The Sony NEX-5 clearly isn’t a DSLR or a point-and-shoot compact camera as we know them. It lacks the through-the-lens optical viewfinder and mirror box of a DSLR and is far more powerful and flexible than the average compact – so where does it sit it the market? Can it provide a middle ground alternative to the Micro Four Thirds range already on sale? Find out in this part of our Sony NEX-5 review.
Read the rest of our Sony NEX-5 review
Sony NEX-5 review
Sony NEX-5 review: Shooting skills
It’s probably best to look at the Sony NEX-5 in terms of its rivals. These are cameras such as the Samsung NX10 (which, like the Sony NEX-5, features a full-size APS-C sensor as used on a DSLR) and the Micro Four Thirds cameras made by Olympus and Panasonic – these include the Olympus E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1, and the Panasonic GF1, G1, GH1, G2 and G10. All are far smaller than a DSLR but support interchangeable lenses for added flexibility, as well as offering physically larger sensors than their traditionally compact counterparts.
Larger sensors allow you to achieve a shorter depth of field (for those lovely looking out of focus backgrounds) and also generally mean less noise, and Sony is keen to point out that, despite its tiny size, the Sony NEX-5 sports an APS-C sensor that is quite a bit larger than the Micro Four Thirds sensor (in fact, it’s actually bigger than the full size Four Thirds sensor used in Olympus DSLRs), which in theory should give the NEX-5 an image quality advantage over its Olympus and Panasonic rivals.
But is that really the case? If you’re looking for a high quality digital camera that’s also reasonably compact, should you invest in the brand new NEX system with its E mount, or go with the slightly more mature Micro Four Thirds system?
It’s a difficult question to answer concisely, and a lot will depend on precisely what it is you want out of your camera. We, for instance, own a Sony Alpha DSLR and several A mount lenses, all of which can be used (via an adapter and in manual focus) on the Sony NEX-5. To be able to use some of these lenses on a tiny bodied camera and to shoot video (unavailable on Sony DSLRs to date) makes the NEX-5 very appealing indeed.
Other reasons to pick the Sony NEX-5 over a Micro Four Thirds rival include its special shooting abilities: Sweep Panorama, Auto HDR, Handheld Twilight and 7fps continuous shooting are all handy at times, and you won’t find the same features on any of the current Micro Four Thirds models.
On the other hand, Micro Four Thirds has a greater range of compatible lenses, and thanks to the adapters already on sale you can bolt on a huge range of lenses from other camera systems.
And what of image and video quality? Although the Sony NEX-5’s larger sensor is certainly a significant advantage on paper, it varies as much by Micro Four Thirds model as platform. Both systems deliver far better pictures than you’d get on a standard digital compact camera, and as the NEX system matures its main disadvantage in comparison to Micro Four Thirds – its relatively small supply of compatible lenses, especially those able to autofocus – will become less of an issue.
Read the rest of our Sony NEX-5 review
Sony NEX-5 review
Sony NEX-5 review: Shooting skills
