Canon EOS
500D
 vs
Sony Alpha
NEX-5

Updated (August, 2011): Compare the Canon EOS 1100D vs Sony NEX-5N

Sony Alpha NEX-5

54
"The system for manually positioning AF points is quick and easy to use."
dpreview.com | talking about the NEX-5's auto-focus
"High quality video mode"
dpreview.com | talking about the NEX-5's video-quality

Reasons to buy the Sony Alpha NEX-5

Size
 Really small
Compact 111x59x38 mm
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
12,800 ISO
Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
12.2 EV
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Panorama
 In-camera panoramas
Stitches together multiple photos into a panorama
Canon EOS 500D

50
Runner-up

Canon EOS 500D

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS 500D

Startup delay
 Almost no delay when powering up
300 ms startup delay
Lens availability
 Slightly more lenses available
162 lenses
Badge
 Built-in focus motor
Autofocuses with more lenses
Badge
 Phase detection autofocus
fast and accurate
Viewfinder
 Great viewfinder
Pentamirror
Built-in flash
 Built-in flash
External flash not needed

differences

Advantages of the Canon 500D
Autofocus Faster autofocus Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Help
 Catch candid moments easily
Lens availability Much more lenses available 162 lenses vs 8 lenses
Help
 Around 20.5x more lenses available
Startup delay Less startup delay 300 ms vs 1000 ms
Help
 3.3x less delay when turning on
Built-in flash Built-in flash Yes vs No
Help
 A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light
Viewfinder Has a viewfinder Pentamirror vs None
Help
 A viewfinder can help save battery life by keeping the screen turned off
Shutter lag Less shutter lag 159 ms vs 441 ms
Help
 2.8x less delay when taking photos
True resolution Higher true resolution 15.1 MP vs 14 MP
Help
 Capture around 10% more detail in your photos
Light sensitivity (boost) Has boost ISO 12,800 ISO vs None
Help
 Allows taking photos in darker situations, often at the cost of additional noise in the image
Battery life Slightly longer battery life 400 shots vs 330 shots
Help
 More than 20% more shots per battery charge
Cross type focus points Slightly more cross-type focus points 1 vs 0
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Canon EOS 500D Learn more about
the Canon 500D

Advantages of the Sony NEX-5
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
 Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
Size Significantly smaller 111x59x38 mm vs 129x98x62 mm
Help
 3.1x smaller
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 12,800 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
Help
 The NEX-5's maximum light sensitivity is 2 f-stops better
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
Overall image quality Better image quality 69.0 vs 63.0
Help
 Around 10% better image quality
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.2 EV vs 11.5 EV
Help
 0.7 f-stops more dynamic range
Weight Significantly lighter 287 g vs 520 g
Help
 More than 40% lighter
Color depth Better color depth 22.2 bits vs 21.7 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.5 more bits of color
Focus points More focus points 25 vs 9
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 7 fps vs 3.4 fps
Help
 More than 2x faster continuous shooting
Thickness Thinner 1.5" vs 2.4"
Help
 Around 40% thinner
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 796 ISO vs 663 ISO
Help
 The NEX-5 has a slight edge (0.3 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Sony Alpha NEX-5 Learn more about
the Sony NEX-5
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent digital cameras, and ignoring price

Canon EOS 500D Canon EOS 500D
50 vs 54
Explain scores
Sony Alpha NEX-5 Sony Alpha NEX-5
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Sony Alpha NEX-5. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a entry-level DSLR with a mirrorless interchangeable-lens.

performance Which camera has better performance? Cast your vote!

CanonEOS 500D
 Canon EOS 500D vs Sony Alpha NEX-5
SonyAlpha NEX-5
Uses Travel score Travel
On holiday or vacation
5
16
Vote Vote
Sports score Sports
Fast action, sometimes indoors
7
15
Vote Vote
Features Color accuracy Color accuracy
White balance in varied lighting
8
13
Vote Vote
Autofocus peformance Still image focusing
Speed and accuracy
7
12
Vote Vote
Autofocus performance Video focusing
Speed and accuracy
3
18
Vote Vote
Manual controls Manual settings
How quickly and easily you can change settings
8
11
Vote Vote
Build quality Build quality
Is it sturdy, well made, plastic or metal
4
15
Vote Vote
Green arrow Join in the discussion below!

similarities

Compared to recent digital cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Movie format Full HD (1080p) video Help
500D:1080p @ 20fps
NEX-5:1080p @ 30fps
Screen resolution High resolution screens Help
920k dots
True resolution Capture very high resolution images Help
500D:15.1 MP
NEX-5:14 MP
Interchangeable lenses Both support interchangeable lenses, which is uncommon in cameras similar to these Help
Many lenses to choose from
Supports RAW Supports RAW Help
Better editing
External flash Support external flash Help
Better lighting
Sensor type Better sensor types Help
Better in low light
Sensor cleaning Self cleaning sensors Help
Avoids dust in your photos
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/4000 of a second
Longest exposure Long exposures Help
30 seconds
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
Cross type focus points Few cross-type focus points Help
500D:1
NEX-5:0

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 550D

Canon EOS 550D

Entry-level DSLR

$652 - $888 body only

$778 - $932 with 18-55mm lens
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the EOS 550D vs the EOS 500D
Compare the EOS 550D vs the Alpha NEX-5
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $984 with 18-55mm lens
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Autofocus Focuses automatically while shootting video
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the D3100 vs the EOS 500D
Compare the D3100 vs the Alpha NEX-5
Canon EOS 1100D

Canon EOS 1100D

Entry-level DSLR

$484 - $648 body only

$570 - $659 with 18-55mm lens
Battery life Has a significantly longer battery life
Sensor cleaning Lacks a self cleaning sensor
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the EOS 1100D vs the EOS 500D
Compare the EOS 1100D vs the Alpha NEX-5
Canon EOS 600D

Canon EOS 600D

Entry-level DSLR

$860 - $1,035 body only

$922 - $1,099 with 18-55mm lens
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the EOS 600D vs the EOS 500D
Compare the EOS 600D vs the Alpha NEX-5
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$650 - $749 body only

$600 - $750 with 18-55mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the D5100 vs the EOS 500D
Compare the D5100 vs the Alpha NEX-5

Canon EOS 500D Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 450D

Canon EOS 450D

Entry-level DSLR

$803 body only
Battery life Longer battery life
Color depth Better color depth
Movie format Does not take movies
Screen resolution Significantly lower resolution screen
Compare the EOS 450D vs the EOS 500D
Nikon D5000

Nikon D5000

Entry-level DSLR

$997 with 18-55mm lens
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Movie format Lower resolution movies
Compare the D5000 vs the EOS 500D

Sony Alpha NEX-5 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5N

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$599 - $600 body only

$698 - $699 with 18-55mm lens
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity
Startup delay Significantly more startup delay
Compare the NEX-5N vs the Alpha NEX-5
Sony NEX C3

Sony NEX C3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$499 - $550 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Overall image quality Slightly better image quality
Movie format Lower resolution movies
Continuous shooting Shoots slightly slower
Compare the NEX C3 vs the Alpha NEX-5
Sony NEX-7

Sony NEX-7

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens
True resolution Much higher true resolution
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Lowest price Significantly more expensive
Weight Heavier
Compare the NEX-7 vs the Alpha NEX-5
Sony Alpha NEX-3

Sony Alpha NEX-3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$479 - $548 with 16mm lens
Storage slots Has more storage slots
Low light performance Slightly lower noise at high ISO
Movie format Lower resolution movies
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Compare the Alpha NEX-3 vs the Alpha NEX-5
Nikon 1 J1

Nikon 1 J1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$597 with 10-30mm lens
High-speed framerate Records high-speed movies
Continuous shooting Shoots much faster
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Compare the 1 J1 vs the Alpha NEX-5

appearance

Canon EOS 500D Sony Alpha NEX-5
Canon EOS 500D Sony Alpha NEX-5
Canon EOS 500D Sony Alpha NEX-5

Find similar cameras

Here are some links to help you find other cameras with similar features to both of these:

discussion Which do you think is better?

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