Nikon
D3200
 vs
Sony
NEX-7

Updated (March, 2013): Compare the Nikon D3200 vs Sony NEX-7n

Nikon D3200

87

  
Sony NEX-7

55

  
Winner

Nikon D3200

Reasons to buy the Nikon D3200

Overall image quality
 Great image quality
81.0
True resolution
 High true resolution
24.1 MP
Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
13.2 EV
Movie continuous focus
 Movie continuous focus
Makes it easy to get in-focus movies
External mic jack
 External mic jack
Record higher quality audio with a microphone
Badge
 Autofocuses shooting video
Contrast detection
 
Runner-up

Sony NEX-7

Reasons to buy the Sony NEX-7

Overall image quality
 Great image quality
81.0
Size
 Really small
Compact 111x59x38 mm
True resolution
 High true resolution
24 MP
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
16,000 ISO
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
10 fps
Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
13.4 EV
 

differences

Advantages of the Nikon D3200
Autofocus Faster autofocus Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Help
 Catch candid moments easily
Lens availability Much more lenses available 169 lenses vs 8 lenses
Help
 More than 21x more lenses available
Startup delay Less startup delay 400 ms vs 1200 ms
Help
 3x less delay when turning on
Battery life Longer battery life 540 shots vs 430 shots
Help
 Around 30% more shots per battery charge
Viewfinder Has an optical viewfinder Pentamirror vs Digital
Help
 Optical viewfinders save battery life and are more detailed
Low light performance Slightly lower noise at high ISO 1,131 ISO vs 1,016 ISO
Help
 The D3200 has a slight edge (0.2 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Lowest price Cheaper $546.95 vs $948.00
Help
 The best price we've seen is $401 cheaper (more than 40% less)
Nikon D3200 Learn more about
the Nikon D3200

Advantages of the Sony NEX-7
Lens focus motor Has a built-in focus motor Yes vs No
Help
 Autofocuses with all autofocus lenses
Size Significantly smaller 111x59x38 mm vs 125x96x76 mm
Help
 3.7x smaller
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
 Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 16,000 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
 The NEX-7's maximum light sensitivity is 1.3 f-stops better
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 10 fps vs 4 fps
Help
 2.5x faster continuous shooting
Thickness Significantly thinner 1.5" vs 3"
Help
 2x thinner
Focus points More focus points 25 vs 11
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Weight Lighter 350 g vs 505 g
Help
 More than 30% lighter
Viewfinder coverage Slightly better viewfinder coverage 100% vs 95%
Help
 Around 10% better viewfinder coverage
Shutter lag Slightly less shutter lag 223 ms vs 276 ms
Help
 Around 20% less delay when taking photos
Sony NEX-7 Learn more about
the Sony NEX-7
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent digital cameras, and ignoring price

Nikon D3200 Nikon D3200
87 vs 55
Explain scores
Sony NEX-7 Sony NEX-7
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Nikon D3200. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a entry-level DSLR with a mirrorless interchangeable-lens.

similarities

Compared to recent digital cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
True resolution Capture extremely high resolution images Help
D3200:24.1 MP
NEX-7:24 MP
Overall image quality Good image quality Help
81.0
External mic jack You can plug a microphone into both of these Help
Record higher quality audio with a microphone
Supports 24p Both support 24p, which is uncommon in cameras similar to these Help
For that film look
Sensor size Large sensors Help
D3200:APS-C 23.2x15.4mm
NEX-7:APS-C 23.5x15.6mm
Dynamic range Good dynamic range Help
D3200:13.2 EV
NEX-7:13.4 EV
Interchangeable lenses Both support interchangeable lenses, which is uncommon in cameras similar to these Help
Many lenses to choose from
Color depth Good color depth Help
24.1 bits
Movie continuous focus Focus continuously recording movies Help
Makes it easy to get in-focus movies
Supports RAW Supports RAW Help
Better editing
Sensor cleaning Self cleaning sensors Help
Avoids dust in your photos
External flash Support external flash Help
Better lighting
Viewfinder Viewfinders Help
D3200:Pentamirror
NEX-7:Digital
Sensor type Better sensor types Help
Better in low light
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/4000 of a second
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$497 body only

$597 - $805 with 18-55mm lens
Battery life Has a slightly longer battery life
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the D5100 vs the D3200
Compare the D5100 vs the NEX-7
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$897 body only

$997 with 18-105mm lens
Weather sealed Has a weather sealed body
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is much heavier
Compare the D7000 vs the D3200
Compare the D7000 vs the NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$699 - $899 body only

$999 - $1,279 with 18-135mm lens
Weather sealed Has a weather sealed body
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the EOS 60D vs the D3200
Compare the EOS 60D vs the NEX-7
Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100

Entry-level DSLR

$1,197 body only

$1,497 with 18-105mm lens
Screen size Has a slightly larger screen
Weather sealed Has a weather sealed body
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D7100 vs the D3200
Compare the D7100 vs the NEX-7
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,499 body only

$1,699 with 28-135mm lens
Weather sealed Has a weather sealed body
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D3200
Compare the EOS 7D vs the NEX-7
Nikon D600

Nikon D600

Pro DSLR

$1,997 body only

$2,397 with 24-85mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Screen size Has a slightly larger screen
Lowest price Is significantly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D600 vs the D3200
Compare the D600 vs the NEX-7
Sony SLT-A65

Sony SLT A65

Entry-level DSLR

$587 - $698 body only

$798 - $1,005 with 18-55mm lens
Image stabilization Has image stabilization
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the SLT A65 vs the D3200
Compare the SLT A65 vs the NEX-7

Nikon D3200 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon Rebel T3i

Canon Rebel T3i

Entry-level DSLR

$549 body only

$599 - $649 with 18-55mm lens
Lens focus motor Has a built-in focus motor
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Autofocus Lacks video autofocus
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the D3200
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$447 - $740 with 18-55mm lens
Lowest price Slightly cheaper
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
True resolution Much lower true resolution
Compare the D3100 vs the D3200
Canon EOS 650D

Canon EOS 650D

Entry-level DSLR

$580 - $797 body only

$639 - $1,144 with 18-55mm lens
Lens focus motor Has a built-in focus motor
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Compare the EOS 650D vs the D3200
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$675 - $899 body only

$799 - $1,099 with 18-105mm lens
Lens focus motor Has a built-in focus motor
Battery life Significantly longer battery life
True resolution Much lower true resolution
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Compare the D90 vs the D3200

Sony NEX-7 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5N

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$650 - $699 with 18-55mm lens
Touch screen Has a touch screen
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
True resolution Much lower true resolution
Compare the NEX-5N vs the NEX-7
Olympus OM-D E-M5

Olympus OM-D E-M5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$999 - $1,130 body only

$1,099 with 14-42mm lens
Screen type Has an OLED screen
Weather sealed Weather sealed
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Supports 24p No 24p support
Compare the OM-D E-M5 vs the NEX-7
Fujifilm X-E1

Fujifilm X-E1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$999 - $1,000 body only

$1,399 with 18-55mm lens
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
True resolution Much lower true resolution
Compare the X-E1 vs the NEX-7
Sony Alpha NEX-5

Sony Alpha NEX-5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$656 with 18-55mm lens
Startup delay Slightly less startup delay
Weight Lighter
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Supports 24p No 24p support
Compare the Alpha NEX-5 vs the NEX-7
Samsung NX300

Samsung NX300

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$748 - $749 with 20-50mm lens
Screen type Has an OLED screen
Autofocus Faster autofocus
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Supports 24p No 24p support
Compare the NX300 vs the NEX-7

appearance

Nikon D3200 Sony NEX-7
Nikon D3200 Sony NEX-7
Nikon D3200 Sony NEX-7

discussion

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