Olympus VG-160 vs Sony NEX-5R

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus VG-160 versus Sony NEX-5R, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the NEX-5R (16MP) is very comparable but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

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The VG-160 was revealed 7 months before the NEX-5R and they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the VG-160 scores vs the NEX-5R when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VG-160 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus VG-160 provides exterior dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VG-160 versus Sony NEX-5R in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the VG-160 vs the NEX-5R.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VG-160 and NEX-5R is 96 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to imagine the difference in sensor sizes purely by going through a spec sheet. The pic below might give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-160 and NEX-5R.

Clearly, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The VG-160 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5R will show greater detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged VG-160 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.