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Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R

Portability
63
Imaging
74
Features
92
Overall
81
Sony Alpha A7 III front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5R front
Portability
89
Imaging
57
Features
76
Overall
64

Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R Key Specs

Sony A7 III
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 51200 (Push to 204800)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 650g - 127 x 96 x 74mm
  • Revealed February 2018
  • Superseded the Sony A7 II
  • Replacement is Sony A7 IV
Sony NEX-5R
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 276g - 111 x 59 x 39mm
  • Revealed August 2012
  • Replaced the Sony NEX-5N
  • Newer Model is Sony NEX-5T
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Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R Overview

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.

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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.

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Reasons to pick Sony A7 III over the Sony NEX-5R

 A7 III NEX-5R 
RevealedFebruary 2018August 2012More recent by 67 months
Screen resolution922k920kSharper screen (+2k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5R over the Sony A7 III

 NEX-5R A7 III 

Common features in the Sony A7 III and Sony NEX-5R

 A7 III NEX-5R 
Manual focus Very precise focusing
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen measurement
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R Physical Comparison

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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R size comparison

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

Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R top view buttons comparison

Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R Sensor Comparison

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.

Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R sensor size comparison

Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A7 III Portrait photography highlights
Sony NEX-5R Portrait photography highlights
84
you can focus manually
MP count good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
offers face detect focusing
supports RAW files
74
you can focus manually
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Sony A7 III Street photography features
Sony NEX-5R Street photography features
78
screen tilts
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports RAW files
comes with focus via touch
weather proofing
great high ISO (51,200)
80
tilting screen
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW files
includes focus by touch
good ISO range (25,600)
lack of image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Sony A7 III Sports photography info
Sony NEX-5R Sports photography info
87
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (24MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
offers tracking focus
weather proofing
great battery pack (610 per charge)
comes with phase detect AF
68
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
has tracking autofocus
has phase detect auto focus
lack of image stabilization
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Travel Comparison

Sony A7 III Travel photography info
Sony NEX-5R Travel photography info
73
great battery pack (610 shots)
weather proofing
connects via bluetooth
comes with focus via touch
MP count good (24 megapixels)
does not have a selfie friendly display
73
includes focus by touch
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Sony A7 III Landscape photography info
Sony NEX-5R Landscape photography info
85
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
great high ISO (51,200)
supports RAW files
weather proofing
great battery pack (610 per charge)
2 card slots
75
you can focus manually
change lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
good ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW files
lack of image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A7 III Vlogging highlights
Sony NEX-5R Vlogging highlights
36
screen is touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
offers face detect focusing
high res video (3840 x 2160 resolution)
does have mic support
does not have a selfie friendly display
31
has touchscreen
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
missing external mic jack
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Sony A7 III vs Sony NEX-5R Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A7 III and Sony NEX-5R
 Sony Alpha A7 IIISony Alpha NEX-5R
General Information
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha A7 III Sony Alpha NEX-5R
Type Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed 2018-02-27 2012-08-29
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by Bionz X Bionz
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Full frame APS-C
Sensor dimensions 35.8 x 23.8mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 852.0mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 24 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 6000 x 4000 4912 x 3264
Max native ISO 51200 25600
Max enhanced ISO 204800 -
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW data
Min enhanced ISO 50 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 693 99
Lens
Lens mount Sony E Sony E
Number of lenses 121 121
Crop factor 1 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen sizing 3" 3"
Screen resolution 922 thousand dot 920 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen technology - Tilt Up 180� Down 50� TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder resolution 2,359 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.78x -
Features
Min shutter speed 30s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/8000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter speed 10.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash settings no built-in flash Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash sync - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 3840 x 2160 (30p, 24p) 1920 x 1080 (120p, 60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 3840x2160 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S, H.264 AVCHD
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 650g (1.43 lb) 276g (0.61 lb)
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9") 111 x 59 x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 96 78
DXO Color Depth score 25.0 23.7
DXO Dynamic range score 14.7 13.1
DXO Low light score 3730 910
Other
Battery life 610 pictures 330 pictures
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NP-FZ100 NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Two One
Launch price $1,998 $750