Olympus VG-145 vs Sony NEX-5N

Let's look more closely at the Olympus VG-145 vs Sony NEX-5N, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the VG-145 (14MP) and the NEX-5N (16MP) is pretty comparable but the VG-145 (1/2.3") and NEX-5N (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The VG-145 was announced 2 months earlier than the NEX-5N which means that they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-145 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go in to a detailed comparison, below is a short summation of how the VG-145 scores against the NEX-5N in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VG-145 & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus VG-145 Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus VG-145 comes with outside measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5N has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VG-145 vs Sony NEX-5N in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. Following is the front view size comparison of the VG-145 against the NEX-5N.

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

Often, it is very tough to see the difference in sensor measurements simply by going through a spec sheet. The photograph below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the VG-145 and NEX-5N.

Clearly, both of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The VG-145 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5N will provide more detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots much more aggressively.