Sony a5100 vs Sony RX100 VA

Its time to look closer at the Sony a5100 and Sony RX100 VA, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both sold by Sony. The sensor resolution of the a5100 (24MP) and the RX100 VA (20MP) is relatively close but the a5100 (APS-C) and RX100 VA (1") use totally different sensor size.

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The a5100 was revealed 4 years prior to the RX100 VA and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 VA being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a short overview of how the a5100 scores vs the RX100 VA for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha a5100 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A). The full galleries are provided at Sony a5100 Gallery & Sony RX100 VA Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Sony a5100 has got outside measurements of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs) and the Sony RX100 VA has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Take a look at the Sony a5100 and Sony RX100 VA in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the a5100 and the RX100 VA.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the a5100 and RX100 VA is 89 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to see the gap in sensor sizing merely by looking through specifications. The visual here will give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the a5100 and RX100 VA.

Plainly, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The a5100 having a bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Sony a5100 will render more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older a5100 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.