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Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100

Portability
99
Imaging
39
Features
29
Overall
35
Samsung ST6500 front
 
Sony Alpha a5100 front
Portability
89
Imaging
65
Features
74
Overall
68

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 Key Specs

Samsung ST6500
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F) lens
  • n/ag - 102 x 57 x 19mm
  • Released January 2011
Sony a5100
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 283g - 110 x 63 x 36mm
  • Revealed August 2014
  • Older Model is Sony a5000
Photography Glossary

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 Overview

On this page, we are analyzing the Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Samsung and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the ST6500 (16MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the ST6500 (1/2.3") and a5100 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizing.

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The ST6500 was launched 4 years before the a5100 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Samsung ST6500 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the ST6500 scores against the a5100 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Samsung ST6500 over the Sony a5100

 ST6500 a5100 

Reasons to pick Sony a5100 over the Samsung ST6500

 a5100 ST6500 
RevealedAugust 2014January 2011Fresher by 43 months
Manually focus More precise focusing
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution922k460kSharper display (+462k dot)

Common features in the Samsung ST6500 and Sony a5100

 ST6500 a5100 
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurement
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch display Easily navigate

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 Physical Comparison

In case you're planning to carry your camera, you will have to factor its weight and measurements. The Samsung ST6500 provides outside measurements of 102mm x 57mm x 19mm (4.0" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of n/a grams (0.00 lbs) whilst the Sony a5100 has proportions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

See the Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is a front view scale comparison of the ST6500 against the a5100.

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ST6500 and a5100 is 99 and 89 respectively.

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 top view buttons comparison

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is very hard to see the gap in sensor sizing merely by looking through technical specs. The photograph underneath may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the ST6500 and a5100.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ST6500 featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony a5100 will render more detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos more aggressively. The older ST6500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 sensor size comparison

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 Screen and ViewFinder

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Samsung ST6500 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony a5100 as a Portrait photography camera
30
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
no manual focus
manual mode not available
external flash not possible
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
72
manual focus
megapixel count good (24MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
offers face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats
no external flash support
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Street Comparison

Samsung ST6500 as a Street photography camera
Sony a5100 as a Street photography camera
50
fixed screen
no image stabilization
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
82
screen tilts
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
offers focus via touch
great high ISO (25,600)
no image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Samsung ST6500 as a Sports photography camera
Sony a5100 as a Sports photography camera
29
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
no shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect autofocus
68
megapixel count good (24MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
offers tracking autofocus
great battery (400 per charge)
sensor has phase detect autofocus
max frames per second low (6.0 frames/s)
no image stabilization
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Travel Comparison

Samsung ST6500 Travel photography factors
Sony a5100 Travel photography factors
74
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
really wide (26mm)
good maximum aperture (f)
no Timelapse mode
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
80
great battery (400 per charge)
offers focus via touch
megapixel count good (24 megapixels)
built-in flash
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Samsung ST6500 Landscape photography details
Sony a5100 Landscape photography details
43
really wide (26mm)
good maximum aperture (f)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
manual mode not available
no image stabilization
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
no Timelapse mode
79
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
good sized screen (3 inch)
megapixel count good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
great high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW formats
great battery (400 CIPA)
no image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Samsung ST6500 Vlogging advice
Sony a5100 Vlogging advice
32
really wide (26mm)
good maximum aperture (f)
built-in touchscreen
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
no image stabilization
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
no external microphone jack
34
touch screen
offers face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
no external microphone support
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Samsung ST6500 vs Sony a5100 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Samsung ST6500 and Sony a5100
 Samsung ST6500Sony Alpha a5100
General Information
Brand Samsung Sony
Model type Samsung ST6500 Sony Alpha a5100
Type Ultracompact Entry-Level Mirrorless
Released 2011-01-19 2014-08-17
Physical type Ultracompact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz X
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 27.7mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 24 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 6000 x 4000
Maximum native ISO 3200 25600
Min native ISO 80 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points - 179
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 26-130mm (5.0x) -
Amount of lenses - 121
Crop factor 5.9 1.5
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display size 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 460 thousand dots 922 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 8s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting rate - 6.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance - 4.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash settings - Flash off, auto, fill-flaw, slow sync, redeye reduction
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p, 25p), 1280 x 720 (120p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p)
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video format - MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB none USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight - 283 gr (0.62 pounds)
Physical dimensions 102 x 57 x 19mm (4.0" x 2.2" x 0.7") 110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 80
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.8
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.7
DXO Low light rating not tested 1347
Other
Battery life - 400 pictures
Form of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FW50
Self timer - Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous (3-5 shot))
Time lapse shooting With downloadable app
Storage type - SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Pricing at launch - $448