Compared to...

Studio scene comparison (JPEG)

This is our standard studio scene comparison shot taken from exactly the same tripod position. Lighting: daylight simulation, >98% CRI. Crops are 100%. Ambient temperature was approximately 22°C (~72°F).

Nikon D300 vs. Sony DSLR-A700

Camera settings:

• Nikon D300: Nikkor 50 mm F1.8 lens, Aperture Priority, ISO 200
  JPEG Large/Fine, Manual WB, Default Parameters (Normal), Self-Timer (with exposure delay)
   
• Sony DSLR-A700: Minolta 50 mm F1.4 lens, Aperture Priority, ISO 200
  JPEG Large/Fine, Manual WB, Default Parameters (Standard), Self-Timer (auto MLU)
  

Nikon D300	Sony DSLR-A700
4.4 MB JPEG (4288 x 2848)	3.5 MB JPEG (4272 x 2848)

If you've read our Sony DSLR-A700 review you may already have seen this comparison. Both cameras have twelve megapixels, both have the same vertical pixel count, the D300 has 16 extra horizontal columns but that makes no difference. A quick scan down these crops indicates that there's very little difference in absolute image quality apart from perhaps slightly more low contrast ('texture') detail from the D300 and a very slightly more conservative approach to sharpening.