Sony a57 vs Nikon D300s

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a57 and Nikon D300s. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a57

Nikon D300s

Manufacturing

Sony a57 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D300s is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a57 were released 2012 and Nikon D300s was released 2009. That is a 3 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a57	2012
Nikon D300s	2009

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a57 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Nikon D300s 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 a57	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Nikon D300s	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

Sony a57 has a 16 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D300s has 12,3 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a57	16 MP 16032768 pixels 4912 x 3264
Nikon D300s	12,3 MP 12212224 pixels 4288 x 2848

Sony a57 has a 31 % larger resolution than Nikon D300s. 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 a57 has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D300s. Sony a57 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 16000 while Nikon D300s has 200 to 6400.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a57	100-16000
Nikon D300s	200-6400

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 a57
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D300s

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a57 can shoot up to 12 pictures per seconds and Nikon D300s can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a57	12
Nikon D300s	7

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a57 and Nikon D300s 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 D300s weighs 938 gr (equal to 2.07 lb) which is 52% heavier than Sony a57 and its 618 gr (or 1.36 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a57	618 gr 1.36 lb
Nikon D300s	938 gr 2.07 lb