Review of Sony Alpha NEX-5

[lenrek]

Wow... I have read from other review saying how amazingly small this little camera is, but without looking at the pictures here, I did not imagine is that small! :bigeyes:

 

[airconvent]

Thanks for Sharing.
Did you manage to get a Nex3 as well or your hands on a 16mm pancake lens?

 

[lenrek]

omg.... buy this my a500 how sia?

Sell! Sell! Sell! Then, buy! Buy! Buy!

Haha...

Though seriously, what does this has to do your A500??

 

[airconvent]

Wow... I have read from other review saying how amazingly small this little camera is, but without looking at the pictures here, I did not imagine is that small! :bigeyes:

I don't think I can ever know how small it is until I can feel it in my hands...*hint" *hint* ;p

 

[lenrek]

I don't think I can ever know how small it is until I can feel it in my hands...*hint" *hint* ;p

The picture did compare it with a EZlink card... You don't own this card? :think:

 

[ed9119]

With the lens hood attached
13

Build quality on BOTH body and lens was very very good and reassuring..... LOVE that built-in hand grip

This camera with zoom lens is NOT going to fit into your shirt of pants pockets .......... was not given the 16mm pancake to test. The pancake is going to be flat and should fit into a pants pocket provided you are not wearing skin-tight jeans

So first serious feedback Sony....... be the FIRST in the industry to introduce a pancake zoom lens
14

 

[night86mare]

Wow... I have read from other review saying how amazingly small this little camera is, but without looking at the pictures here, I did not imagine is that small! :bigeyes:

it really is very small, with the ez link card size.

i took out my ez link card to stare at it. :bigeyes::bigeyes:

 

[lenrek]

it really is very small, with the ez link card size.

i took out my ez link card to stare at it. :bigeyes::bigeyes:

OMG... Now I thinking of selling away my Sony-WX1. :think:

 

[ed9119]

9.15am Friday 21 May

Got out of bed at 7am this morning, late for work and was rushing around getting myself together. I had 15mins to spare for the NEX-5.

Inserted the battery , formatted a 16G SD card and powered up the camera

I was worried that the 2 buttons without markings or icons would confuse me.... it did not..... the LCD screen had description prompts next to the buttons.

No User Manual in hand..... no problem.... it was in-built into the camera ...... meaning, each button or page or function you are at, there is a pop-up descriptive .... I guess for the first few days, these notes/points/descriptives WILL be helpful..... but looking forward, when a user is familiar with the user interface and knows already what does what.... these pop-up notes might get a little naggy or irritating...... I believe it can be turned off.

I was pretty much up and running with the the bulk of the camera's functions in 20mins ..... not too bad for a techno-phobic.

 

[ed9119]

it really is very small, with the ez link card size.

i took out my ez link card to stare at it. :bigeyes::bigeyes:

The body is only about 2cm longer than the EZ Link card

 

[night86mare]

that zoom lens isn't that large actually. it just looks large compared to the camera body. it's probably smaller than most 18-55s for dslrs.

even then though, i'd probably still pair it with the 16mm if i had a lot of cash to buy it. :lovegrin:

 

[ed9119]

Today was very busy at work so did not shoot outside much except when out for a quick coffee break
No driver to work on RAW files so shot in fine JPEG

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a 100% crop of a part of #15
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6.50pm pm outside my balcony
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100% crop of above image
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another crop of lower part of same image
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[ed9119]

OK the Smile Shutter works (camera automatically triggers the shutter when a smile is detected) ha ha ..... NO that is NOT me in the pic
20

Not my Rolex either ha ha..... this was shot with the flash deployed..... pretty good fill-in AND THIS LITTLE FLASH HAS FLASH COMPENSATION it compensates in 1/3 stops up to +/- 2 stops and can be done in Menu ->Brightness/Color->Flash Compensation ...... FEEDBACK before release... please include Flash Compensation in quick shortcut button on the dial ... quite easy to do for Sony via reprogramming software or in next firmware upgrade
21

Image stabilization works pretty well, this kueh was shot up close one-handed
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[ed9119]

the panoramic shot mode is a very nice function and fast to use...... it auto stitches the whole series of series taken
I love this function........ with a left-to-right sweep of a scene you want captured, you get a default Ultra Wide Angle perspective....... I estimate a 120degree or more sweep if you sweep it quick enough
23

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[ed9119]

reds and greens are VERY nicely rendered (camera was on AUTO everything )

26

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[ed9119]

(camera was on AUTO everything )

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100% crop of a section of above image
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[ed9119]

(camera was on AUTO everything )

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[eow]

The zoom is actually smaller than it look on dpreview
yes it shorter than the panasonic 14-45 kit when zoom out fully which in turn is shorter than the oly 14-42mm kit when fully zoom out.

 

[evolutioner]

wow.. really amazingly small..

weird thing is why they dont make the lens hood same color as the silver kit..

 

[tangoinquestion]

wow.. really amazingly small..

weird thing is why they dont make the lens hood same color as the silver kit..

to minimise reflections/stray light going into the cam?