Nikon AW120 vs Sony WX5

Following is a extensive analysis of the Nikon AW120 and Sony WX5, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Nikon and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the AW120 (16MP) and WX5 (12MP) but they come with the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The AW120 was revealed 3 years after the WX5 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a brief summary of how the AW120 scores against the WX5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix AW120 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX5. The full galleries are available at Nikon AW120 Gallery and Sony WX5 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Nikon AW120 offers outside dimensions of 110mm x 66mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.0") having a weight of 213 grams (0.47 lbs) while the Sony WX5 has specifications of 92mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9") and a weight of 146 grams (0.32 lbs).

Compare the Nikon AW120 and Sony WX5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the AW120 against the WX5.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the AW120 and WX5 is 92 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading through technical specs. The pic below should give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the AW120 and WX5.

As you can tell, each of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You should expect the Nikon AW120 to give you extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots much more aggressively. The fresher AW120 should have an edge in sensor tech.