Sony A6100 vs A77

The Sony Alpha A6100 and the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in August 2019 and August 2011. The A6100 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 A6100		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
4K/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-32,000 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-16,000 (50 - 25,600)
Electronic viewfinder (1440k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0" LCD – 922k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Fully flexible screen (no touchscreen)
11 shutter flaps per second		12 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
420 shots per battery charge		470 shots per battery charge
120 x 67 x 59 mm, 396 g		143 x 104 x 81 mm, 732 g

Check A6100 offers at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A6100 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 A6100 and the Sony A77 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The A6100 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, 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 (85 percent) than the Sony A6100. Moreover, the A77 is substantially heavier (85 percent) than the A6100. It is noteworthy in this context that the A77 is splash and dust-proof, while the A6100 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 A6100 gets 420 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 A6100 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony A6100	120 mm	67 mm	59 mm	396 g	420	n	Aug 2019	749	ebay.com
2.		Sony A77	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	732 g	470	Y	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	121 mm	74 mm	43 mm	337 g	350	n	Sep 2017	899	ebay.com
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	118 mm	83 mm	41 mm	383 g	350	n	Jan 2017	899	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm X-T30	118 mm	83 mm	47 mm	383 g	380	n	Feb 2019	899	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-T200	121 mm	84 mm	55 mm	370 g	270	n	Jan 2020	699	ebay.com
7.		Pentax K-3	131 mm	100 mm	77 mm	800 g	560	Y	Oct 2013	1,299	ebay.com
8.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	1,999	ebay.com
9.		Sony A77 II	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	647 g	480	Y	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
10.		Sony A99	147 mm	111 mm	78 mm	812 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
11.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	329	ebay.com
12.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
13.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	899	amazon.com
14.		Sony A6500	120 mm	67 mm	53 mm	453 g	350	Y	Oct 2016	1,399	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6600	120 mm	67 mm	69 mm	503 g	810	Y	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
16.		Sony NEX-7	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	400 g	430	n	Aug 2011	1,349	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-E10	115 mm	64 mm	45 mm	343 g	440	n	Jul 2021	699	amazon.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 retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The A6100 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 46 percent) than the A77, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies 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 A6100 and the A77 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the A6100 is much more recent (by 8 years) than the A77, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The A6100 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Sony Alpha A6100 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 32000, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. 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 assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony A6100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1947	84
2.		Sony A77	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.2	801	78
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.9	13.3	1764	82
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.9	13.2	1704	81
5.		Fujifilm X-T30	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.1	13.5	1895	83
6.		Fujifilm X-T200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1991	84
7.		Pentax K-3	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.7	13.4	1216	80
8.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
9.		Sony A77 II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.4	13.4	1013	82
10.		Sony A99	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	14.0	1555	89
11.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
12.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
13.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
14.		Sony A6500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.5	13.7	1405	85
15.		Sony A6600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.8	13.4	1497	82
16.		Sony NEX-7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.4	1016	81
17.		Sony ZV-E10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2134	85
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the A6100 provides a higher video resolution than the A77. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the A77 is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the A77 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the A6100 (2359k vs 1440k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Sony A6100 and Sony A77 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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 A6100	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
2.		Sony A77	2359	Y	3.0 / 921	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	n
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
5.		Fujifilm X-T30	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
6.		Fujifilm X-T200	2360	n	3.5 / 2780	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
7.		Pentax K-3	optical	Y	3.2 / 1037	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.3/s	Y	Y
8.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
9.		Sony A77 II	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Sony A99	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	n	Y
11.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
12.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
13.		Sony A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
14.		Sony A6500	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony A6600	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
16.		Sony NEX-7	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony ZV-E10	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
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 A6100 has a touchscreen, while the A77 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the A6100 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Sony A6100 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the A6100 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 A6100 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 A6100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Sony A77	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Fujifilm X-T30	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
6.		Fujifilm X-T200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
7.		Pentax K-3	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
8.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Sony A77 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony A99	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
14.		Sony A6500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Sony A6600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	YES	2.0	Y	Y	Y
16.		Sony NEX-7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Sony ZV-E10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the A6100 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 A6100) 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 A6100 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 A6100 was followed by the Sony A6600. Further information on the features and operation of the A6100 and A77 can be found, respectively, in the Sony A6100 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A77 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Sony A6100 and the Sony A77? Which camera is better? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A6100:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• 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.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (120x67mm vs 143x104mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 336g or 46 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.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (46 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 8 years of technical progress since the A77 launch.

Advantages of the Sony Alpha SLT-A77:

• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2359k vs 1440k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.70x).
• 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.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (470 versus 420) 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.
• 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 individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A6100 emerges as the winner of the contest (14 : 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 sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape 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 A6100 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 says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the A6100 and the A77 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera 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 (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony A6100	..	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	5/5	Aug 2019	749	ebay.com
2.		Sony A77	5/5	91/100	..	81/100	..	5/5	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	4.5/5	+	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2017	899	ebay.com
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	5/5	+ +	5/5	82/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	899	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm X-T30	5/5	+ +	5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2019	899	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-T200	3.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2020	699	ebay.com
7.		Pentax K-3	4/5	..	..	83/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	1,299	ebay.com
8.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	1,999	ebay.com
9.		Sony A77 II	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
10.		Sony A99	5/5	..	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
11.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	329	ebay.com
12.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
13.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	899	amazon.com
14.		Sony A6500	5/5	+ +	3.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	1,399	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6600	4/5	+	4/5	83/100	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
16.		Sony NEX-7	5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2011	1,349	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-E10	4/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2021	699	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated 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. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods 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

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