Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony NEX-5N
83 Imaging
56 Features
33 Overall
46
89 Imaging
56 Features
69 Overall
61
Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony NEX-5N Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 15MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- 640 x 480 video
- 75mm (F2.8) lens
- 330g - 122 x 67 x 59mm
- Released January 2013
- Old Model is Sigma DP2 Merrill
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 269g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
- Revealed October 2011
- Older Model is Sony NEX-5
- Newer Model is Sony NEX-5R
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony NEX-5N Overview
Here is a complete overview of the Sigma DP3 Merrill versus Sony NEX-5N, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Sigma and Sony. The image resolution of the DP3 Merrill (15MP) and the NEX-5N (16MP) is pretty similar and both cameras provide the identical sensor measurements (APS-C).
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe DP3 Merrill was released 16 months later than the NEX-5N which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before delving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short overview of how the DP3 Merrill matches up vs the NEX-5N with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
Photography Glossary Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony NEX-5N Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery images for Sigma DP3 Merrill & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The complete galleries are provided at Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sigma DP3 Merrill over the Sony NEX-5N
| DP3 Merrill | NEX-5N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | January 2013 | October 2011 | Fresher by 16 months |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5N over the Sigma DP3 Merrill
| NEX-5N | DP3 Merrill | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
| Touch screen | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Sigma DP3 Merrill and Sony NEX-5N
| DP3 Merrill | NEX-5N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Very exact focusing | |||
| Screen size | 3" | 3" | Same screen measurements | |
| Screen resolution | 920k | 920k | Same screen resolution | |
| Selfie screen | Neither comes with selfie screen |
Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony NEX-5N Physical Comparison
If you are going to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Sigma DP3 Merrill comes with external dimensions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") along with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5N has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).
See the Sigma DP3 Merrill versus Sony NEX-5N in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the DP3 Merrill vs the NEX-5N.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the DP3 Merrill and NEX-5N is 83 and 89 respectively.
Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony NEX-5N Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the difference between sensor sizing merely by reading technical specs. The graphic here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the DP3 Merrill and NEX-5N.
As you can tell, the 2 cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different megapixels. You can expect the Sony NEX-5N to deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The younger DP3 Merrill should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.
Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and ViewFinder
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Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony NEX-5N Specifications
| Sigma DP3 Merrill | Sony Alpha NEX-5N | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Sigma | Sony |
| Model | Sigma DP3 Merrill | Sony Alpha NEX-5N |
| Type | Large Sensor Compact | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Released | 2013-01-08 | 2011-10-03 |
| Body design | Large Sensor Compact | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Dual TRUE II engine | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS (Foveon X3) | CMOS |
| Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 24 x 16mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 384.0mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 15 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | - | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 4704 x 3136 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Highest native ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW support | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect autofocus | ||
| Contract detect autofocus | ||
| Phase detect autofocus | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 25 |
| Cross focus points | - | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony E |
| Lens focal range | 75mm (1x) | - |
| Largest aperture | f/2.8 | - |
| Number of lenses | - | 121 |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display size | 3" | 3" |
| Resolution of display | 920 thousand dot | 920 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch capability | ||
| Display technology | - | Tilt Up 80°, Down 45° TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Electronic (optional) |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | - | 30s |
| Highest shutter speed | - | 1/4000s |
| Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
| Flash settings | no built-in flash | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Highest flash sync | - | 1/160s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 640 x 480 | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 640x480 | 1920x1080 |
| Video file format | Motion JPEG | AVCHD |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 330 gr (0.73 lb) | 269 gr (0.59 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 122 x 67 x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") | 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | not tested | 77 |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 23.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 12.7 |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | 1079 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 460 photographs |
| Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | - | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | - | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | Single | Single |
| Cost at launch | $1,353 | $550 |