Olympus 6020 vs Sony NEX-5T

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus 6020 vs Sony NEX-5T, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the 6020 (13MP) and the NEX-5T (16MP) is very well matched but the 6020 (1/2.3") and NEX-5T (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The 6020 was revealed 4 years prior to the NEX-5T and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 6020 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple view of how the 6020 grades versus the NEX-5T with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough 6020 & Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 6020 Gallery & Sony NEX-5T Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus 6020 offers physical dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") along with a weight of 122 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5T has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 6020 vs Sony NEX-5T in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using during that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the 6020 compared to the NEX-5T.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 6020 and NEX-5T is 95 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to visualize the gap between sensor sizing just by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the 6020 and NEX-5T.

Clearly, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The 6020 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-5T will give you extra detail because of its extra 3 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The older 6020 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.