Nikon D7100 vs Sony A7

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Nikon D7100 vs Sony A7

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APS-C 366.6mm²
24.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D7100 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D7100.

35mm 855.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7.
Compare Sony A7 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D7200
Compare D7100 vs D7200

Succeeded by the Sony A7 II
Compare A7 vs A7 II

Compare NIKON D7200 vs SONY A7 II

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Differences

Nikon D7100 advantages over Sony A7

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.30 vs 2.1 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

950 vs 340 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
158 mm vs 70 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Faster JPEG shooting
5.8 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)

Sony A7 advantages over Nikon D7100

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 5.97 vs 3.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
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.
A7 test data on DxO Mark D7100 test data on DxO Mark

2,248 vs 1,256 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
48 mm vs 76 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
769g vs 1222g
Lighter weight
More viewfinder magnification
0.71x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
50 vs 12 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 5 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 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
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
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
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D7100 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 18-105mm Lens
Kit with 18-140mm Lens

All D7100 Deals

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Buy the Sony A7

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

All A7 Deals

Review Excerpt

Solid, ergonomic body design; Stunning, highly detailed photos, thanks to 24.1MP sensor upgrade and removal of optical low-pass filter; Cool 1.3x crop mode extends reach to nearly 2x the full-frame equivalent; Records Full 1080p HD video at up to 30fps with full-time AF; Many pro-level features packed into a consumer-friendly body at reasonable price.
Shallow buffer that hampers continuous burst shooting; AF slightly slower than average for its class; No real-time aperture control while in Movie mode (among other quirks); More noticeable moire patterns and aliasing artifacts (but only found when shooting fabrics with strong, distinct patterns).
Read our Nikon D7100 Review

Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Very high resolution; Hybrid autofocus is reasonably fast and confident; Significantly better burst-shooting performance than A7R; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Faster x-sync than A7R; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.
Grass-is-greener syndrome when compared to its higher-res sibling; Moderate performance; Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Weak low-light autofocus considering its price; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7 Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon 70D

Nikon D7100

Canon 70D

$745
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$1149
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Canon 70D

Sony A7

Canon 70D

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1149
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

Compare Sony A7 vs Canon 70D

Compared to Sony A7R

Nikon D7100

Sony A7R

$745
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1399
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Sony A7R

Sony A7

Sony A7R

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$1399
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7R

Compared to Pentax K-3

Nikon D7100

Pentax K-3

$745
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Pentax K-3

Sony A7

Pentax K-3

$748
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Pentax K-3

Compared to Sony A7 II

Nikon D7100

Sony A7 II

$745
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1077
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Sony A7 II

Sony A7

Sony A7 II

$748
35mm

Less expensive

$1077
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7 II

Compared to Nikon D7200

Nikon D7100

Nikon D7200

$745
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$1016
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D7200

Sony A7

Nikon D7200

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$1016
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 vs Nikon D7200

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