Sony A300 vs Sony NEX-5N

Lets look closer at the Sony A300 versus Sony NEX-5N, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both built by Sony. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the A300 (10MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor measurements (APS-C).

Photography Glossary

The A300 was announced 4 years before the NEX-5N and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a quick summary of how the A300 matches up against the NEX-5N for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 and Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony A300 Gallery and Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Sony A300 provides outside measurements of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5N has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A300 versus Sony NEX-5N in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the A300 and the NEX-5N.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A300 and NEX-5N is 64 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements purely by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph below may give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the A300 and NEX-5N.

Clearly, both of those cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You should count on the Sony NEX-5N to resolve greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older A300 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.