Welcome to this Sony a6000 vs Nikon D5300 comparison. Both cameras are incredibly functional, and have many features. In this article, we’ll be going through all the advantages and disadvantages of both cameras.
By the end of this article, you’ll know everything you need to know in order to make an informed decision on which camera to choose. So, without further ado, let’s get to it.
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Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – Comparison overview
The Sony a6000 is a mirrorless camera, while the Nikon D5300 is a DSLR. Even though they are different in type, they have a number of features in common.
First of all, both cameras have 24 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensors. With such a high sensor resolution, your images will have a lot of detail in them. You can crop your images even further, and get beautiful enlargements.
Secondly, both the Sony a6000 and the Nikon D5300 have tilting screens. However, the screen of the D5300 is fully articulating, which means that you can shoot at even more angles with the Nikon D5300.
The frame rates of both cameras are not the best out there, but they are still good. With the a6000, however, you will get more than double the frame of the D5300.
The Sony a6000 has 179 autofocus points, which gives you wider area coverage when focusing. It also has an ISO of 100 – 25600. The Nikon D5300 on the other hand, has an ISO of 100 – 12800. However, it can be expanded to 25600.
Furthermore, the a6000 is enabled with NFC. With this, you can connect to other compatible devices wirelessly. Does this mean that the Nikon D5300 is completely inferior to the a6000? No, it does not. The D5300 has a has a slightly larger screen, and longer battery life than the a6000. With the D5300, you have almost double the number of you get with the a6000.
There are a couple of cons which both cameras share. First of all, they have no image stabilization. This increases your chances of getting blurry photos. Secondly, they have no weather sealing. As a result, it will be hard to shoot in tough weather conditions.
When it comes to the price/value ratio, the a6000 is better. Don’t get it wrong, both cameras are amazing and all, but the Sony a6000 gives you better value for its price than the Nikon D5300. This is disappointing, because the D5300 is more expensive.
Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – Comparison table
| Sony a6000 | Nikon d5300 |
Date released | October 17, 2013 | February 12, 2014 |
Camera type | Semi-Pro | Entry-Level |
Screen type | 3-inch tilting screen | 3.2-inch fully articulating screen |
Sensor type | 24 megapixel APS-C CMOS | 24 megapixel APS-C CMOS |
Battery life | 360 shots | 600 shots |
Weight | 344g | 480g |
Continuous shooting speed | 11fps | 5fps |
GPS | No | Yes |
Viewfinder | Electronic | Optical |
Supports RAW format | Yes | Yes |
Autofocus points | 179 | 39 |
External flash shoe | Yes | Yes |
Image stabilization | No | No |
Environmental sealing | No | No |
NFC | Yes | No |
Light sensitivity | 100 – 25600 ISO | 100 – 12800 ISO (can be expanded to 25600 ISO) |
Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – What situation is each best for?
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Sony a6000 | Nikon D5300 |
Sports photographyThe Sony a6000 can be used for sports photography. However, this would not be possible without certain features. The first feature which makes the a6000 good for sports photography is, the high frame rate. The Sony a6000 has a frame rate of 11fps. With a frame rate this high, you can capture many points in the action. The next feature which makes this camera good for sports photography is, the high autofocusing performance. The Sony a6000 has 179 AF points. Having this many autofocus points makes it easier to track your subjects, as they move around the frame. Another important feature which your camera needs when doing sports photography is, weather sealing. Sports are held in all weathers and conditions, but not all cameras can work in them. That’s were weather sealing comes in. With weather sealing you can shoot in tough weathers and conditions, without dust and moisture ruining your camera. Unfortunately, the Sony a6000 has no weather sealing. As a result, you need to be careful when shooting with it outdoors.
| Sports photographySame as the Sony a6000, but has a lower frame rate, and fewer autofocus points.
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Portrait photographyOne of the features which make the a6000 good for portraits is the high sensor resolution. It has a sensor resolution of 24 megapixels, which brings out a lot of detail in your photos. Another feature which makes this camera good for portraits is the large sensor. The Sony a6000 has a large 23.5 x 15.6 mm sensor. With a sensor this large, your portraits will have shallower field depth, and a nice blurry background. The Sony a6000’s electronic viewfinder also plays a big part in getting good portraits. When using the viewfinder, the camera is held close to the body. This helps you stabilize the camera, and get less blurry photos. Finally, we have, image stabilization. Image stabilization irons out those blurs caused by camera shake. This ensures that you get clear and sharp photos even if the camera shakes. | Portrait photographySame as the a6000, but has an optical viewfinder.
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Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – Common features
Articulating screen
With an articulating screen, you have more flexibility when shooting. You can shoot at various angles which you would not be able to with a fixed screen.
Both cameras have articulating screens, but the D5300’s is a bit different. It has a full articulating LCD, which you can use for selfies.
Viewfinder
Viewfinders are very important in a camera. When using a viewfinder, the camera is more stabilized since it’s closer to your body. Furthermore, a viewfinder comes in handy when it’s too bright to see what’s on the LCD.
The Sony a6000 has an electronic viewfinder, while the Nikon D5300 has an optical viewfinder. So, what’s the difference? an optical viewfinder (OVF) shows you what the camera is seeing, while an electronic viewfinder (EVF) shows you the results of your settings, and how the image will look even before the photo is taken.
Face detection focus
Face detection focus is very useful when you are doing portraits. It scans the frame for frame for a human face, and then locks focus on it. With this, your portrait shot will always be in focus.
High sensor resolution
The Sony a6000 and the Nikon D5300 have a sensor resolution of 24 megapixels. With a resolution this high, your images will have a lot of detail in them.
You can also crop your photos even further without losing much detail. Furthermore, you can get beautiful enlargements of your photos.
Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – Unique features
Sony a6000
Higher frame rate
If your camera has a high frame rate, when shooting pictures of moving subjects, you can easily capture many points in your subject’s movement.
The Sony a6000 has a frame rate of 11fps, while the Nikon D5300 has a frame rate of 5fps. This means that you’ll be getting more than double the speed of the D5300 when shooting with the a6000.
Weighs 344g
The Sony a6000 is considerably lighter than the D5300. This is no surprise, since it’s a mirrorless camera and the D5300 is a DSLR. Its light weight and portable body, makes it easier to carry around on any trip.
179 autofocus points
Having this many AF points gives you wider area coverage when focusing. With this, even if your subject is moving, you can track your subject easily.
NFC connection
With NFC, you can connect wirelessly to other NFC enabled devices. This makes transferring files much easier.
Nikon D5300
Battery life of 600 shots
The good battery life isn’t a surprising since it’s a DSLR. With the Nikon D5300, you get almost double the shooting time of the Sony a6000.
Selfie-friendly LCD
The D5300’s screen is fully articulating you can video yourself, and take selfies with it easily.
Built-in time-lapse recording capability
Both cameras have can record in time-lapse, but with the a6000, you need to download the right app. The Nikon D5300 on the other hand, has this feature built-in.
Microphone port
If you want to record videos with good quality audio, your camera needs a microphone. If on the other hand, your camera has no microphone built-in, it needs to have a microphone port.
With a microphone port, you can attach an external microphone to your camera. However, not all cameras have this feature. Fortunately, the Sony a6000 has microphone port which you can use to attach an external microphone to the camera.
3.2-inch LCD
It’s not much different when you compare it to the a6000’s 3-inch screen. Despite how noticeable the difference is, the D5300 gives you a slightly larger display.
Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – Unique pros
Sony a6000
More AF points.
Higher frame rate.
Weighs less.
100% higher maximum ISO.
Nikon D5300
Larger display.
Longer battery life.
High quality audio recordings.
Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – Unique cons
Sony a6000
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Lower battery life.
Smaller screen.
Has no microphone port.
LCD is not selfie-friendly.
Nikon D5300
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Fewer AF points.
No NFC.
Lower frame rate.
Heavier.
Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – Common pros
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Better framing and control.
Better image quality.
Large display.
Flexible shooting positions.
Better connectivity.
Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – Common cons
No image stabilization.
No weather sealing.
Sony a6000 Vs Nikon D5300 – How users feel about both
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Sony a6000
One thing about this camera which many users praised was the compact body. It was very light and easy to fit into any bag. They also loved the tiltable LCD, which made it easier to shoot at various angles.
Furthermore, they liked the electronic viewfinder, which made it easier to see the result of their camera settings. Users also praised the image quality of this camera, and it’s no wonder why. With a 24 megapixel sensor, the Sony a6000 brought out a lot detail in their photos.
However, there were also a couple of things which people didn’t like about the Sony a6000. First of all, was the battery life. The Sony a6000 has a battery life of 360 shots. This isn’t a lot. Users complained that they had to by a lot of spare batteries for this camera.
Users also complained about the menus. They found it hard to navigate through the menu, and change settings. One particular user said that he found the menu intimidating.
Despite the challenges they had with this camera, users think that the Sony a6000 is an amazing camera, which is suitable for photographers of any level.
Nikon D5300
There were quite a number of things which users loved about the Nikon D5300. The first thing was the long battery life. And it’s no wonder. With a battery life of 960 shots, you can shoot all day long with the Nikon D5300 without having to change the battery.
They also loved the 24 megapixel sensor. A sensor resolution this high brings out a great amount of detail in your photos, increasing the quality of your photos.
They also loved the sturdy body. The overall feel of the body made the camera more comfortable. There were a couple of things which annoyed a few people.
The first thing was that this camera had no touchscreen. Not many people mentioned however. It would have been nice to have an easy and convenient way to control the camera. The next thing about the D5300 which annoyed users was the GPS. According to them, it was practically useless.
Overall, users feel that the Nikon D5300 is a wonderful camera, which you can use for a wide range of shooting conditions.
Final note
And there you have it. That brings us to the end of this comparison. Let’s just do a quick recap to wrap it up. The Sony a6000 is a Semi-Pro Mirrorless camera, while the Nikon D5300 is an Entry-Level DSLR. Both cameras have 24 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensors.
Because of their high sensor resolutions, both cameras will bring out a lot of detail in your photos. Both cameras have large display screens, though that of the Nikon D5300 is a bit larger.
Their screens can be tilted. However, the D5300’s is fully articulating. With this, you can shoot at more angles. When it comes to the frame rate, the Sony a6000‘s is better. With it, you get more than double the frame speed of the Nikon D5300.
Furthermore, it has more autofocus points. This improves the tracking performance. It also weighs considerably less than the D5300. This makes it the ideal camera for on-the-go photography.
The Nikon D5300 on the other hand, has a microphone port which you can use to attach an external microphone to it. With a microphone, the quality of your audio recordings will improve.
Furthermore, the D5300 has longer battery life than the a6000. With the D5300, you get almost double the shooting time of the a6000.
Both cameras also share a few cons. First of all, they have no image stabilization. This increases your chances of getting blurry photos. Furthermore, they have no weather sealing. This means that you need to careful when shooting outdoors with these cameras.
Overall, the Sony a6000 and the Nikon D5300 are amazing cameras which you can use for various types of photography.
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