Sony a5100 vs Sony a7

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a5100 and Sony a7. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a5100

Sony a7

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a5100 were released 2014 and Sony a7 was released 2013. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a5100	2014
Sony a7	2013

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a5100 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Sony a7 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a5100	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Sony a7	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** 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

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Sony a5100 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a7 has 24 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 a7	24 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000

ISO range

Both of these cameras offer the exact same ISO range. They both have 100 to 25600.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a5100	100-25600
Sony a7	100-25600

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 a7

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 a7 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a5100	6
Sony a7	5

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 a7 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 a7 weighs 474 gr (equal to 1.04 lb) which is 67% heavier than Sony a5100 and its 283 gr (or 0.62 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a5100	283 gr 0.62 lb
Sony a7	474 gr 1.04 lb