Sony a57 vs Nikon D3500

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a57 and Nikon D3500. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a57

Nikon D3500

Manufacturing

Sony a57 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D3500 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a57 were released 2012 and Nikon D3500 was released 2018. That is a 6 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a57	2012
Nikon D3500	2018

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a57 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 a57	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

Sony a57 has a 16 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 a57	16 MP 16032768 pixels 4912 x 3264
Nikon D3500	24 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000

Nikon D3500 has a 50 % larger resolution than Sony a57. 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 D3500 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a57. Nikon D3500 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Sony a57 has 100 to 16000.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a57	100-16000
Nikon D3500	100-25600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

There is a big difference between these two cameras. Sony a57 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 a57
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 a57 can shoot up to 12 pictures per seconds and Nikon D3500 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a57	12
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 a57 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.

Sony a57 weighs 618 gr (equal to 1.36 lb) which is 69% heavier than Nikon D3500 and its 365 gr (or 0.8 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a57	618 gr 1.36 lb
Nikon D3500	365 gr 0.8 lb