Sony A5100: A Tiny Mirrorless Camera with Super-Fast Autofocus
Adding to its line of mirrorless cameras, Sony is back again with the new A5100. Six months after introducing the A6000, Sony replaces the NEX-5T and dropping the NEX line, unifying all its mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras with Sony Alpha A5100.
It’s also a very minor upgrade over the existing A5000. It has a similar body design, but adds more advanced image sensors. The Sony A5000 is a small size camera with the smallest APS-C interchangeable-lens camera out there. However, before this upgrade, it didn’t have the hybrid autofocus system. The camera is extremely small-sized (4.3 x 2.5 x 1.4 inch) to be packed with so many feature.
The camera does not have an electronic viewfinder, but it does have a NEX-5T-like touchscreen. The ability to tap and focus is quite convenient. It pairs 179 phase-detection AF points with 25 contrast-detection AF points. Sony says it can lock on in as little as 0.07 seconds. Continuous shooting mode supports up to 6fps.
The Sony A5100’s 921k-dot display flips forward 180 degrees for self-portraits. There’s also built-in WiFi, XAVC S video capture and a top sensitivity of ISO 25,600.
If you are a video shooter, then Sony A5100 also stores cool innards for you. There is an option of recording in XAVC S, which allows users to capture footage in 1080p at a bit rate of 50Mbps. Sony says the camera can optionally make two versions of clips: one in AVCHD for easier sharing, and the other in XAVC S with a greater focus on quality. Although, they haven’t provided a mic jack which is disappointing.
But overall, the Sony A5100 seems like a great value. It’ll start shipping in early September, but you can pre-order now. It is available in two color options – white and black.
