NIKON D7100 vs SONY NEX 6

[vipgraphx]

I had been searching for lots of info about these two cameras trying to decide which camera to get since I stepped down from full frame D700. I was interested in the Sony Mirror less camera line because of all the hype on how good they are. Well needless to say I bought one and started testing it out. It seemed very good for the money but, in the back of my mine I still had open questions about the D7100. I fall into that trap where I always want the best for what I am looking for in this case either mirror less or DX. Since I already had the D7000 and I know it is a good camera I thought maybe taking advantage of the D7100 at this point might make more sense since it is newer. So I have taken some side by side comparison photos to share with you and maybe a few more eyes can help finalizing this decision. ( Thank goodness to bestbuy and return polices)

The Nikon D7100 is using a prime 50mm 1.8 lens while the sony is using the pancake 16-50mm kit lens. What I did was make sure I took both photos at the same focal distance, iso and aperture so they were compatible and both shot on a tripod. Both shot in RAW with NO post processing at all.

So Here are two side by sides.
This is a close up of some salt and pepper shakers on our table with a fruit bowl in the background. The colors seem to be almost identical and so is the image very hard to tell the difference. What I did notice is that the NIKON had more circular bokeh at the ridge of the bowl right above the salt and pepper shakers (the left side) It also looks maybe just maybe a tad bit creamier (not sure if its because of the prime lens vs kit lens) Sharpness seems to be the same. The only other major difference at this point is that the NIKON is definatly bigger in image size which I could zoom in more in photoshop with less pixelation (great for croppers like me who don't always get it right in the camera) However if you do not need to crop it would not make any difference. Do you see anything else that I missed?

camera test 1 by VIPGraphX, on Flickr


Next is my lower light test with more spacing behind the subject. So what I notice right away is the colors seem different from each other but thats to be expected and was really surprise in the first test that they were so similar. I noticed that the Sony was a bit brighter on the face of Mickey and to the left of him. Not sure if that was because of the difference in position or not. Next think I notice is that the Nikon has to me better tree color since its not as bright it has more green and a little darker which I like better. If you look to the right of Mickey The Nikon has better bokeh in the lights I think they start to look a little more hexagony for lack of a better word and a bit more larger than the sony which is a bit more circular and smaller. As far as sharpness goes they are pretty close. I think when Looking at this in full image size the Nikon looks to be Sharper but, I am thinking once again because of it is 24mp. Any thoughts on this?


camera test 2 by VIPGraphX, on Flickr


I did some close ups to show you and maybe you all can share your input on these images as well. To me it seems like the nikon D7100 has more detail in all areas of Mickeys face and hat. The textures seems to have more depth and not as soft as the sony ned 6. Is this better image quality, better glass (prime vs non prime) Is it because of the bigger sensor? What say you.


CAMERA TEST 4 by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

I think that in real world unless you were cropping it in this tight and blowing up the photos you really would not see a difference and nor what a non trained eye like a family member who just likes good pictures. However if you are into big time cropping maybe this would be that much more important. I know to me just knowing its that better will eat at me for a while. Makes decisions harder.

I still need to do more testing to see what direction to go. Here are some other factors I am considering. More lenses for nikon without adapters. Off camera flash works better for nikon then the sony ned 6 ( I have read that many people are having problems with this and not being able to trigger the flash) I like to use flash especially indoors to bounce the light. I also like to full around with it at lower angles for different dramatic effects. I do like the option on the sony nex 6 which allows you to angle the screen. I have already used this feature quite a bit. I am not sure on the electronic view finder just yet as it is like looking through a TV to take a picture vs looking through a window. Right now with no big lens, no battery grip they both feel nice and light, the Nikon D7100 fits my hand better but the sony nex 6 is starting to feel pretty good in my hand and does not feel like a cheap camera at all. I also like the focus peaking and the option to fine tune your focus after the camera focuses,, this lets you nail your focus like all the time, this is very cool and very easy to use! The image quality on both are great and after taking it on vacation this weekend I will have more info about my thoughts for any of you who care about this as I could not really find side by sides on these two cameras on the net. Note I am a little worried that the bigger sensor may need better glass to take full advantage of the 24mps but is this true? I have read yes and no. I really dont want to by full frame lenses anymore since this is now more hobby and family oriented.

I would love your thoughts on this and any other helpful info you may have about both cameras.

 

[vipgraphx]

Here is another camera Test. I was really wanting to test the BOKEH in the lights. In this photo the both seem to have just about the same color. Looks like maybe the sony in this picture is a tad bit sharper. Could this be user error and not nailing focus, could that be the same with above pictures? Hard to tell at this point but, I think in this picture it probably was me who could have adjusted the focus a little better. That is one thing with the sony which is cool that the focus peaking with DMF but, because you are looking through an electronic view finder it seems like it does become a hit or miss, once again could be user error and learning how to adjust to new features.

My thoughts in this one is that the BOKEH is much nicer in the Nikon vs Sony.


camera test5 by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

 

[Derrel]

The Nikon looks about 40% sharper in Test #4, but that could be either focusing, or the prime vs zoom issue. Looks like the Sony is exposing a half stop brighter, but that looks easily adjustable. None of these test scenarios really are suitable to draw many solid, air-tight conclusions from. As you asked in the last post, yes, minor focusing differences can make a big difference, as I was suggesting in test 4; the Nikon image is clearly sharper. But why, exactly cannot be discerned, but one thing is this: as we move into the 16-24-36 MP arena, critically accurate focusing makes a 24MP image into an 8MP worth of data image quite easily. Same with a lens that's sucky...so...

I dunno. Both cameras have their plusses and minuses.

 

[vipgraphx]

Yeah I am not so fast to blame the camera just yet. First I wanted to say yes the NIKON is superior to the SONY because I am a NIKON guy but then in test 5 it looks like it swapped more than likely because of what I did not so much the camera. Do you have any suggestions for what would be a good test for me to do over the weekend to get a better grasp of one vs the other.

I really want to give this Sony NEX 6 a good test drive as one reason I got rid of my D700 was the weight and refusing to lug it around all the time when it was not a planned shoot. Their are many moments in our lives that we miss if we don't shoot them and connivence with quality is very important to me right now however if it means having to go back to DSLR right now so be it. The D7100 is smaller than the D700 and other FF cameras and without the grip its not to much heavier than the sony ned 6.

One thing for sure thats a real bummer for me is that the sony's battery life is very poor compared to the nikon. Also having to charge the battery while connected to the camera is a pain. YOu will have to by an extra battery and still not get as many shots in as the nikon and if you want to charge both at the same time you have to buy a charger..This is looking more and more like a camera for lighter usage or you just need to have more batteries for heavy usage.

 

[KmH]

Many of the differences you are seeing are mostly differences in the lenses used and not differences in the cameras used.

In post #2 the blurred lights in the photo made with the D7100 are rendered much larger because a longer focal length was used compared to the focal length of the lens used on the Sony.
The OOF lights in the image made with the D7100 (known as Hollywood bokeh) are polygonal rather than round.

Perfectly round OOF lights in a background are generally considered the most desirable look for what is known as Hollywood bokeh.
Perfectly round OOF background lights are generally not going to be perfectly round unless the lens used has a high quality glass, and a high number of aperture blades that are also curved with rounded edges.
Cheap lenses may have as few as 5, straight, sharp edged aperture blades while most pro grade lenses will have 9 curved, rounded edge aperture blades.

As far as the difference in the lighting of Mickey, there is enough variation in a single model of mass produced cameras that any 2 of the same model will usually give the same result as far as slight exposure differences. One of the 2 same model camera's would need to have some Exposure Compensation dialed in to offset the difference in exposures.
Add brand differences to the equation and some amount of Exposure Compensation will need to be dialed in to have images made with 2 brands of cameras be the same.

 

[jaomul]

Very close. Image quality likely indistinguishable here between the 2 cameras and equivalent lenses except when really zoomed in. Whichever one you prefer to use is the better camera

 

[nmoody]

Yeah im surprised to see the Sony preform so closely to the D7100. Looks like its pretty capable =)

Thanks for doing these tests, these smaller mirrorless camera's are really coming along nicely. Though nothing feels like a DSLR in the hands.

 

[vipgraphx]

Great input KMH, Thats what I was thinking myself that the lenses have something to do with it. Now they were are the same focal length when shooting but one is a prime and the other a variable zoom. Needless to say the SONY NEX 6 is keeping up with the D7100. If the D7100 was a 16mp I really don't think there would be any difference at all. I think its safe to say that at the least the SONY NEX 6 would be equivalent to the D7000 and since its the same sensor then yeah how can image quality differ with similar glass. It would be nice to do a test with better glass for the sony like get a prime lens since the d7100 has a prime on it.

nmoody - no problem I would have been very happy to find something like this before I purchased but, at least now there is a little more info out there than before and I get to test hands on.

There are pros and cons to both...more to come

 

[vipgraphx]

So, got back from a weekend trip up at Mt. Lemon. Took both cameras and got a better sense for them both. After many pictures I am leaning towards the Nikon D7100 over the sony ned 6. Here are a few reasons that I thought were important to discuss

1) battery life. The Sony drains batteries like crazy. Your supposed to get 300+ shots but I am not getting that. I have already had to charge the battery 3 times and have not had 300 shots yet. The more you use the electronic view finder the faster it drains.

2) The viewfinder is still very hard to adjust to. The image is not accurate to what you are viewing in the view finder and in low light the viewfinder gets very noisy almost hard to tell what is in focus.

3) The Sony is slower, making adjustments takes a lot longer and in those seconds you can lose a moment you can not get back.

4) Blurry images. When doing multiple exposures I am seeing the image get more and more blurry as the 2nd and 3rd are captured. The first one is always sharper. I am not sure why, since it is lighter I would have thought it would not move as much even on a tripod but it seems to not stay still OR its not focusing in the exact same spot every picture. This is not good for my use and is a pain for HDR in my book. I have to manually do each exposure and set it on a 10 second timer so it stays completely still. This means each HDR if taking 3 images is going to be at least 30 seconds in timer and a few seconds adjusting the exposure between frames.

5) Seems a lot more noisy in low light pictures. In very well lit areas this camera performs very well but in shaded areas or low lit areas images are not so good. This could very well be the slower glass that comes with the sony. I would love to try faster glass for a better comparison. I will have to look around tomorrow and see if any stores carry faster glass for this camera.

6) Not wether sealed so a little scared it will not hold up as well in bad weather. I was afraid to put it down in the snow or moist ground. I would not be the same way with my D700 or the D7100.

8)Just feels more like a point and shoot than a nice sturdy DSLR.

Right now I think the Sony NEX 6 is more like a side kick if you already have a DSLR camera. I am still will give it a little more time and see if I do what many are doing and using mirrorless as their go to camera for all uses. I am pretty hyped on that and am hoping as I play with it more I will start to find more value in it. However the 8 reasons I listed above are something that I really need to have in a camera. They are important enough to me that would have be back at BestBuy in the returns line taking back the NEX 6.

Here are two shots. Top is Sony NEX 6 bottom is Nikon D7100.
It looks to me that the Nikon has better color, better DOF and is sharper. I tried taking both at the same F iso and exposure comp. Both no flash.


sonynikon by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

 

[vipgraphx]

As I continue to test drive both of these cameras, I am starting to form an opinion that the Sony NEX 6 is a great side kick camera. I feel that it does a great job BUT, is only a step up from a typical point and shoot camera. I think it does a great job for a second camera that you will be using for capturing all those moments in a vacation or family get together in well lighted areas. It seems to lack in low light situations, although it does have the kit lens 16-50 so this review/opinion is based on the camera with kit lens. Unfortantly there is not a place down here that sells other sony NEX lenses (35mm prime) that I could test out. Th kit lens is great in out door situations but indoor you really have to dial all your settings perfect and use a tripod even then and I am not sure why but when looking in the EVF sometimes its dark and sometimes its bright in low light areas. Sometimes it gives an oranges color with lots of noise even at low ISO. However in outdoor day time you will get awesome shots. Also in low light situations the EVF often becomes very noisy with moving pixels making it harder to focus.

Both the Nikon and Sony can do similar things but, the Nikon just seems to do it better, faster and easier, The menue and dials are so much more easier to adjust vs the Sony. Nikons new motto from me is "we get the job done but better"!

I feel that both cameras would really benifit from an external flash that you can adjust to bounce the light in those low light areas. Both cameras picked up noise but the sony picked up more and images were less sharp. Even taking photos in RAW, the sony files were harder to adjust in camera raw and had to just through out some images that I would have liked to keep. The nikon did show noise but image quality was better, brighter and sharper. The Sony seems a bit softer and once again could be because of the lens.

I keep trying very hard with the Sony to like it more and hope that a little more time using it I will change and start leaning towards that but at this point I feel that the NIKON D7100 is a better camera all around. I am running out of town to test these before I end up having to purchase both. I will give it another test and get convinced that this is the camera to replace my DSLR but I have a feeling I will feel the same.

Sorry lots of info is repeat from above posts but I think that with repeating what I am saying is obviously issues that I feel are huge factor on my buying decision. I would have love to test drice the A7 to see if that would be the camera but no one has it nor stocks it. THe guy at the Nikon camera shop says that Mirror less are not the way to go just yet the tech is not quite there yet and with the expensive glass for the A7 its not worth it to dump that type of money into a camera of this kind.

As for right now IMO Sony NEX 6 seems to be one of the best point and shoots out there but, not a replacement to DSLR just yet.

 

[sashbar]

Try Fuji X E2, it will give you the IQ that is probably better than 7100

 

[vipgraphx]

Thanks but, BestBuy does not carry that camera local and other camera shops don't offer same return policy. I looks to be a decent camera but I still thinking that mirrorless may not be my route at this time. I would love to test out those new Sony A7 but man lenses are sooooo expensive.

 

[skieur]

Looking at shots from both side by side on the imaging resource web site, the Nex 6 shows more thread detail in the green outfit of the manakin, which I found surprising since the Nikon D7100 has more megapixels. The fingers also become more smeared on the Nikon image than the Sony Nex 6.

 

[vipgraphx]

i tried looking for side by side with those two cameras and could not find anything on that site

 

[skieur]

i tried looking for side by side with those two cameras and could not find anything on that site

Imaging Resource "Comparometer" ™ Digital Camera Image Comparison Page Not super easy to find but follow this link and use the comparometer by double clicking each image (Nikon and Sony) at ISO 1600 for magnification and then compare thread detail, print on book cover etc.