Olympus VG-145 vs Sony NEX-5

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus VG-145 versus Sony NEX-5, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VG-145 (14MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the VG-145 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The VG-145 was manufactured 14 months after the NEX-5 making them a generation away from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VG-145 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick summary of how the VG-145 matches up vs the NEX-5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-145 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus VG-145 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus VG-145 provides outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5 has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check out the Olympus VG-145 versus Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the VG-145 compared to the NEX-5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the VG-145 and NEX-5 is 96 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizes just by looking at specifications. The picture below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VG-145 and NEX-5.

To sum up, the 2 cameras feature the identical resolution but not the same sensor sizes. The VG-145 includes the tinier sensor which will make obtaining shallow depth of field more challenging. The more modern VG-145 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.