Olympus VH-515 vs Sony NEX-5R

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus VH-515 and Sony NEX-5R, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the VH-515 (12MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the VH-515 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

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The VH-515 was brought out around the same time to the NEX-5R which means that they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the VH-515 scores vs the NEX-5R in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VH-515 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VH-515 has physical measurements of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") having a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5R has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

See the Olympus VH-515 and Sony NEX-5R in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you use during that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the VH-515 versus the NEX-5R.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the VH-515 and NEX-5R is 95 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements only by reading through specifications. The graphic here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the VH-515 and NEX-5R.

Plainly, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The VH-515 because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony NEX-5R will give greater detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs more aggressively.