Upgrade Guide
Sony A5100→Sony A7S
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
→
Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the A5100. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the A7S
-
Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
Unchanged or similar
-
Resolution12MP (down from 24MP — optimised for low light)
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A5100 | A7S | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | ||
| Travel | -1.5 | ||
| Portrait | -0.5 | ||
| Street | -0.5 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | +0.5 | ||
| Landscape | -0.5 | ||
| Sports & Action | -1.5 | ||
| Astrophotography | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A5100 | A7S | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £200 | £600 | |
| Released | 2014 | 2014 | |
| Sensor | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 12.2MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS | |
| Resolution | 24MP | 12MP | ↓ |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 1080p/60p internal, 4K via HDMI (external recorder) | |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection | Phase-detect / contrast-detect hybrid AF | |
| Stabilisation | None | None | |
| Burst Rate | 6fps | 5fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ~370 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 224g (body only) | 474g (with battery and card) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | None | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification | |
| Screen | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots | |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See A5100 and A7S next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
Run the upgrade checker →
Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A7S against your specific genres — not just specs.
Other upgrades from the A5100
Related buying guides
Camera family history