Nikon D5300 vs Sony SLT Alpha 68 — Which Is Better?

The Nikon D5300 and the Sony SLT Alpha 68 are both DSLRs released two years apart, the Nikon in 2013 and the Sony in 2015. Their lens mounts differ, F DX on the Nikon and Alpha DT on the Sony, so existing glass points to one body.

The D5300 is also the smaller and lighter carry, at 125 x 98 x 76 mm and 480 g, against 143 x 104 x 81 mm and 610 g for the Alpha 68.

The Sony SLT Alpha 68 is the stronger choice for moving subjects. It shoots at 8 fps against 5 fps on the D5300, and it spreads focus across 79 points instead of 39, giving more coverage for a runner weaving through a frame. It also offers in-body stabilisation, which steadies handheld shots with unstabilised lenses; the Nikon relies on the lens alone.

Crop room is effectively a tie: the APS-C CMOS sensors give 24.2 megapixels on the D5300 and 24 on the Alpha 68, ample for cropping a distant bird or printing large. The viewfinders differ, with an optical pentamirror on the Nikon and a 1,440,000-dot electronic viewfinder on the Sony that shows the sensor's live image.

For interval work the D5300 is the pick, because it offers built-in timelapse recording that the Alpha 68 lacks. Their resolution ceiling is a shared Full HD, and 60 fps is the maximum frame rate on both. File options differ: Sony records XAVC S, AVCHD Ver. 2.0 or MP4, while the Nikon writes MOV files.

The D5300 is the clear winner for a connected travel kit. It has Wi-Fi for wireless transfer to a phone and GPS for tagging where each landscape or wildlife shot was taken, while the Alpha 68 offers neither. Its rear screen is also larger and much sharper at 3.2 inches with 1,037,000 dots, against 2.7 inches and 460,800 dots on the Sony, so reviewing focus on location is easier.

Both cameras offer a flip-out screen for waist-level or overhead framing, live view, a built-in flash and an external flash shoe. Neither has a touchscreen or weather sealing.

Both cameras take SD, SDHC and SDXC cards in a single slot, so cards move between them. The Sony also accepts Memory Stick Pro Duo media. Their batteries differ in type, EN-EL14a for the Nikon and NP-FM500H for the Sony, so spares are not interchangeable.

Their rated battery lives are close, with the D5300 rated at 600 shots and the Alpha 68 at 580 shots. Neither body supports USB charging, so both need a dedicated charger between sessions.