Leica SL3vs A5100
Leica
Leica SL3 (2024)
Starting from £6499 new
Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters
View Leica SL3
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional & Luxury Hybrid Shooters — Leica SL3 (2024): Leica's most capable mirrorless — 60MP, 30fps burst, 8K ProRes, and 7.5-stop IBIS with L-mount's growing lens ecosystem.
Casual & Travel — A5100 (2014): The A5100 is one of the smallest APS-C mirrorless cameras ever made. Its 24MP sensor, phase-detect AF, and selfie-friendly flip screen pack remarkable capability into a shirt-pocket-sized body. No EVF or hot shoe limits it for serious use, but as a compact travel camera or beginner's first mirrorless, it punches well above its price on the used market.
Who should buy what
Leica SL3 (2024)
- Leica photographers who want autofocus full-frame in the L-mount system
- SL2 owners upgrading to 60MP and improved autofocus performance
- Professionals who want Leica build quality with L-mount lens versatility
- Photographers who want to share lenses across Leica, Sigma, and Lumix bodies
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Quick take: The leica sl3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a5100 is the most affordable; only the leica sl3 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica SL3 (2024) | A5100 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,499 | £200 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 7.5-stop IBIS | None |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic | 6fps |
| Battery Life | 410 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 875g body only | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | None |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Leica L-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica SL3 | A5100 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history