Personal View site logo
Sony A5100
  • 65 Replies sorted by
  • image

    Even without considering the Sony A5100 very affordable price, it’s an incredibly well performing camera wrapped into a tiny package. It’s even smaller than a compact Micro Four Thirds camera like the Olympus E-P5. Yet despite the camera’s diminutive size, the A5100 is one of Sony’s best cameras yet thanks to the APS-C sized sensor and autofocus system it has inherited from the Sony A6000.

    http://www.thephoblographer.com/2014/11/20/review-sony-a5100/

    rose93.jpg
    800 x 354 - 106K
  • I've done a simple test in low light, ISO 4000, to test the touch focus.

    (from the description on the tube...)

    Video test shot with a Sony A5100 camera using its Xavc-s codec, imported in FCPX with the XAVC/XDCAM Plug-in for Apple V1.2.1 downloaded from the Sony site. This test is about the touch focus potentialities in low light, the clip's ISO is at 4000, four thousand ISO… In camera settings are all way down: -3 -3 -3 No noise reduction, only some tweaks on exposure, saturation, color and sharpeness. A sliding cropping toggles the original with the edited.

  • @trafficarte thanks for that. Any chance that you can make the original file available through dropbox, google drive, mega or something like that? I would really like to look at it without the additional youtube compression.

  • @arum: I'm trying to share the FCPX original export with GoogleDrive, but my connection is really lazy tonight, when done it'll be here: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B-9JLD4xrZn8UTdXQkJLLWFSTmc&usp=sharing

    (It's still at 12%...)

    The original Xavc-s file is gone, I'm sorry.

    [UPDATE]

    I've uploaded another file, called "SonyA5100Test B" with a couple of text description files. The touch focus is far than perfect, but really useful and really better than any other I've tried.

  • Only to add a Vimeo link when you can download the FullHD version.

  • Thank you so much, @trafficarte. I have played with the files a bit on resolve and it is really a huge improvement over what happens when you use the 5N in low light.

  • I'm uploading another file on the same GoogleDrive folder, a simple test done at ISO 640 with Continuous AF and Flexible Spot. On Vimeo there's a compressed version, 24Mb/s, on GDrive there's the XAVC-S 50Mb/s export from FCPX, done with a custom Compressor preset. Huge file, almost 400Mb for 1 minute of video... This is the Vimeo version:

  • on GDrive there's the XAVC-S 50Mb/s export

    You do not need such bitrate for such video, especially with dark background.

  • @Vitaliy: I've used that bitrate because in another forum someone asks for it. I usually export in ProRes422 as Master file and other more compressed files from it with Compressor or Toast Titanium (for Blu-Ray, far better than Compressor...).

  • @Vitaly: I am currently thinking about an A5100/6000 or a PEN EPL-7 (additionally to my bmpcc) and a question arises: Is there an RJ Lens Turbo for the E Mount?

    Also the image stabilization of the Olympus seems to be a nice thing for vintage glass...

  • Is there an RJ Lens Turbo for the E Mount?

    Yes, of course.

  • I own both the a6000 and a5100. Great cameras, 6000 I use for stills, though it produces really nice avchd. Since I got the a5100, I use it exclusively for video. I shoot everything in xavc-s it is enough data for my use now. I always thought that if I needed prores I would just get the atomos ninja. I am still playing around with the settings to try and get a better filmic look. But for the price I just can't see anything better. IMHO

  • image

    Sony A5100 is one of the most capable entry-level cameras with interchangeable lenses on the market, whether DSLR or mirrorless. Sony's taken the earlier A5000 with its compact body and selfie-capable screen, and equipped it with the sensor from the higher-end A6000 to bring class-leading autofocus to a new low price point. Here are two cameras which can confidently track the action anywhere on the frame whether you're shooting photos or movies. If you're into sports, wildlife or simply have an active family, the A5100 will deliver a success rate that's not been seen before at this price.

    http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Sony_Alpha_A5100/

    sales24.jpg
    800 x 540 - 36K
  • Will be using my A5100 tomorrow for a night scene in a feature film :-)

  • @Vitaly: Thanks for the info! @IronFilm: Cool, I'd be interested in seeing some Lowe light scenes.

    The worst is that I started to look at the Fujifilm cams like the X-E1/2, X Pro 1 or X-M1 and love their images especially at high ISO. But the video quality seems to be much lower than A5100/G6 or Epl-7 together. And what about an RJ Lens Turbo for X-mount? Is Xavc-s so much better in quality than avchd, especially for post stuff?

  • So I used it at ISO 3200 with the Sony 18-105mm f/4 lens (as while it was at night, it also was filmed downtown where we had a fair amount of ambient light, even when down dark alleyways), personally I felt the footage was so so (though more the fault of the operator than the camera! ha) but the director came over to my office today to review all the footage and he was very very happy with it :-) Which is what really matters! And he didn't comment at all or even notice in the slightest any of the little bit of noise in it.

  • I have a NEX-5N and dont seem very good for video, but the A5100 seems a big step.

  • Well.... I'm in a bit of a pickle. The Sony A5100 doesn't seem to put out over HDMI zebras or guidelines?? And the monitor I'm using on this gimbal doesn't have the options to do it for it.

    Or am I missing something, is there a way I can make what I see on the monitor be exactly the same as what the A5100's screen would show??

  • Video quality is nice, sturdy codec and iso performance also quite good. Overheats quickly though.

  • I've shot a short video about a violin maker using this camera with the kit lens on outdoor scenes and the Fujian 35mm 1.7 CCTV manual lens indoor. Password: craft2015