Sony A500 vs Sony NEX-5R

Here, we are looking at the Sony A500 versus Sony NEX-5R, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are sold by Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the A500 (12MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) but both cameras boast the identical sensor dimensions (APS-C).

Photography Glossary

The A500 was announced 4 years prior to the NEX-5R which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Sony A500 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 quick overview of how the A500 scores vs the NEX-5R when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The whole galleries are provided at Sony A500 Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera often, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Sony A500 has outer dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check out the Sony A500 versus Sony NEX-5R in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at the time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the A500 vs the NEX-5R.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the A500 and NEX-5R is 63 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to see the difference between sensor dimensions merely by looking at technical specs. The picture underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the A500 and NEX-5R.

As you can tell, each of the cameras feature the identical sensor size but not the same megapixels. You should expect to see the Sony NEX-5R to give you greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged A500 is going to be behind in sensor technology.