Sony a7 vs Nikon D7100

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7 and Nikon D7100. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a7

Nikon D7100

Manufacturing

Sony a7 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D7100 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

These two camera models were both released 2013.

Camera	Released
Sony a7	2013
Nikon D7100	2013

Type of camera

Sony a7 is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D7100 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Nikon D7100 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 a7	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D7100	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 a7 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D7100 has 24,1 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a7	24 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000
Nikon D7100	24,1 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000

ISO range

Sony a7 has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D7100. Sony a7 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Nikon D7100 has 100 to 6400.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a7	100-25600
Nikon D7100	100-6400

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 a7
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D7100

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds and Nikon D7100 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7	5
Nikon D7100	6

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a7 and Nikon D7100 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 D7100 weighs 675 gr (equal to 1.49 lb) which is 42% heavier than Sony a7 and its 474 gr (or 1.04 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a7	474 gr 1.04 lb
Nikon D7100	675 gr 1.49 lb