Sony NEX-5 vs Sony W510
89 Imaging
54 Features
58 Overall
55


96 Imaging
35 Features
17 Overall
27
Sony NEX-5 vs Sony W510 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 287g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
- Revealed June 2010
- Refreshed by Sony NEX-5N
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 26-104mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
- 119g - 96 x 54 x 20mm
- Revealed January 2011

Sony NEX-5 vs Sony W510 Overview
Below, we are matching up the Sony NEX-5 and Sony W510, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact and they are both offered by Sony. The resolution of the NEX-5 (14MP) and the W510 (12MP) is fairly well matched but the NEX-5 (APS-C) and W510 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor size.

The NEX-5 was launched 7 months before the W510 which means that they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W510 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a short summary of how the NEX-5 scores vs the W510 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Sony NEX-5 vs Sony W510 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha NEX-5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510. The complete galleries are provided at Sony NEX-5 Gallery and Sony W510 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5 over the Sony W510
NEX-5 | W510 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very exact focusing | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 920k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+690k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony W510 over the Sony NEX-5
W510 | NEX-5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | January 2011 | ![]() | June 2010 | More modern by 7 months |
Common features in the Sony NEX-5 and Sony W510
NEX-5 | W510 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Lack of Touch display |
Sony NEX-5 vs Sony W510 Physical Comparison
If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Sony NEX-5 comes with external dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs) and the Sony W510 has specifications of 96mm x 54mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 119 grams (0.26 lbs).
Examine the Sony NEX-5 and Sony W510 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Below is the front view scale comparison of the NEX-5 versus the W510.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the NEX-5 and W510 is 89 and 96 respectively.

Sony NEX-5 vs Sony W510 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, its tough to see the gap between sensor sizes merely by reading through technical specs. The picture here should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the NEX-5 and W510.
As you can tell, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The NEX-5 because of its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony NEX-5 will resolve greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged NEX-5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.

Sony NEX-5 vs Sony W510 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Sony NEX-5 vs Sony W510 Specifications
Sony Alpha NEX-5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Sony | Sony |
Model type | Sony Alpha NEX-5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Ultracompact |
Revealed | 2010-06-07 | 2011-01-06 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Ultracompact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Bionz | BIONZ |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | APS-C | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 23.4 x 15.6mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 365.0mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4592 x 3056 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 80 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 25 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Sony E | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 26-104mm (4.0x) |
Maximal aperture | - | f/2.8-5.9 |
Macro focusing distance | - | 4cm |
Amount of lenses | 121 | - |
Crop factor | 1.5 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
Screen resolution | 920k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen tech | - | Clear Photo LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 30s | 2s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/1600s |
Continuous shooting rate | 7.0 frames per sec | 1.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 12.00 m | 2.30 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 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) | 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 640x480 |
Video file format | AVCHD | Motion JPEG |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 287 grams (0.63 lbs) | 119 grams (0.26 lbs) |
Dimensions | 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") | 96 x 54 x 20mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 69 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.2 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.2 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 796 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 pictures | - |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery ID | NPFW50 | NP-BN1 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Cost at launch | $599 | $99 |