Pentax X90 vs Sony NEX-5

The following is a extended assessment of the Pentax X90 and Sony NEX-5, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Pentax and Sony. The resolution of the X90 (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is very well matched but the X90 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizes.

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The X90 was manufactured at a similar time to the NEX-5 so they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Pentax X90 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the X90 grades vs the NEX-5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax X90 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax X90 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Pentax X90 offers outside dimensions of 111mm x 85mm x 110mm (4.4" x 3.3" x 4.3") with a weight of 428 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check the Pentax X90 and Sony NEX-5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the X90 and the NEX-5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the X90 and NEX-5 is 69 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to envision the gap between sensor dimensions purely by looking at specs. The image here might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the X90 and NEX-5.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The X90 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5 will resolve greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively.