Sony a580 vs Nikon D7000

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a580 and Nikon D7000. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a580

Nikon D7000

Manufacturing

Sony a580 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D7000 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

These two camera models were both released 2010.

Camera	Released
Sony a580	2010
Nikon D7000	2010

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a580 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Nikon D7000 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 a580	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Nikon D7000	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 a580 has a 16 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D7000 has 16,2 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a580	16 MP 16032768 pixels 4912 x 3264
Nikon D7000	16,2 MP 16084992 pixels 4928 x 3264

Nikon D7000 has a 0 % larger resolution than Sony a580. 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 D7000 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a580. Nikon D7000 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Sony a580 has 100 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a580	100-12800
Nikon D7000	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 a580
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D7000

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a580 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds and Nikon D7000 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a580	5
Nikon D7000	6

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a580 and Nikon D7000 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 D7000 weighs 780 gr (equal to 1.72 lb) which is 30% heavier than Sony a580 and its 599 gr (or 1.32 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a580	599 gr 1.32 lb
Nikon D7000	780 gr 1.72 lb