The Sony a5100 Is Still a Great Camera for Beginners
- 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- ISO range of 100-25,600
- 179-point AF system
- 3” tilting touchscreen with 921k-dots
- Full HD 1080p video capabilities
- Built-in flash
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- .62 lbs
Sony a5100 Camera
With the holidays right around the corner, a lot of people are looking for good Christmas presents for people who may want to get into photography and I think that the Sony a5100 is the perfect camera for you.
The Sony a5100 is an older camera. It came out in 2014. But, all that means is that the Sony a5100 is now affordable enough for beginner photographers, because when it first came out it wasn’t.
The Sony a5100 is also a great camera for photographers who are used to using a DSLR and who have never used a mirrorless system. The Sony a5100 isn’t so different from a DSLR as to confuse you, plus the images you can take with this camera will shock you.
Let’s dive right into our full Sony a5100 review so you can figure out whether it’s the camera for you.
Sony a5100 Specs
The Sony a5100 is a compact mirrorless camera with a 24MP CMOS sensor. This sensor is paired with a 3” LCD touchscreen, so you can easily work this camera right out of the box. The touchscreen is actually one of my favorite Sony a5100 specs because it flips upward 180-degrees so you can take selfies or use the Sony a5100 for vlogging.
The Sony a5100 doesn’t take 4K video, which may stop some vloggers from purchasing it, but it does take full HD 1080p video at up to 24fps.
The camera also comes with a self timer, which is really easy to use.
Other Sony a5100 Specs Include:
Sony a5100 Body & Design
The grip is a little smaller than I would have liked it, but it is texturized so you still feel secure while holding it.
As I mentioned, the tiltable LCD screen is one of the best features to this camera. It does not tilt down, unlike some other Sony cameras in this lineup, but I think that the screen works fine as is.
One really important thing to note here is that the Sony a5100 was not designed with an electronic viewfinder. You will be using the rear screen 100% of the time. For more serious photographers, this would be frustrating, but for a beginner who may not be accustomed to using an EVF at all, it may even be a nice feature.
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Sony a5100 Build & Handling
When it comes to the Sony a5100 handling, this camera is a breeze. It is comfortable to hold. It is small enough to bring everywhere. I think that the menu, though a bit limited, is really easy to use. The menu is also customizable, for photographers who need it, but the menu is easy enough to use as is out of the box.
The movie button that is located right next to the shutter is going to be a welcome change for vloggers who will strictly be using this camera for shooting movies.
This is also definitely a camera that you can shoot with with just one hand. If you’re trying to take images of a rambunctious toddler, or dog, you know how important one-handed shooting is.
Obviously, this camera is really small, so the handling is going to get more cumbersome as you add lenses, especially if those lenses are especially large or heavy. If you are going to be working with larger lenses, then you will need to do so with a tripod.
Sony a5100 Video Performance
If you’re thinking about purchasing a Sony a5100 specifically for vlogging, then you can watch Ray Ortega’s Sony a5100 video performance test above to see it in action.
As Ray pointed out, the Sony a5100 is the “perfect vlogging camera.” Obviously, this is because of the selfie screen, but it’s also because it comes with image stabilization and because it is so small that you can easily carry it around with you wherever you go. Considering the price point, which I’m going to talk more about below, the Sony a5100 is also a good travel camera because you don’t have to be constantly worried you’re going to get your camera worth thousands of dollars stolen from you.
But, for more serious videographers, you should keep in mind that the Sony a5100 features do not include an audio input. Likewise, the touchscreen is a bit limited. One thing Ray points out that works really well with the touchscreen is that you can magnify the picture while you’re shooting by simply touching the screen. Otherwise, the touchscreen must be used in tandem with the physical controls on the camera.
Another thing to note is that you won’t be using the Sony a5100 in dark light. It’s ISO range is not wide enough to let you shoot during the nighttime without adding a lot of noise to your image. This is yet another reason why it would work really well as a vlogging camera and less well as a videography camera.
Sony a5100 Price
I mentioned the original Sony a5100 price earlier in the article. When it first came out, it was $700 new. But, thankfully this isn’t the case anymore.
You actually can’t find a new Sony a5100 anymore. But, you can find a used Sony a5100, and they are surprisingly cheap for a mirrorless system.
For instance, there are currently a couple of Sony a5100 bodies available on MPB. Both of these bodies are in “like new” condition, which means they are in “near mint condition with almost no signs of use.”
Both of these bodies are currently on sale for $469. Neither of the options currently available on MPB’s Sony a5100 page currently come with their original packaging, but MPB rotates through hundreds of products every day, as they purchase products from photographers all over North America, so if you’re dead set on finding a Sony a5100 with its original packaging, you will likely find it if you keep checking.
We always recommend MPB to photographers who read this blog because, unlike with Ebay or Craigslist, you always know exactly what you’re going to get. MPB hires a team of knowledgeable photographers and videographers specifically for grading each of their pieces. So, you can actually expect your “like new” Sony a5100 to look like new.
Plus, you can sell your old gear to MPB while you’re purchasing new gear and simply use the money you make on your old stuff towards your new purchases. This has helped me cut costs in my photography business.
To find out all of the reasons why we recommend our photographers to MPB, you can read our review of them below.
