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Sony a5000

 
Sony Alpha a5000 front
 
Portability
89
Imaging
63
Features
62
Overall
62

Sony a5000 overview

Sony a5000 is Sony's Entry-Level Mirrorless camera originally revealed on January of 2014. It houses a 20 MegaPixel, CMOS APS-C sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 5456 x 3632.

Sony released this camera in an effort to upgrade the previous Sony NEX-3N (Read Full Comparison) & subsequently launched the newer Sony a5100 (Read Full Comparison) to upgrade this model.

The a5000 stands at #52 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras & all around #286 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can check our Smart camera finder to find camera rankings based on your personalized factors.

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The following is a chart of multiple criteria used in the scoring system.

Sony a5000 family

The Sony a5000 has a history of related cameras. Listed below, you can check out all past and newer models as well as key features.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-Alpha-a6700 front thumbnailSony A6700
a5000 vs A6700
26MPAPS-C11.0 fps2023
Sony-Alpha-a6600 front thumbnailSony A6600
a5000 vs A6600
24MPAPS-C11.0 fps2019
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Sony-Alpha-a6100 front thumbnailSony A6100
a5000 vs A6100
24MPAPS-C11.0 fps2019
Sony-Alpha-a6400 front thumbnailSony A6400
a5000 vs A6400
24MPAPS-C11.0 fps2019
Sony-Alpha-a6500 front thumbnailSony A6500
a5000 vs A6500
24MPAPS-C11.0 fps2016
Sony-Alpha-a6300 front thumbnailSony A6300
a5000 vs A6300
24MPAPS-C11.0 fps2016
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Sony-Alpha-a5100 front thumbnailSony a5100
a5000 vs a5100
24MPAPS-C6.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-a6000 front thumbnailSony A6000
a5000 vs A6000
24MPAPS-C11.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-a3500 front thumbnailSony a3500
a5000 vs a3500
20MPAPS-C4.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-a5000 front thumbnailSony a500020MPAPS-C4.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A3000 front thumbnailSony A3000
a5000 vs A3000
20MPAPS-C3.0 fps2013
Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing
Sony-Alpha-NEX-3N front thumbnailSony NEX-3N
a5000 vs NEX-3N
16MPAPS-C4.0 fps2013
Sony-Alpha-NEX-F3 front thumbnailSony NEX-F3
a5000 vs NEX-F3
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2012
Sony-Alpha-NEX-C3 front thumbnailSony NEX-C3
a5000 vs NEX-C3
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2011
Sony-Alpha-NEX-3 front thumbnailSony NEX-3
a5000 vs NEX-3
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2010

Sony a5000 Pros and Cons

Below is a checklist of good and bad points of the Sony a5000 based on things which are generally seen as necessary in a camera.

above average min ISO (100)
does have HDMI socket
exports RAW files
flash built-in
good battery power (420 per charge)
good MP (20MP)
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
manual focus
NFC support
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
provides face detect focusing
provides tracking focus
screen tilts
sensor size is good (APS-C)
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
does not have phase detect AF
external flash not possible
lack of headphone socket
lack of microphone socket
low resolution screen (461 thousand dots)
no image stabilization
slow continuous shooting (4.0 fps)
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Sony a5000 Sensor specifications

The Sony a5000 features the Bionz X chip. The size of the sensor in the Sony a5000 is 23.2mm x 15.4mm (APS-C). The 357 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 5456 x 3632 pixels and aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9.

Photography Glossary

The CMOS sensor has 20MP and delivers a native ISO range of 100 - 16000. RAW files are saved which means that you have wider room to maneuver in post.

The image underneath displays the a5000's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The a5000 sensor has a crop factor of 1.6 and is pointed out in green.

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To get an understanding of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony a5000 dimensions

Sony a5000 weighs around 0.59 pounds (269 gr / 9.49 oz) & has exterior size of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4"). The weight of general Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329 gr so the Sony a5000 is lighter when compared to its competitors.

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Down below is a image of the Sony a5000 next to a softdrink to help you get a feel for its scale.

Sony Alpha a5000 dimensions scale

The top view just below will provide the button design on the a5000.

Sony Alpha a5000 topview buttons dials

Sony a5000 Lens specifications

The a5000 fits the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses that are available. Below is some of the lenses we have in our database which will fit the a5000.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Sony-FE-28-60mm-F4-5.6 lensSony FE 28-60mm F4-5.628-60mmf/4-5.6 167g
Samyang-AF-135mm-F18-FE lensSamyang AF 135mm F1.8 FE135mmf/1.8 772g
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Sony-FE-600mm-F4-GM-OSS lensSony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS600mmf/4 3040g
Samyang-AF-24mm-F2.8-FE-Sony-FE lensSamyang AF 24mm F2.8 FE24mmf/2.893g
Sony-FE-70-200mm-F2.8-GM-OSS lensSony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS70-200mmf/2.8 1480g
Samyang-35mm-F1.2-ED-AS-UMC-CS-Sony-E lensSamyang 35mm F1.2 ED AS UMC CS35mmf/1.2420g
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Sony-FE-400mm-F2.8-GM-OSS lensSony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS400mmf/2.8 2895g
Photography Glossary

Sony a5000 Connectivity

The a5000 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras with NFC and Bluetooth support can easily be used wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to transfer pictures and sometimes alter settings with no need to connect physically to the camera.

Some applications even allow a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't close to the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI port, it could be attached to an external display. The majority of cameras enable you to charge the battery through the USB socket.

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Sony a5000 Video specifications

The highest video resolution in the Sony a5000 is 1920 x 1080 and you can shoot in MPEG-4 and AVCHD format. 1080p resolution can provide a good balance in quality versus file sizes but FULL HD will not leave you with any room to downsample. The camera doesn't include a microphone and headphone port which means you have little control over the audio. It is probably best to purchase an alternative model should you require good audio for your video clips.

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Sony a5000 Weather Sealing

There is no weather proofing in the Sony a5000 so you need to be cautious in wet or dusty situations.

Sony a5000 Display and Viewfinder

The Sony a5000 is equipped with a 3 inch tilting display supporting a resolution of 461 thousand dots.

Please be aware that the display screen has no touch support.

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The View Finder details for Sony a5000 are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are rather handy in sunny outdoor situations which might make the camera display washed out and very difficult to see.

Sony a5000 Shutter specifications

Sony a5000 continuous shooting rate is 4.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/4000s.

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Sony a5000 Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Sony a5000 comes with only inbuilt flash without external flash ability. The highest flash sync is 1/160s.

Sony a5000 Autofocus specifications

Sony a5000 comes with just Contrast Detect AF & does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot faster & exact when compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera supports Face detect which makes it useful for people photography.

The AF system supports 25 focus points to select from. It also features Tracking AF for moving objects. Sony a5000 features manual focus in case it is required in low light or you require more precise control on focus.

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Sony a5000 Battery life

The battery power (NP-FW50) in the Sony a5000 is designed to last for 420 clicks as per the CIPA standards which is higher than standard ın comparison with its class. The typical Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 offers the highest (750) battery life in this class of cameras.

Listed below is a listing of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras that have the strongest battery life:

Sony a5000 for specific styles of photography

The following chart displays a summation of the Sony a5000 for specific styles of photography. To learn more, check out the specific section underneath.

Sony a5000 Portrait photography information

The Sony a5000 has a score of 71 which is above average, and means the camera is a respectable pick to use for portrait images. Shooting portraits favors greatly towards sensor dimension, support for RAW files along with the option to utilize external flash.

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manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (20MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
comes with face detect autofocus
supports RAW files
can't use external flash

Street photography with Sony a5000

Having a terrific points tally of 78, the Sony a5000 is a outstanding option to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of picture quality and portability.

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screen tilts
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
does not have image stabilization

Sony a5000 Sports photography features

A moderate sports photography rating of 60 suggests the Sony a5000 is relatively acceptable for photographing sports. A camera really should have fantastic focusing plus shutter speeds for sports photography.

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decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
provides tracking focus
better than average battery pack (420 CIPA)
slow fps (4.0 fps)
does not have image stabilization
no phase detect AF

Travel photography with Sony a5000

Weight is pretty critical when getting a travel camera. On the whole, the Sony a5000 gets a fantastic 78 as a travel camera which is a fantastic fit to purchase for your journeys.

Photography Glossary
good battery (420 shots)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
built-in flash
doesn't have selfie friendly display

Sony a5000 Landscape photography highlights

If you are planning to choose a digital camera for landscape photos, the biggest factor is going to be image quality. The Sony a5000 and it's tremendous score of 77 for a landscape camera is a fantastic choice among it's rivals.

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has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
decent MP (20MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
better than average battery (420 CIPA)
no image stabilization

Sony a5000 as a Vlogging camera

A camera for vlogging preferably should posses a moving screen, mic input and ideally image stabilization. Taking everything in to account, the Sony a5000 is simply not acceptable as a vlog camera as it delivers a horrible rating of 32.

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includes face detect focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
lack of mic support

Sony a5000 Alternatives

If you are shopping for replacements to the a5000, below is a selection of the highest scored cameras which fall within the category of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The chart just below gives you a summary of the a5000 versus it's highest ranking rivals mentioned earlier.

Following are several cameras you might look into as alternatives. To read a comprehensive comparison, go to the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Sony
Model
Sony Alpha a5000
Class
Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced
2014-01-07
Physical type
Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Processor Chip
Bionz X
Sensor size
APS-C
Sensor measurements
23.2 x 15.4mm
Sensor area
357.3mm²
Sensor resolution
20 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution
5456 x 3632
RAW format
Maximum native ISO
16000
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points
25
Lens
Lens mount
Sony E
Total lenses
121
Focal length multiplier
1.6
Screen
Display type
Tilting
Display size
3 inches
Resolution of display
461 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech
TFT LCD with 180 upward tilt
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around score
79
DXO Color Depth score
23.8
DXO Dynamic range score
13.0
DXO Low light score
1089
Features
Lowest shutter speed
30s
Highest shutter speed
1/4000s
Continuous shooting rate
4.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range
4.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash modes
Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Rear Sync., Slow Sync., Red-eye reduction
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize
1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60i/24p), 1440 x 1080 (25 fps), 640 x 480 (25 fps)
Maximum video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
269 grams (0.59 lb)
Physical dimensions
110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4")
Other
Battery life
420 pictures
Style of battery
Battery Pack
Battery model
NP-FW50
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom)
Time lapse shooting
With downloadable app
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots
Single
Price at launch
$448