Nikon
D300S
 vs
Sony SLT
A77

Sony SLT-A77

70

  
Nikon D300S

68

  
Winner

Sony SLT A77

Reasons to buy the Sony SLT A77

Viewfinder size
 Large viewfinder
0.72x
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
True resolution
 High true resolution
24 MP
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
16,000 ISO
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
12 fps
 
Runner-up

Nikon D300S

Reasons to buy the Nikon D300S

Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Startup delay
 Almost no delay when powering up
300 ms startup delay
Viewfinder
 Great viewfinder
Pentaprism
Lens availability
 Slightly more lenses available
169 lenses
Focus points
 Many focus points
51
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
 

differences

Advantages of the Nikon D300S
Startup delay Much less startup delay 300 ms vs 3100 ms
Help
 10.3x less delay when turning on
Viewfinder Has an optical viewfinder Pentaprism vs Digital
Help
 Optical viewfinders save battery life and are more detailed
Lens availability Much more lenses available 169 lenses vs 92 lenses
Help
 More than 80% more lenses available
Focus points Significantly more focus points 51 vs 19
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Battery life Longer battery life 950 shots vs 530 shots
Help
 Around 80% more shots per battery charge
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Cross type focus points More cross-type focus points 15 vs 11
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Thickness Significantly thinner 2.9" vs 3.2"
Help
 Around 10% thinner
Nikon D300S Learn more about
the Nikon D300S

Advantages of the Sony SLT A77
Autofocus Video autofocus Phase detection vs None
Help
 Automatically focuses shooting video
Overall image quality Better image quality 78.0 vs 70.0
Help
 More than 10% better image quality
Image stabilization Image stabilization Sensor shift vs None
Help
 Helps eliminate blur caused by small camera movements
True resolution Much higher true resolution 24 MP vs 12.2 MP
Help
 Capture around 2x more detail in your photos
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Movie format Higher resolution movies 1080p @ 60fps vs 720p @ 24fps
Help
 Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video at a higher frame rate
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
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
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 12 fps vs 7 fps
Help
 More than 70% faster continuous shooting
Viewfinder size Larger viewfinder 0.72x vs 0.62x
Help
 Around 40% larger viewfinder
Dynamic range More dynamic range 13.2 EV vs 12.2 EV
Help
 1 f-stop more dynamic range
Color depth Better color depth 24 bits vs 22.5 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1.5 more bits of color
GPS Has a GPS Yes vs No
Help
 Automatically geotags your photos when traveling
Shutter lag Significantly less shutter lag 124 ms vs 225 ms
Help
 More than 40% less delay when taking photos
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 16,000 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
Help
 The SLT A77's maximum light sensitivity is 2.3 f-stops better
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
 The SLT A77's boost ISO is 2 f-stops better
Weight Lighter 732 g vs 938 g
Help
 More than 20% lighter
Sony SLT-A77 Learn more about
the Sony SLT A77
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent pro DSLRs, and ignoring price

Nikon D300S Nikon D300S
68 vs 70
Explain scores
Sony SLT A77 Sony SLT-A77
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Sony SLT-A77.

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Viewfinder coverage Above average viewfinder coverage Help
100%
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second
Built-in flash Each has a built-in flash Help
External flash not needed
Low light performance Above average noise at high ISO Help
D300S:787 ISO
SLT A77:801 ISO

Compared to recent pro DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Size Fairly small Help
D300S:147x114x74 mm
SLT A77:143x104x81 mm
Lowest price Inexpensive Help
D300S:$1,269.99
SLT A77:$998.00
Light sensitivity (boost) Poor boost ISO Help
D300S:6,400 ISO
SLT A77:25,600 ISO
Sensor size Very small sensors Help
D300S:APS-C 23.6x15.8mm
SLT A77:APS-C 23.5x15.6mm
Screen size Very small screens Help
3.0"
Overall image quality Low image quality Help
D300S:70.0
SLT A77:78.0

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100

Entry-level DSLR

$1,197 body only

$1,497 with 18-105mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Compare the D7100 vs the D300S
Compare the D7100 vs the SLT A77
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$897 body only

$997 with 18-105mm lens
Thickness Is thicker
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the D7000 vs the D300S
Compare the D7000 vs the SLT A77
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,499 body only

$1,699 with 28-135mm lens
Dynamic range Has slightly narrower dynamic range
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D300S
Compare the EOS 7D vs the SLT A77
Nikon D5200

Nikon D5200

Entry-level DSLR

$697 body only

$797 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5200 vs the D300S
Compare the D5200 vs the SLT A77
Nikon D600

Nikon D600

Pro DSLR

$1,997 body only

$2,397 with 24-85mm lens
Low light performance Is much less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D600 vs the D300S
Compare the D600 vs the SLT A77
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$699 - $899 body only

$999 - $1,279 with 18-135mm lens
Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
Thickness Is thicker
Viewfinder coverage Significantly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the EOS 60D vs the D300S
Compare the EOS 60D vs the SLT A77
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$497 body only

$597 - $805 with 18-55mm lens
Size Is slightly smaller
Weight Is slightly lighter
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the D300S
Compare the D5100 vs the SLT A77

Nikon D300S Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D300

Nikon D300

Pro DSLR

$1,764 body only
Battery life Slightly longer battery life
Movie format Does not take movies
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Compare the D300 vs the D300S
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$675 - $899 body only

$799 - $1,099 with 18-105mm lens
Overall image quality Better image quality
Low light performance Slightly lower noise at high ISO
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Compare the D90 vs the D300S
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$3,500 body only
Low light performance Significantly lower noise at high ISO
Overall image quality Better image quality
Movie format Does not take movies
Lens availability Significantly fewer lenses available
Compare the D700 vs the D300S

Sony SLT-A77 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony SLT-A65

Sony SLT A65

Entry-level DSLR

$587 - $698 body only

$798 - $1,005 with 18-55mm lens
Startup delay Less startup delay
Size Smaller
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Compare the SLT A65 vs the SLT A77
Sony SLT-A99

Sony SLT-A99

Pro DSLR

$2,798 body only

$3,196 - $3,198 with 28-75mm lens
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Overall image quality Better image quality
3D Doesn't take 3D photos
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly slower
Compare the SLT-A99 vs the SLT A77
Sony SLT A57

Sony SLT A57

Entry-level DSLR

$460 - $499 body only

$519 - $539 with 18-55mm lens
Size Smaller
Weight Lighter
Weather sealed No weather sealing
True resolution Significantly lower true resolution
Compare the SLT A57 vs the SLT A77

appearance

Nikon D300S Sony SLT-A77
Nikon D300S Sony SLT-A77
Nikon D300S Sony SLT-A77

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