Build and handling
Considering what has been packed into the Alpha 5100, it’s quite astonishing that Sony has managed to keep it so compact. Physically, it’s identical to the Alpha 5000, the world’s smallest APS-C-format camera, but weighs a fraction more. Yet due to its plastic construction, it only weighs 283g with a card and battery loaded, so it should fit comfortably into most jacket pockets when mounted with its kit lens. The Alpha 5100 is also comfortable enough when worn around the neck all day.
It’s distinctly obvious that this camera has been built to a price, but with that said, it doesn’t feel cheap. Its plastic exterior is tough and the plastic grip has a leatherised texture that is easy to hold when shooting, although a slightly deeper grip would have been ideal.
Capturing images on its 3in, 921,600-dot LCD screen can be done with the screen tilted upwards, or front-facing when taking self-portraits. It’s also possible to use the screen to point-focus and shoot, although touchscreen functionality is limited to taking pictures only.
In use, the touchscreen is highly responsive, though it’s a shame that it wasn’t enabled during playback mode, at least for pinch-zoom and scrolling through images.
