Olympus 8000 vs Sony NEX-5T

Below is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus 8000 and Sony NEX-5T, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the 8000 (12MP) and NEX-5T (16MP) and the 8000 (1/2.3") and NEX-5T (APS-C) come with different sensor dimensions.

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The 8000 was brought out 5 years before the NEX-5T and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the 8000 grades against the NEX-5T in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 & Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus 8000 Gallery & Sony NEX-5T Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus 8000 offers exterior measurements of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") and a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5T has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus 8000 and Sony NEX-5T in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the 8000 and the NEX-5T.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 8000 and NEX-5T is 94 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to picture the difference between sensor measurements only by reading specifications. The graphic below will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the 8000 and NEX-5T.

Plainly, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The 8000 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-5T will offer you extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images much more aggressively. The older 8000 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.