Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III

Let's look a little more closely at the Sony NEX-5R versus Sony RX100 III, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Compact and both of them are built by Sony. The resolution of the NEX-5R (16MP) and the RX100 III (20MP) is very well matched but the NEX-5R (APS-C) and RX100 III (1") boast different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The NEX-5R was announced 20 months earlier than the RX100 III making them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the NEX-5R scores versus the RX100 III for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha NEX-5R and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III. The whole galleries are available at Sony NEX-5R Gallery and Sony RX100 III Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. 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) whilst the Sony RX100 III has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 290 grams (0.64 lbs).

Take a look at the Sony NEX-5R versus Sony RX100 III in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the NEX-5R vs the RX100 III.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the NEX-5R and RX100 III is 89 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to picture the contrast between sensor sizes only by looking at specs. The image here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the NEX-5R and RX100 III.

All in all, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The NEX-5R with its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh simpler and the Sony RX100 III will give you more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged NEX-5R is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.