The Sony a6000 is the most popular mirrorless camera of all time, and the Sony a5100 hasn’t done too bad with sales either.
What makes this line one of the most popular in the world is that the cameras in it offer high-quality shooting at amateur-pricing, especially now that both of these cameras are over 5 years old. In fact, they actually both came out in 2014, just a few months apart.
So, what makes the Sony a6000 more popular than the Sony a5100? What makes this line popular at all?
Let’s dive right into our Sony a5100 vs Sony a6000 article to find out.
Sony a5100 vs Sony a6000 Specs
Sony a5100
The Sony a5100 vs Sony a6000 debate begins where every great camera debate should: at the specs.
I’m going to start by giving an overview of the Sony a5100 specs before discussing the Sony a6000 specs, and finally giving a breakdown about what the (very few) differences are.
The Sony a5100 is a relatively small camera at 2.5 x 4.3 x 1.4 inches. That means that a lot of parts to this camera are also small, like its small and shallow grip.
While I don’t personally own a Sony a5100, I have shot with one before and I found it sort of off-putting because I tried to shoot with a large lens and didn’t feel like the size of the camera body was adequate enough to handle it.
The Sony a5100 screen is actually quite impressive. It’s a 3” LCD touchscreen, which functions pretty well for how old its technology is.
Sony a5100
Other Sony a5100 Specs:
- 24MP sensor
- ISO range of 100-25,600
- 3” tilting touchscreen with 921k-dots
- 6fps burst mode
- Full HD video
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- .62 lbs
Sony a6000
Now, onto the Sony a6000. The biggest difference in these two cameras is that the Sony a6000 has an electronic viewfinder, whereas the Sony a5100 doesn’t have one at all.
However, the Sony a6000 also has a better burst mode at 11fps.
Other Sony a6000 Specs:
- 24MP sensor
- ISO range of 100-25,600
- 3” tilting touchscreen with 921k-dots
- Full HD video
- 11fps burst mode
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- .76 lbs
So, as you can tell, the only major differences between the Sony a5100 vs. Sony a6000 is the presence of a viewfinder in the Sony a6000 and the higher burst rate.
Sony a5100 vs Sony a6000 Body & Design
Sony a5100
I talked about the Sony a5100 body a little bit in the section on specs above. But, suffice it to say, this is a really small camera. It isn’t large and it barely weighs anything, and I can echo these exact thoughts with the Sony a6000 body.
A lot of the similarities of these cameras lie in their designs. Both of these cameras feature the same tilting LCD touchscreen. They both have built-in flash and they both have UHS card support.
Sony a6000
Unfortunately, neither of these cameras come with either in-body image stabilization or environmental sealing, so I wouldn’t recommend them for photographers who are constantly shooting on the go.
The Sony a6000 comes with an external flash shoe, while the Sony a5100 doesn’t. I personally believe it’s a Sony a5100 design flaw.
Sony a5100 vs Sony a6000 Build & Handling
Sony a6000
As for the Sony a6000 design, it shares the exact same problems. Sony a6000 handling is definitely a challenge with larger lenses thanks to the tiny size of its body.
It comes with a ton of different buttons and dials and is customizable, so if you’ve worked with any other camera in this line then you pretty much know what to expect.
However, the grip on the Sony a6000 is more pronounced, which I thought was a welcome reprieve from the tiny grip on the Sony a5100.
Sony a5100 vs Sony a6000 Video Performance
Thanks to T-Gasolina blog for the above video comparing the video performances of the Sony a5100 vs Sony a6000.
I personally believe the Sony a5100 video performance is better than the Sony a6000, just for a few reasons listed in the video, like the fact that the Sony a5100 has an easily accessible SD card and the fact that it's cheaper and it really makes more sense to just save some money on the body to buy a better lens.
But, the Sony a6000 video performance isn’t too shabby…
I mean they both shoot Full HD video, and while the absence of an electronic viewfinder may turn you off from the Sony a5100, the end product of each of these cameras turns out pretty similar.
Sony a5100 vs Sony a6000 Price
Sony a5100
Since both of these cameras are now six years old, you can pick one up for a great price. A new Sony a5100 with a kit lens can be found for around $450 while a new a6000 with a kit lens will set you back around $550.
For even more savings, you might consider buying used. Since these cameras have been on the market for a while, there is an excellent used market.
Sony a6000
For example, you can get an a6000 body in excellent condition for $379 at MPB. MPB is my used gear retailer of choice because they have such a wide selection of gear at great prices.
MPB doesn’t have any a5100’s in stock at the moment, but if you check back on a regular basis, you’ll likely find that more have come in.
Whether you go with an a5100 or an a6000, you’ll get a well-featured camera that doesn’t break the bank - especially if you buy used. And if you’re wary of buying used, don’t be! Sites like MPB go through a painstaking process of inspecting each camera and grading it, that way you know the precise condition of the camera before you buy.
And since MPB offers a 6-month warranty on many of their items, you can rest assured that if something goes awry, they’ll be there to fix the problem!
This post about "Sony a5100 vs Sony a6000 Cameras" was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/sony-a5100-vs-sony-a6000
