Olympus SP-100 vs Sony NEX-5N

Let's look much closer at the Olympus SP-100 and Sony NEX-5N, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SP-100 (16MP) and the NEX-5N (16MP) is pretty comparable but the SP-100 (1/2.3") and NEX-5N (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SP-100 was manufactured 2 years after the NEX-5N which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a in depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the SP-100 matches up versus the NEX-5N with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SP-100 & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-100 Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-100 has physical dimensions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") having a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5N has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SP-100 and Sony NEX-5N in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the SP-100 compared to the NEX-5N.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-100 and NEX-5N is 63 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor dimensions merely by checking out specs. The pic below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-100 and NEX-5N.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras feature the identical resolution albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The SP-100 comes with the smaller sensor which will make achieving bokeh more challenging. The fresher SP-100 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.