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Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III

Portability
89
Imaging
57
Features
76
Overall
64
Sony Alpha NEX-5R front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III front
Portability
89
Imaging
51
Features
77
Overall
61

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III 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
  • Older Model is Sony NEX-5N
  • Later Model is Sony NEX-5T
Sony RX100 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
  • 290g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
  • Released May 2014
  • Succeeded the Sony RX100 II
  • Successor is Sony RX100 IV
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Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III Overview

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.

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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.

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Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5R over the Sony RX100 III

 NEX-5R RX100 III 
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 III over the Sony NEX-5R

 RX100 III NEX-5R 
ReleasedMay 2014August 2012More modern by 20 months
Display resolution1229k920kSharper display (+309k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Sony NEX-5R and Sony RX100 III

 NEX-5R RX100 III 
Manually focus More exact focus
Display typeTiltingTiltingTilting display
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurement

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III Physical Comparison

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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III size comparison

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

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III top view buttons comparison

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III Sensor Comparison

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.

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III sensor size comparison

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III Screen and ViewFinder

Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Portrait photography advice
Sony RX100 III Portrait photography advice
74
has manual focus
megapixel count good (16MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
64
manual focus
above average flash sync (1/2,000 seconds)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (1")
includes face detect focusing
exports RAW formats
no external flash support
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Street Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Street photography highlights
Sony RX100 III Street photography highlights
80
screen tilts up and down
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
has touch to focus
above average high ISO (25,600)
no image stabilization
85
screen tilts
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
lighter than competition in class (290 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Sports photography info
Sony RX100 III Sports photography info
68
megapixel count good (16MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
offers tracking focus
has phase detect auto focus
no image stabilization
65
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
decent sensor size (1")
includes tracking focus
lacks phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Sony NEX-5R Travel photography details
Sony RX100 III Travel photography details
73
has touch to focus
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
85
lighter than competition in class (290g)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
built-in flash
selfie friendly display
really wide (24mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Sony NEX-5R as a Landscape photography camera
Sony RX100 III as a Landscape photography camera
75
has manual focus
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
megapixel count good (16MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
above average high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW formats
no image stabilization
73
manual focus
really wide (24mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony NEX-5R as a Vlogging camera
Sony RX100 III as a Vlogging camera
31
touch screen
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
lack of mic socket
80
really wide (24mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
selfie friendly display
image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect focusing
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than competition in class (290 grams)
doesn't have microphone socket
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Sony NEX-5R vs Sony RX100 III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony NEX-5R and Sony RX100 III
 Sony Alpha NEX-5RSony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
General Information
Brand Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha NEX-5R Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Released 2012-08-29 2014-05-15
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Bionz Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size APS-C 1"
Sensor measurements 23.4 x 15.6mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface 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
Maximum resolution 4912 x 3264 5472 x 3648
Maximum native ISO 25600 12800
Lowest native ISO 100 125
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 99 25
Lens
Lens support Sony E fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-70mm (2.9x)
Maximal aperture - f/1.8-2.8
Macro focusing distance - 5cm
Total lenses 121 -
Crop factor 1.5 2.7
Screen
Type of screen Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 920 thousand dots 1,229 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Screen tech Tilt Up 180� Down 50� TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.59x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/2000s
Continuous shooting rate 10.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance no built-in flash -
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in -
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/160s 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60p/60i/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p/24p/120p), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format AVCHD MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone port
Headphone port
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
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 276 grams (0.61 lbs) 290 grams (0.64 lbs)
Physical dimensions 111 x 59 x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") 102 x 58 x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 78 67
DXO Color Depth rating 23.7 22.4
DXO Dynamic range rating 13.1 12.3
DXO Low light rating 910 495
Other
Battery life 330 photographs 320 photographs
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID NPFW50 NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) Yes (2 or 10 sec, self-portrait, continuous)
Time lapse recording With downloadable app With downloadable app
Storage type SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Cost at launch $750 $748