Sony a57 or Nikon D5100?
Planning to buy my first dlsr!
I'm gonna use it for both picture and video…
Which one should I go for?
A57 or D5100… And why?
I want a camera with good performance and long life
Here is how the sensors of both cameras compare
The Sony has a body motor, one thing less to check when you buy a Sony or Minolta AF lens - you know that any lens you buy will give full functionality.
The Sony's also better for video than any DSLR.
Performance and long life are irrelevant here, either camera - properly looked after - will probably be used by your children, and their specifications are much the same due to similar sensors.
If you are planning on shooting video with the camera then you need to get a hands on with the Sony A57, before you do anything else.
There are a lot of common components in Nikon's D5100 and Sony's A57, but the A57 will run rings around the Nikon when it comes to video. The problem is whether you can put up with the EVF in the A57, it's not an outright deal breaker, but you have to try it and decide for yourself.