Sony a500 vs Nikon D800

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a500 and Nikon D800. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a500

Nikon D800

Manufacturing

Sony a500 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D800 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a500 were released 2009 and Nikon D800 was released 2012. That is a 3 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a500	2009
Nikon D800	2012

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a500 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Nikon D800 has a "Nikon FX"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a500	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
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 a500 has a 12 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 a500	12 MP 12166656 pixels 4272 x 2848
Nikon D800	36,3 MP 36152320 pixels 7360 x 4912

Nikon D800 has a 197 % larger resolution than Sony a500. 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

Nikon D800 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a500. Nikon D800 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Sony a500 has 200 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a500	200-12800
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 a500
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 a500 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds and Nikon D800 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a500	5
Nikon D800	6

Ability to record movies

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

It is only one of these two cameras that support recording movies and movie clips and that is Nikon D800. Sadly, the Sony a500 does not support this.

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 43% heavier than Sony a500 and its 630 gr (or 1.39 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a500	630 gr 1.39 lb
Nikon D800	900 gr 1.98 lb