Sony NEX-5 vs Sony RX1

On this page, we are analyzing the Sony NEX-5 and Sony RX1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Compact and both of them are manufactured by Sony. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the NEX-5 (14MP) and RX1 (24MP) and the NEX-5 (APS-C) and RX1 (Full frame) offer different sensor size.

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The NEX-5 was manufactured 3 years prior to the RX1 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the NEX-5 scores vs the RX1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha NEX-5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony NEX-5 Gallery and Sony RX1 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Sony NEX-5 provides outer dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs) and the Sony RX1 has dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") with a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Contrast the Sony NEX-5 and Sony RX1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the NEX-5 compared to the RX1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-5 and RX1 is 89 and 79 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes simply by viewing technical specs. The pic below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the NEX-5 and RX1.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The NEX-5 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh tougher and the Sony RX1 will render extra detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged NEX-5 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.