Canon G7 X vs Sony A5100

Introduction

The Canon PowerShot G7 X was introduced on the market in 2014 as an entry-level, large-sensor compact camera that combines many important features and in fact, it has very strong internal components that allow the photographer to take wonderful photos and have an option to record videos as well!

On the contrary, the Sony A5100 is a fundamentally different camera, of a different body type that was released also in 2014, as an entry-level mirrorless camera that was specifically designed to satisfy the needs of novice photographers who would like to find their path in the world of photography without spending a huge amount of money!

Although this comparison will not be the easiest because we aren’t comparing cameras of the same type, still, I promise you an entertaining time, so stick with me for the next couple of minutes in order to find out which camera would be a better option for you!

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Head To Head Comparison

Canon G7 X

The Canon PowerShot G7 X has an exceptionally compact, yet classy, all-black body that measures 2.4 x 4.1 x 1.6″ (HWD), weighs just 10.7 ounces and if you take a closer inspection at its measurements, you can easily conclude that we are indeed talking about a lightweight camera that allows you to shoot for hours without feeling tired at all!

In such a compact body, Canon has utilized a decent amount of controls that are organized really well with the intention to offer you the most convenient user experience, because throughout your shooting sessions, you will be able to easily reach them and adjust the camera exactly as you’d like!

On the top, the left side is completely free of buttons, and literally all of the controls are spread to the right. Namely, you can find an On/Off button, shutter release button, single Mode dial, zoom rocker and an Exposure compensation dial.

If you take a look from the rear, you’ll notice that this unit lacks an electronic viewfinder, and that the control layout is tightly-designed on the right-handed side, leaving enough room for the LCD screen for which we will talk in a minute.

On the right-handed side, you can find a control ring with four directional buttons which is surrounded by a dedicated Start and Stop video capture, Playback button, and Menu control.

In the center, a tilting, 3″ LCD touchscreen that has has a resolution of 1,040k-dots which is capable enough of producing strong visuals, to instantly detect your gestures and of course, to allow you shoot from different angles so that you will never feel restricted on anything once you start shooting. However, keep in mind that if you’re outdoors under a bright daylight, the screen may not offer you the most perfect sight, but this is nothing to be surprised of though, since most of the cameras deal with such an “issue”.

Moreover, the connection ports consist of a micro-HDMI port,a single SD memory card slot, but what’s even better is that this unit has built-in support for Wi-Fi and NFC which by default means the way you will transfer your content is going to be butter-smooth!

When it comes to the performance, the Canon G7 X comes armed with a 1″, 20.2MP CMOS sensor, runs on a strong, DIGIC 6 image processor that promises a superb dynamic range, minimal occurrences of noise as well as a sharp image quality, has a burst shooting speed of 6.5 fps, 31-point AF and an ISO range of 125-12,800!

If you opt to shoot through low ISO levels, keep in mind that the results are good, but at ISO 400, you will notice a presence of noise which isn’t terrible to be honest, hence, details and the colors are well-rendered. The noise starts to get prominent at ISO 6400, and here, JPGs look a bit softened, but still, they are usable and I don’t think that you will have an uncomfortable time viewing them.

Of course, once you reach the highest point, noise becomes heavily pronounced, but what’s interesting that images are kind of usable for printing them in 10×8″.

Since you will also have an opportunity to shoot RAW images, keep in mind that you will be the one that should set the balance between detail retention and noise reduction.

In the end, I’d also like to mention that the G7 X lacks 4K recording, so you will be left to record 1080p videos at 60 fps, which is awesome if you ask me, due to the fact that once you’re done capturing photos, you can start recording videos which will look amazingly! The detail definition, color accuracy and the overall footage quality is excellent, and I’m sure that you will like it!

Canon G7 X Sample Images:

 

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Sony A5100

The Sony A5100 boasts a fairly slim body, that measures 2.5 x 4.3 x 1.4″, it is exceptionally lightweight, weighing just 10 ounces, and it looks really stylish regardless if you choose the all-white or all-black finish!

Aside of being compact and lightweight, the camera’s grip is nothing but excellent, because of its grip that has a pattern coating which makes your shooting experience very convenient, and in this point, I can easily say that both, the G7 X and the Sony A5100 are really comfortable to shoot with.

In terms of the control layout, controls aren’t numerous and are simple to use, hence, you don’t have to be a true professional in order to understand the role of each control, and therefore, you can easily adjust them in order to make the camera satisfy your needs in a given moment.

For example, on the top, there’s a flash release, power switch, shutter release, record button and a zoom rocker, while on the rear, you will notice that the Sony A5100 lacks a viewfinder as its opponent – the G7 X, and that most of the controls are spread on the right-handed side. They include a four-way rocker wheel that lets you have access in multiple settings in order to tailor the picture, and yet three more dedicated buttons that are located above and below.

In the center, there’s the 3″ LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 921k-dot which is outputs vibrant visuals most of the time. By most of the time until you start previewing your content or shooting under a day brightlight. Although the G7 X has a higher resolution than the A5100’s screen, both of them may not offer you the clearest view when you’re using it outdoors, under a bright sun.

Speaking of the connection ports, the Sony A5100 has an HDMI port, USB port, single memory card slot that supports SD/SDHC/SDXC, and as was the case with its opponent, this camera is also Wi-Fi and NFC-enabled, hence, the result remains a tie!

Now, let’s speak about the performance.

First of all, the A5100 employs a 24MP APS-C sensor, has an impressive 179-AF point, bust shooting speed of 6 fps, runs on a BIONZ X image processor that ensures excellent noise reduction while boosting the clarity of the image/video to the highest levels, and has an ISO range that stretches from 100-25,000!

In practice, this camera handles the noise really well, and what got my attention the most is its ability to produce tremendously good results filled with strong details in both situations, whether you shoot by day or night!

If you shoot through ISO 640, you will recognize that the colors are accurate and the overall image quality looks pleasing for most of the viewers, whereas at ISO 800, you will unlikely notice the presence of noise! This pattern continues up to ISO 3200, because noise is indeed minimal!

Of course, if you push the camera’s capabilities to its boundaries, the higher you go the more pronounced the noise is going to be.

On the other side, RAW images hold really well even at the highest ISO points, because normally, most of the advanced photographers often take advantage of various software such as Adobe Lightroom.

Finally, the Sony A5100 records1920 x 1080 videos in 24p/50/60i frame rates and honestly, the footage is overwhelming, it looks sharp and definitely rich, hence, do not hesitate to use the given chance and boost your skills even further!

As a final note, if you decide to go with the A5100, i recommend you also check out our lens recommendations for Sony A5100 to get a lens that will fit your needs.

Sony A5100 Sample Images:

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Canon G7 X vs Sony A5100 Feature Comparison

	Canon G7 X	Sony A5100
Camera Type	Point-and-Shoot	Mirrorless
Megapixels	20.2	24.0
ISO Range	125-12,800	100-25,000
Flip-Out Screen	Yes	Yes
AF Points	31 AF Points	179 AF Points
Viewfinder	No	No
Touchscreen	Yes	Yes
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	BSI-CMOS	APS-C

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Conclusion

After all, you’ve likely noticed that even though both cameras are fundamentally different from each other, they share multiple things in common, including a touchscreen, video recording capability and strong image sensors that aid a lot in providing you with images of an excellent quality.

Before we finish, I’d like to make a quick head to head comparison of both cameras of their key areas, and my intention is to help you have the best and most accurate decision.

For instance, the result of Portrait photography is average by both cameras, but here, the G7 X performs a bit better thanks to the built-in image stabilization, whereas for Street photography, once again, the G7 X performs way better in comparison to the A5100.

For Sports photography, the winner is the A5100 because of its fast shutter speed, and the large amount of focus points, while for Daily photography, both cameras output an above-average performance, and the G7 X performs a bit better.

The areas where Sony A5100 outpeforms its opponent can be noticed at its sensor that has 19% more pixels ( 24 vs 20MP), its 100% higher max ISO ( 25,600 vs 12,800), due to its faster mechanical shutter ( 1/4000s vs 1/2000s), the larger number of focus points ( 148 vs 31), the battery life ( ~400 vs ~210), and due to its higher color depth and better low light ISO performance.

On the contrary to the Sony A5100, the G7 X packs a built-in image stabilization something that the A5100 lacks, has 12% higher resolution screen ( 1,040k vs 922k-dots), 0.5 faster continuous shooting rate ( 6.5 vs 6), larger flash coverage by 3m, and because of its support for UHS memory cards.

To conclude, I think that the A5100 would be a better option for you.

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