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Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R

Portability
54
Imaging
68
Features
60
Overall
64
Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5R front
Portability
89
Imaging
57
Features
76
Overall
64

Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R Key Specs

Sony A850
(Full Review)
  • 25MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 200 - 3200 (Increase to 6400)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 895g - 156 x 117 x 82mm
  • Revealed April 2010
Sony NEX-5R
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 276g - 111 x 59 x 39mm
  • Introduced August 2012
  • Old Model is Sony NEX-5N
  • Successor is Sony NEX-5T
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Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R Overview

Lets take a closer look at the Sony A850 versus Sony NEX-5R, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both designed by Sony. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the A850 (25MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the A850 (Full frame) and NEX-5R (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

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The A850 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the NEX-5R which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the A850 grades versus the NEX-5R with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Sony A850 over the Sony NEX-5R

 A850 NEX-5R 
Screen resolution922k920kSharper screen (+2k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5R over the Sony A850

 NEX-5R A850 
IntroducedAugust 2012April 2010More modern by 28 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Sony A850 and Sony NEX-5R

 A850 NEX-5R 
Manual focus Very exact focus
Screen size3"3"Same screen dimensions
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen

Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R Physical Comparison

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Sony A850 enjoys outer measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") and a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5R has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check out the Sony A850 versus Sony NEX-5R in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the A850 against the NEX-5R.

Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A850 and NEX-5R is 54 and 89 respectively.

Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R top view buttons comparison

Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R Sensor Comparison

Typically, it's difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizes only by going over technical specs. The picture here may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the A850 and NEX-5R.

As you can tell, each of these cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The A850 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh easier and the Sony A850 will offer extra detail having an extra 9MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more aged A850 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R sensor size comparison

Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A850 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony NEX-5R as a Portrait photography camera
72
has manual focus
megapixel count high (25 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
delivers RAW files
no liveview
74
you can focus manually
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Sony A850
Street photography with Sony NEX-5R
66
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
delivers RAW files
weather proofing
fixed screen
80
screen tilts up and down
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
has touch to focus
very good high ISO (25,600)
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Sony A850 as a Sports photography camera
Sony NEX-5R as a Sports photography camera
71
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count high (25MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
weather proofing
sensor has phase detect autofocus
no liveview
max frames per second very slow (3.0 frames per second)
68
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
provides tracking focus
has phase detect auto focus
does not have image stabilization
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Travel Comparison

Sony A850 Travel photography features
Sony NEX-5R Travel photography features
55
weather proofing
megapixel count high (25MP)
does not have Time Lapse function
screen isn't selfie friendly
73
has touch to focus
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A850 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-5R as a Landscape photography camera
73
has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count high (25MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
delivers RAW files
weather proofing
2 card slots
no liveview
does not have Time Lapse function
75
you can focus manually
change lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
very good high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A850 Vlogging information
Sony NEX-5R Vlogging information
9
no video shooting
31
touchscreen functionality
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
does not have mic port
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Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-5R Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A850 and Sony NEX-5R
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A850Sony Alpha NEX-5R
General Information
Brand Name Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 Sony Alpha NEX-5R
Class Advanced DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed 2010-04-15 2012-08-29
Body design Mid-size SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Bionz Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Full frame APS-C
Sensor dimensions 35.9 x 24mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 861.6mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 25MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 6048 x 4032 4912 x 3264
Max native ISO 3200 25600
Max boosted ISO 6400 -
Lowest native ISO 200 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 9 99
Lens
Lens mount type Sony/Minolta Alpha Sony E
Total lenses 143 121
Crop factor 1 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen diagonal 3" 3"
Screen resolution 922 thousand dot 920 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology TFT Xtra Fine color LCD Tilt Up 180� Down 50� TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder coverage 98% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting speed 3.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/250s 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - AVCHD
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 895 grams (1.97 lbs) 276 grams (0.61 lbs)
Physical dimensions 156 x 117 x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") 111 x 59 x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 79 78
DXO Color Depth rating 23.8 23.7
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.2 13.1
DXO Low light rating 1415 910
Other
Battery life 880 images 330 images
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID NP-FM500H NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse shooting With downloadable app
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Two One
Cost at launch $0 $750