Olympus 8000 vs Sony NEX-5N

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus 8000 vs Sony NEX-5N, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the 8000 (12MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the 8000 (1/2.3") and NEX-5N (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The 8000 was launched 3 years prior to the NEX-5N and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a full comparison, here is a quick overview of how the 8000 matches up against the NEX-5N with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 8000 Gallery and Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus 8000 provides external dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") and a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5N has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check the Olympus 8000 vs Sony NEX-5N in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use during that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the 8000 against the NEX-5N.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the 8000 and NEX-5N is 94 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing merely by looking through specifications. The graphic here may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the 8000 and NEX-5N.

To sum up, both of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The 8000 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony NEX-5N will render more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older 8000 will be behind in sensor technology.