Thursday, September 16, 2010

Sony Alpha NEX-5 Review: Small Camera - Big Package



Sony made a big splash with their second version of the NEX series of cameras. These cameras were built to fill the need of the market that has a desire for clear, sharp and crisp photos, but do not enjoy lugging a heavy SLR camera. This segment of the market consist of vacationing families, or groups that are too "cool" to carry a larger camera. The Sony Alpha NEX-5 might be the answer that they are looking for.
So that we are clear this Sony Alpha NEX-5 Review starts by stating that this is not an SLR camera, nor was it intended to be. The size of the camera compares favorably to a point and shoot, but with the NEX-5 you have manual controls and you can also change the lens. In addition the NEX uses the same 14.3 megapixles image sensor that is found in digital SLR cameras. This feature gives you the benefit of taking breath taking photographs with amazing color and sharpness.
By comparison, the Olympus and Panasonic cameras in the "micro four thirds" format use an image sensor that is 13 times smaller to achieve it's compact size. The sacrifice of size for quality photos is noticeable in those models. They give you great photos but the footprint of the camera is larger.
I didn't notice it, but there have been complaints about the removable flash accessory that connects with a thumb screw. Some are saying that the flash accessory is below par because it hardly produces any light. Most of these complaints are from owners of SLR cameras but it is worth noting. I didn't find the flash to be insufficient for my use. The flash is small and is only flipped up when you need it.
Another drawback for me is the LCD screen. It is used as both a viewer and to change the menu setting. This can prove to be rather awkward. Sure, there are ample automatic setting, but the manual setting is where this camera shines.
The construction of the camera did not allow for a lot of controls to built into the camera body. This is something that I had to get used to. Again, I guess that this is my SLR snobbery shining in.
Initially I balked at the price of $699. My thinking was that you can get an SLR camera for that price. I cannot get an SLR camera that is this light and this size for this price, so that put it all in perspective. The truth is that I spent too much time looking for flaws and trying to compare the camera to my Olympus e-30.
The price seems about right for a top of the line camera in it's class. I should have focused on the 1080p high def video, the ability to take successive panoramic shoots, and the ability to change lenses to capture shots that until now were only imaginable. All of these features are included in a package that is small, light, and easy to handle.

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