Nikon D5100 vs Sony RX100 III

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Nikon D5100 vs Sony RX100 III

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APS-C 368.2mm²
16.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D5100 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D5100.

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.2 megapixels
24.00mm - 70.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Sony RX100 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony RX100 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the RX100 III.
Compare Sony RX100 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony RX100 III conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D5200
Compare D5100 vs D5200

Succeeded by the Sony RX100 IV
Compare RX100 III vs RX100 IV

Compare NIKON D5200 vs SONY RX100 IV

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Differences

Nikon D5100 advantages over Sony RX100 III

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Less expensive
$650 vs $748
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Bigger pixels
~ 4.79 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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.
D5100 test data on DxO Mark RX100 III test data on DxO Mark

1,183 vs 495 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
D5100 test data on DxO Mark RX100 III test data on DxO Mark

13.6 vs 12.3 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
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

660 vs 320 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Hot shoe
Hot shoe vs None
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bigger JPEG buffer
100 vs 48 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony RX100 III advantages over Nikon D5100

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Thinner
41 mm vs 79 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/2000 vs 1/200 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
More dots on screen
1229k vs 922k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
Less shutter lag
0.15 vs 0.27 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More viewfinder magnification
0.59x vs 0.52x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
20.2 vs 16.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Faster JPEG shooting
10.0 fps vs 3.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
6.7 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
26 vs 13 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

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
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

User reviews

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Read D5100 User Reviews

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Sony RX100 Mark III

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Review Excerpt

Side-mounted tilt / swivel LCD screen; same sensor and processing as the Nikon D7000; good speed and battery life; in-camera HDR and filter effects; Full HD video capture with aperture control; audio levels control and external microphone jack.
AF-S lens mount doesn't offer autofocus with screw-drive lenses; popup flash isn't the greatest; no built-in wireless flash control; HDR function doesn't microalign source images.
Read our Nikon D5100 Full Review

Pocket-friendly design; Popup electronic viewfinder; Bright lens across the zoom range; Great performance with very fast autofocus; Very high resolution gives lots of detail in good light; High ISO noise levels much better than most pocket camera rivals; Wi-Fi wireless networking
Feels a little unbalanced without an accessory grip; Not as much telephoto reach as its siblings; Noise processing is heavier-handed than in earlier models; Quite pricey for a fixed-lens camera
Read our Sony RX100 III Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony RX100

Nikon D5100

Sony RX100

$650
APS-C

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$1074
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony RX100

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Tiltable Screen

$1074
1 inch

More telephoto lens reach
Faster RAW shooting

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Sony RX100

Compared to Sony RX100 II

Nikon D5100

Sony RX100 II

$650
APS-C

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$598
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony RX100 II

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Fast startup

$598
1 inch

Less expensive
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Sony RX100 II

Compared to Canon G7X

Nikon D5100

Canon G7X

$650
APS-C

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$1239
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Canon G7X

Sony RX100 III

Canon G7X

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
In-camera panoramas

$1239
1 inch

Touchscreen
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Canon G7X

Compared to Panasonic LX100

Nikon D5100

Panasonic LX100

$650
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

$598
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Panasonic LX100

Sony RX100 III

Panasonic LX100

$748
1 inch

Tiltable Screen
Internal flash

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Panasonic LX100

Compared to Sony A55

Nikon D5100

Sony A55

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$734
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
In-camera panoramas

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A55

Sony RX100 III

Sony A55

$748
1 inch

Focus peaking
Built-in Wi-Fi

$734
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Sony A55

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