How many Megapixels does the Sony NEX-5R have?

The Sony Alpha NEX-5R is equipped with a an APS-C sensor that offers an image resolution of 16 megapixels (MP), or 16 million pixels. With its native aspect ratio of 3:2, the sensor has 4 912 horizontal pixels and 3 264 vertical pixels.

A 35mm film slide or negative contains 5-15 MP of useful detail, so that the Sony NEX-5R can be considered to be a high-resolution camera that outresolves any 35mm film camera.

A high megapixel count makes it possible to crop any captured image substantially or to make very large prints from the image file. On the downside, large megapixel files are slower to transfer and take up more storage space on the computer harddisk. Also, high-resolution imaging requires sharper, more expensive lenses than low-res picture taking.

How large can I print with 16 MP?

The maximum print size of the Sony NEX-5R for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 24.6 x 16.3 inches or 62.4 x 41.5 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 19.6 x 13.1 inches or 49.9 x 33.2 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 16.4 x 10.9 inches or 41.6 x 27.6 cm. Few people actually print their images that large on a regular basis, but it is nice to have the option to make very large prints of exceptional shots. Also, as mentioned earlier, a key advantage of high-MP cameras is that it is possible to crop an image ex-post and thereby, for example, change the composition of the capture or zoom in on some detail.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Sony NEX-5R to those of several similar cameras. In addition to sensor class and megapixel count, DXO values are reported as indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better). Three aspects are covered: 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-3	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	720/30p	22.1	12.0	830	68
4.		Sony NEX-3N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.8	12.5	1067	74
5.		Sony NEX-5	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	1080/60i	22.2	12.2	796	69
6.		Sony NEX-5N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.6	12.7	1079	77
7.		Sony NEX-5T	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60p	23.6	13.0	1015	78
8.		Sony NEX-6	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	1018	78
9.		Sony NEX-F3	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.7	12.3	1114	73
10.		Sony RX100	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.6	12.4	390	66
11.		Sony RX100 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.5	12.4	483	67

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

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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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