Samsung CL5 vs Sony NEX-5T

Below is a comprehensive analysis of the Samsung CL5 and Sony NEX-5T, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Samsung and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the CL5 (9MP) and NEX-5T (16MP) and the CL5 (1/2.5") and NEX-5T (APS-C) have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The CL5 was brought out 5 years before the NEX-5T and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Samsung CL5 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise summation of how the CL5 scores vs the NEX-5T when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Samsung CL5 and Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The entire galleries are viewable at Samsung CL5 Gallery and Sony NEX-5T Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Samsung CL5 enjoys outer measurements of 93mm x 60mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.7") and a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5T 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 Samsung CL5 and Sony NEX-5T in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the CL5 vs the NEX-5T.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the CL5 and NEX-5T is 95 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements merely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual underneath might give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the CL5 and NEX-5T.

As you can see, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The CL5 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-5T will provide greater detail having its extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older CL5 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.