D3200 compared to Sony A100

I've been shooting with a D3200 for the past year+, and this camera replaced my old Sony A100 that would now be close to 7 or 8 years old.
Upon purchase of the D3200, so many things were different, and I just felt like I wasn't getting the same quality photos, no matter what I did.
I bought the Sony A100 used from a friend a few years prior, and it was my first real DSLR. It was GREAT, and eventually stopped working. When I bought it, I didn't know much about it other than I'd just landed a job in Africa as an amateur photographer and I needed the first DSLR I could get my hands on.
After a little research, I'm thinking that this old Sony was a very, very nice camera and better than my D3200. I'm now considering upgrading!
Could this be true? Thoughts?

It could be that you have not figured out how to use your D3200 yet.

Are you shooting RAW or JPEG?

What kind of post processing are you doing?


Nikon D3200 vs Sony DSLR-A100 - Our Analysis
The old Sony is no where near your D3200

my first pictures with my D7000 when i got it sucked big time, with a lot of reading on here and practice i got it, dont give up

I have actually been trying to figure that out for a long time!!! I don't know! I'm still computer stupid for the most part.

When I 1st got my D3200 the pictures I took were not the best, 10 months later and I am still learning, but the pictures are getting a lot better.
Go enjoy the camera, take pictures, save in RAW, editing the pictures can really bring them to life.

You still haven't said are you shooting raw or jpeg,if its raw then the problem will most likely be in your PP,if your shooting jpeg did you set the camera up for sharpening vividness ect before you started,Nikon cameras have inbuilt processing to get the best from your jpegs you only need to set them once,with out doing this your pictures will look poor.

Spend some time with your camera in one hand, and the manual in the other - There are a lot of different settings and modes that the camera can be set to, and it sounds like you are not setting it appropriately for the shot you want to take. Also have a read about "The exposure triangle" which is how shutter speed, aperture & ISO work together.

​A couple of hours spent with the manual will make all the difference - You won't be able to learn and remember all of it in this time, but you will be on to a good start.

This is a case where YouTube will become your friend. Watch video. Then watch again with camera in hand. Keep one hand free for the face palms to come.

Reading the manual makes me usually go huh. Watching it on YouTube makes me go duh.

I highly recommend getting a book (not the manual) like David Busch's Guide to the Nikon D3200. You will be amazed at all that he teaches you. He has great graphics, and it's not too expensive. Check it out on Amazon.

Defeating the Sony A100 is a tall task, that 10MP sensor is magical especially with vintage Maxxum glass like a 35-105 or beercan in front of it! Could be my most favorite camera ever, tho the D700 is closing in!

Remember the A100 is a Minolta design nearly 100% and was the first Sony DSLR. Other than poor ISO performance and having just one control wheel and no vertical grip available that camera was amazing! In bright light situations the A100 can still produce "minolta magic"

.....further to above, my D300 with Nikon AF D glass comes close to replicating the color and magic of the A100.

My LCS tells me the D200 with it's 10MP sensor would be an even closer match.....I believe the D200 and the A100 share the same or a similar CCD sensor - but I will let the tech folks here chime in...

If you are shooting primarily JPEGS and love that saturated look from an approx 2005/2006 CCD sensor your dissatisfaction makes complete sense to me.

I have no experience with low end Nikon DSLR's tho - my D300 and D700 are my first Nikon DSLR's - I jumped from a long relationship with Minolta/Sony last year the sensors in both produce the vivid saturated images I like, especially RAW tho the JPEGS from the D300 are outstanding to my eye...

I have access to a mint nearly new D200 that I might pull the trigger on just to prove my theory.