Sony a5100 has a
24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Nikon Z30 has a
21.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 6 processor.
One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Nikon Z30's sensor doesn't have an 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 moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the a5100 and Z30 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony a5100 and Nikon Z30 Cameras
Sony a5100 and Nikon Z30 have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Sony a5100
or the
Nikon Z30 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
