Nikon D5100 vs Sony A6500

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Nikon D5100 vs Sony A6500

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APS-C 368.2mm²
16.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D5100 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D5100.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6500 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6500 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6500.
Compare Sony A6500 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6500 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D5200
Compare D5100 vs D5200

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare NIKON D5200 vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Nikon D5100 advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$650* vs $1598
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Bigger pixels
~ 4.79 vs 3.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.3 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

660 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos

Sony A6500 advantages over Nikon D5100

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A6500 test data on DxO Mark D5100 test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 1,183 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
53 mm vs 79 mm
Thinner
Newer
8 years vs 14 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
Less shutter lag
0.18 vs 0.27 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.52x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 3.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 100 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 13 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D5100 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Buy the Nikon D5100

Body Only

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Buy the Sony A6500

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

All A6500 Deals

Review Excerpt

Side-mounted tilt / swivel LCD screen; same sensor and processing as the Nikon D7000; good speed and battery life; in-camera HDR and filter effects; Full HD video capture with aperture control; audio levels control and external microphone jack.
AF-S lens mount doesn't offer autofocus with screw-drive lenses; popup flash isn't the greatest; no built-in wireless flash control; HDR function doesn't microalign source images.
Read our Nikon D5100 Full Review

Comfortable, premium body with good controls; Touch-screen for subject selection; Hybrid image stabilization system; Excellent image quality; Better high ISO JPEGs than the A6300; Extremely fast 11.1 fps burst capture; Very deep buffers for raw and JPEG alike; 4K video capture with no pixel binning
Pricey for an APS-C camera; JPEG colors aren't the most accurate; Very slow buffer clearing; Laggy touch-pad AF function; Poorly-placed movie button; No headphone jack; Mediocre battery life
Read our Sony A6500 Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A55

Nikon D5100

Sony A55

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$734
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
In-camera panoramas

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A55

Sony A6500

Sony A55

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$734
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A55

Compared to Sony A33

Nikon D5100

Sony A33

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$540
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
In-camera panoramas

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A33

Sony A6500

Sony A33

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$540
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A33

Compared to Sony A57

Nikon D5100

Sony A57

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$800
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A57

Sony A6500

Sony A57

$1198
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$800
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Longer stills battery life

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A57

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Nikon D5100

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Sony A6500

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$1300
APS-C

Higher max flash sync
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Compared to Sony A6300

Nikon D5100

Sony A6300

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$748
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

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