Sony A390 vs Sony NEX-5

Let's look a bit more closely at the Sony A390 vs Sony NEX-5, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are offered by Sony. The image resolution of the A390 (14MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is relatively well matched and both cameras offer the identical sensor size (APS-C).

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The A390 was brought out 2 months after the NEX-5 so they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short overview of how the A390 grades versus the NEX-5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The entire galleries are available at Sony A390 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and size. The Sony A390 has physical dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5 has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Look at the Sony A390 vs Sony NEX-5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the A390 compared to the NEX-5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A390 and NEX-5 is 66 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to imagine the difference between sensor sizes only by checking technical specs. The pic underneath should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the A390 and NEX-5.

As you have seen, both cameras feature the identical sensor size and the same megapixels so you should expect similar quality of files however you would want to take the release date of the products into consideration.