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Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5

Portability
66
Imaging
54
Features
47
Overall
51
Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5 front
Portability
89
Imaging
54
Features
58
Overall
55

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 Key Specs

Sony A290
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
  • Released June 2010
  • Succeeded the Sony A230
Sony NEX-5
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 287g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
  • Launched June 2010
  • Successor is Sony NEX-5N
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Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 Overview

Here is a comprehensive assessment of the Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are created by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A290 (14MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is fairly close and they enjoy the exact same sensor measurements (APS-C).

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The A290 was introduced very close to the NEX-5 so they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a in depth comparison, below is a brief overview of how the A290 grades vs the NEX-5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Sony NEX-5

 A290 NEX-5 

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5 over the Sony A290

 NEX-5 A290 
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display dimension3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution920k230kCrisper display (+690k dot)

Common features in the Sony A290 and Sony NEX-5

 A290 NEX-5 
LaunchedJune 2010June 2010Same generation
Focus manually Very exact focus
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch friendly display No Touch friendly display

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 Physical Comparison

When you are going to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Sony A290 has physical dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") having a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Analyze the Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the A290 against the NEX-5.

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the A290 and NEX-5 is 66 and 89 respectively.

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 top view buttons comparison

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizing merely by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic below might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the A290 and NEX-5.

Clearly, each of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same resolution so you should expect comparable quality of pictures but you should factor the release date of the cameras into account.

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 sensor size comparison

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A290 Portrait photography info
Sony NEX-5 Portrait photography info
65
you can focus manually
MP count good (14MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
offers face detection autofocus
supports RAW formats
no liveview feature
72
focusing manually
good resolution (14 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Sony A290 Street photography info
Sony NEX-5 Street photography info
66
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
fixed screen
76
has a tilting screen
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
no image stabilization
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Sony A290
Sports photography with Sony NEX-5
55
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count good (14 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports phase detect autofocus
no liveview feature
max frames per second very slow (3.0 frames/s)
bad battery pack (290 per charge)
52
good resolution (14 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
no image stabilization
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Sony A290 Travel photography details
Sony NEX-5 Travel photography details
53
MP count good (14MP)
flash built-in
no Timelapse mode
bad battery pack (290 CIPA)
display is not selfie friendly
59
good resolution (14 megapixels)
does not have Timelapse recording
display isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A290 Landscape photography advice
Sony NEX-5 Landscape photography advice
58
you can focus manually
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count good (14 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
screen is small (2.7")
no liveview feature
bad battery pack (290 shots)
no Timelapse mode
68
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
nice screen size (3")
good resolution (14MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
no image stabilization
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A290 Vlogging info
Sony NEX-5 Vlogging info
9
no video shooting
28
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
display isn't selfie friendly
no image stabilization
does not have external microphone support
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Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A290 and Sony NEX-5
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A290Sony Alpha NEX-5
General Information
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 Sony Alpha NEX-5
Class Entry-Level DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Released 2010-06-09 2010-06-07
Physical type Compact SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by Bionz Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor measurements 23.5 x 15.7mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 369.0mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 14MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4592 x 3056 4592 x 3056
Max native ISO 3200 12800
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focus
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points 9 25
Lens
Lens mounting type Sony/Minolta Alpha Sony E
Number of lenses 143 121
Focal length multiplier 1.5 1.5
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Tilting
Display diagonal 2.7 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 230 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder coverage 95% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.55x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting rate 3.0 frames per sec 7.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 10.00 m (at ISO 100) 12.00 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/160s 1/160s
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)
Max video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - AVCHD
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 549 gr (1.21 pounds) 287 gr (0.63 pounds)
Dimensions 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 66 69
DXO Color Depth score 22.6 22.2
DXO Dynamic range score 11.5 12.2
DXO Low light score 615 796
Other
Battery life 290 pictures 330 pictures
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NP-FH50 NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse recording
Type of storage Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Pricing at launch $600 $599