Sony A100 vs Sony NEX-5

The following is a thorough analysis of the Sony A100 and Sony NEX-5, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are designed by Sony. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the A100 (10MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) but both cameras have the same sensor measurements (APS-C).

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The A100 was announced 4 years earlier than the NEX-5 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the A100 matches up versus the NEX-5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 & Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are available at Sony A100 Gallery & Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Sony A100 has got outside measurements of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Analyze the Sony A100 and Sony NEX-5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the A100 against the NEX-5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A100 and NEX-5 is 64 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reading through specifications. The image below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the A100 and NEX-5.

Plainly, both of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same megapixels. You can count on the Sony NEX-5 to give you greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged A100 is going to be behind in sensor technology.