Intro
If you’ve seen this site before you’ll know I make a lot of posts about the Sony a5100, and whether it’s still good enough. Well, this year is no different! But instead of a full overview which I’ve done for the last few years, We’ll have a quick recap of specs, some new example photos, as well looking at whether the a5100 still cuts it in 2022.
Specs
· The a5100 has a 24.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor, which is the same size sensor as most a6000 range cameras as well as the Sony Zv-E10.
· Max image resolution of 6000 x 4000
· Max video resolution of 1080p at 60p with a 50Mbps bit rate.
· Video formats are MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
· Photos formats of JPEG and RAW
· 179 focus points
· Minimum shutter speed – 30 sec
· Maximum shutter speed – 1/4000 sec
· Continuous drive capable of shooting 6 shots per second.
· ISO range of 100-25600
· No in-body image stabilization
· Its dimensions are 110 x 63 x 36 mm and weighs 283 g
· It uses Sony E-mount interchangeable lens system which has many Sony and 3rd party lenses available.
· It takes SD Memory cards, however for the best quality XAVC S videos you’ll need an SDXC memory card.
· 3″ touchscreen LCD can flip upward 180 degrees for easy self-portraits. Though the touch screen is only or focusing and not menu navigation.
· No Eletronic Viewfinder (EVF)
· Built in stereo mics, but no mic jack or headphone ports
· It has a micro-HDMI port, a USB port and the memory card slot is on the side.
· Built-in flash
· It uses the Sony NP-FW50 Battery which will last for 400 shots. Before needed recharge.
· Threaded mount on the bottom of the camera
Samples
So to prove what this camera is all about I took it out to see how still looks. Unfortunately, the weather was awful but I still managed to get some decent shots. And despite this camera not being listed as weatherproof, it took quite a battering and still came out in one piece!
So as you can see the image quality for videos and photography is still very decent and is more than comparable to newer cameras. More examples in the YouTube video
Price and Availability
So one of the main issues with the a5100 in 2022 is that for a camera this old the price hasn’t gone down for a little while. With the global microprocessor shortage and this camera being at the end of its life cycle picking one up new will cost around £450/$450 around £100 more than I paid for it new 5 years ago. Even second hand the prices are around $300-$350
So if you’re in the market for a camera like this it may be more beneficial to pay more for a newer body such as the ZV-E10 or the a6100 as this camera, unfortunately, isn’t available at the low price it used to be.
Conclusion
But if you already have this camera, unless you need a big upgrade, say to full-frame, or you’re hitting limitations that you can’t work around, no 4k, lack of picture profiles, no mic jack etc. Then the a5100 is still a fine option for video and photography. Especially stuff for YouTube and as a live streaming camera. Of course, there are much newer and better cameras out there, and with smartphone cameras getting better all the time the advantages of a dedicated camera are getting smaller all the time.
The a5100 has been a mainstay in my gear for 5 years now, and even though it’s not my main camera, I’m using the ZV-E10 now for most of my videos. The a5100 still gets used regularly and is still a great compact budget mirrorless camera!
Are you still using your a5100, or have you upgraded let me know!
DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you.
Arron Prescott 