Ricoh CX4 vs Sony NEX-5

Let's look closer at the Ricoh CX4 and Sony NEX-5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Ricoh and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the CX4 (10MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the CX4 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The CX4 was released 3 months later than the NEX-5 so they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Ricoh CX4 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the CX4 grades vs the NEX-5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Ricoh CX4 & Sony Alpha NEX-5. The complete galleries are viewable at Ricoh CX4 Gallery & Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh CX4 has exterior measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst 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).

Contrast the Ricoh CX4 and Sony NEX-5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using during that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the CX4 against the NEX-5.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the CX4 and NEX-5 is 92 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to picture the gap between sensor sizing simply by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph below may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the CX4 and NEX-5.

As you can see, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The CX4 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-5 will give you more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images more aggressively.