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Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV

Portability
89
Imaging
57
Features
76
Overall
64
Sony Alpha NEX-5R front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV front
Portability
52
Imaging
54
Features
82
Overall
65

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV Key Specs

Sony NEX-5R
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 276g - 111 x 59 x 39mm
  • Released August 2012
  • Earlier Model is Sony NEX-5N
  • New Model is Sony NEX-5T
Sony RX10 IV
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 12800 (Expand to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-600mm (F2.4-4.0) lens
  • 1095g - 133 x 94 x 145mm
  • Released September 2017
  • Succeeded the Sony RX10 III
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Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV Overview

Below, we will be reviewing the Sony NEX-5R versus Sony RX10 IV, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom and both of them are built by Sony. The sensor resolution of the NEX-5R (16MP) and the RX10 IV (20MP) is pretty close but the NEX-5R (APS-C) and RX10 IV (1") use totally different sensor measurements.

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The NEX-5R was released 6 years earlier than the RX10 IV and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX10 IV being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple overview of how the NEX-5R grades versus the RX10 IV with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5R over the Sony RX10 IV

 NEX-5R RX10 IV 

Reasons to pick Sony RX10 IV over the Sony NEX-5R

 RX10 IV NEX-5R 
ReleasedSeptember 2017August 2012Fresher by 61 months
Screen resolution1440k920kCrisper screen (+520k dot)

Common features in the Sony NEX-5R and Sony RX10 IV

 NEX-5R RX10 IV 
Manual focus Very exact focusing
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen measurements
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV Physical Comparison

For anyone who is going to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Sony NEX-5R has exterior measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Sony RX10 IV has specifications of 133mm x 94mm x 145mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.7") with a weight of 1095 grams (2.41 lbs).

See the Sony NEX-5R versus Sony RX10 IV in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the NEX-5R versus the RX10 IV.

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-5R and RX10 IV is 89 and 52 respectively.

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV top view buttons comparison

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV Sensor Comparison

Usually, it can be tough to envision the difference in sensor sizing only by looking through specifications. The graphic here will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the NEX-5R and RX10 IV.

To sum up, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The NEX-5R because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony RX10 IV will render more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older NEX-5R will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV sensor size comparison

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV Screen and ViewFinder

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Portrait photography highlights
Sony RX10 IV Portrait photography highlights
74
focusing manually
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
72
manual focus
high flash sync speed (1/2,000 seconds)
decent MP (20MP)
sensor size is good (1")
features face detection focusing
saves RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Sony NEX-5R as a Street photography camera
Sony RX10 IV as a Street photography camera
80
tilting screen
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
features focus by touch
above average ISO range (25,600)
lack of image stabilization
64
tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is good (1")
saves RAW formats
includes focus by touch
environment proofing
heavier than average in class (1,095g)
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Sports Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Sports photography advice
Sony RX10 IV Sports photography advice
68
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
offers tracking focus
supports phase detect auto focus
lack of image stabilization
77
amazing zoom range (24-600mm 25.0 x zoom)
silent shooting (1/32,000s)
max fps high (24.0 frames/s)
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (20MP)
sensor size is good (1")
features tracking autofocus
environment proofing
has phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Sony NEX-5R
Travel photography with Sony RX10 IV
73
features focus by touch
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
57
environment proofing
supports bluetooth
includes focus by touch
decent MP (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
rather wide (24mm)
very long reach (600mm)
does not have Time Lapse mode
heavier than average in class (1,095g)
screen is not selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.4)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Landscape photography factors
Sony RX10 IV Landscape photography factors
75
focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3")
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
above average ISO range (25,600)
exports RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
63
manual focus
rather wide (24mm)
nice screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (20MP)
sensor size is good (1")
saves RAW formats
environment proofing
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.4)
does not have Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony NEX-5R as a Vlogging camera
Sony RX10 IV as a Vlogging camera
31
touchscreen functionality
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
lack of image stabilization
missing mic socket
29
rather wide (24mm)
touchscreen enabled
has image stabilization (Optical)
features face detection focusing
high quality video (3840 x 2160 pixels)
has external mic port
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.4)
screen is not selfie friendly
heavier than average in class (1,095g)
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Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX10 IV Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony NEX-5R and Sony RX10 IV
 Sony Alpha NEX-5RSony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV
General Information
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha NEX-5R Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Large Sensor Superzoom
Released 2012-08-29 2017-09-12
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Chip Bionz Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size APS-C 1"
Sensor dimensions 23.4 x 15.6mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area 365.0mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 20MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4912 x 3264 5472 x 3648
Highest native ISO 25600 12800
Highest boosted ISO - 25600
Min native ISO 100 125
RAW images
Min boosted ISO - 64
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 99 315
Lens
Lens mount type Sony E fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-600mm (25.0x)
Largest aperture - f/2.4-4.0
Macro focusing range - 3cm
Amount of lenses 121 -
Focal length multiplier 1.5 2.7
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen diagonal 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 920k dot 1,440k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen technology Tilt Up 180� Down 50� TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359k dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/2000 secs
Maximum silent shutter speed - 1/32000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 10.0 frames per second 24.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 10.80 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/160 secs 1/2000 secs
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) 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p) ,1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video data format AVCHD MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
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 grams (0.61 lb) 1095 grams (2.41 lb)
Dimensions 111 x 59 x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") 133 x 94 x 145mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around 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 400 shots
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID NPFW50 NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous)
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Launch pricing $750 $1,698