Canon SX120 IS vs Sony NEX-5N
87 Imaging
32 Features
28 Overall
30
89 Imaging
55 Features
69 Overall
60
Canon SX120 IS vs Sony NEX-5N Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.5" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 36-360mm (F2.8-4.3) lens
- 285g - 111 x 71 x 45mm
- Released August 2009
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 269g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
- Announced October 2011
- Replaced the Sony NEX-5
- Refreshed by Sony NEX-5R
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Below, we will be matching up the Canon SX120 IS versus Sony NEX-5N, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Canon and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the SX120 IS (10MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the SX120 IS (1/2.5") and NEX-5N (APS-C) use totally different sensor size.
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe SX120 IS was revealed 3 years prior to the NEX-5N and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Canon SX120 IS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before going straight into a full comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the SX120 IS matches up vs the NEX-5N in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
Photography Glossary Canon SX120 IS vs Sony NEX-5N Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SX120 IS & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The full galleries are provided at Canon SX120 IS Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX120 IS over the Sony NEX-5N
| SX120 IS | NEX-5N |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5N over the Canon SX120 IS
| NEX-5N | SX120 IS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 2011 |  | August 2009 | Fresher by 25 months |
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting screen |
| Screen resolution | 920k |  | 230k | Sharper screen (+690k dot) |
| Touch screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Canon SX120 IS and Sony NEX-5N
| SX120 IS | NEX-5N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus |  | More accurate focus | ||
| Screen dimension | 3" |  | 3" | Identical screen size |
| Selfie screen |  | Missing selfie screen |
Canon SX120 IS vs Sony NEX-5N Physical Comparison
When you are looking to carry your camera, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX120 IS provides physical measurements of 111mm x 71mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") along with a weight of 285 grams (0.63 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5N has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).
Compare the Canon SX120 IS versus Sony NEX-5N in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the SX120 IS and the NEX-5N.
Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SX120 IS and NEX-5N is 87 and 89 respectively.
Canon SX120 IS vs Sony NEX-5N Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is very hard to envision the difference in sensor sizing just by viewing technical specs. The graphic here will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SX120 IS and NEX-5N.
As you have seen, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SX120 IS using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-5N will render greater detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older SX120 IS will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.
Canon SX120 IS vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and ViewFinder
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Canon SX120 IS vs Sony NEX-5N Specifications
| Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Sony Alpha NEX-5N | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Canon | Sony |
| Model | Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Sony Alpha NEX-5N |
| Type | Small Sensor Compact | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Released | 2009-08-19 | 2011-10-03 |
| Physical type | Compact | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | Digic 4 | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.5" | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 5.744 x 4.308mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 24.7mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Highest native ISO | 1600 | 25600 |
| Min native ISO | 80 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | fixed lens | Sony E |
| Lens focal range | 36-360mm (10.0x) | - |
| Largest aperture | f/2.8-4.3 | - |
| Macro focus distance | 1cm | - |
| Available lenses | - | 121 |
| Focal length multiplier | 6.3 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
| Resolution of display | 230k dots | 920k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display tech | - | Tilt Up 80°, Down 45° TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Electronic (optional) |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 15 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Max shutter speed | 1/2500 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter rate | 1.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 3.00 m | 12.00 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/500 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps), 160 x 120 (15 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 640x480 | 1920x1080 |
| Video file format | Motion JPEG | AVCHD |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 285g (0.63 lb) | 269g (0.59 lb) |
| Dimensions | 111 x 71 x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") | 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | not tested | 77 |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 23.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 12.7 |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | 1079 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 460 shots |
| Form of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | 2 x AA | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Retail price | $249 | $550 |