Sony NEX-5 has a
14.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor. On the other hand, Canon G9 X II has a
20.0MP 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 7 processor.
Canon G9 X II'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 NEX-5 and G9 X II sensor size comparison.
As seen above, Sony NEX-5 has a 3.1x Larger sensor area than Canon G9 X II. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Sony NEX-5 and Canon G9 X II 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, NEX-5 has scored 69, 4 points higher than G9 X II.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Sony NEX-5 |
69 |
22.2 bits |
12.2 Evs |
796 ISO |
Canon G9 X II |
65 |
21.9 bits |
12.5 Evs |
522 ISO |