Ricoh CX4 vs Sony NEX-5R

Its time to look closer at the Ricoh CX4 and Sony NEX-5R, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Ricoh and Sony. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the CX4 (10MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the CX4 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

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The CX4 was brought out 24 months earlier than the NEX-5R which makes them a generation apart from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Ricoh CX4 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the CX4 scores vs the NEX-5R with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh CX4 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are provided at Ricoh CX4 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Ricoh CX4 features external dimensions 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-5R has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Compare the Ricoh CX4 and Sony NEX-5R in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the CX4 against the NEX-5R.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the CX4 and NEX-5R is 92 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to visualize the difference between sensor sizing merely by reviewing technical specs. The visual below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the CX4 and NEX-5R.

As you can tell, both cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The CX4 because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony NEX-5R will deliver more detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older CX4 is going to be behind in sensor technology.