Sony ILCE5100LB.CEC Compact System Camera with 16-50 Lens (24.3 MP, 180 Degrees Tiltable LCD, Fast Hybrid Auto Focus, Noise Reduction Feature, Wi-Fi and NFC) - Black

There are so many reviews on this camera I thought rather than simply add to these, I would try to offer an opinion on some of the lenses and accessories I’ve used over the past 14 months since buying it.I think this is a brilliant camera but I must confess that I was initially a little disappointed, and this turned out to be due to the 16-50 kit lens. On a positive note the kit lens helps to keep the camera/lens combination small, it looks right on the camera, offers a reasonable range and under the right conditions, it can take a decent image but, it doesn’t really do the camera justice.My first lens purchase was the Sigma 30mm, in my opinion this is an excellent lens and is probably the one that spends most time on my camera. Physically it isn’t much larger than the kit lens so it is still quite a compact package.My next lens was the Sigma 19mm, another excellent lens. I’ve shown people quite heavily cropped photos taken with this lens and they genuinely haven’t been able to tell. This lens is about 1cm longer than the Sigma 30mm and therefore, not quite so compact, but it’s still not a large combination.Both of these Sigma lenses are available for around £120, a bargain in my opinion and a must buy for anyone owning this camera.I then bought the Sony SEL50 f/1.8, please read the reviews for this lens here on Amazon. Physically it’s slightly larger again than the Sigma 19mm but another excellent lens and highly recommended.I’ve recently taken the plunge and bought the Sony 18-105. Again, please read the reviews for this lens here on Amazon. This is by far the most expensive lens I’ve purchased but it met my requirements perfectly, it’s got the range I wanted, it can provide excellent IQ and therefore, I’m very happy with it. However, of the four lenses I’ve mentioned here this is the most difficult for me to recommend, and this is largely due to the cost. I guess you simply need to ask yourself if you really need/want the range this lens provides?I was quite lucky and managed to buy a Patona Battery Charger and Battery from GmbH through Amazon around the same time I bought the camera (it was £21 at the time), it doesn’t seem to be available on Amazon anymore but can still be bought from GmbH on Ebay. It’s hard to recommend a spurious battery but, I can say that in my experience the Patona lasts just as long as the original Sony, holds its charge just as well, displays remaining charge quite accurately and overall, I’ve been so pleased with the performance of the battery that I’ve recently bought another (from GmbH on Ebay), it was about £12.Other purchases worth considering... (and available here on Amazon):-Joby DSLR Wrist Strap – good quality and great for when you don’t want to use a neck strap. It’s about £13Black Camera Case Bag for Sony NEX by BW&H – it’s a small case and suits the A5100 perfectly (I’ve actually posted a review on this bag). It’s about £9If you need a slightly larger Camera Case, the Sony LCS-U11 at £12.50 is worth a look..In respect to the camera bags I didn’t see the point in buying a compact camera and then lugging around a huge case.. however, I’ve sort of contradicted that by buying the Sony 18-105 lens (it looks quite huge on the A5100) but the combination will still ‘just’ fit in the Sony LCS-U11.... just.!!I’ve seen a few negative comments about the menu navigation and lack of quick access buttons/dials but personally, I like the clean look. I’ve removed the ‘tile’ view when you open the menu and I’ve programmed the available buttons to do what I want. Over time I’ve got to know where the most often needed options are and this, combined with removing the tile view, means that I can generally navigate to what I need quite quickly.I tend to only use the PASM modes but on the odd occasion that I’ve tried it, ‘Intelligent Auto’ seems to do a decent job in most situations too. I do not feel the same about ‘Superior Auto’, it’s just my personal opinion but, on the rare occasions I’ve tried it I’ve never been happy with the results....I should stress that I am not a professional photographer, I’m just an enthusiastic amateur who like a nice photo.! And I never shoot RAW, only JPEG.These are just my thoughts and opinions but I hope these comments offer some help....

Awesome camera for my first semi-pro camera! i took this on holiday and thought i would up my game a bit. Whilst everyone i saw was bulking around massive DSLRs i had this pocket rocket A5100 around my neck with a spare sigma lens in my pocket - which was by no means cumbersome or heavy.Now i won't bore people with the usual comparisons as they're on youtube... you buy something like this if you are on the go and want something really mobile. A DSLR is your pro piece but you wouldn't want it on your hols while spending time with the family or your other half - people do, i know but they are not comfy to carry and walk long distances with. If you want something more than a point and shoot...this is it!Basic Pros- Battery life (a full days use while climbing, going whale watching, sight seeing etc.) roughly i got 16 hours on and off use.- The interchangeable lens on such a tiny light body- The grip is great - nice texture too- selfie screen really does help to take great shots of you and your other half- The aperture/shutter/ISO priority settings are really easy to use- Full auto is as good as they say it is on all the reviews!- darker indoor or night photos look great even with the kit lens- video capture is really good for this range of camera, i really wasn't expecting this. I mean it is proper good! :)Basic cons- the lens pops out ready to shoot (on the kit lens) when you go to view your photos and i cannot figure out how to stop that from happening ( a niggle of mine!)- It doesn't come with a battery charger you have to charge the battery through the camera (which takes 8 hours!) a separate 3rd party charger sorts this out though and it can charge the batteries in 2 hours- There is no dial to adjust the settings quickly, you have to use the screen, not good if your're trying to get a photo of an animal that is about to run away!Update your firmware if you want to sync to iphones by the way... I wish i did this before i left the country.5 stars as my pros outweigh the negatives massively

One of the best and smallest camera's I have used for Its price range. Its perfect for nearly all shooting conditions. and if you are someone that does not care to much about dealing with flashes then this is even better for you, as it is for me, Its lovely to hold and looks like an old flim camera which is a nice touch. the flash is great and the tilt on it works a treat, I never get harsh shots, I would say you would need to get a better lens as the one that comes with it is slow and a little on the soft side. but great mostly, its a nice get it dirty lens and don't care to much if it breaks, which is why I use it for sports. 16mm f3.5 it does the job.ProSmall and lightEasy to holdfast shooting speeda nice range of lenses that can be mounted on700-900 shoots between chargesSupports 200gb+ SD cardsHDMI support is great for moon shootsEasy menu layout, fast and effective gets the job doneA good touch screen for changing focus areaConsSmall batteryNeeds updating out of boxComes with poor lens (can buy a better one)Poor screen tilt only one wayCamera strap is small (that can be changed)Disclaimer Photos have been developed in Photoshop from raw files (So they might not be what you personally could get from the camera unless you have understanding of raw and postproduction)