Sony NEX-5 vs Sony WX50

Its time to look much closer at the Sony NEX-5 and Sony WX50, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are designed by Sony. The resolution of the NEX-5 (14MP) and the WX50 (16MP) is very similar but the NEX-5 (APS-C) and WX50 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

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The NEX-5 was introduced 20 months prior to the WX50 making them a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX50 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a full comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the NEX-5 grades against the WX50 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha NEX-5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX50. The whole galleries are available at Sony NEX-5 Gallery and Sony WX50 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Sony NEX-5 has outer dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs) whilst the Sony WX50 has sizing of 92mm x 52mm x 19mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.7") along with a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).

Check out the Sony NEX-5 and Sony WX50 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using during that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the NEX-5 versus the WX50.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the NEX-5 and WX50 is 89 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizing just by reviewing technical specs. The graphic here will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the NEX-5 and WX50.

As you can tell, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The NEX-5 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Sony WX50 will offer you greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The older NEX-5 is going to be behind in sensor tech.