Pentax K-r vs Sony NEX-5N

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Pentax K-r vs Sony NEX-5N

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APS-C 369.7mm²
12.4 megapixels
ISO 200 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-r Review.
See real-world photos taken with the K-r.

APS-C 369.7mm²
16.1 megapixels

Go in depth with our full Sony NEX-5N Review.
See real-world photos taken with the NEX-5N.

Succeeded by the Sony NEX-5R
Compare NEX-5N vs NEX-5R
Compare Pentax K-r vs Sony NEX-5R

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Differences

Pentax K-r advantages over Sony NEX-5N

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Fast startup
~0.30 vs 1.9 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Less shutter lag
0.10 vs 0.23 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Bigger JPEG buffer
30 vs 7 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/6000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony NEX-5N advantages over Pentax K-r

Less expensive
$700 vs $850 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
NEX-5N test data on DxO Mark K-r test data on DxO Mark

1,079 vs 750 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Thinner
38 mm vs 68 mm
Thinner
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
Lighter weight
465g vs 852g
Lighter weight
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More pixels
16.1 vs 12.4 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Faster JPEG shooting
10.0 fps vs 5.6 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Focus peaking
Neither provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

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Buy the Pentax K-r

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Buy the Sony NEX-5N

Review Excerpt

Read our Pentax K-r Full Review

Fast autofocus and prefocused shutter lag; Quieter shutter sound; Captures 10 frames per second; Supports AVCHD 2.0.
Limited first-party lens selection; Slow and confusing on-screen user interface; top-mounted, proprietary accessories are quite pricey.
Read our Sony NEX-5N Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D3000

Pentax K-r

Nikon D3000

$850
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Fast startup

$450
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Pentax K-r vs Nikon D3000

Sony NEX-5N

Nikon D3000

$700
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

$450
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony NEX-5N vs Nikon D3000

Compared to Pentax K-x

Pentax K-r

Pentax K-x

$850
APS-C

Fast startup
External Mic Jack

$702
APS-C

Less expensive
Shoots 24p video

Compare Pentax K-r vs Pentax K-x

Sony NEX-5N

Pentax K-x

$700
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

$702
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Sony NEX-5N vs Pentax K-x

Compared to Nikon D3100

Pentax K-r

Nikon D3100

$850
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Fast startup

$700
APS-C

Less expensive
Higher effective ISO

Compare Pentax K-r vs Nikon D3100

Sony NEX-5N

Nikon D3100

$700
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

$700
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Sony NEX-5N vs Nikon D3100

Compared to Sony NEX-C3

Pentax K-r

Sony NEX-C3

$850
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

$559
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-r vs Sony NEX-C3

Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-C3

$700
APS-C

Shoots 24p video
Shoots 1080p video

$559
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

Compare Sony NEX-5N vs Sony NEX-C3

Compared to Sony NEX-5R

Pentax K-r

Sony NEX-5R

$850
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

$499
APS-C

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-r vs Sony NEX-5R

Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5R

$700
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
Longer stills battery life

$499
APS-C

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

Compare Sony NEX-5N vs Sony NEX-5R

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