Sony NEX-5 vs Sony RX100 VI

Below is a complete assessment of the Sony NEX-5 versus Sony RX100 VI, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Compact and both are created by Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the NEX-5 (14MP) and RX100 VI (20MP) and the NEX-5 (APS-C) and RX100 VI (1") feature different sensor sizes.

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The NEX-5 was manufactured 9 years earlier than the RX100 VI and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 VI being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief summary of how the NEX-5 scores vs the RX100 VI with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha NEX-5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI. The entire galleries are available at Sony NEX-5 Gallery & Sony RX100 VI Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Sony NEX-5 has physical 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 RX100 VI has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 43mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.7") having a weight of 301 grams (0.66 lbs).

Compare the Sony NEX-5 versus Sony RX100 VI in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at the time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the NEX-5 compared to the RX100 VI.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-5 and RX100 VI is 89 and 88 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to picture the gap between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The photograph below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the NEX-5 and RX100 VI.

All in all, both of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The NEX-5 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony RX100 VI will offer greater detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images much more aggressively. The older NEX-5 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.