Sony NEX-5R

Sony NEX-5R is Sony's Entry-Level Mirrorless camera originally introduced on August of 2012. The camera features a 16MP, CMOS APS-C size sensor with a peak resolution of 4912 x 3264.

Sony released this camera to upgrade the older Sony NEX-5N (Read Full Comparison) and subsequently launched the updated Sony NEX-5T (Read Full Comparison) to upgrade this model.

The NEX-5R is scored #41 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras and all around #251 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can try our Smart camera finder to find camera rankings based on your custom criteria.

Here is a diagram of various criteria used in the scoring system.

The Sony NEX-5R is part of a family of digital cameras. You can read the full list underneath.

You can view the NEX-5R from various angles in the gallery below.

Here is a checklist of positives and negatives of the Sony NEX-5R based on features which are usually seen as useful in a camera.

The Sony NEX-5R houses the Bionz processor. The sensor spec on the Sony NEX-5R is 23.4mm x 15.6mm (APS-C). The 365 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4912 x 3264 pixels with aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9.

Photography Glossary

The CMOS sensor boasts 16MP and includes a native ISO range of 100 to 25600. RAW photos are supported so you have more room to maneuver in post.

The image underneath illustrates the NEX-5R's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The NEX-5R sensor comes with a crop factor of 1.5 and is pointed out in green.

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To get an idea of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Sony NEX-5R weighs about 0.61 lbs (276 grams / 9.74 oz) and features exterior dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5"). The weight of general Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329 grams and the Sony NEX-5R is lighter than other competitors.

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Here is a image of the Sony NEX-5R with a softdrink so you're able to have a feel for its size.

The top view underneath will highlight the button layout on the NEX-5R.

The NEX-5R works with the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses available in the market. Here is a small number of the lenses we have in our database that will work with the NEX-5R.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight

Venus Laowa 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO100mmf/2.8638g

Samyang 35mm F1.4 AS UMC35mmf/1.4 660g

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Samyang 85mm F1.4 Aspherical IF85mmf/1.4 539g

Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN C20mmf/2.0 370g

Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art105mmf/1.41645g

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE35mmf/1.8210g

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Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD28-200mmf/2.8-5.6576g

The NEX-5R has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes

Cameras which have NFC and Bluetooth compatibility are able to be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to copy pictures and in some cases change camera settings with no need to connect straight with the camera.

A few apps also enable a Liveview and press the shutter if you aren't close to the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI out, it can easily be hooked up to an external screen. A good number of cameras enable you to charge the battery with the USB socket.

The highest video quality on the Sony NEX-5R is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in AVCHD format. 1080p quality can provide a good balance for quality versus file size but FULL HD will not leave you with much room to crop. The body doesn't include a mic and headphone socket so you have zero control over your audio. It is probably a better idea to look into a different model in case you want better audio in your video clips.

Sony NEX-5R doesn't have weather proofing so wet conditions can easily ruin the camera.

The Sony NEX-5R features a 3 inch tilting display screen with a resolution of 920 thousand dots.

Additionally the display screen is touch friendly so you can easily set focus points as well as adjust settings with your fingers.

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The ViewFinder specifications regarding Sony NEX-5R are the following:

• ViewFinder Electronic (optional)

Viewfinders are quite handy for sunny outdoor conditions which will make the camera display washed out and very difficult to view.

Sony NEX-5R continuous shooting rate is 10.0 frames per second. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

Sony NEX-5R has got external flash ability but is without built-in flash. The max flash sync is 1/160 seconds.

Sony NEX-5R has got both Phase Detect AF along with Contrast Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more faster & precise than Contrast Detect autofocusing.

The Sensor features 99 focus points to choose from. Sony NEX-5R has touch to focus. You can easily use your fingers to adjust focus. It also features Tracking AF for objects on the move. Sony NEX-5R features manual focus when required for low light scenarios or you want more accurate focus control.

The battery power (NPFW50) on the Sony NEX-5R is designed to last for 330 shots according to the CIPA standards making it on par with its competitors. The typical Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 offers the highest (750) battery life for this class of cameras.

Below is a collection of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras that have the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X-S20
NEX-5R vs X-S20750 yesnoyes

Samsung NX mini
NEX-5R vs NX mini650 yesnono

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Pentax K-01
NEX-5R vs K-01540 yesnono

Sony NEX-3N
NEX-5R vs NEX-3N480 yesnono

Sony NEX-F3
NEX-5R vs NEX-F3470 yesnono

The following illustration gives a summation of the Sony NEX-5R for various types of photography. To see more, scroll to the specific paragraph underneath.

The Sony NEX-5R gets a points tally of 74 which is above average, and means the camera is a very decent fit for portrait photos. Shooting portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor resolution, RAW support in addition to the capability to use external flash.

Coming in at a superb score of 80, the Sony NEX-5R is a fantastic fit for street photography. A very good street photography camera features a fine balance of image quality and portability.

A above average sports photography points total of 68 indicates the Sony NEX-5R is a fine choice for shooting sports. A camera needs fantastic focusing plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Portability is extremely crucial when buying a travel camera. On the whole, the Sony NEX-5R gets a above average 73 as a travel camera which is a fine option to buy for your vacations.

For those who are planning to purchase a digital camera for landscape photos, the biggest factor will no doubt be image quality. The Sony NEX-5R and it's nice score of 75 as a landscape camera is a fine choice within the current marketplace.

A vlogging camera ought to posses a articulating display, mic input and preferably image stabilization. Considering everything, the Sony NEX-5R is not really very good for vlogging as it delivers a terrible score of 31.

If you are trying to find alternatives to the NEX-5R, below is a selection of the highest placed cameras that fall within the family of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The graph underneath offers you a bird's eye view of the NEX-5R compared to it's highest rated competitors shown previously.

Following are several cameras you may look at as alternatives. To read a comprehensive comparison, click the "compare" link.