A5100vs A9 II
Sony
A9 II (2019)
Starting from £3299 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & photojournalism
View A9 II
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Photojournalism — A9 II (2019): The A9 II polished the A9's groundbreaking formula — 20fps blackout-free, improved subject tracking, and a LAN port made it the professional sports standard.
Who should buy what
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
A9 II (2019)
- Sports photographers who need 20fps with reliable eye and body tracking
- Photojournalists who need LAN transfer and instant wireless file delivery
- Wildlife photographers who want the fastest Sony AF in a proven body
- A9 owners who need the improved ergonomics, weather sealing, and Ethernet
Quick take: The a5100 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a5100 is the most affordable; only the a9 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A5100 (2014) | A9 II (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £200 | £3,299 |
| Sensor | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.3MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection | 693 phase-detect + 425 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | None | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 6fps | 20fps (blackout-free with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ~500 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 224g (body only) | 678g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm | 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet (LAN), HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A5100 | A9 II |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
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