Samsung ST30 vs Sony NEX-5R

The following is a thorough assessment of the Samsung ST30 and Sony NEX-5R, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Samsung and Sony. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the ST30 (10MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the ST30 (1/3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ST30 was announced 19 months prior to the NEX-5R making them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Samsung ST30 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick overview of how the ST30 grades versus the NEX-5R with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Samsung ST30 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The whole galleries are viewable at Samsung ST30 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera often, you will have to take into account its weight and size. The Samsung ST30 enjoys outside dimensions of 82mm x 52mm x 17mm (3.2" x 2.0" x 0.7") along with a weight of 87 grams (0.19 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check the Samsung ST30 and Sony NEX-5R in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using during that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the ST30 vs the NEX-5R.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ST30 and NEX-5R is 98 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions just by checking specifications. The pic here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the ST30 and NEX-5R.

To sum up, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ST30 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Sony NEX-5R will resolve greater detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged ST30 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.