Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5

Below, we will be evaluating the Sony A850 and Sony NEX-5, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are produced by Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the A850 (25MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the A850 (Full frame) and NEX-5 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

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The A850 was released within a month of the NEX-5 so they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras come with different body type with the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a short introduction of how the A850 grades against the NEX-5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The complete galleries are provided at Sony A850 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera often, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Sony A850 has got external dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A850 and Sony NEX-5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the A850 against the NEX-5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the A850 and NEX-5 is 54 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizing simply by going over specs. The graphic below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the A850 and NEX-5.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The A850 because of its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony A850 will offer greater detail as a result of its extra 11MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots much more aggressively.