Sony NEX-5R vs Sony A33

Following is a in-depth assessment of the Sony NEX-5R versus Sony A33, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both produced by Sony. The image resolution of the NEX-5R (16MP) and the A33 (14MP) is very well matched and both cameras have the same sensor sizes (APS-C).

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The NEX-5R was announced 2 years after the A33 which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A33 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the NEX-5R scores against the A33 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha NEX-5R & Sony SLT-A33. The whole galleries are available at Sony NEX-5R Gallery & Sony A33 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Sony NEX-5R has got outside 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) whilst the Sony A33 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

See the Sony NEX-5R versus Sony A33 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the NEX-5R compared to the A33.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-5R and A33 is 89 and 67 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to envision the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading through a spec sheet. The image below will give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the NEX-5R and A33.

As you can see, the two cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You can expect to see the Sony NEX-5R to give more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos more aggressively. The newer NEX-5R is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.