Nikon D5100 vs Sony Alpha 3500

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500
      67
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      59
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D5100 and the Sony Alpha 3500, 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 D5100 was introduced in April 2011 and Sony Alpha 3500 was introduced in March 2014. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Nikon D5100 Highlights

      • 16.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points (11 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 4.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Sony Alpha 3500 Highlights

      • 20 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 16,000 Native ISO
      • 25 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Electronic Viewfinder
      • 3.5 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Nikon D5100
      4. Advantage of Sony Alpha 3500
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      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.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Nikon D5100 and Sony Alpha 3500.

      PROS

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 411 g (0.91 lb / 14.50 oz)

      CONS

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 470 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 80
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Advantage of Nikon D5100

      Nikon D5100
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D5100 over Sony Alpha 3500.

      Nikon D5100 vs Sony Alpha 3500
      Timelapse Recording vs
      Phase Detection for Autofocus vs
      Screen Type Fully Articulated vs Fixed
      Higher Resolution Screen 921k dot vs 230k dot
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.52x vs 0.47x
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 4.0 fps vs 3.5 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/200 sec vs 1/160 sec
      Microphone Input vs
      Longer Battery Life 660 shots vs 470 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Nikon D5100.

      Nikon D5200
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      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Nikon D5600
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D5500
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D5000
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      12.3 MP

      Nikon D5300
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Sony a7S
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      Full Frame

      12.2 MP

      Fujifilm X-T5
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      APS-C

      40.2 MP

      Sony a6700
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      APS-C

      26.0 MP

      Canon 7D II
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      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Nikon L24
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      1/2.3-inch

      14 MP

      Nikon D600
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      Full Frame

      24.3 MP

      Canon R50
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Advantage of Sony Alpha 3500

      Sony a3500
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha 3500 over Nikon D5100.

      Nikon D5100 vs Sony Alpha 3500
      Higher Sensor Resolution 16.2 Megapixel vs 20 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 6,400 vs 16,000
      Max Image Resolution 4928 x 3264 vs 5456 x 3632
      More Focus Points 11 vs 25
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 95% vs 100%
      Built-in Microphone Mono vs Stereo
      Lighter 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz) vs 411 g (0.91 lb / 14.50 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony Alpha 3500.

      Sony a3000
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      APS-C

      20.1 MP

      Pentax K-3 III
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      APS-C

      25.73 MP

      Hasselblad X2D 100c
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      Medium format

      100 MP

      Leica D-Lux (Typ 109)
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.8 MP

      Pentax K100D
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      APS-C

      6.1 MP

      Nikon D80
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      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Sony a6300
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D500
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      APS-C

      20.9 MP

      Pentax K-500
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      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Fujifilm X-T200
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Fujifilm X-E2S
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      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Panasonic G2
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      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.

      STRENGTHS Nikon D5100 Sony Alpha 3500
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Mini Type C Mini
      WEAKNESSES Nikon D5100 Sony Alpha 3500
        No Image Stabilization
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi via Eye-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Nikon D5100 and Sony Alpha 3500 have 3.0" screens with 921k dot and 230k dot resolutions respectively. Nikon D5100 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Sony Alpha 3500 has a Fixed screen

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      Nikon D5100 with Fully Articulated screen


      Viewfinder

      Nikon D5100 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinderSony Alpha 3500 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. Nikon D5100 has 95% coverage with 0.78x (0.52x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Sony Alpha 3500 has 100% coverage with 0.70x (0.47x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Nikon D5100 features a 16.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.6 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 368.2 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Sony Alpha 3500 features a 20 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 243.4 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
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Nikon D5100 is equipped with EXPEED 2 processor and can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3696 x 2448, 2464 x 1632 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Sony Alpha 3500 is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 5456 x 3632 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3872 x 2576, 2736 x 1824 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Nikon D5100 has Nikon F lens mount and Sony Alpha 3500 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 D5100 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Sony Alpha 3500 nothing can be done. On Sony Alpha 3500 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon D5100 nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Nikon D5100 has a Mini Type C HDMI and Sony Alpha 3500 has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Nikon D5100 comes with EN-EL14 battery pack with battery life of 660 shots and Sony Alpha 3500 comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 470 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Nikon D5100 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Sony Alpha 3500 has a single card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Nikon D5100 has Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon D5100, and up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha 3500. Nikon D5100 can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps. Sony Alpha 3500 can shoot continuously up to 3.5 fps.


      Focusing

      Nikon D5100 has 11 (1 cross-type) focusing points and Sony Alpha 3500 has 25 focusing points. Nikon D5100 has detection range from -1 to +19 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Nikon D5100 ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Nikon D5100 and ±3 EV range on Sony Alpha 3500. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D5100 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Sony Alpha 3500.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon D5100 and 4m at ISO100 on Sony Alpha 3500. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe to Nikon D5100. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Nikon D5100 and 1/160 sec on Sony Alpha 3500.

      Physical Parameters

      Nikon D5100 body has dimensions of 128 x 97 x 79 mm (5.04 x 3.82 x 3.11") and Sony Alpha 3500 body has dimensions of 128 x 91 x 85 mm (5.04 x 3.58 x 3.35"). Nikon D5100 weighs 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz) and Sony Alpha 3500 weighs 411 g (0.91 lb / 14.50 oz).

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      128 mm

      97 mm

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      128 mm

      91 mm

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      97 mm

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      91 mm

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      79 mm

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      85 mm

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      Size comparisons of Nikon D5100 and Sony Alpha 3500

      Nikon D5100 and Sony Alpha 3500 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      GOOD
      71
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 470 shots

      Wildlife Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      AVERAGE
      59
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      57
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 470 shots

      Portrait Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      GOOD
      78
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      76
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Street Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      GOOD
      81
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      GOOD
      80
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 411 g (0.91 lb / 14.50 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      GOOD
      79
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      GOOD
      80
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 411 g (0.91 lb / 14.50 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 470 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Nikon D5100 and Sony Alpha 3500 and give them scores of 67 and 59 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      OVERALL
      67
      OVERALL
      59

      Sensor

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 80
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      AVERAGE
      56
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Video

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      BAD
      14
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      GOOD
      83
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      71
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      GOOD
      80
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      GOOD
      75
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Nikon D5100

      Sony Alpha 3500

      POOR
      43
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 660 shots
      POOR
      43
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 411 g (0.91 lb / 14.50 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 470 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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