Ricoh CX5 vs Sony A390

Here is a extended comparison of the Ricoh CX5 versus Sony A390, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Ricoh and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the CX5 (10MP) and A390 (14MP) and the CX5 (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

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The CX5 was manufactured 12 months later than the A390 so they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Ricoh CX5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a short overview of how the CX5 scores vs the A390 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh CX5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The entire galleries are available at Ricoh CX5 Gallery & Sony A390 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry your camera, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh CX5 comes with external dimensions of 102mm x 59mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs) while the Sony A390 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Look at the Ricoh CX5 versus Sony A390 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the CX5 against the A390.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the CX5 and A390 is 92 and 66 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizing just by looking through a spec sheet. The visual below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the CX5 and A390.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The CX5 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony A390 will render greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots much more aggressively. The more modern CX5 will have a benefit in sensor tech.