Specifications
The Sony NEX-5 features a 14.2 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, and Sony’s E-mount lens system, it has an ISO range of 200 to 12,800 and it is capable of recording HD video in 1080i at 60 frames per second. There is a 3 inch LCD display on the rear of the camera, which can be tilted, the display features a 9210,000 dot resolution, and it also comes with a compact clip on flash.
The Sony Nex-5 uses Sony’s E-mount system, which you can use specific E mount lenses with and also a range of Sony Alpha lenses using an optional adapter.
Design And Functions
The Nex-5 isn’t much larger than many of the compact cameras on the market today, I was quite surprised how small it was without the lens, but as soon as you add on the standard 18-5mm lens, it adds quite a bit of weight to the camera, although it still feels compact and light when compared to a DSLr.
The design of the camera is very nice, and it certainly feels like a well built camera, it takes a bit of getting used to using all the different functions on the Nex-5 and controlling all the menu options is done on the display.
The menu screen is pretty good, and you can easily navigate though all the different settings, there are quite a few different standard shooting modes to choose from as well as some manual ones where you can choose the majority of the settings you want to adjust yourself.
Features
The Nex-5 has a nice range of features and settings for shooting different types of photos as well as shooting video, one of these features is a Panorama mode, that will let you shoot a range of photos in progression, the camera then stiches them together to produce a panoramic photo, you can see and example of this below.
Picture Quality
The picture quality on the NEX-5 is pretty impressive, it does a great job at creating sharp and clear photos at the lower end of the ISO range, when you start going above ISO 6400 you tend to notice a bit more of a loss of detail.
There are a wide range of different shooting modes on the NEX-5 including manual, shutter priority, aperature priority, program auto, intelligent auto, plus a range of scene selection modes, which are designed for different conditions.
The majority of these modes do a good job at taking decent photo’s, and the ability to choose which setting you want to adjust in the manual mode is definitely a plus, and it makes the Nex-5 feel closer to a DSLR than a compact camera.
Conclusion
What we liked about the Sony Nex-5 is that you get many of the features that you would find on a DSLR, the ability to change lenses when you need to, plus the range of features on offer make the NEX-5 an excellent camera.
Don’t expect it to replace you DSLR, as you wont find all the functionality and customization that you would in a DSLR, but it could be used as an alternative in a lot of situations. The portability is a definite plus point, and I would definitely use the NEX-5 over a compact camera, as you get a lot more flexibility it how it can be used.
I would say the Nex-5 is ideal for people who want more than a compact camera, but don’t want to go for a full DSLR, Sony have done a pretty good job with it, and I have to admit I was quite impressed with my overall experience with the Sony Nex-5.
Source: Geeky Gadgets
Nex-5 Camera
