Nikon D100 vs Sony Alpha 5000

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D100 and the Sony Alpha 5000, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Nikon D100 was introduced in July 2002 and Sony Alpha 5000 was introduced in January 2014. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D100 over Sony Alpha 5000.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha 5000 over Nikon D100.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Nikon D100 has a 1.8" Fixed screen with 118k dot resolution and Sony Alpha 5000 has a 3.0" Tilting screen with 461k dot resolution. Tilting screen makes Sony Alpha 5000 very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting.

Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder on Nikon D100

Nikon D100 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.80x (0.53x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Sony Alpha 5000.

Nikon D100 features a 6.1 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor with dimensions of 23.7 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 369.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 200 - 1,600. Sony Alpha 5000 features a 20.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.2 x 15.4 mm and a total area of 237.2 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 16,000.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Nikon D100 can take pictures up to 3008 x 2000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2240 x 1488, 1504 x 1000 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Sony Alpha 5000 is equipped with BIONZ X processor and can take pictures up to 5456 x 3632 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 5456 x 3064, 3872 x 2576, 3872 x 2176, 2736 x 1824, 2736 x 1536 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Nikon D100 has Nikon F lens mount and Sony Alpha 5000 has Sony E lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.5x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Nikon D100 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Sony Alpha 5000 nothing can be done. On Sony Alpha 5000 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon D100 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Sony Alpha 5000

Sony Alpha 5000 has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC on Sony Alpha 5000

Sony Alpha 5000 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.

Battery

Sony Alpha 5000 comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 420 shots.

External Storage Slots

Nikon D100 has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II, compliant with UDMA), MicroDrive card slot. Sony Alpha 5000 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo card slot.

Shutter

Nikon D100 has Electronic assist shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon D100, and up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha 5000. Nikon D100 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps. Sony Alpha 5000 can shoot continuously up to 3.5 fps.

Focusing

Nikon D100 has Sony Alpha 5000 has Contrast-detection AF system with 25 focusing points..

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 11.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon D100 and 4.00 m at ISO 100 on Sony Alpha 5000. Nikon D100 also accepts external flash. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on Nikon D100 and 1/160 sec on Sony Alpha 5000.

Nikon D100 body has dimensions of 144 x 116 x 81 mm (5.67 x 4.57 x 3.19") and Sony Alpha 5000 body has dimensions of 110 x 63 x 36 mm (4.33 x 2.48 x 1.42"). Nikon D100 weighs 780 g (1.72 lb / 27.51 oz) and Sony Alpha 5000 weighs 269 g (0.59 lb / 9.49 oz).

Nikon D100

Sony Alpha 5000

144 mm

116 mm

110 mm

63 mm

116 mm

63 mm

81 mm

36 mm