Pentax X-5 vs Sony NEX-7

The following is a in depth review of the Pentax X-5 vs Sony NEX-7, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the X-5 (16MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the X-5 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The X-5 was revealed 9 months after the NEX-7 which means that they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax X-5 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the X-5 scores vs the NEX-7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax X-5 & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The full galleries are available at Pentax X-5 Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Pentax X-5 provides physical dimensions of 119mm x 86mm x 107mm (4.7" x 3.4" x 4.2") along with a weight of 595 grams (1.31 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-7 has specifications of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Check out the Pentax X-5 vs Sony NEX-7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use during that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the X-5 against the NEX-7.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the X-5 and NEX-7 is 65 and 84 respectively.

More often than not, it can be tough to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions just by checking out specs. The picture here will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the X-5 and NEX-7.

As you can plainly see, both cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The X-5 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-7 will provide greater detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The newer X-5 will have a benefit in sensor tech.