Upgrade Guide
Sony SLT-A99→Sony A5000
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Worthwhile
Clear improvements over the SLT-A99. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.
What's new in the A5000
-
StabilisationIBIS added — significant for handheld and video
-
Generation2 years newer (2014 vs 2012)
Unchanged or similar
-
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 | SLT-A99 | A5000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -2.1 | ||
| Street | +1.2 | ||
| Travel | +1.4 | ||
| Wedding & Events | -3.4 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Documentary | -1.1 | ||
| Sports & Action | -2.1 | ||
| Landscape | -0.5 | ||
| Wildlife | -0.9 | ||
| Casual | +0.8 | ||
| Food | -0.4 | ||
| Macro | +0.3 | ||
| Architecture | -0.7 | ||
| Astrophotography | -0.7 |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | SLT-A99 | A5000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £454 used | £78 used | |
| Released | 2012 | 2014 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 24.3MP full-frame sensor | 20.1MP APS-C CMOS | |
| Resolution | 24MP | 20MP | ↓ |
| Video | Full HD 1080p/60 | Full HD 1080 (60i / 25p AVCHD), 1440×1080/30p MP4 | |
| Autofocus | 19-point phase-detect (11 cross) via the translucent mirror + 102-point on-sensor phase assist, face detection | 25-point contrast AF with face detection | |
| Stabilisation | 4.5-stop sensor-shift SteadyShot INSIDE | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | |
| Burst Rate | 6fps with continuous AF (10fps in crop mode) | 3.5fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~500 shots (CIPA) | ~420 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 812g (with battery and card) | 269g (with battery) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Not weather sealed | |
| Viewfinder | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots, 100%, 0.71x | None (rear screen only) | |
| Screen | 3.0" three-way tilting / swivel LCD, 1.23M dots | 3.0" 180° flip-up LCD, 460k dots | |
| Mount | Sony A-mount | Sony E-mount | |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots: SD / Memory Stick + SD | Single SD slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See SLT-A99 and A5000 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 A5000 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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