klausboedker
on - last edited on by
ElizabethS
Jet-lag is gone, laundry is done, and the biggest problem of the day is no longer if you want a drink before going in the pool, or have that drink after being in the pool. Back from a two and half week vacation where Sony kindly lent me their new interchangeable lens camera, the NEX-5, I have now had a chance to go through 45gb of video material and 1,258 photographs, and draw my conclusions on this new camera from Sony.
↑ The new Sony NEX-5.
Having first seen the camera announced at this years's PMA (standing in the front row), it is kinda cool being able to finally shoot with Sony's new creation. And it is a new creation. The camera falls outside the camera manufacturer's normal camera classes, or perhaps more accurately, in between the classes. In essence, the NEX-5 is a happy marriage between a Sony point & shoot and an Alpha DSLR.
↓ "I now pronounce you NEX-5"
The point & shoot part of the 'couple' is clearly the slimmed down camera body. Sony claims it is currently the slimmest body in its class of mirror-less, interchangeable lens cameras. Having shot with both the GF1 [link to pma] and E-P2 [link to review] that seems accurate. It is small. The DSLR portion of the unison is that nice, biiiigggg sensor and the fact you can change lenses.
So after shooting with the camera pretty much nonstop for three weeks what's to like?
It's light, easy to grip and portable
Truth be told, the last Sony I reviewed (the Alpha 330 DSLR) got the grip totally wrong. It was too small and awkward to hold for a DSLR. Not so with the NEX-5. Yes, it does seem dominant compared to the slim camera body, but it is very comfortable to hold and is perfect for balancing the (relatively speaking) large 18-55mm OSS lens with. Personally, I never put a strap on my cameras, so the grip was great for holding the camera securely in one hand when walking around with it.
↓ The NEX-5 coupled with the 16mm f2.8 pancake lens (top) and the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Optical SteadyShot (bottom) kit lens.
↑ Compared with the Olympus E-P2, Sony simply did a better job designing the grip. Thumbs up, Sony!
↓ Pocketable, in a large pocket.
Coupled with the 16mm f2.8 pancake lens, the NEX-5 offers one of the smallest form factors in its class. A word of caution, though, even though it takes the minimalist prize in its class, it is still nowhere near as small and pocketable as a slim point & shoot. The lens simply adds too much bulk compared to a point and shoot, causing it to fall in the pocketable-in-a-large-pocket category. Think cargo pants or jacket pocket.
↓ Flat as a pancake, well almost.
↑ Offering quite different perspectives. 16mm f2.8 (left) at minimum focus distance and 18-55mm @ 55mm also at closest focus distance (right).
Something else to point out for the point & shoot audience that will pick up this lens and camera combination. The 16mm f2.8 is a fixed focal length lens, meaning it will not zoom. On top of that, it is a wide-angle lens that really only works for, well, wide shots, such as landscape, cityscapes, group portraits, environmental portraits, etc. More traditional portraits, close-up shots, and further away objects, etc. will not work well with this lens. On the plus-side, the 16mm lens is a very fast lens letting in a lot of light. This makes it a perfect companion for indoor and evening photography.
Read more on image quality in part 2.
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