Ricoh CX3 vs Sony NEX-5N

The following is a in-depth review of the Ricoh CX3 vs Sony NEX-5N, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Ricoh and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the CX3 (10MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the CX3 (1/2.3") and NEX-5N (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The CX3 was released 15 months before the NEX-5N making them a generation away from one another. Both the cameras have different body design with the Ricoh CX3 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short summation of how the CX3 grades vs the NEX-5N with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Ricoh CX3 & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The complete galleries are viewable at Ricoh CX3 Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Ricoh CX3 comes with physical measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5N has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Take a look at the Ricoh CX3 vs Sony NEX-5N in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the CX3 versus the NEX-5N.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the CX3 and NEX-5N is 92 and 89 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by checking out technical specs. The pic here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the CX3 and NEX-5N.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The CX3 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-5N will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged CX3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.