Upgrade Guide

Sony A6500→Sony A5100

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

You own

Sony

A6500

£649

2016

→

Upgrade to

Sony

A5100

£200 (-£449)

2014

⚖️

Situational

One clear hardware improvement over the A6500. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.

What's new in the A5100

Unchanged or similar

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	A6500	A5100
Price	£649	£200
Released	2016	2014	↓
Sensor	24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS	24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS
Resolution	24MP	24MP	↑
Video	4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p	1080p/60p
Autofocus	425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection	Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection
Stabilisation	IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS)	None
Burst Rate	11fps	6fps	↓
Battery Life	~310 shots (CIPA)	~400 shots (CIPA)	↑
Weight	453g (with battery and card)	224g (body only)	↑
Weather Sealed	Yes	No	↓
Viewfinder	EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification	None
Screen	3.0" fully articulating touchscreen	3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots
Mount	Sony E-mount	Sony E-mount
Memory Cards	Single SD UHS-I slot	Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot

Compare side-by-side

See A6500 and A5100 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

Get a personalised upgrade score

Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A5100 against your specific genres — not just specs.

Other upgrades from the A6500

Related buying guides

Camera family history