Upgrade Guide

Sony A5100→Sony A7R VI

Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.

You own

Sony

A5100

£200

2014

→

Upgrade to

Sony

A7R VI

£4399 (+£4,199)

2025

✅

Worthwhile

Clear improvements over the A5100. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.

What's new in the A7R VI

↑

Resolution

61MP vs 24MP (+37MP)
↑

Weather sealing

Added — fully sealed body
↑

Burst rate

8fps mechanical / 7fps electronic with full AF/AE tracking vs 6fps
↑

Battery life

~530 shots (CIPA, NP-FZ100) vs ~400 shots (CIPA)
↑

Generation

11 years newer (2025 vs 2014)

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	A5100	A7R VI
Price	£200	£4,399
Released	2014	2025	↑
Sensor	24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS	61MP full-frame stacked back-illuminated CMOS
Resolution	24MP	61MP	↑
Video	1080p/60p	8K 30fps, 4K 120fps oversampled
Autofocus	Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection	AI processing unit — subject recognition for people, animals, birds and vehicles across the frame
Stabilisation	None	In-body 5-axis IS, up to 8.5 stops
Burst Rate	6fps	8fps mechanical / 7fps electronic with full AF/AE tracking	↑
Battery Life	~400 shots (CIPA)	~530 shots (CIPA, NP-FZ100)	↑
Weight	224g (body only)	723g (body with battery and card)	↓
Weather Sealed	No	Yes	↑
Viewfinder	None	EVF, 9.44M-dot, up to 120fps
Screen	3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots	3.2-inch 4-axis multi-angle touchscreen, 3.69M-dot
Mount	Sony E-mount	Sony FE (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards	Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot	Dual slots — CFexpress Type A / SD (UHS-II)

Compare side-by-side

See A5100 and A7R VI next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

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