Sony a5100 vs Sony a55

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a5100 and Sony a55. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a5100

Sony a55

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a5100 were released 2014 and Sony a55 was released 2010. That is a 4 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a5100	2014
Sony a55	2010

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Sony APS-C") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Neither of the cameras has a Full frame sensor which means that you will get a "crop factor" where the camera's sensor size affect the focal length with a multiplier.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a5100	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Sony a55	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)

Resolution

Sony a5100 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a55 has 16 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a5100	24 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000
Sony a55	16 MP 16032768 pixels 4912 x 3264

Sony a5100 has a 50 % larger resolution than Sony a55. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a5100 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a55. Sony a5100 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Sony a55 has 100 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a5100	100-25600
Sony a55	100-12800

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a5100
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a55

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a5100 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds and Sony a55 can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a5100	6
Sony a55	10

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a5100 and Sony a55 can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Sony a55 weighs 500 gr (equal to 1.1 lb) which is 77% heavier than Sony a5100 and its 283 gr (or 0.62 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a5100	283 gr 0.62 lb
Sony a55	500 gr 1.1 lb