Samsung ST30 vs Sony a5100

Lets take a closer look at the Samsung ST30 and Sony a5100, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Samsung and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the ST30 (10MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the ST30 (1/3") and a5100 (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

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The ST30 was brought out 4 years before the a5100 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Samsung ST30 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the ST30 matches up versus the a5100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Samsung ST30 & Sony Alpha a5100. The entire galleries are provided at Samsung ST30 Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Samsung ST30 enjoys physical dimensions of 82mm x 52mm x 17mm (3.2" x 2.0" x 0.7") along with a weight of 87 grams (0.19 lbs) and the Sony a5100 has dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Look at the Samsung ST30 and Sony a5100 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the ST30 compared to the a5100.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the ST30 and a5100 is 98 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to imagine the gap between sensor sizes merely by reading specifications. The picture below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the ST30 and a5100.

Plainly, the two cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The ST30 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony a5100 will offer extra detail having its extra 14 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more aged ST30 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.