Sony NEX-5N vs Sony RX10

Below, we are contrasting the Sony NEX-5N and Sony RX10, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom and they are both designed by Sony. The image resolution of the NEX-5N (16MP) and the RX10 (20MP) is very similar but the NEX-5N (APS-C) and RX10 (1") come with different sensor size.

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The NEX-5N was released 3 years prior to the RX10 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise overview of how the NEX-5N scores vs the RX10 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha NEX-5N and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The complete galleries are provided at Sony NEX-5N Gallery and Sony RX10 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Sony NEX-5N comes with external dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Sony RX10 has specifications of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") with a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

Check the Sony NEX-5N and Sony RX10 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the NEX-5N vs the RX10.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the NEX-5N and RX10 is 89 and 58 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing only by reading technical specs. The visual here will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the NEX-5N and RX10.

As you have seen, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The NEX-5N featuring a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Sony RX10 will deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics much more aggressively. The older NEX-5N is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.