Sony a1 vs Nikon D80

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a1 and Nikon D80. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a1 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D80 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a1 were released 2021 and Nikon D80 was released 2006. That is a 15 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a1 2021
Nikon D80 2006

Type of camera

Sony a1 is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D80 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a1 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Nikon D80 has a "Nikon DX"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a1 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D80 75 mm
Nikon DX sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** 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 D80 has 10 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 D80 10 MP
10036224 pixels
3872 x 2592

Sony a1 has a 396 % larger resolution than Nikon D80. 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 D80. Sony a1 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Nikon D80 has 100 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a1 100-32000
Nikon D80 100-3200

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 D80

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 D80 can shoot up to 3 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a1 30
Nikon D80 3

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 D80 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.

Sony a1 weighs 737 gr (equal to 1.62 lb) which is 10% heavier than Nikon D80 and its 668 gr (or 1.47 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a1 737 gr
1.62 lb
Nikon D80 668 gr
1.47 lb

Sony a1 vs Nikon D80 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a1 and Nikon D80, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Name Sony a1 Nikon D80
Manufacturer Sony Nikon
Release Date and Price
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Release Year 2021 2006
Release Date 2021-01-26 2006-08-09
MSRP 6499 USD 999 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 23.7 x 15.5 mm)
Also known as "DX"
Sensor Type Stacked CMOS CCD
Resolution 8640 x 5760 pixels 3872 x 2592 pixels
Megapixels 50 MP 10 MP
Image Processor Dual Bionz XR Nikon LSI (Large Scale Integration)
Image
Sony a1
Nikon D80
ISO Range 100 - 32000 100 - 3200
White Balance Presets 7 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-shift)
Yes
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Focus Points 759 11
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Nikon F

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
DX / APS-C (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Articulated LCD Tilting Fixed
Screen size 3” 2,5”
Screen dots 1440000 230000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD N/A
Live view Yes No
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.9× 0.95× (0.63× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution 9437184 N/A
Photography features
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Frames per second 30 fps 3 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 13 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Video recording Yes No
Video format H.264
H.265
XF-AVC
XAVC-S
XAVC-HS
N/A
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
7680 x 4320
N/A
Built-in Microphone Yes No
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Memory Card Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a1
Nikon D80
HDMI Output Yes No
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-In 802.11ac (Dual Band)
No
Remote Control Yes (via Bluetooth or tethered PC) Yes (Optional (ML-L3 or MC-DC1))
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a1
Nikon D80
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery & charger
Nikon EN-EL3e Lithium-Ion battery
Battery Life (CIPA) 530 shots 600 shots
Width 129 mm 132 mm
Height 97 mm 103 mm
Depth 81 mm 77 mm
Weight 737 gram 668 gram