Sony a6500 vs Sony a5100

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a6500 and Sony a5100. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a6500

Sony a5100

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a6500 were released 2016 and Sony a5100 was released 2014. That is a 2 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a6500	2016
Sony a5100	2014

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Sony APS-C") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Neither of the cameras has a Full frame sensor which means that you will get a "crop factor" where the camera's sensor size affect the focal length with a multiplier.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a6500	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Sony a5100	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** 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 a6500 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a5100 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a6500	24 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000
Sony a5100	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 a6500	100-25600
Sony a5100	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 a6500
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a5100

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a6500 can shoot up to 11 pictures per seconds and Sony a5100 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a6500	11
Sony a5100	6

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a6500 and Sony a5100 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 a6500 weighs 453 gr (equal to 1 lb) which is 60% heavier than Sony a5100 and its 283 gr (or 0.62 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a6500	453 gr 1 lb
Sony a5100	283 gr 0.62 lb