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Sony a5100 vs Sony S950

Portability
89
Imaging
66
Features
74
Overall
69
Sony Alpha a5100 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 front
Portability
94
Imaging
33
Features
17
Overall
26

Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 Key Specs

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
  • Announced August 2014
  • Older Model is Sony a5000
Sony S950
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
  • Introduced February 2009
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Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 Overview

Here is a thorough analysis of the Sony a5100 vs Sony S950, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are sold by Sony. There is a significant difference among the resolutions of the a5100 (24MP) and S950 (10MP) and the a5100 (APS-C) and S950 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The a5100 was released 5 years later than the S950 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S950 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the a5100 matches up versus the S950 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Sony a5100 over the Sony S950

 a5100 S950 
IntroducedAugust 2014February 2009Fresher by 67 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display size3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution922k230kSharper display (+692k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony S950 over the Sony a5100

 S950 a5100 

Common features in the Sony a5100 and Sony S950

 a5100 S950 
Manual focus Dial accurate focusing
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen

Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 Physical Comparison

In case you're planning to carry your camera often, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Sony a5100 has exterior dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs) and the Sony S950 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Look at the Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the a5100 versus the S950.

Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the a5100 and S950 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 top view buttons comparison

Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it's tough to see the gap in sensor sizing simply by checking out technical specs. The graphic here will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the a5100 and S950.

As you have seen, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The a5100 because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony a5100 will produce extra detail as a result of its extra 14MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The fresher a5100 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.

Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 sensor size comparison

Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Sony a5100
Portrait photography with Sony S950
72
has manual focus
MP count decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
has face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats
can't use external flash
26
manual focus
lack of manual exposure
cannot use external flash
resolution not great (10MP)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Sony a5100 as a Street photography camera
Sony S950 as a Street photography camera
82
screen tilts
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
boasts focus via touch
very good high ISO (25,600)
lack of image stabilization
56
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
no moving screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sony a5100 as a Sports photography camera
Sony S950 as a Sports photography camera
68
MP count decent (24MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
has tracking autofocus
great battery (400 CIPA)
sensor has phase detect autofocus
slow frames per second (6.0 frames per second)
lack of image stabilization
24
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
slow frames per second (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
resolution not great (10MP)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Sony a5100
Travel photography with Sony S950
80
great battery (400 shots)
boasts focus via touch
MP count decent (24MP)
flash built-in
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
50
built-in flash
lack of Time Lapse mode
resolution not great (10MP)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony a5100 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony S950 as a Landscape photography camera
79
has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3")
MP count decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
very good high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW formats
great battery (400 CIPA)
lack of image stabilization
31
manual focus
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inch)
lack of manual exposure
resolution not great (10 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
lack of Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony a5100 Vlogging information
Sony S950 Vlogging information
34
touchscreen
has face detection autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
lack of image stabilization
missing external microphone port
9
no video
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Sony a5100 vs Sony S950 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony a5100 and Sony S950
 Sony Alpha a5100Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950
General Information
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha a5100 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Announced 2014-08-17 2009-02-17
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Bionz X -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size APS-C 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 23.5 x 15.6mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 366.6mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 24 megapixel 10 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 6000 x 4000 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 25600 3200
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 179 9
Lens
Lens support Sony E fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 33-132mm (4.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/3.3-5.2
Macro focusing distance - 10cm
Total lenses 121 -
Crop factor 1.5 5.8
Screen
Type of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3 inches 2.7 inches
Display resolution 922 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 30 secs 2 secs
Max shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shutter rate 6.0 frames per sec 1.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 4.00 m (at ISO 100) 3.50 m
Flash modes Flash off, auto, fill-flaw, slow sync, redeye reduction Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p, 25p), 1280 x 720 (120p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p) -
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video file format MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S Motion JPEG
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 283 grams (0.62 lbs) 167 grams (0.37 lbs)
Physical dimensions 110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 80 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.8 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.7 not tested
DXO Low light rating 1347 not tested
Other
Battery life 400 shots -
Style of battery Battery Pack -
Battery ID NP-FW50 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous (3-5 shot)) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Storage type SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Price at release $448 $130