Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Having been in the CSC game for some time, Sony has once again produced another extremely capable camera.
You can generally rely on Sony cameras to produce excellent images, and happily, the A5100 is no different. Images are bright and punchy directly from the camera, while the amount of detail resolved by its sensor is also particularly impressive.
Pitched at first time interchangeable lens system buyers, it's a good camera to get you started, with the kit lens being a great all-round performer if you choose to only stick with one lens for the time being.
Those further up the experience scale may be a little bit disappointed by the lack of a hot-shoe or built-in viewfinder, as well as the lack of direct control buttons such as a mode dial. On a more positive note, at least you can set all of the buttons to work how you want them to, giving you a good degree of control.
It's great to see that Sony has included a touchscreen on this camera. While there was one on the 5T, there wasn't on the A5000. With a camera that doesn't include too many direct control buttons or dials, having the touch sensitive screen to set autofocus point is a good timesaver.
What's slightly more annoying though is that you can't use the touchscreen for anything else, such as changing settings or navigating the menu - this seems like a bit of an odd omission.
There's a fair amount available here to appeal to the creative photographer, but again it's frustrating that once again Picture Effects cannot be shot in raw format. You do have the option to shoot Creative Styles in both raw format and JPEG though, which is something at least.
It's nice to see the inclusion of Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. If you have an NFC enabled device, it's so easy to use the pair together. While it's a little more fiddly using Wi-Fi, it's handy for remote shooting and sending images across to a smart device. On the other hand, the fact that you can't control much from the app is particularly frustrating when this capability is included with cameras such as the QX1.
Including technology from further up the range is a fairly common occurrence for camera manufacturers, but it's great to see some of the best features from the excellent A6000 trickling down the line - namely the sensor and Bionz X processor. Now we need to convince Sony to send some of the technologies (a touch-sensitive screen for instance) up the other way to the higher end of the range.
We liked
The A5100 produces excellent images, which is the most important thing about any camera. They're bold and punchy, while the amount of detail is fantastic. Even if you never upgrade from the kit lens, you're bound to be very pleased with what the camera can produce.
We disliked
There's not a great deal of direct control buttons and dials here, and removing the hotshoe means that you can't attach an external viewfinder - which seems a shame. Then again, the beginner audience for this camera may not be bothered by such features. It would be nice to see the touchscreen used for more than just setting the AF point, though.
Verdict
Sony has produced another decent, well performing camera. It's not the most exciting compact system camera on the market, but it does have a good range of functions and features that should appeal to a wide range of people. The Sony E Mount system is also becoming a well established system, so it's a nice one to get started with if you're thinking long-term, too.
Overall this would also make an excellent system camera for travelling with, if you want something small and light that you can still rely on to produce fantastic pictures.
