Nikon D90 vs Sony A57

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Nikon D90 vs Sony A57

Leave Feedback

APS-C 372.9mm²
12.3 megapixels
ISO 200 - 3200

Go in depth with our full Nikon D90 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D90.

APS-C 369.7mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A57 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A57.

Succeeded by the Nikon D7000
Compare D90 vs D7000
Compare Nikon D7000 vs Sony A57

Buy From

Differences

Nikon D90 advantages over Sony A57

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
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.
D90 test data on DxO Mark A57 test data on DxO Mark

977 vs 785 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
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

850 vs 550 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
158 mm vs 83 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 25 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A57 advantages over Nikon D90

Less expensive
$800 vs $1300 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
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
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
More cross-type AF points
3 vs 1
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
Lighter weight
828g vs 1133g
Lighter weight
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More viewfinder magnification
0.69x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
16.1 vs 12.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
More AF points
15 vs 11
More AF points improve autofocus
Faster JPEG shooting
10.0 fps vs 4.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 6400 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

Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
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
External Mic Jack
Neither provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
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

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Nikon D90

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A57

Review Excerpt

Read our Nikon D90 Full Review

We haven’t finished our review of the Sony A57, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.
See our Sony A57 First Shots

The Competition

Compared to Sony DSLR-A550

Nikon D90

Sony DSLR-A550

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$859
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D90 vs Sony DSLR-A550

Sony A57

Sony DSLR-A550

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$859
APS-C

Longer stills battery life

Compare Sony A57 vs Sony DSLR-A550

Compared to Sony DSLR-A500

Nikon D90

Sony DSLR-A500

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$850
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D90 vs Sony DSLR-A500

Sony A57

Sony DSLR-A500

$800
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$850
APS-C

Longer stills battery life

Compare Sony A57 vs Sony DSLR-A500

Compared to Pentax K-5

Nikon D90

Pentax K-5

$1300
APS-C

Fast startup
More telephoto lens reach

$800
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Higher effective ISO

Compare Nikon D90 vs Pentax K-5

Sony A57

Pentax K-5

$800
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Higher effective ISO

Compare Sony A57 vs Pentax K-5

Compared to Nikon D5100

Nikon D90

Nikon D5100

$1300
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$650
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Higher effective ISO

Compare Nikon D90 vs Nikon D5100

Sony A57

Nikon D5100

$800
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A57 vs Nikon D5100

Compared to Pentax K-5 IIs

Nikon D90

Pentax K-5 IIs

$1300
APS-C

Fast startup
Shoots 24p video

$497
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Higher effective ISO

Compare Nikon D90 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Sony A57

Pentax K-5 IIs

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$497
APS-C

Lens selection
Higher effective ISO

Compare Sony A57 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Compare Other Cameras?