Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R

Below is a complete comparison of the Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both manufactured by Sony. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the A7 III (24MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the A7 III (Full frame) and NEX-5R (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The A7 III was manufactured 5 years later than the NEX-5R and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Sony A7 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the A7 III grades versus the NEX-5R in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha A7 III & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony A7 III Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Sony A7 III comes with external measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5R has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view dimension comparison of the A7 III compared to the NEX-5R.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the A7 III and NEX-5R is 63 and 89 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to imagine the difference between sensor measurements only by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the A7 III and NEX-5R.

As you can see, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The A7 III due to its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony A7 III will deliver greater detail due to its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more recent A7 III should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.