Sony a1 vs Nikon D3

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a1 and Nikon D3. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a1

Nikon D3

Manufacturing

Sony a1 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D3 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a1 were released 2021 and Nikon D3 was released 2007. That is a 14 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a1	2021
Nikon D3	2007

Type of camera

Sony a1 is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D3 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Even though the camera sensors might be called differently they are both considered Full frame which means that the focal length of the lenses is not affected. There is no crop factor on any of these cameras and sensors.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a1	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D3	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)

Resolution

Sony a1 has a 50 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D3 has 12,1 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a1	50 MP 49766400 pixels 8640 x 5760
Nikon D3	12,1 MP 12052992 pixels 4256 x 2832

Sony a1 has a 313 % larger resolution than Nikon D3. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a1 has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D3. Sony a1 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Nikon D3 has 200 to 25600.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a1	100-32000
Nikon D3	200-25600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a1
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D3

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a1 can shoot up to 30 pictures per seconds and Nikon D3 can shoot up to 9 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a1	30
Nikon D3	9

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony a1. Unfortunately Nikon D3 does not support recording movies and movie clips.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Nikon D3 weighs 1300 gr (equal to 2.87 lb) which is 76% heavier than Sony a1 and its 737 gr (or 1.62 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a1	737 gr 1.62 lb
Nikon D3	1300 gr 2.87 lb