Sony a5100 vs Nikon D3500

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a5100 and Nikon D3500. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a5100

Nikon D3500

Manufacturing

Sony a5100 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D3500 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a5100 were released 2014 and Nikon D3500 was released 2018. That is a 4 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a5100	2014
Nikon D3500	2018

Type of camera

Sony a5100 is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D3500 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a5100 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Nikon D3500 has a "Nikon DX"-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 a5100	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Nikon D3500	75 mm Nikon DX sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** 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

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Sony a5100 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D3500 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a5100	24 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000
Nikon D3500	24 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000

ISO range

Both of these cameras offer the exact same ISO range. They both have 100 to 25600.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a5100	100-25600
Nikon D3500	100-25600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

There is a big difference between these two cameras. Sony a5100 has a built-in autofocus motor but Nikon D3500 does not. If you want to be able to use autofocus on Nikon D3500 there is a need for having an autofocus motor inside the lens. We really encourage you to look closely at our lens compatibility charts at the links below.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a5100
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D3500

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a5100 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds and Nikon D3500 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a5100	6
Nikon D3500	5

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a5100 and Nikon D3500 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 D3500 weighs 365 gr (equal to 0.8 lb) which is 29% heavier than Sony a5100 and its 283 gr (or 0.62 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a5100	283 gr 0.62 lb
Nikon D3500	365 gr 0.8 lb