Drop an ARW file from your Sony A5100 and get the exact mechanical shutter actuation count in seconds — processed entirely in your browser, never uploaded anywhere.
Check Shutter Count →The Sony A5100 (ILCE-5100, 2014) was the world's smallest interchangeable-lens camera with APS-C sensor at launch. Its 24.3 MP Exmor CMOS sensor, 179-point phase-detect autofocus, flip-up touchscreen, and ultra-compact body made it a popular travel and casual photography companion. The mechanical shutter is rated at 100,000 actuations.
| Camera | Type | Sensor | Rated Shutter | ARW Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony A5100 | Mirrorless | 24.3 MP APS-C | 100,000 | 0x9050 |
| Sony A6000 (sibling) | Mirrorless | 24.3 MP APS-C | 100,000 | 0x9050 |
| Sony A6100 (successor line) | Mirrorless | 24.2 MP APS-C | 100,000 | 0x9050 |
The A5100 does not have a dedicated electronic shutter mode — every still photo increments the mechanical shutter counter.
| Shutter Count | % of Rated Life | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 5,000 | < 5 % | Lightly used — near new |
| 5,000 – 30,000 | 5 – 30 % | Normal use for its age |
| 30,000 – 60,000 | 30 – 60 % | Moderate to heavy use |
| 60,000 – 90,000 | 60 – 90 % | Heavy use — price should reflect this |
| 90,000 + | 90 %+ | Near or past rated life |
The A5100 was popular as a travel camera and vlogging body. Many used units have modest counts in the 10,000–40,000 range. Bodies with very low counts at this age may have been used primarily with video or electronic-shutter burst modes, or simply stored away.
The Sony A5100 stores the mechanical shutter count in ARW MakerNote EXIF tag 0x9050. Like all Sony E-mount cameras, the value is encrypted using a cubic residue cipher (modulo 249). ShutterCount decrypts and reads this value entirely in your browser — no server, no upload.
JPEGs from the A5100 do not contain the encrypted MakerNote data needed to read the shutter count. Always use the original .ARW RAW file for an accurate reading.
The A5100 does not have a dedicated electronic (silent) shutter option. All still exposures use the mechanical shutter and increment the counter. Video recording uses sensor readout and does not count toward mechanical wear.
Shoot an ARW frame and drop it into shuttercount.app. The count is decrypted from MakerNote tag 0x9050 in your browser, instantly and privately.
Sony rates the A5100 at 100,000 actuations. Many units exceed this, but failure probability increases past the rated limit.
The A5100 shares the same 24.3 MP sensor and 179-point PDAF system as the A6000, in a more compact body without an integrated EVF. The A6000 adds a built-in electronic viewfinder and a deeper grip. Both are rated at 100,000 actuations and use identical ARW MakerNote tags for shutter count.
Only Sony authorised service centres can reset the hardware counter. EXIF-editing tools overwrite metadata but cannot alter the in-camera counter. Always verify from an original ARW file, not a screenshot or JPEG.