Sony a1 vs Sony a5100

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Sony a1 versus Sony a5100, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both designed by Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the a1 (50MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the a1 (Full frame) and a5100 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The a1 was released 6 years after the a5100 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise view of how the a1 grades against the a5100 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha a1 and Sony Alpha a5100. The complete galleries are viewable at Sony a1 Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.

When you are intending to travel with your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Sony a1 enjoys exterior dimensions of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Sony a5100 has proportions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Check out the Sony a1 versus Sony a5100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the a1 compared to the a5100.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the a1 and a5100 is 61 and 89 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions simply by checking specifications. The pic below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the a1 and a5100.

To sum up, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The a1 because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Sony a1 will resolve more detail as a result of its extra 26 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs more aggressively. The fresher a1 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.