Olympus VG-120 vs Sony NEX-5R

Below is a extensive review of the Olympus VG-120 vs Sony NEX-5R, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the VG-120 (14MP) and the NEX-5R (16MP) is fairly similar but the VG-120 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) possess different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The VG-120 was released 20 months earlier than the NEX-5R making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a brief view of how the VG-120 matches up against the NEX-5R when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-120 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VG-120 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera often, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus VG-120 comes with outside dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5R has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VG-120 vs Sony NEX-5R in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at that moment. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the VG-120 compared to the NEX-5R.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-120 and NEX-5R is 96 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to visualize the gap between sensor measurements only by reviewing technical specs. The visual underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-120 and NEX-5R.

As you can tell, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The VG-120 because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh harder and the Sony NEX-5R will offer you extra detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos far more aggressively. The older VG-120 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.