Sony NEX-5 vs Sony RX100 II

Here is a detailed assessment of the Sony NEX-5 and Sony RX100 II, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and both are produced by Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the NEX-5 (14MP) and RX100 II (20MP) and the NEX-5 (APS-C) and RX100 II (1") posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The NEX-5 was manufactured 4 years prior to the RX100 II and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the NEX-5 matches up against the RX100 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha NEX-5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony NEX-5 Gallery and Sony RX100 II Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor its weight and volume. The Sony NEX-5 has outside measurements 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 RX100 II has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Contrast the Sony NEX-5 and Sony RX100 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the NEX-5 vs the RX100 II.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-5 and RX100 II is 89 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing purely by viewing technical specs. The visual underneath should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the NEX-5 and RX100 II.

As you can tell, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The NEX-5 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony RX100 II will result in extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older NEX-5 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.