Sony a5100 vs Sony RX100 VII

Here is a in depth comparison of the Sony a5100 versus Sony RX100 VII, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both manufactured by Sony. The sensor resolution of the a5100 (24MP) and the RX100 VII (20MP) is very well matched but the a5100 (APS-C) and RX100 VII (1") use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The a5100 was revealed 6 years earlier than the RX100 VII and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 VII being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the a5100 scores vs the RX100 VII with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha a5100 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII. The full galleries are available at Sony a5100 Gallery & Sony RX100 VII Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and size. The Sony a5100 provides physical dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") and a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs) and the Sony RX100 VII has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 43mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.7") along with a weight of 302 grams (0.67 lbs).

Analyze the Sony a5100 versus Sony RX100 VII in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use at that time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the a5100 versus the RX100 VII.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the a5100 and RX100 VII is 89 and 88 respectively.

Often, it's difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading through specs. The graphic here may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the a5100 and RX100 VII.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The a5100 with its larger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Sony a5100 will give you extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images far more aggressively. The older a5100 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.