Sony NEX-5 easy to use

Our first 'play' using the NEX-5 was at a Sony night event to celebrate its launch which saw models in outlandish fashions strut their stuff on the catwalk, and, despite the heady environment we came away feeling the camera's style, handling and performance were - when compared with what has gone before - somewhat underwhelming.

First off, the rectangular physique and blocky grip looked to our eyes nearer to the austere 'built in a Russian tractor factory' type of Ricoh's GXR system camera than the immediately appealing retro finesse of the Olympus Pen, or modernist rubber clad curves from the Panasonic G series.

With 18-55mmm package lens attached the NEX-5 also appeared and felt top heavy, and that's without fitting a current Alpha DSLR lens proper, compatibility provided with pre-existing optics via accessory adapter. We then struggled to gain access as fast as we want to the camera's key settings by way of its fiddly back plate scroll wheel - instead of traditional control pad, cross keys, or even short-cut buttons - while, in the inside evening setting, too many of our images arrived on the scene soft, despite optically stabilized kit move.

Our attempts at utilising the NEX-5's enjoyable Sweep Panorama feature, previously witnessed on Cyber-shot models but here debuting within the Alpha range and stitching together a single image from a number of shots taken in a 226° arc, were then met by having an error message, the NEX-5 unable maintain with our panning motion/s. Though the resultant image appears flat about the camera's LCD, Sony claims it could be enjoyed in 3D with one associated with its new Bravia TVs via small HDMI output.

We also felt how the 3-inch, very high 921k-dot resolution widescreen format display - in lack of optical viewfinder - lent itself to the touch screen operation, a la Panasonic's G2. The large friendly-looking icons detailing the different shooting options made us instinctively wish to press them, which would also conceivably have increased operation, but our inquisitive prods had been to no avail. Sony already utilizes the technology on several Cyber-shots, so something to feature about the next (NEX) generation model/s possibly.

A week and a bit later and also the NEX-5 hits the Photography Blog test slab for any second, more considered appraisal. And contentedly, in the cold light of day there are several positives to be found. We'll begin with the truth that the camera feels solid gripped within the palm, though with lens attached it's too big for most jacket pockets (so we weren't in a position to ferret one away for appraisal in the launch).

So, with provided make strap attached via side-mounted lugs, we headed this time around for the daylight. One thing we hadn't paid much focus on on initial inspection, but comes into its own when you begin to experiment, was the fact how the screen can be tilted back and forward - otherwise, unfortunately swung outwards at 90° - to permit for low and high angle compositions we might possibly not have attempted without. What Sony has additionally included here, again for the very first time on an Alpha camera, is Hd video shooting, at Full HD 1080i along with stereo sound. It even matches Panasonic G-series options and also the Olympus E-PL1 by featuring a devoted red camcorder-style video record button with regard to instant thumb-operated video access, which is advantageous.

Sony NEX-5 All About Design

The complete design of the NEX-5 is very similar to another much older Sony camera, the widely used DSC-F707, a high-spec 5-megapixel, 5x glide model launched in 2001. With your 18-55mm standard zoom attached the digicam does look somewhat unwieldy, with the lens diameter overlapping the height in the body, and with the larger 18-200mm superzoom lens attached the issue is even more pronounced. However your metal-bodied 18-55mm lens is surprisingly lighting at 194g, while the camera body weighs 288g including battery and memory, and the combination handles well. The entire body has a prominent textured handgrip for the front and a small rubber-coated thumbgrip for the back, and is easy to carry and operate one-handed. I've not had enable you to handle the NEX-5 with the 524g 18-200mm contact attached, and I imagine it would likely require two hands for comfortable function, but with the smaller lenses the camera isn't harder to handle than a smaller superzoom camera.

The camera's overall building is excellent. The body is made out of magnesium alloy and feels very solid and durable. The battery/card hatch carries a strong metal hinge and a locking latch, plus the panel joins are very tight.

Sony has managed to squeeze a great deal of features into a very small place, but the design is efficient plus the camera looks clean, contemporary and classy. The most obvious external feature will be the large 7. 5 cm (3. 0 inches) monitor screen, which is articulated for you to fold down by 45 degrees as well as up by almost 90 degrees. They have a resolution of 921, 600 dots, similar to Sony's top-of-the-range digital SLRs, with an incredibly wide angle of view. It can be clear and bright enough for employ even in bright sunlight, and carries a good anti-glare surface. I've no doubt that someone inside comments section will bemoan deficiency of an optical viewfinder, but with a monitor this good you undoubtedly don't miss it too much. It will have been better if it was fully articulated naturally, but one can't have everything.

The control layout is really a lot more akin to that of a compressed camera than a digital SLR, while using main camera controls consisting of only two multi-function buttons, with a rotary-bezel D-pad pertaining to menu navigation and exposure adjustment. In general use it is simple and fast to use, but once you start trying anything aside from the basic functions it does have a bit fiddly. Simply adjusting the ISO setting takes four button presses a turn of the dial and yet another button press. The menu system is divided into six sections with a pretty graphic screen, but it's by no means obvious in which section you'll find what you desire. By way of an example, the ISO setting can be found in the “Brightness/colour” section, which is not even close obvious. It's rather ironic that Olympus, which used such a graphic menu for many years even with much criticism, has recently switched to your much simpler and easier on-screen sidebar along with list menu, and Sony has done the complete opposite.

Bad for Sony NEX-5

First of all is the price: the NEX 5 isn't cheap. The least expensive package (the NEX 5 camera along with a 16mm f/2. 8 “pancake” lens) is actually $650. For $150 more, you can get a kit with an additional zoom lens (18-55mm f/3. 5-5. 6 image stabilized) along with a small flash. But at a cost between $650 and $799, the NEX 5 is actually clearly in DSLR-pricing territory. For many people, this means choosing between the NEX along with a Canon T2i or a Nikon D3100. Sony has a NEX 3 for $549, however, you will give up the metal body and higher-resolution video capacity for the 5.

The next hit towards the NEX 5 is also one associated with its advantages: its size. Sure, using the 16mm f/2. 8 pancake lens connected, the NEX 5 is fairly svelte and is convenient to carry in a bag or pocket. Attach a different lens though (like the 18-55mm) and any thoughts of putting this camera inside your pocket will immediately melt away. May be the camera still smaller and lighter than the usual DSLR? Totally. But if the size means you need to carry something around in an extra bag or on the camera strap anyway, why not simply grab your DSLR instead?

Another issue may be the lens selection. The NEX 5 runs on the new lens mount (the E mount) and also the pool of lenses designed for it's pretty sparse. Sony only has three possibilities right now: the 16mm f/2. 8, a good 18-55mm f/3. 5-5. 6 and a good 18-200mm f/3. 5-6. 3. Granted, this can be a new camera system and it takes time for lenses to become developed, but that doesn’t change the truth that DSLR’s from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and so on. all have dozens of lenses obtainable already. Even the similarly sized Micro 4/3rds digital cameras from Olympus and Panasonic have more lens options available on the market.

My final complaint is with the actual controls (or lack thereof). I actually do appreciate the sparse, minimalist design from the camera, but I quickly find myself missing dedicated controls for such things as ISO, WB, Focus area, etc. Most abundant in recent firmware installed, some of these things can be assigned to among the 2 custom buttons on the digital camera, but it still feels very restricted. And even after months of make use of, I still can’t figure out a method to lock exposure on a subject as well as recompose the image. This camera feels more like the point-and-shoot in these respects and you’ll need to be willing to give up some degree of control while using it.

Good for Sony NEX-5

Since stated previously, this is a tiny camera. The NEX 5 body is how big is a typical point-and-shoot camera (concerning 4” wide and 2” tall) sufficient reason for the 16mm f/2. 8 lens linked, it can easily fit in many pockets. Sony claims that this could be the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens digicam and I am inclined to feel them. Despite its small size, it is a pretty rugged camera too… an almost all metal body with very solid, strong construction. Most of the back with the unit is occupied by a huge, tilting, 3” high-resolution LCD screen this is a pleasure to view. There is no optical viewfinder with this camera, but the screen is so nice that we rarely found myself missing the eyepiece.

Moreover, with the right lens attached, the image quality with the NEX 5 can be stunning. Below can be a shot taken with my NEX 5 around my home. Great detail and colors for this kind of small camera.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised from the NEX 5’s images though. It comes with a 14mp APS-C sensor… the same size sensor as within most DSLR’s. By removing the reflect mechanism, Sony was able to take the guts of your DSLR and cram it into this very small package without sacrificing much quality in the act. The camera can shoot up with a whopping 7fps and captures very good 1080i video at the same time. Low light performance is impressive too… ISO ranges from 200 to 12800 which is produces pretty good results even with higher levels:

Another unexpected benefits with the NEX 5 has been the huge increase of lens adapters available. You can attach Sony’s larger A-Mount DSLR lenses for the camera, but there are also adapters designed for Canon, Nikon, Leica and more. These types of adapters will only support manual emphasis, but it’s nice to have the choice to use some of your existing lenses in the event you already have a traditional DSLR.

Performance Sony NEX-5

The NEX-5's functionality is very impressive, and is over a par with a good mid-range DIGITAL CAMERA. It starts up and is ready to shoot within a second, and in single-shot mode it could maintain a shot-to-shot time of roughly 0. 9 seconds in both JPEG and also Raw plus JPEG modes. It provides two continuous shooting modes, the first like a standard mode that includes autofocus among shots, which can maintain 2. 5 photos per second, shooting until the storage device is full in JPEG mode, or perhaps for eight shots in Raw additionally JPEG mode. The other is a speed priority mode which only is targeted on the first shot, but which can manage an extraordinary 7fps in both JPEG mode (for 20 shots) and Raw additionally JPEG mode (for eight photos).

As you'll gather from people figures, the autofocus system is fast, focusing in a fraction of an additional in good light. It does decrease slightly in poor light, but even in total darkness it can focus within a second, with a very bright AF assist lamp with a range of several metres. One minor niggle is that the lamp is positioned in a way that it is easily obscured from the knuckles when gripping the camera.

The particular NEX-5 uses an APS-C size sensor, exactly like a full-size DSLR, so as you might expect the image quality is related to that of any of Sony's Alpha dog cameras. The lens is also of extremely good quality, with excellent detail and edge-to-edge sharpness with none with the chromatic aberration that bedevils some regarding Sony's cheaper Alpha system kit contact lenses. Colour rendition is superb, exposure is incredibly accurate and reliable, and the level of fine detail is as effective as any 14MP digital SLR on industry. In theory Raw mode should be better yet, since it produces uncompressed files regarding nearly 15MPB, but unfortunately the supplied PMB conversion software is apparently unable to convert Raw files to anything bigger than 1920 x 1080 resolution with extreme JPEG compression, and the NEX Raw extendable is not yet accommodated by Adobe Photographic camera Raw.

One big advantage of the more expensive sensor format is reduced noise, and also here the NEX-5 scores very very. It has a minimum ISO establishing of 200 ISO, and a maximum of your ultra-fast 12800 ISO. Shots at around 800 ISO are effectively noise-free, and also 1600 and 3200 ISO produce extremely acceptable results. 6400 ISO does present some pretty severe noise reduction, together with blotchy colour and reduced detail, as well as the maximum setting is quite noisy, but nevertheless this is a very impressive performance, especially when in comparison to its rival compact system cameras. The NEX-5 gets the sort of image quality that really sets the benchmark because of this class of camera.

Sony NEX-5 Highly Steady

The Sony NEX-5 is really a very impressive debut into the small system camera class. It is the smallest interchangeable lens camera available on the market, but has outstanding build quality, lots of useful features, excellent performance and the type of still image and HD video quality you would be lucky to get from a dslr. It really raises the stakes within the compact system camera market.

Sony’s NEX series of cameras is the newest entry into that category of little cameras with interchangeable lenses. I picked a Sony NEX 5 while on holiday in London over the summer and having been using it a great deal since. It is an amazing little camera that packs lots of capabilities into a very small bundle, but it isn’t without its disadvantages.

14. 2mp APS-C sensor

3” slanting LCD screen with 921, 000-dot quality

Weighs about 9 ounces (without any lens attached)

SD memory greeting card slot

Rechargeable battery good for regarding 330 shots per charge

The NEX-5 and it is sister camera the NEX-3 represent Sony's debut to the rapidly-growing compact system camera market. Since the launch of the Panasonic Lumx G1 just below two years ago demonstrated that it was possible to achieve the versatility, performance and picture quality of the digital SLR in a smaller type factor, more and more manufacturers have jumped about the bandwagon. Olympus, Samsung and Ricoh (GXR review not far off) have all launched cameras along with compact bodies and interchangeable lenses.

However Sony has trumped all of them with the smallest compact system digital camera yet. The NEX-5 features a full-size APS-C fourteen. 2-megapixel sensor, a large articulated 7. 5cm keep track of and full 1080p HD video along with stereo audio, with a body very little bigger than a standard compact digital camera.

The Sony NEX-5 is Sony’s very first mirrorless interchangeable-lens system camera, along using the less well-specced NEX-3 model that premiered alongside it. Featuring a 14. two megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, 25-point contrast-detect autofocus program, 49-segment exposure meter and 3-inch slanting LCD panel with 921, 000-dot quality, the NEX-5 certainly seems to have what must be done to compete with the already well-established Mini Four Thirds cameras from Panasonic as well as Olympus, and the newer Samsung NX sequence. The magnesium bodied NEX-5 can additionally capture fast-moving action at 7fps, shoot Full HD (1920 x1080i) video as high-quality AVCHD files and it is supplied with a compact clip-on expensive that attaches via an accessory fatal. Lenses can be fitted via the brand new E mount system, but the NEX cameras may also use regular Sony Alpha lenses by way of the optional LA-EA1 adapter. 

In the united kingdom the Sony NEX-5 costs £549 entire body only, £579 with the 18-55mm f/3. 5-6. 3 kit lens or £679 using the 18-55mm f/3. 5-6. 3 and 16mm f/2. 8 contacts. In the US the NEX-5 ships using the 18-55mm f/3. 5-6. 3 kit zoom lens for $700 or the 16mm f/2. 8 zoom lens for $650.