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Sony A100 vs Nikon D5200 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 D5200

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

Nikon D5200
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Sony A100 vs Nikon D5200 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A100 and D5200, two Entry-Level DSLR cameras from Sony and Nikon. Both cameras have APS-C sensors but Sony A100 has a 10.0 MP and Nikon D5200 has a 24.0 MP resolution. Sony A100 was introduced to market in July 2006 and Nikon D5200 was launched in May 2013. As you can see, A100 is 7 years older than D5200. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A100 and Nikon D5200 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 D5200 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-05-16
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 25600)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 555g. 129 x 98 x 78 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D5100 Compare

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 D5200

Nikon D5200 was replaced by Nikon D5300. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5200
Nikon D5300 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A100 and Nikon D5200 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 D5200
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder Magnification
0.55x vs 0.52x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Pixel Area
37.14µm2 vs 15.28µm2 143% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Nikon D5200 over Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 10 MP 140% more pixels
Max ISO
6.400 vs 1.600 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
39 vs 9 30 more focus points
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
5.0fps vs 3.0fps 2 fps faster
Weight
555 g vs 638 g 83 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Color Depth
24.2 vs 22.0 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
13.9 vs 11.2 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
1284 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
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Nikon D5200
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
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
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Nikon D5200
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Optical Viewfinder Type
Pentamirror vs Pentamirror not as bright as Pentaprism Viewfinders
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)
No vs No no option to fine tune Auto focus
Sony A100 vs Nikon D5200: 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 D5200 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 D5200 has external dimensions of 129 x 98 x 78 mm (5.08 x 3.86 x 3.07″) and weighs 555 g (1.22 lb / 19.58 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A100 and Nikon D5200. Sony A100 is 3mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Nikon D5200 but it is also 4mm wider.

Sony A100 vs Nikon D5200 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A100 and Nikon D5200 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 D5200 is 83g lighter than the Sony A100 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 both Sony A100 and Nikon D5200 have the same APS-C sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A100
D5200
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A100
D5200
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 nor Nikon D5200 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D5200's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A100's 2.5" screen.

Moreover, Nikon D5200 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Sony A100 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to D5200.
Sony A100 vs Nikon D5200: Sensor Comparison

Sony A100 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Nikon D5200 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor.

Nikon D5200's sensor provides 14MP 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 D5200 sensor size comparison.

Sony A100 vs Nikon D5200 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A100 and Nikon D5200 Cameras


Sony A100 and Nikon D5200 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 D5200 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D5200 has a better overall score of 84, 23 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 D5200 84 24.2 bits 13.9 Evs 1284 ISO
Sony A100 vs Nikon D5200 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 D5200 has an advantage over Sony A100 There are 309 lenses for Nikon D5200's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 143 lenses for Sony A100's Sony/Minolta Alpha lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A100 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Nikon D5200 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 106 lenses for Nikon F mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Sony A100 Lenses # of Nikon D5200 Lenses
Standard Zoom 20 33
Standard Prime 9 21
Wideangle Zoom 11 33
Wideangle Prime 18 48
Telephoto Zoom 26 53
Telephoto Prime 12 45
SuperZoom 19 30
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 4 8
Macro Prime 12 26
Perspective Control Prime 10 11
Telephoto Mirror Prime 2 1
TOTAL 143 309


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A100 and Nikon D5200 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM Lens Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM
24 - 75mm 577gr 1215gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF Lens Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF
25.5 - 82.5mm 755gr 1310gr 111mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM Lens Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM
82.5 - 300mm 305gr 943gr 85mm 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 1905gr 198mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony 35mm F1.4 G Lens Sony 35mm F1.4 G
35mm 510gr 1148gr 76mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 35mm f1.8G Lens Nikon 35mm f1.8G
52.5mm 210gr 765gr 53mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 II LD Lens Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 II LD
15 - 36mm 406gr 1044gr 84mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED Lens Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED
15 - 36mm 460gr 1015gr 87mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA Lens Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA
24 - 120mm 445gr 1083gr 83mm 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 1035gr 86mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II Lens Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II
70 - 400mm 1500gr 2138gr 196mm 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 2125gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Sony A100 and Nikon D5200 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A100 and Nikon D5200 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 D5200 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 (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5200 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 (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A100 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5200 for Sports Photography

GOOD
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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
39 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5200 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 (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
555g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details

Sony A100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon D5200 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 (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A100 vs Nikon D5200: 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 D5200, 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 D5200 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 D5200
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #12 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #162 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Nikon D5200 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 D5200
Nikon D5200
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Nikon D5200 vs Sony A100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Nikon D5200
Brand Sony Nikon
Announced 2006-07-31 2013-05-16
Body Type Compact SLR Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size APS-C APS-C
Dimensions 23.6 x 15.8 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 372.88mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 3872 x 2592 6000 x 4000
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 39
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony/Minolta Alpha Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 143 309
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 2.5" 3"
Resolution 230k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.55x 0.52x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range n/a 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/160s 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 5.0 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 555g
Dimensions 133 x 95 x 71mm 129 x 98 x 78mm
Battery Life n/a 500 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 61 84
DxO Color Depth 22.0 24.2
DxO Dynamic Range 11.2 13.9
DxO Low Light ISO 476 1284
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