Nikon Z5 vs Sony WX5: A Deep Dive Into Two Cameras a Decade Apart

In the world of cameras, comparing a 2020 full-frame mirrorless to a 2010 compact point-and-shoot might seem like mixing apples and oranges. But, as someone who’s tested thousands of cameras spanning multiple classes and eras, I find value in such juxtapositions. They highlight how far technology has come, what compromises have shifted, and who each camera truly serves.

Today, we’re pitting the Nikon Z5, Nikon’s entry-level full-frame mirrorless from 2020, against the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX5, a decade-old compact camera. While wildly different in class, this comparison offers real-world context for enthusiasts considering an affordable full-frame or a reliable pocket camera.

Let’s roll up our sleeves and dig deep into their technical makeup, performance, and user suitability across a broad spectrum of photography disciplines. I’ll share insights from hands-on testing, including ergonomics, image quality, autofocus prowess, and more. Expect a no-fluff examination with practical takeaways for every type of photographer.

First Impressions: Size, Build, and Handling

Taking these two cameras side-by-side, the physical distinction couldn’t be starker. The Nikon Z5 weighs in at 675 grams and measures 134 x 101 x 70mm, a substantial chunk of gear that commands respect and suggests a serious tool. The Sony WX5, by contrast, is the definition of compact at 146 grams and just 92 x 52 x 22mm - perfect for slipping into a jacket pocket or small purse.

The Z5’s SLR-style mirrorless body is robust with weather sealing, making it resistant to dust and splashes - features absent in the WX5. In terms of build quality, the Z5 exhibits a reassuring heft and textured grip that’s comfortable for extended shooting. The WX5's plastic shell feels light and fragile but excels in portability.

For photographers who value ruggedness or plan to shoot outdoors in demanding environments, the Z5’s build is a significant advantage. Street photographers or travelers seeking ultimate discretion might prefer the WX5’s compactness, despite it lacking weatherproofing.

Control Layout and User Interface: Precision vs Simplicity

Looking from the top, the Z5 offers a traditional DSLR-esque control layout: dedicated dials for ISO, exposure compensation, and mode selection, plus customizable buttons. This arrangement allows rapid, tactile adjustments without diving into menus - a boon for professionals and enthusiasts who like to keep one eye on the scene and one on their settings.

The WX5, designed for casual users, embraces minimalism. It lacks dedicated manual controls; shutter and aperture priority modes are absent altogether. Its top plate showcases a shutter release, power button, and zoom rocker constrained by the small body. Exposure compensation is unavailable, and most options are buried in menus navigated through buttons rather than touch.

This divergence underscores the Z5’s pursuit of control and flexibility versus the WX5’s role as an accessible point-and-shoot. Professionals accustomed to granular control will appreciate the Z5’s interface. For those wanting simple “point and shoot” ease, the WX5 suffices.

Display and Viewfinders: Finding Your Frame

The Nikon Z5 sports a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen with 1040k-dot resolution. Its responsive interface supports touch focus point selection, menu navigation, and image review gestures - features that reflect modern usability standards. The tilting mechanism lends compositional freedom for low- or high-angle shots.

The Sony WX5 offers a fixed 2.8-inch LCD at a modest 461k-dot resolution without touch functionality. Its screen is noticeably less sharp and less versatile in framing options.

A critical edge for the Z5 is its built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF), delivering a bright 3.69-million-dot display covering 100% of the frame at 0.8x magnification. This enables precise framing in bright light, where the rear display often falls short. The WX5 lacks any viewfinder, depending solely on the rear screen, which can be limiting outdoors.

For photographers shooting in daylight or needing precise composition, the Z5's viewing system is a clear winner.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Full-Frame Advantage

At the heart of image quality lies the sensor. The Nikon Z5 features a 24.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor sized 35.9 x 23.9 mm with an optical low-pass filter and Nikon’s well-regarded EXPEED 6 processor powering image rendering and noise reduction. This sensor size measured roughly 858 mm² stands in sharp contrast to the Sony WX5’s tiny 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS sensor with 12 MP resolution (approx. 28 mm²).

Real-world implications? The Z5 captures more light per pixel, producing images with significantly better dynamic range, detail, and low-light noise control. Nikon’s sensor yields true 14-bit RAW files, critical for professionals who edit images extensively.

The WX5’s small sensor, while sufficient for casual snapshots, struggles in challenging lighting and produces JPEG-only output without RAW support, limiting post-processing flexibility.

In landscape or studio portraiture - where image fidelity and dynamic nuances matter - the Z5 reigns supreme. The WX5 could serve travel snapshots but will rarely satisfy fine art or professional needs.

Autofocus Systems: Speed and Accuracy in the Field

The Nikon Z5 employs a sophisticated hybrid autofocus system combining 273 phase-detection points and contrast detection, covering a broad area and supporting eye and animal eye autofocus. This system actively tracks subjects and excels in low light, making it reliable for portraits, wildlife, and sports.

By contrast, the Sony WX5 uses a very basic contrast-detection with 9 focus points, no phase detection, and no face or eye detection. While it can perform adequately in good light and still subjects, it lags behind in accuracy and speed, especially when tracking moving subjects.

In my tests, the Z5 was able to lock focus in as little as a few hundred milliseconds under challenging lighting and keep up during burst shooting. The WX5 often hunts or shutters lag annoyingly in low light or dynamic scenes.

For wildlife, sports, or even dynamic street photography, the Nikon’s autofocus system is clearly built for action. The WX5 suits more sedentary point-and-shoot uses.

Burst Shooting and Buffer: Capturing the Moment

The Nikon Z5 offers 4.5 frames per second (fps) continuous shooting - modest by today’s standards but sufficient for most non-professional action. Its dual SD card slots enable robust buffer handling and recording flexibility.

The WX5 touts 10 fps continuous shooting, surprisingly competitive given its category. However, this speed comes with compromises in autofocus tracking and limited burst depth. It also has only a single storage slot supporting SD cards and Memory Stick formats.

Despite the higher fps number on the WX5, the Z5’s image quality, autofocus consistency, and buffer capacity mean it more consistently captures critical moments. For sports or wildlife, sustaining high frame rates with autofocus tracking is more important than nominal fps counts.

Lens Ecosystems and Versatility: From Macro to Telephoto

One considerable difference is lens compatibility. The Nikon Z5 uses the Nikon Z mount, currently supporting about 15 native lenses ranging from wide-angle primes, versatile zooms, macro optics, to pro-level telephotos. Nikon’s adapter options also allow using decades of F-mount DSLR glass, unlocking vast creative possibilities.

The Sony WX5 sports a built-in fixed zoom lens spanning 24-120mm equivalent (5x optical zoom) at f/2.4-5.9 aperture. Though handy for casual framing from wide to modest telephoto, it restricts flexibility. No ability to swap lenses or use specialized optics.

For macro photography, the Z5 shines with dedicated macro lenses enabling precise close focusing and high magnification. The WX5 can approach 5 cm but with limited detail and no optical versatility.

Landscape photographers needing ultra-wide or sports shooters pursuing telephoto reach will find the Z5’s lens line indispensable. Casual shooters may appreciate the WX5’s all-in-one simplicity.

Image Stabilization: Keeping Shots Sharp

Both cameras offer image stabilization but implement it differently. The Nikon Z5 features sensor-based 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS) which works across all compatible lenses, stabilizing pitch, yaw, roll, and X/Y shifts. This advanced system helps handheld shooting in low-light, macro, and video modes - often allowing shutter speeds several stops slower without shake.

The Sony WX5 utilizes optical image stabilization (OIS) tied to its zoom lens. While effective for reducing handshake, it lacks the versatility and power of IBIS.

Extensive testing shows the Z5 helps produce sharper images handheld in diverse scenarios. The WX5 will help with moderate shake but doesn’t match the Z5’s effectiveness.

Video Capabilities: Beyond Stills

The Nikon Z5 offers 4K UHD video up to 30p with H.264 codec and linear PCM audio - standard for modern mirrorless. It includes microphone and headphone jacks for sound quality control, plus features like exposure compensation, time-lapse recording, and smooth autofocus during video.

The Sony WX5 records Full HD 1080p at 50fps using AVCHD format but lacks external mic/headphone inputs or advanced video options. Video autofocus is contrast-based and relatively slow.

The Z5 is a clear winner for serious video creators, offering the flexibility and quality expected for hybrid photo/video shooters. The WX5 might handle casual home videos but isn’t designed for advanced videography.

Battery Life and Storage

The Z5 uses the powerful EN-EL15c battery pack, rated for around 470 shots per charge, competitive among full-frame mirrorless cameras. The dual card slots (UHS-II compatible) provide redundancy and flexibility.

The WX5 relies on the small NP-BN1 battery, unspecified in official shot capacity but generally much shorter than modern cameras. It supports SD and Memory Stick cards but only a single slot.

Long shooting days, especially outdoors or events, benefit hugely from the Z5’s battery stamina and dual card fail-safes.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

The Nikon Z5 incorporates built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easy tethering, image transfer, and remote control via Nikon’s SnapBridge app. The USB-C port also supports charging and data transfer.

The Sony WX5 offers Eye-Fi card compatibility for wireless image transfer (a cutting-edge concept a decade ago), HDMI output, and USB 2.0 connectivity. However, it lacks Bluetooth and modern wireless convenience.

For modern workflows, the Z5’s wireless suite offers a smooth user experience.

Real-World Discipline Breakdown: How Do They Handle Diverse Photography Genres?

Having analyzed features and specs, it’s essential to look at how these cameras perform across photography disciplines:

Portrait Photography

• Nikon Z5: Utilizes eye- and animal-eye autofocus to keep focus locked during sessions. Full-frame sensor renders pleasing skin tones with smooth bokeh thanks to wide-aperture lenses.
• Sony WX5: Limited to basic center autofocus and no eye detection; shallow depth-of-field is very difficult with small sensor and limited aperture control.

Landscape Photography

• Z5: Strong dynamic range and high resolution support detailed, nuanced landscape captures with Nikon’s weather sealing for outdoor use.
• WX5: Small sensor limits dynamic range; no weather sealing; fixed lens limits framing options.

Wildlife Photography

• Z5: Hybrid AF with tracking and telephoto lenses support chasing wildlife; IBIS aids handheld shots.
• WX5: Autofocus slow and less reliable; limited zoom range; good for casual nature snaps only.

Sports Photography

• Z5: Modest 4.5fps continuous shooting paired with fast AF is adequate for moderate action; not a specialist pro sports camera.
• WX5: Fast 10fps burst is offset by autofocus limitations; best for static or mildly dynamic scenes.

Street Photography

• Z5: Bulkier and louder shutter; but excellent image quality and flexibility.
• WX5: Quiet operation, pocketable size, and quick startup make it more discreet.

Macro Photography

• Z5: Dedicated macro lenses and IBIS enable precise close-ups.
• WX5: Can focus down to 5cm but with less detail and no specialized optics.

Night/Astro Photography

• Z5: High ISO performance to ISO 51200 enables usable images in very low light.
• WX5: ISO caps at 3200 with higher noise; limited long exposure controls.

Video

• Z5: 4K video, mic/headphone jacks, slow motion around 60fps at 1080p.
• WX5: 1080p video only, no audio inputs, limited control.

Travel Photography

• Z5: Versatile, weather sealed, but heavier.
• WX5: Ultra-portable and light, ideal for casual travel use.

Professional Work

• Z5: Reliable build, dual cards, RAW support integrate smoothly with professional workflows.
• WX5: Suitable only as a backup or casual shooter.

Sample Image Quality: Side-by-Side Comparison

Nikon Z5 front Nikon Z5 screen back Sony WX5 front Sony WX5 screen back

Viewing images from both cameras side-by-side accentuates the Z5’s superior sharpness, dynamic range, and color fidelity. The WX5’s images often look softer with less detail and highlight blocking under challenging light.

Overall Ratings and Value Considerations

If we assign weighted scores based on key parameters like image quality, autofocus, build, and video:

• Nikon Z5 scores highly for all-around performance and professional-grade capabilities.
• Sony WX5 scores modestly, reflecting its age and compact design limitations but respectable for its class in 2010.

Who Should Choose Which?

Final Thoughts: Evolution of Camera Technology in a Nutshell

Reviewing the Nikon Z5 against the decade-old Sony WX5 underscores the quantum leaps in sensor technology, autofocus, and ergonomics that define today’s mirrorless cameras. The Z5 caters to photographers who demand image quality, control, and flexibility unmatched by a small compact.

Conversely, the WX5, while aging, holds historical value as a compact, pocket-friendly camera embodying the simplicity many casual users still desire.

If your budget and demands align with the Z5’s capabilities, you get a camera poised to serve long-term across multiple genres, backed by a robust lens ecosystem and modern features. If pocketability and convenience trump all else, and image quality is only casually important, the WX5 or similar compacts can still be a decent choice.

In the end, selecting a camera depends on matching features to your photographic priorities. I hope this deep dive arms you with insights stemming from years of rigorous testing and real-world experience. Feel free to comment or inquire about specialized use cases - after all, the best camera is the one you’re confident will capture your vision.

Happy shooting!