Sony A5100

amazon Sony A5100 reviews

Design

From outside, the new Sony A5100, the camera offered a few differences from the previous generation Sony A5000 which was unveiled in CES 2014. It weighs only 224 grams and is 109.6 x 62.8 x 35.7 mm in dimension. This camera does feel quite solid in the hand despite being so light and body-mounted with the lens equivalent to a few compacts because of the small size of the SEL 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens. The weight is light enough for use and can be carried anywhere.

The A5100 is outfitted with a 3-inch LCD panel for viewing the still images and videos. This panel can tilt and swivel over 180 degrees to view the object or subject through the camera from the most difficult angles, especially when shooting oneself while standing or sitting.

Operation, control

A full scale 24.3 megapixel with a sensor of Exmor APS HD CMOS in-camera is used in the same manner as in A6000. It features Fast Hybrid AF for the fastest AF speed in this globe. This system can even get mind blowing superfast AF focal lengths of less than 0.07 seconds. Touch AF function further increases the efficiency of autofocus. Now, the user just needs to touch the screen to focus precisely on-up-to-the-focal plane which includes 25 contrast detection points and 179 phase detection points. Overall focus on the A5100 is extremely fast that you won’t have to miss any perfect moments with this camera.

Without a viewfinder on the A5100 has to use the screen-in that case to have the picture from the screen. This is a minus point of the A5100, but the amateur can still feel fairly comfortable because the screen is fairly good with Sony having a “Sunny Weather” mode especially for shooting outdoors.

The only thing one can lament regarding the A5100 is that it has a limited control system by few buttons. Machine without adjustable wheel as fast as A6000. Other than shooting mode priority, user have to take at least two actions to change any setting. But then, it can be understood that this is all given to reduce as much as possible the size and weight of the A5100 by Sony.

where can you get a Sony A5100 online

Sony a5100 16-50mm Mirrorless Digital Camera with 3-Inch Flip Up LCD (Black): Buy it now

Sony a5100 16-50mm Mirrorless Digital Camera with 3-Inch Flip Up LCD (White): Buy it now

Sony a5100 Interchangeable Lens Mirrorless Camera with 16-50mm Lens (Black) 32GB Accessory Bundle (ILCE5100L/B): Buy it now

Sony a5100 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 3-Inch Flip Up LCD – Body Only (Black): Buy it now

The A6000, with its 24.3MP APS HD CMOS sensor and new BIONZ X processor, allows images taken from the A5100 to achieve detail and sharpness. The quality of images formed by both machines has almost reached a slight imbalance in the quality.

Apart from photo functions, the A5100 enhances video recording, capable of AVCHD recordings in resolution at 60p/50p/25p/24p, clear audio stereophonic sound. There are all sorts of formatting codec options. The video recording is the greatest strength of A5100. The camera has far greater potential in video application than its A6000 counterpart. One great thing about the A5100 is that it can record two formats of video at once: MPEG-4 for easy sharing, and XAVC S or AVCHD for maximum resolution storage. Less-compressing more recent video format yields so much higher quality when compared to other formats.

Another feature

Many interesting and useful features will make a user like the A5100 camera. Due to the Wi-Fi connection, users can shoot remotely from a smartphone or tablet. This exchange of pictures or videos is done in a snap, thanks to the inclusion of NFC connectivity.

To add to that, also join the list of cameras whose PlayMemories Camera Apps apps you can use. Interesting apps to consider.

Sensor and Image Quality

The heart of the Sony a5100 is a 24.3MP APS-C Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, powered by the BIONZ X image processor. This combination ensures unmatched image quality with great detail, dynamic range, and color accuracy. The a5100’s sensor is among the largest in its class, similar to those with larger formats that are put in more advanced DSLR cameras. Rightly so, this means better overall performance with this camera.

Images from the a5100 are remarkably sharp with bright colors and the least amount of noise. Such performance in the flexibility of exposure renders its native ISO range of 100-25600 suitable for use in assorted lighting scenarios. In practice, the camera stays quite clean up to ISO 3200, with noise becoming obtrusive at higher settings, thus making this camera ideal for low-light photography, assuring very clean and detailed shots even under most unfavorable conditions.

Another great attribute of the a5100 is the ability to shoot in RAW mode for those photographers who would like more choice over the way to conduct their post-processing work. That’s because all data stored by the sensor will be there in the RAW files, thus giving it flexibility for further editing in regard to exposure, white balance, and so on.

Focused System

In the fast hybrid autofocus system of the Sony a5100, phase-detection works with contrast-detection and includes 179 points with 25 contrast-detection points. The system has a very wide area of the frame and keeps the action precise and lightning-fast in almost all shooting scenarios. The autofocus is great for a camera at this price point and is therefore good for capturing fast-action subjects.

Eye AF detects and focuses on the subject’s eyes for critical sharpness in portraits. It also has face recognition and tracking AF for assisting in tracking moving subjects. The autofocus has proved its efficiency in both stills and video with smooth, reliable performance throughout.

Shooting Performance

With an assortment of shooting modes and features, life would never be dull for an aspiring photo enthusiast with such an attractive option as the a5100. Continuous shooting is about 6 frames per second, which means it is just about good enough to handle the quick-action sequences and fast-paced happenings. The a5100, therefore, will do well for burst sequences as the camera buffer handles a fair number of shots before slowing down.

The Sony a5100, apart from its aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual shooting modes, has quite a number of scene modes and creative styles to present the user with an opportunity to adjust the user settings based upon shooting situations like portrait, landscape, and sport. A variety of creative effects and filters are available, allowing the a5100 users to put their artistic spin on images while still in camera.

Video Functionality

The video capability of the Sony a5100 is nothing short of impressive. Full HD 1080p video shooting is possible at 60 frames per second with the a5100, allowing for smooth and clean-looking footage. It supports the XAVC S format, which utilizes the bit rates higher than normal with enhanced video quality than the standard other common AVCHD format.

The fast hybrid autofocus system serves as a considerable advantage for video shooting since it allows the subjects to achieve continuous and accurate focus on the fly. The touchscreen provides a means of selecting focus points with ease, and the flip-up screen allows for vlogging and self-shot recording. The camera is also armed with a built-in stereo mic, though there is no external microphone input; this could pose a problem for users who want serious audio recording.

Integrated Connectivity and Sharing

The a5100 from Sony has internal Wi-Fi equipped with NFC, which makes sharing and transferring images and videos easy. Anyone can download the PlayMemories Mobile application available both on iOS and Android devices that enable link with any of the cameras with that smartphone or tablet for remote camera control, image transfer, and sharing on social media platforms.

The camera even supports the PlayMemories Camera Apps of Sony, which can be downloaded and installed for the use of extra functionality. These applications they have installed do time lapse, multiple exposure, and smart remote, thus making the camera very versatile and creative.

Battery Life

Cameraphone battery is most likely the NP-FW50 rechargeable battery of the Sony a5100, which offers fairly decent battery life for a compact mirrorless camera. According to the CIPA standard, the camera can shoot approximately 400 shots per full charge. It’s enough shooting for a day of casual shooting or even a short outing. However, it would always be prudent to take a backup battery with you if you were going on an extended tour or using it heavily for several days, as important moments could be missed due to low battery.

User Interface and Useability

The user interface of the Sony a5100 is as user-friendly intuitive. Organize the menu system with well-labeled sections and settings. The display panel uses a 3-inch. Bright display easily navigates through menus and images reviewed on that touchscreen. The touch-screen makes experience for the user very simple and speedy in making quick adjustments and selecting points of focus.

Some may be perplexed in the absence of a standard mode dial that controls shooting modes and rely on menu. It provides a customizable function button to program frequently used settings into the quick menu such that workflow is arched among users.

Price Worth

This also proves that the Sony a5100 is a people-friendly camera, offering advanced functionalities and superior performance yet being accessible to all kinds of people at a very reasonable price. A camera render at well affordable price fits into many functionalities found in superior models, including large APS-C sensor and fast hybrid autofocus and it captured Full HD video recording all in compact and portable. The a5100 is certainly a nice thing for beginners or enthusiast photographers and for anyone who needs power without a huge price tag for a camera.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

Compact and Lightweight: The compactness and lightweight design of the a5100 make it easy to carry about, perfect for travel and everyday use.
Image Quality: The 24.3 MP APS-C sensor delivers superb-quality images resplendent with the detail, dynamic range, and color accuracy.
Fast Hybrid Autofocus: Fast and accurate focusing in nearly every shooting situation due to the mixing of phase-detection and contrast-detection autofocus points.
Flip-Up Touchscreen: The user experience takes a notch higher because of the 3-inch tilting touchscreen that is perfect for taking selfies, vlogging, and capturing high and low angles.
Full HD Video: High-quality Full HD video recording at 60 fps is ideal in smooth and reliable autofocus performance during filming.
Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC: These features enable easy sharing and controlling with the camera, making it more versatile in use.

Disadvantages:

No EVF: Some users will not like the fact that there is no electronic viewfinder on the build, which can be disadvantageous especially under bright sunlight where visibility is poor through the LCD screen.
No Hot Shoe or External Microphone Input: Such a limitation is the absence of a hot shoe, meaning that no external accessories can be attached, like flashes or microphones. However, the absence of an external microphone input could prove burdensome for those serious about videography and want a better-quality audio recording.
Battery Life: Fair battery life, though it is not enough to keep shooting for a very long period or go on a long trip without carrying another spare battery.
Menu Navigation: The mode is not traditional like usual. This means that to change shooting options one requires going through the menu, which can sometimes prove inconvenient for quickly making adjustments.

Would you like to make more conclusions?

The Sony Alpha a5100 is an outstanding compact mirrorless camera providing the broadest range of features at a price that is hard to beat when it comes to image quality. Featuring a 24.3 MP APS-C image sensor, hybrid fast autofocus, and Full HD video, the Alpha a5100 becomes appropriate ground between travel photography and vlogging and everyday use from street photography to professional snaps.

This camera is compact and lightweight, has intuitive controls, a user-friendly interface, and works well for novice and experienced photographers alike just looking for a good travel secondary camera. The flip-up touchscreen and integrated Wi-Fi also lend it versatility, capturing high-quality stills or videos and sharing them all the more easily.

One cannot consider limitations like absence of electronic viewfinder or external microphone input or even hot-shoe as major drawbacks in the face of overall high performance and value for money such a camera offers. Indeed, against the backdrop of drawbacks, strengths of the model heavily outweigh them, making this model highly recommended for anyone wishing to possess a capable and elegantly styled mirrorless camera.

In other words, the Sony a5100 is a compact dynamo of an image maker and has earned its place at the table of even the most discerning of photographers. From capturing snatches of everyday life to travelling to far-flung destinations or spending time creating media for social sharing, this camera is reliable and fun in helping fulfill creative vision.