Sony a5000

The Sony a5000 is a compact mirrorless camera from 2014. At 269 g and 110 x 63 x 36 mm it slips into a jacket pocket, and that portability shapes its appeal.

Inside sit a 20 megapixel APS-C sensor and the Sony E mount. That combination suits travellers and everyday photographers who want interchangeable lenses without carrying a heavy kit.

You frame every shot on the flip-up LCD because there is no viewfinder. It rewards considered, unhurried photography rather than fast action.

A 20 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor pairs with the Bionz X processor, giving resolution that leaves room to crop. Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to 16000, a range that spans bright outdoor light and dimmer indoor evenings, though the ceiling is moderate.

Shooting pace is the main constraint. Autofocus uses 25 points, while the maximum burst of 3.5 fps and a 1/4000 s top shutter speed suit deliberate work rather than rapid sequences.

There is no in-body stabilisation, so with unstabilised lenses you need to keep shutter speeds up or brace the camera as light fades. Fast primes and steady hands get the most from the sensor.

Those strengths and limits together produce an Optics score of 60, a good result that places the a5000 around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics.

Video tops out at Full HD rather than 4K, which caps the fine detail available in footage. Clips record as MP4 files.

At its fastest setting the camera records 60fps, which renders everyday motion smoothly and gives editors room to slow a moment down for effect.

A timelapse function is built in, automating interval shooting for sequences of clouds, traffic or a sunset without needing a separate intervalometer.

That earns a video score of 70, a good rating built on the Full HD resolution, the 60fps maximum and built-in timelapse. For holiday clips, family moments and web sharing the a5000 has the essentials covered, with resolution the main limit for anything more ambitious.

Framing happens through live view on a 3-inch LCD that flips up, which helps at low angles and for self-portraits. The 460,800-dot panel is serviceable for composition and playback.

There is no touch input, so you work through buttons and menus, which slows settings changes a little while shooting.

Wi-Fi is built in for wireless connection, though Bluetooth is absent. The built-in flash helps in dim rooms, and there is no option for an external flash when you need more power.

The camera has no weather sealing, so it needs shelter from rain and dust. That gap, together with the absent touch input and Bluetooth, explains the limited features score of 37.

The a5000 accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC cards as well as Memory Stick Pro Duo, giving two card families to choose from. There is only one slot, so spare cards travel in your bag rather than inside the camera.

The NP-FW50 battery is rated at 420 shots per charge, though that figure comes without stated test conditions, so real-world endurance will vary. Heavy shooters may want a spare battery in the bag.

Charging over USB is not supported, so you cannot top the battery up from a computer's USB port. The single slot, the 420-shot rating and absent USB charging together give the limited storage and battery score of 24.