Who should buy the Nikon D3S vs Sony A6000?

Sony A6000 is best for Entry-level mirrorless & budget E-mount.

D3S vs A6000

Name: Nikon D3S
Brand: Nikon
Price: 268.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

Quick take: The A6000 has the highest resolution at 24MP; the A6000 is the most affordable; only the D3S is weather sealed.

16 specs side by side·13 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras

How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.

Nikon D3S 2009

£268 list price · used from £268 at Wex Photo Video

Used £268 at Wex Photo Video → Full specs & prices

Sony A6000 2014 Best for Entry-level mirrorless & budget E-mount

£249 list price · used from £128 at eBay

Used £128 at eBay → Full specs & prices

Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more

Verdictwhich should you buy?

A6000 — Entry-Level Mirrorless & Budget E-Mount: The Sony that started a generation of E-mount loyalty — 11fps, 24MP, and 179 phase-detect points in a compact body that remained excellent value for nearly a decade.

Who should buy what

A6000 (2014)

is the right camera for you if…

First-time mirrorless buyers who want a capable, proven body at the lowest price
Sony E-mount users who want a compact backup or second body
Parents and travellers who want good image quality without a large camera
Anyone curious about APS-C mirrorless who wants to try the system affordably

Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted

Specification	D3SNikon · 2009	A6000Sony · 2014
Price	£268	£249Best
Sensor	12.1MP full-frame CMOS	24.3MP APS-C Exmor APS HD CMOS
Resolution	12.1MP	24.3MPBest
Video	720p/24	1080p/60p
Autofocus	51-point phase-detect (15 cross-type) via viewfinder; contrast AF in live view (tripod mode)	179 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points
Stabilisation	No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only)	No stabilisation
Burst Rate	9fps	11fpsBest
Battery Life	~4200 shots (CIPA)Best	~360 shots (CIPA)
Weight	1420g (with battery)	344g (with battery and card)Best
Dimensions	159.5 × 157 × 87.5mm	119.9 × 66.9 × 45.1mm
Weather Sealed	YesBest	Not weather sealed
Viewfinder	Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.7x	EVF, OLED 1.44M dots, 0.70× magnification
Screen	3.0" fixed LCD, 920k dots	3.0" tilting LCD, 921k dots (no touch)
Mount	Nikon F mount	Sony E-mount
Memory Cards	Dual CompactFlash slots	Single SD UHS-I slot
Connectivity	USB 2.0, mini HDMI, 3.5mm mic jack, 10-pin remote	USB, Wi-Fi, NFC

Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.

How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10

Genre

D3S

A6000

Portrait

5.5/10

6.3/10

Street

3.7/10

7.6/10

Travel

3.8/10

6.5/10

Wedding & Events

6.5/10

4.6/10

Documentary

4.4/10

4.0/10

Sports & Action

6.2/10

Landscape

4.6/10

4.8/10

Wildlife

6.0/10

6.7/10

Casual

2.0/10

4.4/10

Food

3.5/10

5.5/10

Macro

3.1/10

5.0/10

Architecture

4.1/10

5.2/10

Astrophotography

6.6/10

4.6/10

Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →

Open in the compare tool → D3S prices A6000 prices

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