Sony A9 vs Sony NEX-5N
65 Imaging
72 Features
93 Overall
80
89 Imaging
56 Features
69 Overall
61
Sony A9 vs Sony NEX-5N Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Expand to 204800)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 673g - 127 x 96 x 63mm
- Revealed April 2017
- New Model is Sony A9 II
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 269g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
- Revealed October 2011
- Previous Model is Sony NEX-5
- New Model is Sony NEX-5R
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Here, we are contrasting the Sony A9 and Sony NEX-5N, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both produced by Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the A9 (24MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the A9 (Full frame) and NEX-5N (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsThe A9 was announced 5 years after the NEX-5N which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before we go right into a full comparison, here is a brief summary of how the A9 scores versus the NEX-5N in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Sony A9 vs Sony NEX-5N Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha A9 & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony A9 Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony A9 over the Sony NEX-5N
| A9 | NEX-5N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | April 2017 | October 2011 | Newer by 68 months | |
| Display resolution | 1440k | 920k | Sharper display (+520k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5N over the Sony A9
| NEX-5N | A9 |
|---|
Common features in the Sony A9 and Sony NEX-5N
| A9 | NEX-5N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Dial precise focus | |||
| Display type | Tilting | Tilting | Tilting display | |
| Display size | 3" | 3" | Same display sizing | |
| Selfie screen | Absent selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Easily navigate |
Sony A9 vs Sony NEX-5N Physical Comparison
In case you're aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Sony A9 enjoys external measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5N has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).
Look at the Sony A9 and Sony NEX-5N in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the A9 and the NEX-5N.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the A9 and NEX-5N is 65 and 89 respectively.
Sony A9 vs Sony NEX-5N Sensor Comparison
Often, its hard to picture the difference between sensor dimensions merely by going over specs. The pic underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the A9 and NEX-5N.
As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The A9 having a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony A9 will deliver extra detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos way more aggressively. The younger A9 should have a benefit in sensor tech.
Sony A9 vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and ViewFinder
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Sony A9 vs Sony NEX-5N Specifications
| Sony Alpha A9 | Sony Alpha NEX-5N | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Sony | Sony |
| Model type | Sony Alpha A9 | Sony Alpha NEX-5N |
| Category | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Revealed | 2017-04-19 | 2011-10-03 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | BIONZ X | Bionz |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 35.6 x 23.8mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 847.3mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 24MP | 16MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Highest native ISO | 51200 | 25600 |
| Highest boosted ISO | 204800 | - |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Minimum boosted ISO | 50 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Total focus points | 693 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Sony E | Sony E |
| Total lenses | 121 | 121 |
| Focal length multiplier | 1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Tilting | Tilting |
| Screen diagonal | 3" | 3" |
| Resolution of screen | 1,440k dots | 920k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Screen technology | - | Tilt Up 80°, Down 45° TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic (optional) |
| Viewfinder resolution | 3,686k dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.78x | - |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Highest silent shutter speed | 1/32000 secs | - |
| Continuous shooting rate | 20.0fps | 10.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
| Flash options | Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Highest flash synchronize | - | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 3840x2160 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 | AVCHD |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 673 gr (1.48 pounds) | 269 gr (0.59 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 127 x 96 x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") | 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | 92 | 77 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 24.9 | 23.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 13.3 | 12.7 |
| DXO Low light rating | 3517 | 1079 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 650 images | 460 images |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | NP-FZ100 | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2, 5, 10 secs + continuous) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible) | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | 2 | 1 |
| Launch price | $4,498 | $550 |