A5100vs A6500
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Travel, Street & Versatile Everyday Photography — A6500 (2016): The first Sony APS-C with IBIS — the A6500 added in-body stabilisation, touch AF, and a far deeper buffer to the A6300's already strong formula.
Who should buy what
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
A6500 (2016)
- Travel photographers who want IBIS in a compact weather-sealed E-mount body
- A6300 owners who need the stabilisation or touch AF the A6300 lacked
- Street and documentary photographers who want a capable compact with weather sealing
- Sony E-mount shooters looking for a capable used body at an accessible price
Quick take: The a5100 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a5100 is the most affordable; only the a6500 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A5100 (2014) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £200 | £649 |
| Sensor | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.3MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | None | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 6fps | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 224g (body only) | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A5100 | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Street | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — |
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