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(More customer reviews)I purchased the Sony Alpha NEX 5 as a gift for someone with lots of artistic ability, but who is intimidated by the typical DSLR. So far, it seems like a good choice.
For me, there were four possibilities:
- The Sony NEX 5
- Olympus E-PL1
- Panasonic GF1
- Leica X1 (I'm a "red dot" softie)
In retrospect, I wish I had spent more time thinking about a small DSLR, such as the Nikon D3100. The price difference isn't too great, and it would have opened up the door to a more versatile collection of lenses and accessories. The NEX 5 is about the most compact of any of the above though, so perhaps the size versus quality trade-off will come in handy. The NEX 5 body is about 10 ounces - half the weight of most of the others (although it gets closer when you compare camera plus lens).
In terms of construction quality, I found the Sony to be very solid and well made, even though it's more compact than its peers. The body is a mix of magnesium alloy and plastic parts, and it feels rugged and comfortable in my hands. To be clear though, the Sony lenses seem quite a bit larger than the competition, and the combination of a small body plus enormous lens can look quite weird till you get used to it.
Most of the camera's functions are only accessible through an extensive menu system. I use Nikon's DSLRs, but was able to adjust to the Sony menus pretty quickly. Still, I think the camera might have benefited from a few more user-assignable buttons that let you keep commonly used functions closer than wading through the menus. Otherwise, I found the operation pretty straightforward. The screen is large and easy to read, even in daylight. There are a lot of built-in tips to guide you through the more complex or seldom-used features...another plus.
Speaking of lenses, Sony has the typical fixed 16mm wide-angle and an 18-55 zoom, with a 18-200 zoom supposedly coming soon. To their credit, Sony also makes an adapter that lets you use their DSLR lenses on the NEX 5, although you lose autofocus this way. To me, this is a big plus, even without autofocus. I found the images created by the 16mm to be quite good, but the 18-55 seems a little soft in the edges. It's also a slow f/6.3 at 55mm, which makes it a challenge to use in dark locations. Also, because Sony is using a bigger sensor, the 16mm seems quite a bit wider (it's like a 24mm in 35mm film camera equivalents) - great for landscapes, no so great for portraits.
As for image quality, the Sony uses a full APS-C size sensor - the same one they use in their larger DSLRs - so it has an advantage over micro four-thirds and any point-and-shoot, especially at high ISO in low light. I found the photos to be about what you'd expect from any modern camera: sharp, contrasty, vivid colors and so on. More to the point, they're about the best you can get without breaking out a high-end DSLR and pro-grade lenses, or breaking the bank on something like the Leica M9.
The NEX5 also has extensive video capabilities, and seems to be one of the few that can zoom, adjust exposure and so on while taking a video. I don't use video much so I won't comment further other than to say that it seems well implemented, easy to use and it produces very high quality results.
Sony also bundles in all their usual wizardry, including their panorama and built-in HDR (High Dynamic Range) capabilities. You can do most of this in the computer after the shoot, but it's nice to also have this stuff in the camera to get a sense of how it might look. The NEX comes with a built-in flash that you can remove if you want to keep the weight down as low as possible. It's not the most powerful, but it's nice that Sony includes it with the camera rather than making it an add-on.
In conclusion, I like the Sony a lot...it's small, easy to use and takes about the best pictures I've seen for a total system weight under two pounds. My only gripe would be the relatively limited range of lenses and accessories available for it, but as a second camera for casual or travel use, it probably deserves a place in the bag.
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Sony Alpha NEX NEX5A/B Digital Camera with Interchangeable Lens (Black)The performance of a DSLR, in about half the size and weight.5 The NEX-5 is the interchangeable lens camera that goes wherever you do. Enjoy Full HD 1080/60i movies,2 astounding low-light pictures, continuous shooting up to 7 fps, incredible panorama shots, and Live View on a tilting 3.0-inch6 LCD.
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