Sony NEX-5R vs Sony a5100

The following is a extended review of the Sony NEX-5R vs Sony a5100, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras and both of them are produced by Sony. There is a substantial difference between the resolutions of the NEX-5R (16MP) and a5100 (24MP) but both cameras boast the identical sensor sizing (APS-C).

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The NEX-5R was manufactured 23 months before the a5100 making them a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the NEX-5R matches up versus the a5100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha NEX-5R & Sony Alpha a5100. The entire galleries are available at Sony NEX-5R Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Sony NEX-5R offers exterior measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Sony a5100 has sizing of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Look at the Sony NEX-5R vs Sony a5100 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the NEX-5R versus the a5100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the NEX-5R and a5100 is 89 and 89 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions purely by going over a spec sheet. The image here will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the NEX-5R and a5100.

Clearly, both of the cameras feature the identical sensor size but not the same megapixels. You can expect to see the Sony a5100 to offer you more detail due to its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images way more aggressively. The more aged NEX-5R is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.