Nikon D5100 vs Sony a5000

Below is a detailed overview of the Nikon D5100 versus Sony a5000, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Nikon and Sony. The image resolution of the D5100 (16MP) and the a5000 (20MP) is pretty close and both cameras provide the identical sensor sizing (APS-C).

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The D5100 was announced 3 years earlier than the a5000 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Nikon D5100 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony a5000 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the D5100 grades against the a5000 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon D5100 & Sony Alpha a5000. The whole galleries are provided at Nikon D5100 Gallery & Sony a5000 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Nikon D5100 provides outer dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 79mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs) whilst the Sony a5000 has dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Examine the Nikon D5100 versus Sony a5000 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the D5100 and the a5000.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the D5100 and a5000 is 66 and 89 respectively.

Usually, it is very hard to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements purely by viewing technical specs. The photograph below may offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the D5100 and a5000.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different resolution. You can expect the Sony a5000 to provide you with greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older D5100 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.