A5100vs Sony A9 III
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 III
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
Who should buy what
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the a5100 is the most affordable; only the sony a9 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A5100 (2014) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £200 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.3MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | None | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 6fps | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 224g (body only) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A5100 | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| 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