Sony A5100 vs A77

The Sony Alpha A5100 and the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in August 2014 and August 2011. The A5100 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the A77 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Sony A5100		Sony A77
Mirrorless system camera		Digital single lens reflex
Sony E mount lenses		Sony A mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600		ISO 100-16,000 (50 - 25,600)
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0" LCD – 922k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Fully flexible screen (no touchscreen)
6 shutter flaps per second		12 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
400 shots per battery charge		470 shots per battery charge
110 x 63 x 36 mm, 283 g		143 x 104 x 81 mm, 732 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A5100 and the Sony Alpha SLT-A77? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Sony A5100 and the Sony A77 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The A5100 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the A77 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A77 is considerably larger (115 percent) than the Sony A5100. Moreover, the A77 is substantially heavier (159 percent) than the A5100. It is noteworthy in this context that the A77 is splash and dust-proof, while the A5100 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the A5100 gets 400 shots out of its Sony NP-FW50 battery, while the A77 can take 470 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FM500H power pack. The power pack in the A5100 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony A5100	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	283 g	400	n	Aug 2014	EUR 499	ebay.com
2.		Sony A77	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	732 g	470	Y	Aug 2011	EUR 1 299	ebay.com
3.		Panasonic GH5	139 mm	98 mm	87 mm	725 g	410	Y	Jan 2017	EUR 1 999	ebay.com
4.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
5.		Sony A9	127 mm	96 mm	63 mm	673 g	650	Y	Apr 2017	EUR 5 299	ebay.com
6.		Sony A77 II	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	647 g	480	Y	May 2014	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
7.		Sony A99	147 mm	111 mm	78 mm	812 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	EUR 2 799	ebay.com
8.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	EUR 299	ebay.com
9.		Sony A5000	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	269 g	420	n	Jan 2014	EUR 399	ebay.com
10.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	EUR 549	ebay.com
11.		Sony NEX-3	117 mm	62 mm	33 mm	297 g	330	n	May 2010	EUR 499	ebay.com
12.		Sony NEX-3N	110 mm	62 mm	35 mm	269 g	480	n	Feb 2013	EUR 499	ebay.com
13.		Sony NEX-F3	117 mm	67 mm	42 mm	314 g	470	n	May 2012	EUR 599	ebay.com
14.		Sony RX100	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	240 g	330	n	Jun 2012	EUR 649	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX100 II	102 mm	58 mm	38 mm	281 g	350	n	Jun 2013	EUR 749	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX100 III	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	290 g	320	n	May 2014	EUR 849	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The A5100 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 61 percent) than the A77, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 24 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the A5100 and the A77 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the A5100 is much more recent (by 2 years and 11 months) than the A77, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The A5100 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Sony Alpha A5100 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 are ISO 100 to ISO 16000, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-25600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony A5100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	12.7	1347	80
2.		Sony A77	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.2	801	78
3.		Panasonic GH5	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.9	13.0	807	77
4.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
5.		Sony A9	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.9	13.3	3517	92
6.		Sony A77 II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.4	13.4	1013	82
7.		Sony A99	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	14.0	1555	89
8.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
9.		Sony A5000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.8	13.0	1089	79
10.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
11.		Sony NEX-3	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	720/30p	22.1	12.0	830	68
12.		Sony NEX-3N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.8	12.5	1067	74
13.		Sony NEX-F3	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.7	12.3	1114	73
14.		Sony RX100	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.6	12.4	390	66
15.		Sony RX100 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.5	12.4	483	67
16.		Sony RX100 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.4	12.3	495	67
17.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/60p).

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the A77 has an electronic viewfinder (2359k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the A5100 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Sony A5100 and Sony A77 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony A5100	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
2.		Sony A77	2359	Y	3.0 / 921	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Panasonic GH5	3680	n	3.2 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
4.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
5.		Sony A9	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
6.		Sony A77 II	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Sony A99	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	n	Y
8.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
9.		Sony A5000	none	n	3.0 / 461	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
10.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
11.		Sony NEX-3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	n	n
12.		Sony NEX-3N	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
13.		Sony NEX-F3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.5/s	Y	n
14.		Sony RX100	none	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony RX100 II	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Sony RX100 III	1440	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The A5100 has a touchscreen, while the A77 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the A5100 and the A77 write their files to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha A5100 and Sony Alpha SLT-A77 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony A5100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
2.		Sony A77	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Panasonic GH5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
4.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Sony A9	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Sony A77 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Sony A99	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Sony A5000	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Sony NEX-3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Sony NEX-3N	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Sony NEX-F3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Sony RX100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Sony RX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony RX100 III	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the A5100 offers wifi support, while the A77 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A77 (unlike the A5100) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Travel and landscape photographers will find it useful that the A77 has an internal geolocalization sensor and can record GPS coordinates in its EXIF data.

Both the A5100 and the A77 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The A77 was replaced by the Sony A77 II, while the A5100 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the A5100 and A77 can be found, respectively, in the Sony A5100 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A77 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Which of the two cameras – the Sony A5100 or the Sony A77 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha A5100:

• Better low-light sensitivity: Requires less light for good images (0.7 stops ISO advantage).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More compact: Is smaller (110x63mm vs 143x104mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 449g or 61 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (61 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 11 months of technical progress since the A77 launch.

Advantages of the Sony Alpha SLT-A77:

• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• More flexible LCD: Has a full-flex screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 6 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (470 versus 400) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Easier geotagging: Features an internal GPS sensor to log localization data.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2011).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A77 emerges as the winner of the match-up (13 : 11 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony A5100 and the Sony A77 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A5100 or the A77. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony A5100	4.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	EUR 499	ebay.com
2.		Sony A77	5/5	91/100	..	81/100	..	5/5	Aug 2011	EUR 1 299	ebay.com
3.		Panasonic GH5	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2017	EUR 1 999	ebay.com
4.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
5.		Sony A9	5/5	+ +	4.8/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2017	EUR 5 299	ebay.com
6.		Sony A77 II	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
7.		Sony A99	5/5	..	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	EUR 2 799	ebay.com
8.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	EUR 299	ebay.com
9.		Sony A5000	3/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	EUR 399	ebay.com
10.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	EUR 549	ebay.com
11.		Sony NEX-3	..	..	..	70/100	4.5/5	4/5	May 2010	EUR 499	ebay.com
12.		Sony NEX-3N	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	EUR 499	ebay.com
13.		Sony NEX-F3	4/5	..	..	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2012	EUR 599	ebay.com
14.		Sony RX100	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4/5	5/5	Jun 2012	EUR 649	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX100 II	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	EUR 749	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX100 III	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	EUR 849	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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