Digital Photo Resources
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Sony Alpha NEX-5 ReviewSmall, Stylish... Sony!
by Wayne Rasku Not to be outdone by the other "majors", Sony is in the mirrorless digital camera market with the new Sony Alpha NEX-5. Digital-Photographic-Resources is also now "seeing the light" in this new technology. Since Sony is not the first to offer this type of camera, they needed to play catch-up in a big way. Others are already on their 3rd and 4th models with the mirrorless camera. How are they doing? Pretty well, we think. There are a few things about the NEX-5 that really stand out. New For Sony NEX-5Size - Sony claims to be the smallest interchangeable lens camera, and size seems to be a major player in this market. This camera is designed to give the best image quality with the smallest camera. Image Sensor - The NEX-5 has a full sized APS-C image sensor crammed into that tiny body. This is a feat of engineering prowess. It is only possible in mirrorless cameras. Video - This is the first interchangeable lens camera to have continuous auto focus during recording. It's not that others don't have auto focus, but the Sony takes all factors into the process, including the body and the lens. Video is 1080i in AVCHD format. Lenses - This Sony model has a new lens mount. It ships with a 18-55mm typical lens, but there is also a 16mm wide angle prime available. Also new for the NEX-5 is a 18-200mm zoom lens. If you have older Sony Alpha lenses, there is an adapter available to connect them to your NEX-5, but they will only work on manual focus.
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Image Quality and Performance:If there is one thing that users agree upon, it is the great image quality. In fact, one happy photographer said that his new Sony Alpha NEX-5 rivaled, if not surpassed, his Nikon D300s in image quality. As far as performance is concerned, users are also very pleased with that aspect. Sony NEX-5 and Lens SelectionAs mentioned, the Sony NEX-5 at present has only 3 lenses available that will auto focus. However, you can use Sony Alpha lenses on this model as long as you don't mind using Manual Focus. Sony has made this very simple by using an option called "MF Assist". This is a zoom feature that gives 7x or 14x magnification so that you can fine-tune your focus. You can also purchase adapter rings for other camera lenses, such as the full line of Canon lenses. Just think what this camera would look like with Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS lens attached. Bottom Line: Is the newest Sony Alpha NEX-5 Mirrorless SLD-type camera worthy of your attention?Sony waited for awhile before jumping into the mirrorless camera pool. They did so with a big splash. The Sony Alpha NEX-5 is being well received by all types of photographers, expecially those who have a history with Sony camera models in the past. This camera is easily carried around in a large purse or small camera bag, very unlike a traditional entry-level DSLR. That is one of the features that many users are quite pleased with. Even though it is fairly new, it has gotten the attention of many expert reviewers, receiving the coveted thumbs-up from Imaging-Resources.com, an unbiased and trusted review site. |
