100 over Sony Alpha A7S
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Sensor Resolution
14 MP vs 12 MP 16% more pixels
Battery Life
550 shots vs 360 shots 190 more frames with a single charge
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Nikon D3100
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Nikon D3100
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100: 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 Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7S has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 489 g (1.08 lb / 17.25 oz) (including batteries). Nikon D3100 has external dimensions of 124 x 96 x 75 mm (4.88 x 3.78 x 2.95″) and weighs 505 g (1.11 lb / 17.81 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Nikon D3100. Sony A7S is 2mm shorter and 27mm thinner than Nikon D3100 but it is also 3mm wider.

Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Nikon D3100.

Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Nikon D3100.
Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7S is 16g lighter than the Nikon D3100 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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 Sony A7S has a Full frame sensor and Nikon D3100 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Nikon D3100's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7S lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S
D3100
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S
D3100
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over D3100 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Nikon D3100's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

On the other hand, Sony A7S features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Nikon D3100 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S.
Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Nikon D3100 has a 14.0MP APS-C (23.1 x 15.4 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 2 processor.

Below you can see the A7S and D3100 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 2.4x Larger sensor area than Nikon D3100. 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 Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 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, A7S has scored 87, 20 points higher than D3100.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7S 87 23.9 bits 13.2 Evs 3702 ISO
Nikon D3100 67 22.5 bits 11.3 Evs 919 ISO
Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D3100 has an advantage over Sony A7S There are 309 lenses for Nikon D3100's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 128 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E lens mount.

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 31 lenses for Sony E mount and 106 lenses for Nikon F mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Sony A7S Lenses # of Nikon D3100 Lenses
Standard Zoom 12 (9 Full Frame) 33
Standard Prime 18 (9 Full Frame) 21
Wideangle Zoom 7 (6 Full Frame) 33
Wideangle Prime 42 (26 Full Frame) 48
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 53
Telephoto Prime 18 (14 Full Frame) 45
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 30
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 8
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 26
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 11
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1
TOTAL 128 (81 Full Frame) 309


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM
24 - 70mm 886gr 1375gr 136mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF Lens Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF
25.5 - 82.5mm 755gr 1260gr 111mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS
70 - 200mm 1480gr 1969gr 200mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM Lens Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM
75 - 225mm 1350gr 1855gr 198mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 50mm F1.4 Lens Sony FE 50mm F1.4
50mm 778gr 1267gr 108mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 35mm f1.8G Lens Nikon 35mm f1.8G
52.5mm 210gr 715gr 53mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM
16 - 35mm 680gr 1169gr 122mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED Lens Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED
15 - 36mm 460gr 965gr 87mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS Lens Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
24 - 105mm 663gr 1152gr 113mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon DX 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR Lens Nikon DX 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR
24 - 120mm 480gr 985gr 86mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
100 - 400mm 1395gr 1884gr 205mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR
80 - 400mm 1570gr 2075gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 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.

Sony A7S for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.1 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3100 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.1 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3100 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
1 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 550 shots
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D3100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
489g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.1 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Large Body
505g
Body Thickness 75mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D3100 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.1 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Nikon D3100: 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 Sony A7S and Nikon D3100, 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 Sony A7S and Nikon D3100 scores compare:

Sony A7S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Nikon D3100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #50 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #360 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon D3100 in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A7S
Sony A7S
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Nikon D3100
Nikon D3100
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Nikon D3100 vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Nikon D3100
Brand Sony Nikon
Announced 2014-04-06 2010-12-21
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame APS-C
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 23.1 x 15.4 mm
Area 855.62mm2 355.74mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 14 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 4608 x 3072
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 ISO 3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 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 25 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 128 309
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3 3"
Resolution 1,230k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.53x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 505g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 124 x 96 x 75mm
Battery Life 360 shots 550 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 67
DxO Color Depth 23.9 22.5
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 11.3
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 919
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