Sony a1 vs Nikon D800

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a1 and Nikon D800. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a1

Nikon D800

Manufacturing

Sony a1 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D800 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a1 were released 2021 and Nikon D800 was released 2012. That is a 9 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a1	2021
Nikon D800	2012

Type of camera

Sony a1 is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D800 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Even though the camera sensors might be called differently they are both considered Full frame which means that the focal length of the lenses is not affected. There is no crop factor on any of these cameras and sensors.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a1	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D800	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)

Resolution

Sony a1 has a 50 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D800 has 36,3 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a1	50 MP 49766400 pixels 8640 x 5760
Nikon D800	36,3 MP 36152320 pixels 7360 x 4912

Sony a1 has a 38 % larger resolution than Nikon D800. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a1 has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D800. Sony a1 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Nikon D800 has 100 to 25600.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a1	100-32000
Nikon D800	100-25600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a1
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D800

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a1 can shoot up to 30 pictures per seconds and Nikon D800 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a1	30
Nikon D800	6

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a1 and Nikon D800 can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Nikon D800 weighs 900 gr (equal to 1.98 lb) which is 22% heavier than Sony a1 and its 737 gr (or 1.62 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a1	737 gr 1.62 lb
Nikon D800	900 gr 1.98 lb