Upgrade Guide
Sony A5100→Sony A7
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the A5100. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the A7
-
Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
Unchanged or similar
-
ResolutionSimilar (24MP)
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | A5100 | A7 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +1.2 | ||
| Street | -0.8 | ||
| Travel | -0.4 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +1.8 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Documentary | +1.5 | ||
| Sports & Action | +1.1 | ||
| Landscape | +0.8 | ||
| Wildlife | +1.0 | ||
| Casual | -1.3 | ||
| Food | -0.2 | ||
| Macro | -0.2 | ||
| Architecture | +0.4 | ||
| Astrophotography | +0.9 | ||
| Fun & simple | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A5100 | A7 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £102 used | £151 used | |
| Released | 2014 | 2013 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 24.3MP Full-Frame CMOS | |
| Resolution | 24MP | 24MP | |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 1080p/60p | |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection | 117 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points | |
| Stabilisation | No stabilisation | No stabilisation | |
| Burst Rate | 6fps | 5fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ~340 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 224g (body only) | 474g (with battery and card) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | No viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification | |
| Screen | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) | |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
Compare side-by-side
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Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A7 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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