A1 IIvs A5100
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
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
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a5100 is the most affordable; only the a1 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 II (2025) | A5100 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,500 | £200 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) | None |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available | None |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 II | A5100 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
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