Sony NEX-5 vs Sony A99

Below is a complete comparison of the Sony NEX-5 vs Sony A99, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR and they are both designed by Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the NEX-5 (14MP) and A99 (24MP) and the NEX-5 (APS-C) and A99 (Full frame) come with different sensor sizing.

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The NEX-5 was introduced 3 years before the A99 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the NEX-5 matches up against the A99 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha NEX-5 & Sony SLT-A99. The whole galleries are available at Sony NEX-5 Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Sony NEX-5 has got external measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs) while the Sony A99 has measurements of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") having a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Examine the Sony NEX-5 vs Sony A99 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select during that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the NEX-5 and the A99.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the NEX-5 and A99 is 89 and 57 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reading technical specs. The photograph below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the NEX-5 and A99.

As you can tell, both cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The NEX-5 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A99 will offer greater detail using its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots much more aggressively. The older NEX-5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.