Sony A900 vs Sony a5100

On this page, we are reviewing the Sony A900 and Sony a5100, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are manufactured by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A900 (25MP) and the a5100 (24MP) is fairly comparable but the A900 (Full frame) and a5100 (APS-C) have different sensor sizes.

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The A900 was revealed 6 years earlier than the a5100 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Sony A900 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief view of how the A900 matches up versus the a5100 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 & Sony Alpha a5100. The full galleries are provided at Sony A900 Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and size. The Sony A900 provides physical measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") having a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) and the Sony a5100 has specifications of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A900 and Sony a5100 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the A900 vs the a5100.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A900 and a5100 is 54 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to picture the contrast in sensor measurements merely by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the A900 and a5100.

As you can see, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The A900 with its larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Sony A900 will produce more detail because of its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos more aggressively. The older A900 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.