Sony A3000 has a
20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features BIONZ processor. On the other hand, Sony NEX-5 has a
14.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony A3000's sensor provides 6MP more than Sony NEX-5's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the A3000 and NEX-5 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A3000 and Sony NEX-5 Cameras
Sony A3000 and Sony NEX-5 have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Sony A3000 and Sony NEX-5 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A3000 has scored 78, 9 points higher than NEX-5.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A3000
78
23.7 bits
12.8 Evs
1068 ISO
Sony NEX-5
69
22.2 bits
12.2 Evs
796 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Sony A3000
or the
Sony NEX-5 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
