Sony a5100 vs Sony A65

Here is a thorough comparison of the Sony a5100 and Sony A65, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and both are built by Sony. The image resolution of the a5100 (24MP) and the A65 (24MP) is fairly close and both cameras provide the same sensor sizes (APS-C).

Photography Glossary

The a5100 was brought out 2 years later than the A65 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A65 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a short summary of how the a5100 scores versus the A65 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha a5100 and Sony SLT-A65. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony a5100 Gallery and Sony A65 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Sony a5100 has got physical measurements 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 A65 has sizing of 132mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") along with a weight of 622 grams (1.37 lbs).

Look at the Sony a5100 and Sony A65 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the a5100 compared to the A65.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the a5100 and A65 is 89 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by viewing specifications. The visual underneath may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the a5100 and A65.

To sum up, both of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions and the same resolution so you should expect comparable quality of photographs however you will need to take the release date of the cameras into account. The younger a5100 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.