Canon A810 vs Sony a5100

On this page, we will be reviewing the Canon A810 vs Sony a5100, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Canon and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the A810 (16MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the A810 (1/2.3") and a5100 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The A810 was unveiled 3 years before the a5100 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Canon A810 being a Compact camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a full comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the A810 grades against the a5100 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot A810 and Sony Alpha a5100. The full galleries are available at Canon A810 Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Canon A810 enjoys outside measurements of 95mm x 62mm x 30mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 171 grams (0.38 lbs) whilst the Sony a5100 has measurements of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") and a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon A810 vs Sony a5100 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select during that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the A810 compared to the a5100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the A810 and a5100 is 93 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements just by reading specs. The graphic underneath will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the A810 and a5100.

All in all, each of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The A810 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony a5100 will offer greater detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots more aggressively. The older A810 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.