Sony a1 vs Sony HX5

Here is a detailed review of the Sony a1 and Sony HX5, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are offered by Sony. There is a sizable difference among the resolutions of the a1 (50MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the a1 (Full frame) and HX5 (1/2.4") come with different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The a1 was introduced 10 years later than the HX5 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a brief summation of how the a1 grades versus the HX5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha a1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony a1 Gallery & Sony HX5 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and size. The Sony a1 offers external dimensions of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Sony HX5 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Compare the Sony a1 and Sony HX5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the a1 and the HX5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the a1 and HX5 is 61 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to picture the gap in sensor sizing merely by going through specifications. The visual here may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the a1 and HX5.

To sum up, both cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The a1 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF easier and the Sony a1 will produce extra detail using its extra 40 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The fresher a1 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.