Upgrade Guide
Sony A5100→Sony Cyber-shot RX10 III
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Strong upgrade
The Cyber-shot RX10 III improves across 4 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most A5100 owners will notice the difference.
What's new in the Cyber-shot RX10 III
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Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
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StabilisationIBIS added — significant for handheld and video
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Burst rate14fps (5fps with AF) vs 6fps
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Generation2 years newer (2016 vs 2014)
Unchanged or similar
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Resolution20MP (down from 24MP — optimised for low light)
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 | Cyber-shot RX10 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -1.1 | ||
| Street | -3.3 | ||
| Travel | -2.4 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +0.2 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Documentary | +0.8 | ||
| Sports & Action | +0.2 | ||
| Landscape | -0.7 | ||
| Wildlife | +0.2 | ||
| Casual | -2.9 | ||
| Food | -2.1 | ||
| Macro | -2.3 | ||
| Architecture | -1.1 | ||
| Astrophotography | -1.8 | ||
| Fun & simple | — | ||
| Filmmaking | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A5100 | Cyber-shot RX10 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £102 used | £559 used | |
| Released | 2014 | 2016 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS | 20.1MP 1-inch CMOS | |
| Resolution | 24MP | 20MP | ↓ |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (XAVC S), 1080p HFR up to 960fps, S-Log2 | |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection | 25-point contrast-detect AF, Eye AF | |
| Stabilisation | No stabilisation | Optical SteadyShot (in the lens), no IBIS | |
| Burst Rate | 6fps | 14fps (5fps with AF) | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ~420 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 224g (body only) | 1095g (with battery and card) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | No viewfinder | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots | |
| Screen | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots | |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-600mm f/2.4-4 | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot | Single SD / Memory Stick slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See A5100 and Cyber-shot RX10 III 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 Cyber-shot RX10 III against your specific genres — not just specs.
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