A1vs A5100
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
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 (2021)
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a5100 is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 (2021) | A5100 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £200 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | None |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery) | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | None |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 | A5100 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A1
Camera family history