Leica CL vs Sony NEX-5R

Below is a comprehensive analysis of the Leica CL vs Sony NEX-5R, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Leica and Sony. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the CL (24MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) but they come with the same exact sensor dimensions (APS-C).

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The CL was brought out 5 years later than the NEX-5R and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief view of how the CL matches up versus the NEX-5R when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Leica CL & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are viewable at Leica CL Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Leica CL provides external dimensions of 131mm x 78mm x 45mm (5.2" x 3.1" x 1.8") with a weight of 403 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5R has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Take a look at the Leica CL vs Sony NEX-5R in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the CL and the NEX-5R.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the CL and NEX-5R is 82 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements simply by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic below should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the CL and NEX-5R.

As you can see, both of those cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but different MP. You can anticipate the Leica CL to produce greater detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos a little more aggressively. The newer CL provides an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.