Sony A5100 vs Canon G3X

Sony A5100 advantages over Canon G3X

• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs 1 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Less expensive
  $448 vs $749*
  Save money for lenses or accessories
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 3.92 vs 2.41 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• In-camera panoramas
  Yes vs No
  Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  A5100 test data on DxO Mark G3X test data on DxO Mark
  23.8 vs 21.4 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• 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.

  A5100 test data on DxO Mark G3X test data on DxO Mark
  1,347 vs 521 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• On-sensor phase detect
  Yes vs No
  Usually improves live view and video AF performance
• 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

  400 vs 300 shots
  Capture more photos
• Thinner
  35 mm vs 105 mm
  Thinner
• Less shutter lag
  0.23 vs 0.41 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More pixels
  24.3 vs 20.2 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  67 vs 9 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster RAW shooting
  6.0 fps vs 0.7 fps
  Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
• Faster shutter
  1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  25600 vs 12800 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility