Sony A560 vs Sony NEX-5R: A Veteran DSLR Meets a Clever Mirrorless Challenger

Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours behind the viewfinders and LCD screens of Sony’s cameras. Two models that often pop up in nostalgic gear chats and serious budget considerations are the Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 and the Sony Alpha NEX-5R. Released just two years apart, they represent very different approaches from Sony: an enthusiast-friendly DSLR clad in classic DSLR heft, and a compact, mirrorless marvel that hints at the future.

But how do these cameras really stack up when you put your eyes and hands on them? Which one deserves a spot in your bag today, and for what style of photography? Drawing on my own thorough hands-on testing and comparison framework, let’s break down the technical chops, real-world usability, and image quality to help you decide.

First Impressions: Form Factor and Ergonomics - Bulk vs. Sleek

Let’s start with the most obvious difference: size and handling. The Sony A560 embraces the traditional DSLR bulk. It sports a robust, compact SLR body that measures 137 x 104 x 84 mm and weighs around 599 grams. The camera has that reassuring heft that many photographers still crave, hinting at durability and a more substantial grip. In contrast, the NEX-5R shrinks down to a trim 111 x 59 x 39 mm and weighs only 276 grams - less than half the weight, in fact.

From personal experience, the A560’s size makes it easier to hold steady for longer periods, especially with larger lenses, and its deep grip is naturally suited for one-handed operation - important for wildlife or sports shooters who need to react quickly. The NEX-5R, with its rangefinder-style mirrorless body, is delightfully pocketable and incredibly portable, great for street photography and travel where discretion and lightness are prized.

However, smaller isn’t always easier: the NEX-5R’s slim design means handling can feel fiddly with bigger lenses, especially during prolonged shoots. Sony’s use of a tilting screen on both models partially compensates for awkward angles, but the A560’s broader grip offers superior balance overall.

Control Layout and User Interface: Tactile DSLR vs. Digital Touch

Sony’s commitment to offering intuitive controls shows quite clearly when you flip both cameras over and look at the top plate.

The A560 features traditional DSLR controls: dedicated dials for aperture and shutter speed adjustments, a mode dial, and a shutter release surrounded by a smooth, textured grip. Its expansive surface makes accessing buttons instinctive, especially in fast-action scenarios where fumbling could mean missed shots.

The NEX-5R, while modern and sleek, leans heavily on touchscreen interaction with fewer dedicated buttons and an emphasis on menu-driven control. Its 3-inch, 920k-dot tilting touchscreen is versatile - you can tap to focus and navigate menus swiftly - but for users accustomed to tactile feedback, it takes some adjustment. Meanwhile, the A560 opts for a non-touch tilting 3-inch LCD with 922k dots, with physical buttons and wheels doing the heavy lifting.

Both cameras lack illuminated buttons, so shooting in dim environments might require a bit of memorization or a handy flashlight.

Sensor and Image Quality - Resolving Power Meets Dynamic Range

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Both cameras pack APS-C CMOS sensors of very similar size: 23.5 x 15.6 mm (A560) vs. 23.4 x 15.6 mm (NEX-5R), with area roughly 366.6 mm² and 365.04 mm² respectively. The A560 delivers 14 Megapixels, while the NEX-5R ups the ante to 16 Megapixels.

Sony’s Bionz processors underpin both cameras, but the NEX-5R sports a newer iteration, allowing it to squeeze more detail and cleaner images from the sensor. The A560’s DXO overall score is 70, whereas the NEX-5R achieves a more impressive 78. If we break down the numbers further:

• Color Depth: 22.5 bits (A560) vs. 23.7 bits (NEX-5R) - richer color gradation on the NEX-5R.
• Dynamic Range: 12.3 EV (A560) vs. 13.1 EV (NEX-5R) - better highlight/shadow retention with the mirrorless model.
• Low Light ISO: 817 (A560) vs. 910 (NEX-5R) - cleaner images at higher sensitivity under tricky lighting on the NEX-5R.

In practice, these differences mean the NEX-5R will yield slightly cleaner images at higher ISO values - handy for low-light indoor events or night street photography - and its extra resolution is noticeable for large prints or detailed landscapes.

Though the A560 lags slightly, it still punches above its weight, producing respectable dynamic range and color fidelity for an entry-level DSLR.

Viewing Experience - Optical vs. Electronic Viewfinders and Screen Articulation

One of the classic debates when comparing DSLRs and mirrorless cameras comes down to their viewfinders. The A560 relies on a pentamirror optical viewfinder offering 95% frame coverage and 0.53x magnification, whereas the NEX-5R has no built-in EVF but offers an optional add-on module.

The optical viewfinder on the A560 provides a real-time, lag-free view that's perfect for fast-moving subjects, despite not covering 100% of the frame. But the lack of 100% coverage does mean you need to get used to slightly trimming the edges.

The NEX-5R’s lack of a built-in EVF can be a drawback in bright sunlight where the LCD screen can struggle with glare, though the 180° up tilt makes it fantastic for low-angle or self-framing shots - ideal for vlogging or casual portraits. Importantly, the touchscreen interface on the NEX-5R allows for touch-to-focus, vastly speeding up focus acquisition especially in live view mode.

Bottom line: if you’re an enthusiast who stubbornly prefers an optical viewfinder with no latency, the A560 remains the better choice, but if you want more flexible framing and touch controls, the NEX-5R excels.

Autofocus Systems In Practice - Hunting or Hitting Every Time?

Autofocus isn’t just specs on a sheet; its reliability defines your shooting experience. The Sony A560 uses a 15-point autofocus system with 3 cross-type sensors, based on phase-detection autofocus. It also incorporates face detection but lacks continuous autofocus tracking.

The NEX-5R boasts a vastly improved 99-point hybrid AF system, combining phase and contrast detection, featuring continuous tracking AF and touch AF capabilities.

From my experience, the A560’s autofocus is solid but can struggle in fast-moving or erratic subjects - think sports, wildlife, or kids running around. It often cursorily locks onto the center points and requires careful recomposing.

The NEX-5R, by contrast, shines in tracking moving subjects thanks to the hybrid AF and higher number of focus points - especially helpful in street or sports photography. Touch AF adds flexibility when composing non-centered subjects.

If you value fast, responsive autofocus that won’t hold you back during fast action, the NEX-5R gains the edge here.

Burst Shooting and Speed - Freeze the Moment or Miss the Shot?

The A560 shoots up to 5 frames per second (fps) with continuous autofocus, respectable speed for an entry-level DSLR of its time. The NEX-5R ups the ante with 10 fps burst shooting, but only in single AF mode (focus locks on the first frame, faster shooting), or 3.5 fps with continuous AF.

In practical terms, for sports and wildlife, the NEX-5R can capture a higher number of frames quickly, increasing your chances of nailing “the decisive moment.” The A560’s slower burst speed makes it more suited to portraits, landscapes, and static scenes.

This performance metric matters a lot if you shoot dynamic subjects regularly.

Flash and Low-Light Shooting - Built-In vs. Bounce?

If you’re a fan of using your built-in flash to discreetly brighten shadows, the A560 has a pop-up flash capable of syncing up to 1/160 sec, with multiple modes including High-Speed Sync and Rear-Curtain flash - versatile for creative lighting.

Conversely, the NEX-5R lacks a built-in flash. Instead, you must rely on an external flash unit, which adds to your gear load and setup time. The choice here boils down to your shooting style: casual events and fill-flash portraits benefit from the A560’s integrated flash, while more deliberate setups can accommodate the NEX-5R’s external flash options.

Concerning low-light, the A560 has sensor-based stabilization, helping hand-held shots remain sharp, while the NEX-5R lacks built-in stabilization and depends on stabilized lenses.

Video Capabilities - Who Wins the Moving Image Battle?

Both cameras offer Full HD 1080p recording, but with some differences. The A560 can record 1920 x 1080 at 60i and 29.97 fps, and the NEX-5R sorts out 1920 x 1080 at 60p, which results in smoother footage. File formats differ slightly: the A560 supports MPEG-4, AVCHD, and H.264, whereas the NEX-5R primarily uses AVCHD.

Notably, the A560 includes a microphone input for better audio quality, which I found invaluable during shoots where sound was critical. The NEX-5R does not have a microphone port, so audio options are limited to its internal mic - something to bear in mind for video-centric workflows.

For budding videographers, the smoother frame rate and mic input on the A560 may be the deciding factor.

Battery Life and Storage - Endurance for the Day’s Shoot

The DSLR A560 clearly shines here, rated for approximately 1050 shots per charge using its NP-FM500H battery, while the mirrorless NEX-5R struggles with around 330 shots on its NPFW50 battery.

The larger, heavier DSLR body allows for bigger batteries which deliver better longevity - critical when traveling or shooting events without the option to recharge. The NEX-5R’s slim profile restricts battery capacity.

Storage-wise, the A560 offers dual card slots supporting SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo, and Pro-HG Duo media - great for professional workflow redundancy. The NEX-5R has a single card slot supporting similar formats.

Lens Ecosystem - Mount Type and Options

Lens availability and native selection often determine a system’s longevity.

• A560 uses Sony/Minolta Alpha (A-mount) - a mature system with approximately 143 native lenses available, including high-quality primes and telephotos.
• NEX-5R relies on Sony E-mount with roughly 121 native lenses designed for mirrorless, including many new generation fast primes and compact zooms.

While the A-mount lineup is vast and offers more legacy lenses (including third-party options), some of those lenses are bigger and heavier, limiting the compactness of the A560 package.

E-mount lenses benefit from modern optical designs but the overall selection might be somewhat smaller, though growing rapidly.

Real-World Image Comparisons

Let’s peek at some side-by-side images captured on both cameras under identical conditions.

Sony A560 front Sony A560 screen back Sony NEX 5R front Sony NEX 5R screen back

Notice the NEX-5R’s smoother gradations and slightly higher resolution capture, especially in landscape shots. Portrait skin tones appear slightly warmer and more lifelike with better separation from the background, due in part to advanced autofocus and sensor improvements.

Meanwhile, the A560 holds its ground well in daylight and produces excellent images with pleasing color, though images tend to have marginally less detail and dynamic range.

How Do They Score? Numbers Don't Lie

If you like to see numeric rankings, here are the overall performance scores compiled from detailed lab tests and real-world assessments.

Unsurprisingly, the NEX-5R edges out the A560 across multiple categories - reflecting technological advances and tuning. The scores track very closely with my hands-on observations.

To dig deeper, let’s look at different photography types.

Specialized Performance by Photography Genre

How does each camera fare across various styles? The breakdown:

• Portrait: Both cameras offer pleasing skin tones; the NEX-5R’s superior autofocus and resolution give it an advantage in eye-detection and bokeh quality.
• Landscape: Dynamic range favors the NEX-5R, making it the better pick for wide tonal range scenes.
• Wildlife: Burst speed and AF tracking make the NEX-5R more suited.
• Sports: The NEX-5R’s faster frame rate and continuous AF win out.
• Street: The portability and discretion of the NEX-5R excel.
• Macro: Both cameras do well, but the A560 offers sensor stabilization.
• Night/Astro: Higher ISO handling on the NEX-5R is preferable.
• Video: A560’s mic input and audio control slightly better.
• Travel: NEX-5R’s compact size and light weight shines.
• Professional Work: The A560’s durability, battery life, and dual slots appeal to pros on a budget.

Wrapping It Up: Which Sony Should You Choose?

The Sony A560 and NEX-5R sit at interesting crossroads in camera evolution - the A560 as a solid, traditional DSLR that still offers reliability and tactile feedback, while the NEX-5R embraces the mirrorless revolution with notable innovations.

Choose the A560 if:

• You prefer the feel and operation of a DSLR with an optical viewfinder.
• You want longer battery life and dual card slots for shooting stamina and backup.
• Built-in flash and mic input for video are important for your workflow.
• You have or plan to invest in Sony A-mount lenses, especially telephotos or legacy glass.
• Your shooting style includes longer sessions, studio, portrait, or event photography.

Choose the NEX-5R if:

• Portability and discreet shooting matter - perfect for street and travel photographers.
• You want faster continuous shooting and better autofocus tracking for wildlife and sports.
• You prioritize image quality, dynamic range, and better high ISO performance.
• You value touchscreen interface and customizable controls.
• You're ready to embrace mirrorless lenses and possibly future upgrades with Sony’s E-mount system.

Final Thoughts: Cameras as Tools for Creativity

Neither camera is a “bad” choice - both are capable enthusiast-level tools. Your decision comes down to personal shooting style, budget, and preference for handling.

I’ve always felt the best camera is the one you carry and master. Whether that’s the steadfast Sony A560 or the nimble NEX-5R, both offer excellent entry points into serious photography without breaking the bank.

Feel free to run your own tests, but I hope my hands-on insights and detailed comparison give you a clearer path to your next great photographic companion.

Happy shooting!