What is the pixel pitch of the Sony NEX-5R?

The Sony Alpha NEX-5R provides 16 megapixels from an APS-C sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 4.78µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Sony NEX-5R measures 23.4mm in width and 15.6mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 365 mm². Moreover, the NEX-5R has 4 912 horizontal pixels and 3 264 vertical pixels, for a total of 16 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (365 mm²) to the MP count (16 032 768).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Sony NEX-5R to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony NEX-5R	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	910	78
2.		Ricoh GR	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.6	13.5	972	78
3.		Sony NEX-3N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.8	12.5	1067	74
4.		Sony NEX-5T	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60p	23.6	13.0	1015	78
5.		Sony NEX-6	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	1018	78
6.		Sony NEX-F3	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.7	12.3	1114	73
7.		Sony RX100	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.6	12.4	390	66
8.		Sony NEX-5N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.6	12.7	1079	77
9.		Sony NEX-C3	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	720/30p	22.7	12.2	1083	73
10.		Sony NEX-3	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	720/30p	22.1	12.0	830	68
11.		Sony NEX-5	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	1080/60i	22.2	12.2	796	69

Further information on the sensor in the Sony NEX-5R and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the NEX-5R was initially launched in August 2012 at a price of $749.

Check NEX-5R offers at
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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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