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Sony A100 vs Nikon A Comparison

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Sony A100

10 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CCD Sensor

Sony A100
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Nikon A

16 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon A
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Sony A100 vs Nikon A Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A100, which was introduced in July 2006 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Nikon A, which was introduced in June 2013 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 16.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, A100 is 7 years older than A. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

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 Sony A100 and Nikon A before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A100 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2006-07-31
  • 10MP - APS-C CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 2.5" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 638g. 133 x 95 x 71 mm
  • Replaced Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D Compare

Nikon A Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-06-06
  • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 25600)
  • 28 mm f2.80 Prime Lens
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 299g. 111 x 64 x 40 mm

Sony A100 was replaced by Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 vs Nikon Coolpix A

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A100 and Nikon A compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 over Nikon Coolpix A
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder
Optical vs Optical (Optional) Better framing and control
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Sensor Pixel Area
37.14µm2 vs 23.04µm2 61% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix A over Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 10 MP 60% more pixels
Max ISO
6.400 vs 1.600 300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.5" 0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 230k dots 300% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
4.0fps vs 3.0fps 1 fps faster
Weight
299 g vs 638 g 339 g lighter
Color Depth
23.4 vs 22.0 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
13.8 vs 11.2 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
1164 vs 476 better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs None Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Nikon Coolpix A
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Nikon Coolpix A
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Sony A100 vs Nikon A: 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 A100 and Nikon A side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A100 has external dimensions of 133 x 95 x 71 mm (5.24 x 3.74 x 2.8″) and weighs 638 g (1.41 lb / 22.50 oz) (including batteries). Nikon A has external dimensions of 111 x 64 x 40 mm (4.37 x 2.52 x 1.57″) and weighs 299 g (0.66 lb / 10.55 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A100 and Nikon A. Nikon A is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 22mm narrower, 31mm shorter and 31mm thinner than Sony A100. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon A has a built-in lens but Sony A100 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A100, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony A100 vs Nikon A Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A100 and Nikon A Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon A is significantly lighter (339g ) than the Sony A100 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 A100, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 nor Nikon Coolpix A 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 DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon A's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A100's 2.5" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Sony A100 vs Nikon A: Sensor Comparison

Sony A100 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Nikon A has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Nikon A's sensor provides 6MP more than Sony A100'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.

Below you can see the A100 and A sensor size comparison.

Sony A100 vs Nikon A Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A100 and Nikon A Cameras


Sony A100 and Nikon A have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It 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. Sony A100 and Nikon A sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A has a better overall score of 80, 19 points higher compared to A100's score of 61.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A100 61 22.0 bits 11.2 Evs 476 ISO
Nikon A 80 23.4 bits 13.8 Evs 1164 ISO
What types of Photography are Sony A100 and Nikon A Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A100 and Nikon A 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 A100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon A for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
External Flash Shoe
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony A100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon A for Street Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A100 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon A for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details
External Flash Shoe
Good Low Light ISO
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 230 shots
28 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Sony A100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon A for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
638g
Body Thickness 71mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Compact Body
299g
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details

Sony A100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon A for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A100 vs Nikon A: 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 A100 and Nikon A, 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 A100 and Nikon A scores compare:

Sony A100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #61 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #495 out of 1226 in all Cameras
Nikon A
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #363 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Nikon A is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony A100 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A100
Sony A100
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Nikon A
Nikon A
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Nikon A vs Sony A100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Nikon Coolpix A
Brand Sony Nikon
Announced 2006-07-31 2013-06-06
Body Type Compact SLR Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size APS-C APS-C
Dimensions 23.6 x 15.8 mm 23.6 x 15.7 mm
Area 372.88mm2 370.52mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 3872 x 2592 4928 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity 1,600 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 25600 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 9 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony/Minolta Alpha fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 28 mm (1×)
Max Aperture no lens F2.8
Macro Focus Range no lens 10cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 2.5" 3"
Resolution 230k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) Optical (optional)
Viewfinder Coverage 95% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.55x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range n/a 11.50 m
Max Flash Sync 1/160s 1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 4.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution None 1920 x 1080
Video Formats n/a MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 638g 299g
Dimensions 133 x 95 x 71mm 111 x 64 x 40mm
Battery Life n/a 230 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 61 80
DxO Color Depth 22.0 23.4
DxO Dynamic Range 11.2 13.8
DxO Low Light ISO 476 1164
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