Sony NEX-5

Sony Alpha NEX 5 Review

Compact with exchangeable lenses!

Sony NEX-5 is a very compact designed system camera, which falls under the Alpha series. The dimensions and weight are so compact that it earns the title as the world’s lightest and most compact system camera, with the quality of dSLR.

Sony NEX-5 comes with 14.2 Megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, which is as good as the present Alpha dSLR cameras, whereby the advantage falls on the image sensor. NEX-5 supports the recording of 1080i AVCHD video and has several innovative features like Sweep panorama and Auto Dynamic range.

Another unique feature of NEX-5 is the 3D Panorama Sweep, whereby the Panorama mode is used to create a 3D image that can be viewed in 3D on Sony’s BRAVIA 3D LCD. You hold down the shutter release button, move the camera in one smooth movement from right to left, take a perfect panorama photo. The Sweep Panorama mode has two resolutions: standard in 8192x1856 pixels or in an extra wide format of 12416x1856 pixels.

Even though Sony NEX-5 comes under the Alpha umbrella, the camera does not use the same Alpha mount for lenses. The new format developed is called E-mount, and with that, comes several new lenses as well.

However, if you owns Alpha lenses, fret not, a special adapter makes it possible to use your existing Alpha lenses, but available only as optional.

But, if you uses your Alpha lenses, the autofocus function can no longer be used. The new lenses that have been developed are standard 18-55mm f/3.5-6.3 lens with Optical SteadyShot, a 16mm pancake lens and an 18-200mm tele lens.

Sony has managed to keep NEX-5 body at the remarkable weight of 239 grams, making it one of the lightest around. However, when the standard 18-55mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom lens is mounted, you will find it quite difficult to handle as it’ll no longer be compact, lenses sticking out which makes it uneasy to handle since there’s no contour on the side of camera for grip.

The NEX-5 has a 3-inch format LCD screen equipped with Clear Photo LCD Plus and Tru Black technology, that reduces reflections and allow higher contrast, especially when used under sunlight, but the best feature is you’re able to rotate the screen 80degrees upwards as well as 45 degrees downwards, allowing difficult angle to be shot, especially for short person like me.

Anywhere you look at the NEX-5, it does not resemble anything like a dSLR camera, when this is more evident for their shortage of buttons, which dSLR are full of it. At the top of the camera, it comes with a large format on/off switch, a shutter release button, a review button and a special video-recording button. At the back of the camera, it house a multifunctional dial with button in the middle and under the dial, another button for the remaining functions.

NEX-5 may be delivered with an external flash, but mounting it doesn’t make the camera sexy. Given the choice, you might want to use the slot for optical view finder or external microphone, which the later is good for video recording.
As with all Sony’s user, you can expect the picture quality to be quite pleasant, which can be comparable to entry level dSLR, but not the top notch Alpha series. I guess you catch the drill here…

I guess Sony has done a good job with Alpha NEX series as this camera is targeting the masses like the amateur using a compact point & shoot camera with much better quality, but doesn’t want the complicated experience of dSLR cameras. Sony will be reaping their success in this target group. Check out at the nearest Sony dealers or Sony outlets.

Now wait a minute....my personal experience? Shit, better skip, and buy yourself a real dSLR camera, this is like a dSLR wanna-be and I bet all camera lovers would give this a miss, caused, there's no grip, no feel and no shiok...