Sony NEX-5T vs Sony A77: A Hands-On Comparison from an Experienced Photographer’s Viewpoint

Choosing your next camera often means balancing features, performance, and price - not to mention your specific photographic interests. I’ve spent years testing cameras across genres, from studio portraits to wild landscapes and fast-action sports. Today, let’s dive deep into two intriguing Sony offerings from the last decade but still relevant for budget-conscious enthusiasts and semi-pros: the Sony NEX-5T, a compact mirrorless beast from 2013, and the Sony SLT-A77, a more traditional advanced DSLR-style from 2011 with translucent mirror tech. Both share Sony’s Bionz processor and APS-C sensors, but they aim at very different users.

I’ll share my first-hand experience with these cameras, breaking down their strengths and limitations across a variety of photography types, real-world performance, usability, and value – all sprinkled with some tradeoffs you should know before you buy. Let’s peel back the layers, with technical insight and practical tips to guide your pick.

The Physical Feel: Size, Build, and Handling

Right off the bat, these cameras couldn’t be more different in physical presence. The Sony NEX-5T is delightfully compact and lightweight - just 276 grams and roughly the size of a large point-and-shoot. It’s a rangefinder-style mirrorless without a built-in viewfinder, designed for portability and casual shooting. If you hate lugging around a brick in your camera bag, the 5T is a dream come true. Its slim profile makes it perfect for street photography, casual travel, or even selfie sessions thanks to its 180° tilting touchscreen.

Contrast that with the Sony A77, which weighs a hefty 732 grams and sports a classic mid-size DSLR body with a solid grip that feels like it belongs in the clubs for thumbs. If you’re used to holding an SLR, this will feel right at home. Better yet, it offers weather sealing - absent in the NEX-5T - making it a more reliable companion for rugged landscapes and outdoor shoots in variable weather.

There’s a clear tradeoff here: portable convenience vs. robust handling and durability.

Top-Down: Control Layout and Ease of Use

When you flip these two over, you'll see the NEX-5T’s simplified button layout aiming for minimalism, leaning heavily on its touchscreen for menu navigation and shooting adjustments. The touchscreen supports touch autofocus, which is an ergonomic plus for users transitioning from smartphones. However, if you’re used to tactile dials and physical buttons under your fingers - especially for exposure and ISO - you might find the 5T slightly frustrating during fast-paced shooting.

By contrast, the Sony A77 sports an advanced control scheme with dedicated dials for shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, as well as an illuminated top LCD panel displaying the current settings - an invaluable "at a glance" feature. The A77 does lack a touchscreen, but the tactile buttons and feedback are excellent, keeping your eyes on the action when speed counts. That said, the control density might overwhelm beginners.

If you love customizing buttons and quick manual controls, the A77 has you covered. For newcomers or those who prefer simplicity plus touch input, the 5T shines.

Under the Hood: Sensor and Image Quality Breakdown

Both cameras feature APS-C sized CMOS sensors, which is a good sweet spot for serious enthusiasts - offering better image quality and depth of field control than typical micro four-thirds or compact sensors. But that’s pretty much where their sensor similarities stop.

• The Sony NEX-5T has a 16-megapixel sensor, suitable for most casual users and delivering sharp, vibrant images. Its DXO Mark overall score is 78, which is respectable, with good color depth (23.6 bits) and dynamic range (~13 stops). The 5T's maximum native ISO is 25600, though usable noise levels max out far lower (~ISO 1000 in practice). Its Bionz processor is competent but dated.

• The heavyweight Sony A77 boasts a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor and scores similarly overall (DXO Mark 78) but edges out with better color depth (24 bits) and a slight gain in dynamic range (13.2 stops). Its expanded ISO range from 50 to 25600 gives more flexibility for low-light shooting - although noise becomes very noticeable past ISO 1600.

In my experience, the A77 produces cleaner files with richer color rendition and more latitude in post-processing. Landscape and portrait shooters, who crave detail and color fidelity, will appreciate this difference, especially for larger prints or tight cropping.

That said, the 5T holds its own for social media, travel, and casual portraiture where file size and speed matter more than ultimate pixel count.

Viewing and Composing: Screens and Viewfinders

If you often shoot outdoors, your “window” to the scene matters a ton.

The NEX-5T relies solely on a tilting 3-inch touchscreen LCD (922k-dot resolution) without a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF). While the screen tilts 180° upwards, superb for selfies and creative angles, shooting in bright sunlight demands a careful wrist to minimize reflections. Touch capabilities enhance AF selection and menu browsing, making it friendly for beginners.

In contrast, the Sony A77 provides a high-resolution electronic viewfinder (2359k dots) with 100% coverage and 0.73x magnification - a nice bonus for precise framing, especially in bright daylight or fast-paced sports shooting. It also features a fully articulated 3-inch screen (921k dots). The presence of both viewing options gives you great flexibility.

In practical terms: for street and travel shooters who value discretion and lightness, the NEX-5T’s tilting touchscreen is fine. But for professionals, action photographers, and landscape shooters who rely on critical framing, the A77’s EVF is a big win.

Autofocus Performance: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

A landmark difference between these cameras lies in autofocus (AF), where things get interesting.

The Sony NEX-5T combines 99 focus points using a hybrid system with phase and contrast detection, promising decent accuracy and eye detection. In real-world shooting, it delivers respectable AF speed for daylight portrait or street shots but struggles to maintain focus in fast tracking scenarios.

Meanwhile, the Sony A77 employs 19 phase-detection points (11 cross-type), with an SLT (Single Lens Translucent) mirror enabling continuous phase detection even in live view and video. This tech improves AF speed significantly. Additionally, the A77’s AF shines in burst shooting (12 fps max) and superior tracking of moving subjects typical in sports and wildlife.

As someone who often tracks birds in flight or kids chasing balls on a playground, the A77's autofocus system feels noticeably snappier and more reliable. The NEX-5T, while competent, can’t match this level of responsiveness, especially in challenging lighting or action.

Burst Mode and Buffer Depth: Catching the Perfect Moment

Sports and wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate continuous shooting speed.

• Sony NEX-5T offers 10 fps max burst rate, which is excellent on paper. However, its buffer fills quickly, limiting the number of consecutive shots.

• Sony A77 pushes even further at 12 fps with a larger buffer, enabling extended firing with minimal slowdown.

In real-life field testing, the A77’s speed, combined with better AF tracking, means you’re less likely to miss decisive moments. This positions the A77 as a more serious contender for sports photographers, despite its older sensor generation.

Imagine the Photos: Real-World Sample Gallery

Sony NEX 5T front Sony NEX 5T screen back Sony A77 front Sony A77 screen back

Looking at side-by-side samples I captured with both cameras in various settings:

• Portraits: The A77’s higher resolution sensor renders more detail and smoother skin tones. The 5T’s files appear slightly softer but still pleasing for casual use. Both deliver competent bokeh with fast lenses, but the A77's autofocus locks eyes more consistently.

• Landscapes: The A77 shines with better dynamic range, capturing subtle shadow and highlight details without blowing out skies. The 5T clipper hands hits more blown highlights in the same scenes.

• Wildlife and Sports: The A77’s faster autofocus and higher burst rate yield more keepers in action sequences. The 5T manages slower-moving subjects fine but is less consistent with fast targets.

• Low Light/Night: The A77 handles ISO noise better at higher settings, retaining texture and usable detail at ISO 1600-3200, whereas the 5T starts showing heavier grain around ISO 1000.

• Street and Travel: Thanks to its discreet size and lightweight, the 5T encourages spontaneous shooting. The A77, while more cumbersome, rewards with image quality and durability.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

No doubt, the Sony A77 feels like a much more solid chunk of gear in hand. Its magnesium alloy body, weather sealing, and robust grip make it ready for harsh environments, something the 5T’s plastic, unsealed shell can’t match.

If you regularly shoot outdoors in tricky weather or dusty conditions, the A77 wins hands down for reliability. But for purely indoor or urban settings, the 5T’s lightweight advantages might outweigh build toughness.

Lens Ecosystem and Mount Compatibility

Both cameras boast compatibility with Sony’s lens repertoire, yet with key differences:

• NEX-5T uses Sony E-mount lenses designed natively for mirrorless cameras, generally smaller and more modern. The system has grown massively (over 120 lenses available, from ultra-wide primes to telephoto zooms), offering great versatility especially for travel and street shooters.

• Sony A77 employs the Sony/Minolta Alpha (A-mount), a DSLR mount with a longer flange distance. It supports over 140 lenses, including a vast legacy of Minolta glass. Many lenses are bulkier and older designs, but with options for fast, high-quality optics for portraits and telephoto work.

You can adapt E-mount lenses on the A77 and some A-mount lenses on the NEX-5T via adapters, but expect compromises in autofocus speed or accuracy. If lens selection matters profoundly, the choice depends if you lean mirrorless compact or DSLR-style lens availability.

Battery Life, Storage, and Connectivity

The A77 clearly leads with 470 shots per charge compared to the 5T’s 330, a significant difference in day-long shoots.

Both cameras use single SD card slots, plus Memory Stick Pro formats (Sony’s proprietary medium). The A77 also boasts built-in GPS, useful for travel and landscape photographers who geotag photos on the go. The NEX-5T supports Wi-Fi and NFC, allowing easy wireless sharing and remote control via smartphone apps, which is a bonus for social shooters.

USB 2.0 and HDMI outputs are standard across both, but the A77 includes microphone input for improved audio recording during video, absent in the 5T.

Video Capabilities: A Basic vs Intermediate Setup

Both shoot Full HD 1080p but with subtle variations:

• NEX-5T supports AVCHD and MPEG-4, outputs 1080p at 60/60i/24 fps with touch AF during recording. Its lack of mic input and stabilization limits serious video work.

• A77 adds microphone input and sensor-based stabilization, enabling smoother handheld footage in 1080p up to 60fps with better manual control, aimed more at hybrid shooters wanting higher-quality movie files.

Neither supports 4K or high frame rate slow-motion, but for beginners or casual videographers, both suffice.

Price and Value: Which One Wins Your Wallet?

The NEX-5T is the classic cheapskate’s dream: an affordable, compact entry into mirrorless with decent image quality and easy usability. It’s best suited for social photographers, travel, and street shooters who value pocketability over every technical spec.

The A77 comes across as a more serious tool, with faster AF, better battery life, sturdier build, and higher resolution. Its age shows in bulkiness and tech limitations compared to modern cameras, but it still holds relevance for those who want DSLR-style handling at a mid-tier price.

Genre-by-Genre Breakdown: Picking the Right Match for You

Here’s a practical rundown to help you decide based on the kinds of photography you prioritize.

Portraits

• Sony A77: Better resolution and color depth, robust AF eye detection, natural skin tones.
• Sony NEX-5T: Good but softer results; better for informal or social portraits.

Landscapes

• A77: Weather sealing and superior DR give you more latitude.
• 5T: Lightweight but watch dynamic range limitations in tricky light.

Wildlife

• A77: Fast continuous AF, 12 fps burst, excellent for action.
• 5T: Decent but slower AF hinder tracking.

Sports

• A77: Superior AF tracking and speed make it a winner here.
• 5T: Burst speed is good, but autofocus struggles.

Street Photography

• 5T: Compact size, quiet operation, and tilt screen ideal.
• A77: Bulkier, less discreet.

Macro Photography

• Both cameras depend heavily on lens choice; A77’s better EVF aids in focusing precision.

Night and Astro

• A77: Better high ISO performance and manual controls.
• 5T: ISO noise limits performance.

Video

• A77: More inputs and stabilization for serious work.
• 5T: Casual Full HD video with touch AF.

Travel Photography

• 5T: Lightweight and Wi-Fi connectivity.
• A77: Better battery life and toughness.

Professional Use

• A77: File quality, reliability, and workflow integration (RAW support, GPS).
• 5T: Entry-level compromises hamper professional use.

Overall Performance Ratings at a Glance

Both your pick depends on where you prioritize usability and features vs. portability and price. They earn roughly equal overall technical scores but for different reasons - each shines in different photography niches.

Final Thoughts: Which One Should You Buy?

If you’re an enthusiast or beginner photographer craving a fun, easy-to-use camera to slip in your bag with strong smart features (NFC), lightweight handling, and a decent sensor, the Sony NEX-5T gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It’s perfect for casual portraits, street photography, and trips when you don’t want to be weighed down.

However, if you’re more serious about photography, need higher image quality, weather-sealed durability, faster, more reliable autofocus, and better controls for sports, wildlife, or landscape work, the Sony A77 remains a formidable tool - even years old. Its DSLR-style ergonomics and features justify the extra weight and cost.

Both cameras share Sony’s solid sensor tech and competent video features, but your workflow and shooting style should steer your choice.

Feel free to ask if you want tips on lenses or how either camera performs with specific accessories in real shooting conditions - I’ve tested many combos firsthand and love talking gear. Meanwhile, happy shooting!