Upgrade Guide

Sony A7S II→Sony A5100

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

You own

Sony

A7S II

£799

2015

→

Upgrade to

Sony

A5100

£200 (-£599)

2014

⚖️

Situational

One clear hardware improvement over the A7S II. 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	A7S II	A5100
Price	£799	£200
Released	2015	2014	↓
Sensor	12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor CMOS	24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS
Resolution	12MP	24MP	↑
Video	4K/30p internal (full sensor readout), 1080p/120p, S-Log2/S-Log3	1080p/60p
Autofocus	169 phase-detect + 25 contrast AF — limited by modern standards	Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection
Stabilisation	5-axis IBIS — 4.5 stops (first Sony mirrorless with IBIS)	None
Burst Rate	5fps continuous	6fps	↑
Battery Life	~370 shots (CIPA)	~400 shots (CIPA)	↑
Weight	584g body only	224g (body only)	↑
Weather Sealed	Yes	No	↓
Viewfinder	EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification	None
Screen	3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots	3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots
Mount	Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount)	Sony E-mount
Memory Cards	Dual SD UHS-I slots	Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot

Compare side-by-side

See A7S II 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 A7S II

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