Sony NEX-5 vs Sony WX300

Here, we will be matching up the Sony NEX-5 vs Sony WX300, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are created by Sony. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the NEX-5 (14MP) and WX300 (18MP) and the NEX-5 (APS-C) and WX300 (1/2.3") posses different sensor sizing.

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The NEX-5 was revealed 3 years earlier than the WX300 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX300 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple summation of how the NEX-5 scores against the WX300 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha NEX-5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX300. The full galleries are viewable at Sony NEX-5 Gallery and Sony WX300 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Sony NEX-5 has external measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs) whilst the Sony WX300 has measurements of 96mm x 55mm x 25mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 166 grams (0.37 lbs).

Analyze the Sony NEX-5 vs Sony WX300 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the NEX-5 and the WX300.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the NEX-5 and WX300 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements only by going through technical specs. The photograph here might give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the NEX-5 and WX300.

As you have seen, both of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The NEX-5 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony WX300 will provide more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older NEX-5 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.