Ricoh CX2 vs Sony NEX-5

Its time to take a deeper look at the Ricoh CX2 and Sony NEX-5, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Ricoh and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the CX2 (9MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the CX2 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The CX2 was unveiled 9 months before the NEX-5 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh CX2 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the CX2 scores versus the NEX-5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Ricoh CX2 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The full galleries are provided at Ricoh CX2 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh CX2 has got outside measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5 has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

See the Ricoh CX2 and Sony NEX-5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the CX2 against the NEX-5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the CX2 and NEX-5 is 93 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to see the difference between sensor sizing only by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the CX2 and NEX-5.

As you can see, both cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The CX2 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-5 will resolve extra detail having an extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images far more aggressively. The older CX2 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.