Capturing Life’s Moments with the Sony Alpha a6100

The Sony Alpha a6100 is a popular camera for both amateur and professional photographers. Equipped with advanced features, high-quality lenses, and speedy autofocus, this camera is perfect for capturing life’s most amazing moments. In this blog, we’ll take a deeper look at the Sony Alpha a6100 camera and what makes it a top choice for photographers.

Written by Victor Chan | Updated: Mon May 01 2023

Sony Alpha a6100 article cover photo

Key Features

Aug 28 2019

Announced

24 megapixels

Resolution

BrandSony
Sensor TypeAPS-C
SensorCMOS
Weight396g
MSRP$848USD

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Overview of the Alpha a6100

Photographers have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a camera, but the Sony Alpha a6100 stands out from the crowd. With its cutting-edge features, impressive autofocus system, and advanced lenses, this camera is the perfect tool for capturing stunning images of everything from your children’s first steps to breathtaking landscapes. In this blog, we’ll delve deeper into the features of the Sony Alpha a6100 and demonstrate why it’s considered one of the best cameras on the market today.

Sony Alpha a6100 Pros and Cons

Now, we will look more closely at our review of the Sony Alpha a6100 camera. We will see what it can do and compare it to other cameras like it. We will tell you what's good about it and what's not so good. This way, you'll know if it's the camera for you!

Pros

Excellent image quality
Fast autofocus
Compact and lightweight
Good low light performance
4K video recording
Good value for money
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
Touchscreen interface
Interchangeable lenses
Good battery life

Cons

Limited selection of native lenses
No in-body image stabilization
No headphone jack
Not weather-sealed
No image stabilization during 4K video recording
Limited physical controls
LCD screen is not fully articulated
Limited buffer capacity
No 60fps option in 4K video recording
Poor microphone quality.

Build and Construction

Body and dimensions

Sony Alpha a6100

Weather sealed
Dimensions120 x 67 x 49mm
Weight396g
Thickness49mm
Weight
Min
Avg
This
Max
Thickness
Min
Avg
This
Max

Weather Sealing

The Sony Alpha a6100 is not sealed against water and dust, so it's important to be careful when using it in such conditions. If you often shoot in environments with water or dust, it's recommended to check out another camera with weather sealing.

Design and Handling

Main design features

View FinderElectronic
Screen TypeTilting
Screen Resolution922k dots
Body typeRangefinder-style mirrorless

Suitable for:

PhotographyAbove Avg.
VideographyAbove Avg.
TravelAbove Avg.

LCD Screen

This camera has a tilting 3.00" screen, with a display resolution of 922k dots. This makes the Sony Alpha a6100 not as suitable for those looking for a vlogging camera as you cannot view yourself while shooting selfies easily. The camera also features a touch screen, which adds to its ease of use.

Viewfinder

Alpha a6100 includes a electronic viewfinder with 1,440k dots of resolution with a coverage of 100% and a magnification of 0.71x. This feature enhances the camera's suitability for outdoor photography in bright conditions.

Image Quality

Sony Alpha a6100 has a 24MP sized CMOS sensor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 24 pixels. Sony Alpha a6100 has a native ISO range of 100 - 32000 which can be boosted to null - 51200. It can also save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Key Features

Aug 28 2019

Announced

100 - 32000

ISO Range

SensorAPS-C
Extended ISOnull - 51200
Max resolution6000 x 4000 pixels

DXO Sensor Scores

Overall

not tested

Color Depth

not tested

Dynamic Range

not tested

Low Light ISO

not tested

DXO mark sensor scores

The DXOmark rankings indicate that the Sony Alpha a6100 camera has excellent color depth performance, which refers to the number of colors the sensor can distinguish. Additionally, its dynamic range is also excellent, allowing it to retain high amounts of details in both bright and dark areas of a scene. The camera's low light ISO performance is excellent, which is an important factor to consider if you plan to use it in dimly lit indoor environments or at night. Overall the image quality of the Alpha a6100 is excellent

Crop Factor

Camera crop factor (or focal length multiplier) refers to how a camera's sensor size affects the apparent field of view of a lens. Crop factor is determined by comparing the size of a camera's sensor to that of a full-frame sensor, which is a standard reference size for camera sensors.

Size comparison

Medium FormatFull FrameAPS-C (Sony, Nikon)

Crop factor calculator

Crop factor

1.5x

Full frame equivalent

36mm

This camera: APS-C

24mm

850100150200

Connectivity, storage, battery

StorageSD/SDHC/SDXC + Memory Stick Pro Duo
Battery Life420 shots
Battery ModelNP-FW50
HDMI
USD
Wireless Connectivity

Storage

The Sony Alpha a6100 supports SD/SDHC/SDXC + Memory Stick Pro Duo with 1 slots for storage. This may suffice for everyday use. However, for professional applications such as wedding photography, it is not recommended as a memory card malfunction could lead to the loss of all footage.

Battery

The Sony Alpha a6100 uses the NP-FW50 model of battery pack. This is rated for 420 shots shots which is high. If you intend to take photos or record videos for an extended period, it might be a good idea to bring along additional batteries.

Photography Features

Flash

The Sony Alpha a6100 has built in flash which is great for event photography and in low light situations. It also offers a flash shoe that allows you to attach external flashes. This provides more versatility in your lighting choices.

Shutter

The Sony Alpha a6100 boasts a maximum mechanical shutter speed of 1/4000s, which is ideal for shooting fast-moving subjects in bright environments, such as in sports photography. Faster shutter speeds enable you to freeze the action and capture every detail, making it easier to get the perfect shot.

With a continuous mechanical shutter speed of n/a or an electronic shutter speed of n/a, this camera is not capable of capturing the perfect moment more easily, making it not as suited for wedding, sports, and wildlife photography. Higher shutter speeds make it easier to capture fast-paced action, ensuring that you never miss the perfect shot.

Autofocus

The Sony Alpha a6100 includes two autofocus (AF) systems: contrast detection and phase detection, with 425 number of focus points.

While contrast detection is generally more accurate and precise, phase detection autofocus is faster and more effective in most situations, particularly when photographing moving subjects.

Phase detection autofocus works by dividing the incoming light into pairs and then analyzing how they intersect on the camera's sensor. This method allows the camera to determine not only if a subject is in focus but also the direction and distance needed to adjust the focus to achieve perfect sharpness.

On the other hand, contrast detection autofocus works by analyzing the contrast of an image and adjusting the focus until the highest contrast is detected. While this method is very accurate, it can be slow, especially in low light conditions or when photographing moving subjects.

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FAQ

What is the sensor size of the Sony Alpha a6100?

The Sony Alpha a6100 features a CMOS sensor

Is the Sony Alpha a6100 weather sealed?

No the Alpha a6100 does not have weather sealing.

When was the Sony Alpha a6100 announced?

The Sony Alpha a6100 was announced on Aug 28 2019

Does the Sony Alpha a6100 have in-body image stabilization?

No the Alpha a6100 does not have in-body image stabilization that can compensate for camera shake, making it easier to shoot handheld in low light conditions.

What is the ISO range of the Sony Alpha a6100?

The Alpha a6100 has a native ISO range of 100-32000, which can be expanded to ISO null-51200 for even greater sensitivity in low light conditions.

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