Sony A77 at Cameralabs (Nikon D3200 vs A77)
Dpreview (Click here) tested the image quality of the Nikon D3200 with 24 Megapixel (Sony?) sensor. Do you see a difference in RAW between the A77 and Nikon RAW files? I guess Nikon did the usual “tweaks” on the Sony sensor.
And here we have some A77 and A57 news:
Sony A77: First Impressions from a Nikon User’s Perspective at ThePhoBlographer (Click here).
If you missed it here is the Sony A77 review at Cameralabs (Click here): “The SLT-A77 is the best SLT Sony has yet produced and, arguably, the one that puts SLT on a par with SLR, an achievement for which it deserves to be highly recommended.”
SonyAlphaLab (Click here) got his hands on the new A57. Some funny A57 “Levitation” photos at Dpreview forum (Click here).
Mike
2 years ago |I’m clearly seeing that there are situations where the Nikon does not come out ahead ! I think your Nikon’s blanket statement is more religious fanboy belief based.
Scott
2 years ago |Compair the Nex 7 coin pix against the 77 and 3200. It`s is amazing!
Dakota
2 years ago |Yes ALWAYS…
take a look at any review, any test, any DXO graph.
Dakota
2 years ago |Your right, performance is not based on DXO.
Although i’d venture a guess that if the Sony cameras scored better in DXO than the Nikon cameras, Sony fans would be touting this as proof positive.:)
Performance is based on real world capabilities, (focus, DR, High ISO low noise performance, construction, and a full range of lenses and accessories, upgrade path from entry to full pro bodies).
Between Nikon and Sony, only Nikon fills all these performance criteria.
Dakota
2 years ago |OK, lets take this from the top…
1.4 vs. 1.8 is a minimal difference. Add to this that the Nikon 50f1.8 is said to perform as well if not better than the 50 1.4 and your argument goes out the window.
If there is any cooking, it is that Sony users are comparing a NEX 7 ($1349 in kit) and A77($1398 body only!!!) against the lowly D3200($699 in the kit).
If your talking about cooking, comparing the Sony models to a Nikon camera that is 1/2 to 1/3 the price is really cooking the outcome.
If the Sony’s are falling short, it is not because of cooking, it is because the D3200 simply performs better.
Relax, just buy a D3200 and take a vacation with all the money you saved.
Sky_walker
2 years ago |Random news: DxO Licensed it’s digital processing technology to Aptina: http://www.dxo.com/var/dxo/storage/fckeditor/File/embedded/Aptina_to_adopt_DxO_DPP.pdf which is going to make Nikon sensors.
Joel
2 years ago |Nikon user here, just thought I’d pop in for a quick hello and also to quiz you all as to why you’re tying yourselves up in knots comparing Nikon’s entry level camera to Sony top level APS that’s nearly twice the price. Do you actually realise how truly sad that is from an outside perspective?
Sky_walker
2 years ago |Oh, I did and I wouldn’t invest cash in camera risking explosion. Not that much cash at least.
So I can live with UI issues, even though they annoy me quite a lot.
But I did invested in A77 – one issue doesn’t change the fact that it’s outstanding camera
Mike
2 years ago |F U !
Mike
2 years ago |… also, when you set it to jpeg 400 ISO, I’m seeing that the A57 resolves more detail and looks better than the 5100 in most areas of the picture.
Nikon is clearly not always better.
~Mike
Mike
2 years ago |Indeed, that that particular comparison, the 5100 looks much better. The A57 does better than the A65. The A57 @ $699 is a much better deal than the 5100 @ $… wait, I’m seeing a deal at Henrys for the 5100 @ $599 for the body.
Hmm, indeed. Oh how I wish I wish that the Nikons did AF during video…
I’m still siding with the A57 due to the video and due to the fact that I have a good collection of Minolta lenses. I also have a big powerful flash, so I can light up the place.
ageha
2 years ago |The D3200 shows less noise even at ISO 100 especially in black areas, the noise is also much finer.
Rien Vesseur
2 years ago |Set the comparison to Nikon 5100, JPEG, ISO 1600, slide the little window over the top part of the watch on the right and prepare to be shocked. I am done with SLTs.
Jeff
2 years ago |Thanks, Vlad.
Skywalker, you need to get a life. You also need to spend less time here and more time out actually shooting.
Robin Edgar
2 years ago |Just for fun I added the full frame 24 MP Nikon D3x to a RAW comparison of the Nikon D3200 with the Sony A77 and Sony NEX 7. At ISO 100 the NEX 7 looks significantly sharper and contrasty than the Nikon D3x albeit with slightly more noise. At higher ISOs the NEX 7 has significantly more noise than the Nikon D3x but very good sharpness, color and contrast.
Robin Edgar
2 years ago |I agree with you and posted a very similar response to another comment.
Robin Edgar
2 years ago |The A65 is currently “on special” at the Sony Store in Montreal for $899 down from $1049. It seems that $899 is the standard price that Henry’s is selling the A65 for. My advice would be to save another couple of hundred dollars and get better picture quality by buying an A57 instead of an A65. . . BTW all these prices are for the body only. Kinda hoping that Sony produces an A67 which has all the best features of the A65 such as OLED viewfinder and built-in GPS with the 16.1 MP sensor. . .
The Nikon D3200 test shots look “mushy” compared to the A77 and even more mushy compared to the Nex-7, although it seems to have better noise suppression at high ISOs. Not impressed really, and will stick to cameras with the 16 MP sensor for now.
SonyA77
2 years ago |1.04 didn’t fix it, 1.05 did. Have you seen the problems with the new Canon and Nikon’s? With your attitude you’d never buy a camera.
jerome
2 years ago |It seems that aptina manufactures sensors for Nikon:
http://www.aptina.com/solutions/dslr.jsp#overview
The comparison between the 16 mpix sensor on the link above and the 24 mpix sensor of the NikonD3200 as shown on the dpreview forum (where the image comes directly from Nikon) shows that the layout of the connectors is quite similar indeed.
Besides, this Italian article:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marsicalive.it%2F%3Fp%3D9372
says that Aptina has developed a full-frame sensor for Nikon (the article was written in June 2011). This could be the sensor in the D800, actually.
Bare
2 years ago |Nikon D3200 doesn’t use same sensor as A77, probably it’s not even a Sony designed sensor inside Nikon D3200. The sensor inside Nikon D3200 is slightly smaller than Sonys APS-C sized sensors and same size as sensor in ikon D3100 which is Nikon designed sensor.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=41285538
Sky_walker
2 years ago |well, 1.4 didn’t fix it well enough IMO though I didn’t have a chance to test 1.5. Besides – guy tests the camera as sold, and A77 as sold was terrible in that matter.
SonyA77
2 years ago |About as big as the D7000 that he said it wasn’t as big as…
It is also lighter than his D7000. 
grizzler
2 years ago |D800 – Nikon sensor? Can you provide documentary evidence for this claim?
clark kent
2 years ago |don’t tell me that you wont get any nose prints on the grand canikon camera LCDs
clark kent
2 years ago |YUP, you’ll definitely get nose prints on your LCD screen unless you’re Voldemort… oh wait, if you’re Voldemort, you won’t even get prints on ANY other cameras out there in the market at no one’s nose is 3mm thick…
lifeispixels
2 years ago |dude you’re so outdated. new firmware fixed it a while ago. better not embarrass yourself.
Mike
2 years ago |“always”…? A belief based statement.
~Mike
Steve
2 years ago |Your right I only have full-frame lens
My point is that it all about the image so why waste a shot with poor optics.
Sounds like Sony needs to make better lenses
kalpurush :)
2 years ago |+1
The comparison is void right here.
kalpurush :)
2 years ago |You don’t understand the difference between a full frame and DT lens???
The 50/1.4 pic should be much better than the 50/1.8 – so there is no comparison here.
Almazar80
2 years ago |All this discussion for a minutae of detail. Fascinating. If you guys want to pixel peep everything in order to say that your camera is better than that person’s camera, go ahead. Most cameras today are more than good enough for a vast majority of photographers. It’s the eyes behind the lens (and the brain that goes with it) that counts. Every discussion turns into a pixel battle. To what ends? Just buy a camera, learn how to use it well, and maybe while you’re at it, improve your art of seeing. That last part will do more to improve your pictures than a 1/2 stop better performance. Sheesh.
zstan
2 years ago |firmware update has fixed the problem..guess you are not an owner of the a77 then
Almazar80
2 years ago |Maybe Nikon should cut their prices on the D5100 and D7000 as well. To about the A57 level, since they don’t sport a 24mp sensor.
Steve S
2 years ago |I’m sure if you made a print 36″x24″ you wouldn’t see the difference between Sony and Nikon . Unless you make a living shooting charts, who cares! . Did you ever see someone look at a photo book with a magnifying glass!.
Mick
2 years ago |Because Nikon wants you to buy the D800 for 3 grand. A 25 cent headphone output is worth that much, right?:) Maybe the CLM-V55 monitor will work if you plug the HDMI in and plug your headphones into that. Admittedly, it’s kind of a kluge:)
Steve
2 years ago |I know you keep saying this but many here don’t want to hear the truth; it doesn’t fit the narrative that the only reason Nikon is kicking butt is because Sony is helping them do it.
Steve
2 years ago |So, the Nex 50 is not a good lens or the Nikon 50 is a better lens?
I’m not sure of your point.
Help me understand
I guess I they could have tested the d3200 and used Nikons lens on both?
pikeaxe
2 years ago |Ok… I am a little confused…How big is the camera again? Really how many times in the first 2 minutes did he say big, huge, heffty, massive. Then he compaires it to those two cameras. Any way, I prefer a bigger camera body. I use a verticle grip on my A700 and really feel like I can lock it in and make the camera a part of my body. Especially if I have had too much caffine it stops me from twitching as much. I doubt the camera is really that big. On a side note I do own the 16-50 2.8 for my A700 and would highly recomend it to an A700 user.
Thom Hogan
2 years ago |It’s a lot more complicated than that. Nikon appears to be applying different gain values/strategies than Sony, plus in some cases appears to be changing Bayer filtration.
Thom Hogan
2 years ago |Sorry, but I just don’t know where this is coming from.
Yes, the D7000 uses a Sony sensor. Same packaging, same leads, same everything except maybe Bayer layer values. But the D3200 sensor is NOT the same sensor. Different packaging, different leads, different sensels, even different pixel count.
For those keeping track:
Nikon sensors: D3100, D3200, D700, D800, D3, D3s, D4
Sony sensors: D5100, D7000, D300s, D3x
shamb
2 years ago |@Steve
Click the little cogs below the previews. They’re using different lenses. 50mm 1.4 (D3200) vs 50mm 1.8 (NEX7). Thats probably why the NEX7 looks marginally worse: 1.4 vs 1.8. Cooked result.
shamb
2 years ago |I think the SLT vs DSLR (and Sony vs Nikon) arguments re the DPReview test are moot when you read the small print:
The D3200 test uses a 50mm 1.4
The A65/A77/NEX-7 tests all use a 50mm 1.8
Click on the little cog on the bottom right of the previews.
How can *anyone* deduce *anything* from the comparison?
Also, the images are using manual WB. I dont think that means they are properly calibrating to the same color swatch for WB (which is how I’d do it if I were creating a calibrated sensor test), so you can’t make anything from the color renditions either!
shamb
2 years ago |Oh, and really wish DPReview and all the other camera comparison websites would do a proper ISO test by varying the lighting in the scene rather than keeping the lighting the same and blindly twiddling the ISO dial on each camera: who dials in ISO 12800 for a perfectly lit scene (and what does that test actually tell you)?
spn
2 years ago |If I, as a Sony user should do a review on a canikon. (A77 level cameras)
The menu would be super confusing, slow auto-focus, to much ISO noise, terrible auto-focus on video mode, slow auto-focus in little light situations, …etc i could go on and on.
And when it comes to build quality and feel. I meen there is no other camera out there, that i would rather use then my A77 ( same price class) Its simply better.
Put a carrot in a little boys mouth after feeding him with chocolate for 5 years, he would never be satisfied. You wold have to pay him to say otherwise .
Wheelus
2 years ago |Well said.
nycp
2 years ago |SONY CONTINUES TO DISAPPOINT.
WHERE IS THEIR VALUE ? INNOVATION??
THEY SELL OFF THE BEST SENSORS TO NIKON
No product for us
Now d3200 is a A77 at 1/3 the price
FF Has to be 36mp
SONY FLASH must be updated to
real NEXT Level technology
joke
2 years ago |WHO CARES?
So long as it performs good enough for ME I could give fuckall whether it is better than the other cameras. YOU make your images.
Spoon
2 years ago |50mm primes used on both the Nikon and NEX 7 (with non SLT adapter).
Puggs
2 years ago |Nikons trick to high ISO seems to be to over expose the image and then draw it back. I have seen it time and time again between my Sony(s) and my mates Nikon(s) that the Sony always has more detail in the light and dark areas. Especialy at night. I rather have the details…
Hellven
2 years ago |that depends what you call “performance”
for me, performance is not just the numbers from DXO
Dakota
2 years ago |It will,
as all Nikon designed, Sony fabbed sensors do.
SonyA77
2 years ago |There is a lot more added to a camera than the sensor. Nikon always manage to get better results and it’s nothing to do with SLT, they did it on dSLR too.
SonyA77
2 years ago |You haven’t used one lately then.
JB
2 years ago |I hope the D600 doesn’t perform better than the A99. :S
Mike
2 years ago |People speak of Nikon making “improvements” to the sensor? How can that work though? If Sony manufactures the chip, and then ships the chips to Nikon’s factories, what on earth are to going to “modify”?
Is it not more logical that Nikon can get slightly better quality pictures from the SAME sensor, by using a flip up mirror instead of Sony’s pellicle mirror?
Sony’s takes away a slight amount of light, so logically, it would have to somehow boost its output to cover up for this. And that’s what I think Sony has done from day one. On my A33, even fully in manual with HDR off, I can clearly see that dark areas are getting boosted, introducing noise in those regions.
Clearly, there is no such thing as fully manual settings on Sony.
You can fairly easily prove this yourself !
~Mike
Hellven
2 years ago |no, the chip is exactly the same, i’ve seen photos of somone striping the sensor of a nikon (D7000, if i’m not mistaken) and it had Sony writen in a part of the sensor), and i dont see what’s the problem of that! Nikon dont do their back lcd’s neither, and i dont see any nikonian complaining about it…
facts:
A900, A850 and D3X same sensor
A580, A55, Pentax K-5, D7000, D5100… (etc) same sensor
A77, Nex-7 and D3200 same sensor
D800, Sony sensor
future A99, a FF 24mpx sensor, the same they talk to a rumoured Nikon D600
it’s not a shame for nikon to use sony sensor, its a smart move, sony makes the best sensors in the world, period.
what would be a D800 without a Sony sensor?
Gordon
2 years ago |I am sorry that I was influenced by all the negative press, mainly from this forum, and delayed buying the a77 as a replacement to the my two a700s eariler. In the end I wanted the a77′s AF system and focu peaking. The a77 works for me. I love setting the exposure through the EVF without needing to check the LCD output. My pictures at stage events of fast paced dancing have never been better. I enjoy the feature set of the a77 a lot and am thankful to the engineers at Sony for their work. Photography is about seeing and capturing beauty. I marvel at our beautiful world and it’s people.
Seeky
2 years ago |Maybe I’m getting blind, but the high ISO JPEGs from Nikon look worse compared to Sony’s.
Besides, the differences in high ISO noise performance are so small that I wouldn’t say one is better than the other. They are almost equal.
Randy S.
2 years ago |You really should stop associating Sony’s Chip fab with sony chip designs. Because Nikon uses the Sony Fab Doesnt’ mean it uses sony’s chip designs. They might use some parts of the design process that are inherent in the fab’s design but that doesn’t mean the chips will be the same.
Renato S.
2 years ago |And people got mad at Kai when he pointed that out as if he was making that out.
shamb
2 years ago |Cmon guys. Isn’t this an overall positive/fair review? Count how many times he says ‘really really nice’ in the conclusion at the end.
L7234
2 years ago |Lag is reduced to next to nothing with FW 1.5
Matthew
2 years ago |I noticed the same. I do believe that the same sensor is being used, but in the d3200, Nikon has put a thicker OLPF in front of it (typical of entry-level DSLR’s), which is smearing detail.
http://matthewdurrphotography.wordpress.com
JB
2 years ago |+1
john
2 years ago |Yea time for him to switch to decaf
Lucky if it was .5 second
Vlad
2 years ago |Big deal. Still flawed.
Sky_walker
2 years ago |Watch the video
controls lag.
I had a chance to play the prototype of A77 right after it got released officially – my first thought was that it’s just a prototype issue. Comes out it hit officially released cameras too.
bas076
2 years ago |Trash results with bad colors and Sony trash result with good colors.
Both not usable already at 1600. A65 at list have colors.
Chris90
2 years ago |It seems the Zeiss 24mm was used in the Nex 7 samples,so at low ISO Nex 7 looks sharper. It’s not a problem of the Nikon sensor. More important to mention is the JPG engine of D3200 is very bad compare to its great RAW, especially at high ISO. I think Nikon does that deliberately to avoid harming upper model’s sales.
bas076
2 years ago |Who uses 3200 with 24Mp crop? This is not D3s.
bas076
2 years ago |Better what?
bas076
2 years ago |Regular killed colors from Nikon. Bad for landscape and not really good for high ISO.
Amit Zinman
2 years ago |So, now headphone plug, just like my A580. That’s really annoying. Why go to all that trouble of putting video features in if you can’t listen to the sound coming in?
Ken
2 years ago |yeah, I agree… the video was uploaded on April 17th, I don’t know when it was actually recorded, but the 1.05 update had been out a couple weeks. Why not give his input based on the latest FW update? (I’m referring to the “lag” that he brought up).
He also emphasized how “LARGE” or “BIG” the a77 is, but then proceeded to place other cameras NOT in it’s class/category next to it. Seriously? Well anything is going to look bigger when placed next to other objects relatively smaller. The Canon 7D is even bigger (this, I know because a buddy of mine owns the 7D, and we literally held them side by side once, his 7D is almost or about the size of my a900!).
And I can’t take reviewers seriously when they use words like “stuff” a lot.
Steve Jones
2 years ago |Apart from a difference in colour rendition (which might be to do with slight differences in the colour filter densities, but more likely down to how the default RAW processing is done on the two cameras), the result is what you would expect. At higher ISOs the Sony has a bit more noise completely consistent with the roughly 1/3rd stop light loss of the SLT mirror.
SonyA77
2 years ago |He also says the A77 is huge, not compared to his D7000 it isn’t. The A77 is 1cm different and LIGHTER.
SonyA77
2 years ago |In which case any camera made in the last decade will be fine.
Sky_walker
2 years ago |It’s a trailer for review. Or announcement. However you prefer. It’s not a review.
Sky_walker
2 years ago |Yep. ISO 100 – Nikon vs A77.
Sony knocks Nikon down: better colors, better contrast, better sharpness… however the higher ISO you choose the worse Sony becomes and Nikon quickly gains advantage. For me: It doesn’t matter, 95% of my shots are ISO200 tops, but majority of people peeping the images never glance at anything below ISO 800. lol
SonyA77
2 years ago |What lag?
Jeff
2 years ago |It’s still a review, genius.
Clyde
2 years ago |They made the red Nikon specifically for concerts and fashion shows.
JB
2 years ago |Concerts, Fashions show for me.
Adam
2 years ago |What are you guys photographing since all you seem to care about is high ISO? Or are you too busy comparing DXO-scores to do any shooting?
A camera is more than a sensor …
Clyde
2 years ago |At DPReview comparison, make sure to select NEX-7 too. Make sure to view in RAW at iso400. The a65 and NEX-7 are MUCH sharper everywhere. Details the Nikon loses are completely visible with both Sony’s.
Though the Nikon is better suited for high ISO, there seems to be something amiss with lower iso compared to Sony. Nikon looks blurry by comparison… everywhere. Look at the yarn especially. And the feathers lose lines on the Nikon. Sony keeps em sharp!
Sky_walker
2 years ago |problem with your review of the video is one, simple: Video is titled “first impressions”. Not a review as you keep on saying over and over again.
Philfoto.ca
2 years ago |Oh well an other cheaper camera that offers better ISO management, been there, starting to get use to it now …
Clyde
2 years ago |Not at all… at 1600/3200 yes… but check again. The a65 and NEX-7 are considerably sharper than the Nikon on everything at 400. It almost looks like the Nikon is out of focus.
Steve
2 years ago |..and better than NEX-7. Oh dear Sony.
Jeff
2 years ago |Problems I’m having with this video review:
Andy’s exaggerating lag times: 2-3 seconds for the Menu to pop up? Not hardly. Go back and watch it.
He compares the a77′s size to cameras that are nothing like it in design. WTF?
He didn’t spend enough time with the camera before offering the review – which he admits to. Again, WTF?
His review style is scattershot. Start with the “good,” move on from there to the “bad,” THEN get to the “ugly.” A well structured review is easier to follow and the points it makes more coherent.
Some points were salient and I agree that there are a few features that could have been improved upon with just a tiny bit more effort.
Photofan
2 years ago |really good results especially at ISO 1600 and 3200 for the Nikon … again Nikon did the right improvements on the sensor.
Now that sensor of the Nikon D3200 in the Sony and I start to think about that camera again, otherwise it should be another system
Simon_P
2 years ago |Which firmware the video is using?
Dav38
2 years ago |That is a prototype. Normally the microphone must be black and not silver ….
Lonnie Utah
2 years ago |The samples from the D3200 looked as good or better than the A-65 (and this is coming from Sony’s #1 fan). Time for a price cut Sony…
Sky_walker
2 years ago |hehe, yea, guy is 100% truth about camera UI lags. Huge crap on nearly-perfect camera.