Nikon D3300 vs Sony SLT Alpha 68 — Which Is Better?

The Nikon D3300 and the Sony SLT Alpha 68 are both APS-C DSLRs with interchangeable lenses, released in 2014 and 2015 respectively. For carrying, the D3300 is the lighter and smaller option at 430 g and 124 x 98 x 76 mm, while the Alpha 68 measures 143 x 104 x 81 mm and weighs 610 g. That 180 g difference is most relevant for travel and all-day carrying.

The Sony SLT Alpha 68 is the stronger camera for action and wildlife, with 79 autofocus points against 11 on the D3300. That wider spread makes it easier to keep a moving subject covered, and its 8 fps burst against the Nikon's 5 fps records more frames of a fast sequence. For a bird in flight or a running child, the Sony gives you more chances at the peak moment.

The Alpha 68 also has in-body stabilisation, so every mounted lens gains shake reduction, while the D3300 relies on the lens alone. Its electronic viewfinder shows 1,440,000 dots and previews exposure and settings before the shot, whereas the Nikon uses an optical pentamirror view. Pixel counts are nearly identical at 24.2 versus 24 megapixels, so neither offers meaningful extra cropping room, and both share the same 1/4000 second shortest exposure.

For editing workflow, the Alpha 68 offers more file format options, recording XAVC S, AVCHD Ver. 2.0 and MP4, while the D3300 records MOV only. Their recording limits match, with Full HD as the maximum resolution and up to 60 fps as the top frame rate on both. Neither offers 4K, so anyone wanting extra resolution for cropping or modern delivery needs a different camera, but smooth family clips work on either.

The Sony's tilting rear screen is a practical advantage for shooting at waist or overhead angles, letting you frame shots the fixed Nikon screen cannot reach. The D3300 screen answers with a larger 3-inch panel versus 2.7 inches, and 921,000 dots against 460,800, giving a crisper view when checking focus and detail after a shot.

Useful shared features include a built-in flash for quick indoor fill, a hot shoe for external flash, and live view. Neither camera offers GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, touch control or weather sealing, so wireless transfer and geotagging are absent from both.

The D3300 holds the endurance edge in the ratings, at 700 shots against 580 shots for the Alpha 68. On storage, both use a single card slot, so there is no backup recording on either body. The Sony also accepts Memory Stick Pro Duo cards alongside SD, SDHC and SDXC, useful mainly if you already own those cards. Neither camera charges over USB.