Sony expanded its compact camera lineup with an all-new α5100 model featuring the world's smallest sensor, built-in Wi-Fi, fast Hybrid AF, tilting touchscreen and a lot more.
Sony welcomed the new member to its compact camera family, packed with latest features in a cheaper body to keep the cost of the compact lower than its pricier sibling, the α6000. The camera's super-fast AF, coupled with a 24.3MP sensor, ensures quality photographs, while the built-in Wi-Fi helps users share and upload photos to social media sites.
The α5100's Fast Hybrid Autofocus allows focus in just 0.07 seconds. 179 plane phase-detection captures fast moving objects. The camera's 180-degree tilting display helps focus at all angles. Powered by a 24.3 MP sensor, the α5100 is backed by a BIONZ X processor. The powerful processor ensures the camera reads, processes and sends data from all of the sensor's pixels for superior results.
The camera's video recording feature can capture 1080p Full HD video at 50Mbps. It also supports dual video recording, using full HD and MP4 format simultaneously. Both files get saved to the SD card, so users can share any file anytime.
"Sony continues to innovate in the mirrorless camera space, offering products that are not only smaller and lighter than competitive DSLRs, but that consistently outperform them," said Neal Manowitz, director of the interchangeable lens camera business at Sony. "The new α5100 is a primary example, offering world-class AF speed and performance in a palm-sized body at a great price. It's powerful enough to satisfy the most experienced DSLR shooters, yet not too intimidating for the casual weekend photographer."
In addition to Wi-Fi sharing, the α5100 also sports extensive sharing features. The camera can connect with Xperia smartphones or NFC-enabled Android phones and tablets for one-touch sharing. Once paired, users can also activate the Smart Remote Control to get a live image preview on smartphone or tablet and also release the camera's shutter.
By trading the Viewfinder, 11fps burst mode and a premium build found on the α6000, Sony is giving a chance to save a few dollars with α5100. Available in white and black color options, the body-only model will cost $550 and one with the 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Power Zoom kit comes with a $700 price tag. Comparatively, α6000 with 16-50mm lens costs $800 and just $650 for the body.
