Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
A1 vs A5100
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the A5100 is the most affordable; only the A1 is weather sealed.
Where the A1 wins
- Resolution: 50.1MP
- Burst Rate: 30fps electronic with full AF/AE
- Battery Life: ~430 shots (CIPA)
- Weather Sealed: Yes
- Portrait: 8.2 vs 5.4
Where the A5100 wins
- Cheaper new: £102 vs £4,199
- Weight: 224g (body only)
- Street: 7.0 vs 6.1
- Travel: 6.4 vs 5.9
16 specs side by side·16 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
A1 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
A5100 — Casual & Travel: 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)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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)
is the right camera for you if…
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A1Sony · 2021 | A5100Sony · 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,199 | £102 usedBest |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MPBest | 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 | No stabilisation |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA)Best | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery and card) | 224g (body only)Best |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | YesBest | Not weather sealed |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | No viewfinder |
| 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 |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
A1
A5100
Portrait
8.2/10
5.4/10
Street
6.1/10
7.0/10
Travel
5.9/10
6.4/10
Wedding & Events
7.9/10
3.5/10
Filmmaking
7.8/10
—
Documentary
7.6/10
4.1/10
Sports & Action
8.8/10
4.7/10
Landscape
7.6/10
5.0/10
Wildlife
8.7/10
5.5/10
Casual
4.8/10
5.2/10
Food
7.4/10
5.9/10
Macro
7.3/10
5.2/10
Architecture
7.9/10
5.2/10
Astrophotography
6.8/10
4.7/10
Vlogging & Video
—
4.8/10
Fun & simple
—
4.9/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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