Nikon D3500 vs Sony NEX-5T

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D3500 and the Sony NEX-5T, 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 D3500 was introduced in August 2018 and Sony NEX-5T was introduced in August 2013. 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 D3500 over Sony NEX-5T.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony NEX-5T over Nikon D3500.

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 D3500 and Sony NEX-5T have 3.0" screens with 921k dot and 922k dot resolutions respectively. Nikon D3500 has a Fixed screen Sony NEX-5T has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Sony NEX-5T also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Sony NEX-5T) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Viewfinder

Nikon D3500 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.85x (0.57x 35mm equivalent) magnification.Sony NEX-5T does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic viewfinder can be attached.

Nikon D3500 features a 24.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 366.6 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600. Sony NEX-5T features a 16.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.4 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 243.4 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600.

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 D3500 is equipped with EXPEED 4 processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4496 x 3000, 2992 x 2000 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Sony NEX-5T is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 4912 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4912 x 2760, 3568 x 2368, 3568 x 2000, 2448 x 1624, 2448 x 1376 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Nikon D3500 has Nikon F lens mount and Sony NEX-5T 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 Low-Pass Filter on Nikon D3500

There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Nikon D3500. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Nikon D3500 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Sony NEX-5T nothing can be done. On Sony NEX-5T it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon D3500 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Sony NEX-5T

Sony NEX-5T has a built-in Wi-Fi 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.

Bluetooth on Nikon D3500

Nikon D3500 has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

NFC on Sony NEX-5T

Sony NEX-5T 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 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Nikon D3500 has a Mini HDMI and Sony NEX-5T has a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Nikon D3500 comes with EN-EL14a battery pack with battery life of 1550 shots and Sony NEX-5T comes with NPFW50 battery pack with battery life of 330 shots.

External Storage Slots

Nikon D3500 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Sony NEX-5T has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot.

Shutter

Nikon D3500 has Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon D3500, and up to 1/4000 sec on Sony NEX-5T. Nikon D3500 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps. Sony NEX-5T can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.

Focusing

Nikon D3500 has 11 focusing points and Sony NEX-5T has 99 (25 cross-type) focusing points. Nikon D3500 has detection range from -1 to +19 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Nikon D3500 ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Nikon D3500 and ±3 EV range on Sony NEX-5T. You can also do exposure lock and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D3500 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Sony NEX-5T.

Flash

Nikon D3500 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 7.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. Sony NEX-5T has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Proprietary. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Nikon D3500 and 1/160 sec on Sony NEX-5T.

Nikon D3500 body has dimensions of 124 x 97 x 70 mm (4.88 x 3.82 x 2.76") and Sony NEX-5T body has dimensions of 111 x 59 x 39 mm (4.36 x 2.31 x 1.53"). Nikon D3500 weighs 365 g (0.80 lb / 12.87 oz) and Sony NEX-5T weighs 276 g (0.61 lb / 9.74 oz).

Nikon D3500

Sony NEX-5T

124 mm

97 mm

111 mm

59 mm

97 mm

59 mm

70 mm

39 mm