Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-5R

Here, we are looking at the Sony A290 and Sony NEX-5R, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are produced by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A290 (14MP) and the NEX-5R (16MP) is very close and both cameras have the identical sensor measurements (APS-C).

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The A290 was manufactured 3 years prior to the NEX-5R and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the A290 grades versus the NEX-5R with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are provided at Sony A290 Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Sony A290 comes with outer dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5R has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Compare the Sony A290 and Sony NEX-5R in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the A290 vs the NEX-5R.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the A290 and NEX-5R is 66 and 89 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements just by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic here will help offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the A290 and NEX-5R.

Clearly, the two cameras feature the identical sensor size but not the same MP. You should expect to see the Sony NEX-5R to result in greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics way more aggressively. The older A290 will be behind in sensor technology.