Sony A5100 revealed with A6000’s sensor and AF system

Sony has finally revealed the ultra-compact A5100, a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that borrows plenty of features from the A6000 and the body design of the NEX-5 line-up.

After being rumored for a long time, Sony has just introduced the new A5100 mirrorless camera. This is the company’s first official announcement prior to the Photokina 2014 and it should be followed by multiple other product launch events.

Although Sony has not confirmed this aspect, the A5100 appears to replace both the A5000 and the NEX-5T, which could mean that the “NEX” brand is finally dead.

Sony A5100 comes packed with a 24.3-megapixel APS-C sensor and 179-point AF technology.

Sony A5100 becomes official with 24.3-megapixel sensor and 179-point AF system

The new E-mount shooter borrows heavily from the A6000. It sports a 24.3-megapixel APS-C Exmor CMOS image sensor, BIONZ X image processor, and a 179-point Fast Hybrid AF technology.

The latter allows the device to focus in only 0.07 seconds, a tad slower than the 0.06-second AF speed of the higher-end A6000.

This focus system supports Eye AF as well as Lock-On AF, AF-A, and Flexible Spot AF, which will make sure that photographers will never miss their subjects.

Sony A5100 offers these tools in a small and lightweight body, measuring 110 x 63 x 36mm / 4.33 x 2.48 x 1.42-inches and weighing 293 grams / 9.98 ounces.

Sony A5100 features a 3-inch touchscreen on the back, which can be tilted by 180 degrees.

Versatile touchscreen which tilts by 180-degree and supports Touch Focus

On the back of the camera, users will find a tilting 3-inch 921K-dot LCD touchscreen, which will help them compose photos and videos. The Sony A5100 supports Touch Focus, meaning that you can touch the display where you want to focus and the camera will do the rest.

There is no built-in viewfinder like in the A6000, so you will rely on the Live View mode, as stated above.

The A5100 does RAW photos with a shutter speed range between 30 seconds and 1/4000th of a second and an ISO sensitivity range between 100 and 25,600.

Sony has also added superior video recording performance in its new E-mount camera. It records full HD videos with XAVC S codec support that offers a data rate of 50Mbps.

Sony A5100 release date is September 2014 for a price of $550.

WiFi-enabled Sony A5100 coming in September for about $550

As Sony has accustomed us, WiFi and NFC are not missing from its latest cameras. These connectivity options allow smartphone and tablets users to take control over the A5100 in order to capture photos and videos from a distance.

The connectivity department includes microHDMI and USB 2.0 ports, but does not offer microphone and headphone ports.

The Sony A5100 mirrorless camera features a built-in flash and an autofocus assist light, which should help users in low-light environments. The device also supports a continuous shooting mode of up to 6fps.

Sony has set the A5100 for a September 2014 release date at a price tag of $550. The body will be available in black and white color options. Additionally, a 16-50mm lens kit will be released, too, for a price of $700.

Please note that photographers can already pre-order the product at the aforementioned price courtesy of Amazon.