Sony A5000 PDF User Manual
Did you lose or misplace the instruction manual that came with your Sony Alpha A5000? It happens all too easily, but fortunately Sony makes a soft copy available that you can browse through online, print out, or download (see the pdf file below). It is certainly good practice to carefully familiarize oneself with the many different functionalities and options that the A5000 offers, and the official user manual is without doubt an authoritative and comprehensive source of respective information.
That said, the instruction booklet can be a dry read, so that a dedicated camera guide book from a professional photographer that illustrates the camera's core functions in a real life photography context can be a very helpful complement. Yes, getting one of these camera guides (see here at amazon) would involve an additional expense, but if that book helps to exploit the camera's potential to the full, the (small) additional investment may well be worth it.
Also, you might want to check out the video tutorial on the Sony Alpha A5000 below.
In any case, the A5000 is an advanced imaging tool, whose many features merit serious attention. This mirrorless interchangeable lens camera was revealed to the public on January 7th, 2014, which means that, as of today, the camera is 3912 days old (young?). The camera has meanwhile been discontinued and was succeeded by the Sony A5100 as a replacement in the same line of cameras.
Sony's help guide for the A5000
The camera's help guide is 406 pages long. The pdf version is embedded below. As you browse through, you will hopefully find the information you are looking for. You can also print out a hard copy by right clicking on the manual and then choosing the respective menu option. For convenience, a summary of the key specs of the A5000 is included towards the bottom of this webpage.
Don't forget to bookmark this page for future reference (Ctrl-Shift-D on a Windows PC; Cmd-Shift-D on a Mac). Happy browsing!
Click on the button below to download the pdf version of the Sony Alpha A5000 manual to your computer. The file will open in a new browser window.
If you prefer to read the user guide in another language, please check the respective availability on Sony's support site. That site also provides complementary online resources, such as information on the compatibility of various camera accessories or the availability of firmware updates that are not necessarily comprehensively covered in the instruction manual.
Printed, hardcopy versions of the Sony A5000 manual can sometimes be found online. You can check the availability on amazon and ebay via the buttons below.
Video tutorial for the Sony Alpha A5000
Perhaps instead of reading through a manual or operations guide, you might prefer to better familiarize yourself with your A5000 by watching a video tutorial. It can notably help to quickly get to know the key functions and to set up your camera according to your particular preferences and needs.
Once again, the Sony A5000 is a sophisticated imaging tool and not exploiting its capabilities to the full would be a pity. Hence, taking the time to study online information material or to read through a well-written camera guide book is highly recommended to make the most of your purchase.
Sony A5000 FAQ
Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the A5000.
What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Sony A5000?
The camera is build around a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.
Which image processing chip is used in the Sony A5000 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?
Sony equipped the A5000 with the BIONZ X image processor.
What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Sony A5000?
The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 16000.
Does the Sony A5000 have a selfie-friendly screen?
Yes, the LCD-screen of the A5000 is flexible and can be turned to be front-facing for capturing selfies.
What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Sony Alpha A5000?
Sony does not publish a shutter rating for the A5000. Yet, shutters in comparable cameras from other manufacturers are said to be good for at least 100 000 actuations. It should be noted, though, that this number represents a Mean Time before Failure. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust an expected shutter life of 100 000 shots over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.
How do I find the shutter count on my Sony A5000?
Sony embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your A5000 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.
Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Sony A5000?
The A5000 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.
Does the Sony A5000 feature an autofocus assist light?
Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.
What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Sony A5000 for flash photography?
The A5000's flash sync speed is 1/160 sec.
Does the Sony A5000 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?
Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-I cards (data transfer speed of up to 104 MB/s).
Which battery does the Sony A5000 use?
The camera gets its power from the Sony NP-FW50 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.
Further reading
How does the A5000 stack up against available alternatives? In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.
- Canon G7 X Mark III vs Sony A5000
- Canon SX70 vs Sony A9 II
- Canon SX720 vs Sony A5000
- Canon T1i vs Sony A5000
- Canon T6 vs Sony A9 II
- Canon T7i vs Sony A9 II
- Nikon D3100 vs Sony A5000
- Nikon D5 vs Sony A9 II
- Nikon D80 vs Sony A5000
- Panasonic G95 vs Sony A9 II
- Panasonic ZS200 vs Sony A5000
- Sony A7C R vs Sony A9 II
Core camera specifications
Here is a list of the main features and technical characteristics of the Sony Alpha A5000.
Camera Model | Sony A5000 | |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Mirrorless system camera | |
Camera Lens | Sony E mount lenses | |
Launch Date | January 2014 | |
Launch Price | USD 449 | |
Sensor Specs | ||
Sensor Technology | CMOS | |
Sensor Format | APS-C Sensor | |
Sensor Size | 23.2 x 15.4 mm | |
Sensor Area | 357 mm2 | |
Sensor Diagonal | 27.8 mm | |
Crop Factor | 1.5x | |
Sensor Resolution | 19.8 Megapixels | |
Image Resolution | 5 456 x 3 632 pixels | |
Pixel Pitch | 4.25 μm | |
Pixel Density | 5.55 MP/cm2 | |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | |
Movie Capability | 1080/60i Video | |
ISO Setting | 100 - 16 000 ISO | |
Image Processor | BIONZ X | |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 79 | |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | 23.8 | |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 13.0 | |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | 1089 | |
Screen Specs | ||
Viewfinder Type | No viewfinder | |
Top-Level Screen | no Top Display | |
LCD Framing | Live View | |
LCD Size | 3.0 inch | |
LCD Resolution | 461k dots | |
LCD Attachment | Tilting screen | |
V-logging Friendliness | Front-flip possible | |
Touch Input | No touchscreen | |
Shooting Specs | ||
Focus System | Contrast-detect AF | |
Manual Focusing Aid | Focus Peaking | |
Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/4000s | |
Continuous Shooting | 3.5 shutter flaps/s | |
Shutter Life Expectancy | 100 000 actuations | |
Silent Shooting | no E-Shutter | |
Time Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | |
Storage Medium | MS or SDXC cards | |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | |
UHS card support | UHS-I | |
Connectivity Specs | ||
External Flash | no Hotshoe | |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | |
HDMI Port | micro HDMI | |
Wifi Support | Wifi built-in | |
Near-Field Communication | NFC built-in | |
Body Specs | ||
Battery Type | Sony NP-FW50 power pack | |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 420 shots per charge | |
In-Camera Charging | USB charging | |
Body Dimensions |
110 x 63 x 36 mm (4.3 x 2.5 x 1.4 in) |
|
Camera Weight | 269 g (9.5 oz) |
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