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Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3

Portability
89
Imaging
57
Features
76
Overall
64
Sony Alpha NEX-5R front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 front
Portability
94
Imaging
33
Features
30
Overall
31

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 Key Specs

Sony NEX-5R
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 276g - 111 x 59 x 39mm
  • Announced August 2012
  • Replaced the Sony NEX-5N
  • Successor is Sony NEX-5T
Sony G3
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 35-140mm (F3.5-10.0) lens
  • 185g - 97 x 59 x 22mm
  • Released January 2009
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Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 Overview

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Sony NEX-5R versus Sony G3, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are manufactured by Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the NEX-5R (16MP) and G3 (10MP) and the NEX-5R (APS-C) and G3 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The NEX-5R was brought out 3 years after the G3 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony G3 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a thorough comparison, below is a concise overview of how the NEX-5R matches up vs the G3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5R over the Sony G3

 NEX-5R G3 
ReleasedAugust 2012January 2009Newer by 45 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen

Reasons to pick Sony G3 over the Sony NEX-5R

 G3 NEX-5R 
Screen sizing3.5"3"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution921k920kCrisper screen (+1k dot)

Common features in the Sony NEX-5R and Sony G3

 NEX-5R G3 
Manually focus More precise focusing
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to travel with your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Sony NEX-5R has outer dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Sony G3 has dimensions of 97mm x 59mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") with a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs).

Look at the Sony NEX-5R versus Sony G3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the NEX-5R against the G3.

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-5R and G3 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 top view buttons comparison

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it is difficult to see the gap in sensor dimensions just by going through specs. The pic below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the NEX-5R and G3.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The NEX-5R featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Sony NEX-5R will provide more detail having its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The newer NEX-5R will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 sensor size comparison

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Sony NEX-5R
Portrait photography with Sony G3
74
has manual focus
good MP (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
26
has manual focus
no manual control
external flash not possible
sensor resolution low (10MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
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Street Comparison

Sony NEX-5R as a Street photography camera
Sony G3 as a Street photography camera
80
has a tilting screen
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
features touch focus
great high ISO (25,600)
lack of image stabilization
56
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen does not articulate
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Sony NEX-5R
Sports photography with Sony G3
68
good MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
has tracking autofocus
supports phase detect auto focus
lack of image stabilization
23
built in image stabilization (Optical)
low max shutter speed (1/1,000s)
slow frames per second (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority
sensor resolution low (10MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Travel photography info
Sony G3 Travel photography info
73
features touch focus
good MP (16 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
50
has built in flash
missing Time Lapse recording
sensor resolution low (10MP)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not fantastic (35mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Landscape photography advice
Sony G3 Landscape photography advice
75
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
good MP (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
great high ISO (25,600)
delivers RAW files
lack of image stabilization
36
has manual focus
lovely big screen (3.5 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (35mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
missing Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Vlogging features
Sony G3 Vlogging features
31
touchscreen enabled
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
display isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
missing external microphone support
27
touchscreen enabled
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not fantastic (35mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
display is not selfie friendly
low video resolution (640 x 480 resolution)
missing mic port
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Sony NEX-5R vs Sony G3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony NEX-5R and Sony G3
 Sony Alpha NEX-5RSony Cyber-shot DSC-G3
General Information
Brand Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha NEX-5R Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Announced 2012-08-29 2009-01-08
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Bionz -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size APS-C 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 23.4 x 15.6mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 365.0mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 10 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4912 x 3264 3648 x 2736
Highest native ISO 25600 3200
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 99 9
Lens
Lens mount type Sony E fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 35-140mm (4.0x)
Largest aperture - f/3.5-10.0
Total lenses 121 -
Focal length multiplier 1.5 5.8
Screen
Display type Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3 inch 3.5 inch
Display resolution 920 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display technology Tilt Up 180� Down 50� TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 30s 1s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1000s
Continuous shutter speed 10.0fps 2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 4.30 m (Auto ISO)
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/160s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 640x480
Video data format AVCHD Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 276 gr (0.61 lbs) 185 gr (0.41 lbs)
Dimensions 111 x 59 x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") 97 x 59 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 78 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 13.1 not tested
DXO Low light rating 910 not tested
Other
Battery life 330 shots -
Battery form Battery Pack -
Battery ID NPFW50 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Pricing at release $750 $200