Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5

Its time to look closer at the Ricoh GR II and Sony NEX-5, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Ricoh and Sony. The image resolution of the GR II (16MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is relatively well matched and both cameras offer the identical sensor dimensions (APS-C).

Photography Glossary

The GR II was introduced 5 years later than the NEX-5 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Ricoh GR II being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise summary of how the GR II grades against the NEX-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh GR II and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are provided at Ricoh GR II Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh GR II comes with exterior measurements of 117mm x 63mm x 35mm (4.6" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 251 grams (0.55 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).

See the Ricoh GR II and Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Following is a front view size comparison of the GR II and the NEX-5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GR II and NEX-5 is 89 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it can be hard to see the difference between sensor sizing merely by checking a spec sheet. The visual underneath will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the GR II and NEX-5.

Clearly, both of those cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same resolution. You should count on the Ricoh GR II to give greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The younger GR II will have an edge in sensor technology.