Sony A7 vs Nikon D3300

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Sony A7 vs Nikon D3300

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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.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Nikon D3300 Review.
How does it shoot? Nikon D3300 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the D3300.
Compare Nikon D3300 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Nikon D3300 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A7 II
Compare A7 vs A7 II

Succeeded by the Nikon D3400
Compare D3300 vs D3400

Compare SONY A7 II vs NIKON D3400

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Differences

Sony A7 advantages over Nikon D3300

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)
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 D3300 test data on DxO Mark

2,248 vs 1,385 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.
A7 test data on DxO Mark D3300 test data on DxO Mark

14.2 vs 12.8 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
48 mm vs 75 mm
Thinner
More viewfinder magnification
0.71x vs 0.57x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 7 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Nikon D3300 advantages over Sony A7

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$16 vs $819
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.40 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

700 vs 340 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
83 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
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
100 vs 50 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-camera panoramas
Both provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
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
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
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D3300 User Reviews

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Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A7

Body Only

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

All A7 Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Nikon D3300

Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Black)

Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Black)
Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Grey)
Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Red)

All D3300 Deals

Review Excerpt

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

Excellent image quality with lots of fine detail; Very good high ISO performance; Good dynamic range; Good print quality; Deep buffers with JPEGs; 1080/60p video; Uncompressed HDMI output.
AF struggles in low-light; Contrast-detect AF in live view is slow; Buffer depth is shallow with RAW files; No AE bracketing; No built-in Wi-Fi.
Read our Nikon D3300 Review

The Competition

Compared to 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

Nikon D3300

Sony A7R

$367
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1399
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Sony A7R

Compared to Sony A58

Sony A7

Sony A58

$748
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$598
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Longer stills battery life

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A58

Nikon D3300

Sony A58

$367
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$598
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Sony A58

Compared to Canon T5

Sony A7

Canon T5

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$399
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 vs Canon T5

Nikon D3300

Canon T5

$367
APS-C

Larger sensor
Less expensive

$399
APS-C

Has anti-aliasing filter

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Canon T5

Compared to Sony A7 II

Sony A7

Sony A7 II

$748
35mm

Less expensive

$1148
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7 II

Nikon D3300

Sony A7 II

$367
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Sony A7 II

Compared to Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$748
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$3999
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Nikon D3300

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$367
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$3999
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Compare Other Cameras?