Nikon D3200 vs Sony A6000

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Nikon D3200 vs Sony A6000

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APS-C 357.3mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D3200 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D3200.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6000 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6000 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6000.
Compare Sony A6000 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6000 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D3300
Compare D3200 vs D3300

Succeeded by the Sony A6100
Compare A6000 vs A6100

Compare NIKON D3300 vs SONY A6100

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Differences

Nikon D3200 advantages over Sony A6000

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$477 vs $648
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 2.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

540 vs 360 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Bigger JPEG buffer
100 vs 47 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A6000 advantages over Nikon D3200

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A6000 test data on DxO Mark D3200 test data on DxO Mark

1,347 vs 1,131 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
45 mm vs 76 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
468g vs 773g
Lighter weight
Less shutter lag
0.15 vs 0.28 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.53x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Wider angle kit lens
24 mm vs 27 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
22 vs 12 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 12800 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D3200 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6000 User Reviews

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Buy the Nikon D3200

Kit with 18-55mm Lens

All D3200 Deals

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Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 16-50mm Lens

All A6000 Deals

Review Excerpt

High resolution allows cropping; Good performance in low light; Compact and comfortable, highly portable; Fast and responsive, just begs to take pictures; Quiet shutter is great for candids.
Mediocre kit lens; Might be too small for some; No bracketing; Narrow flash coverage; Matrix metering tends to overexpose.
Read our Nikon D3200 Review

Amazing image quality for the price; Blazing-fast hybrid autofocus; Swift burst shooting with generous buffer depths; Good battery life with LCD monitor; More compact than a DSLR; In-camera Wi-Fi wireless networking
Continuous autofocus can't match its burst rate; High-ISO JPEGs can look overprocessed; Sluggish startup; No touch-screen display; Wi-Fi can be a bit frustrating to use
Read our Sony A6000 Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A65

Nikon D3200

Sony A65

$477
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$798
APS-C

Focus peaking
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Sony A65

Sony A6000

Sony A65

$548
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
Higher effective ISO

$798
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A6000 vs Sony A65

Compared to Nikon D5200

Nikon D3200

Nikon D5200

$477
APS-C

Bigger RAW buffer

$500
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Higher effective ISO

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Nikon D5200

Sony A6000

Nikon D5200

$548
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$500
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6000 vs Nikon D5200

Compared to Sony A58

Nikon D3200

Sony A58

$477
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$598
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Sony A58

Sony A6000

Sony A58

$548
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

$598
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Longer stills battery life

Compare Sony A6000 vs Sony A58

Compared to Samsung NX3000

Nikon D3200

Samsung NX3000

$477
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

$950
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Samsung NX3000

Sony A6000

Samsung NX3000

$548
APS-C

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$950
APS-C

Slow-motion videos

Compare Sony A6000 vs Samsung NX3000

Compared to Sony A6300

Nikon D3200

Sony A6300

$477
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Sony A6300

Sony A6000

Sony A6300

$548
APS-C

Less expensive

$748
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6000 vs Sony A6300

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