Sony Alpha NEX-5 review

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Verdict:

Impressive miniaturisation, fantastic photo and video quality and much improved controls make this the best carry-everywhere camera for those with high expectations.

Review Date: 22 Jul 2010

Price when reviewed: £399

Buy it now for: £458
(see more store prices)

Supplier: http://www.jessops.com

Reviewed By: Tim Smalley

Our Rating 5 stars out of 5

User Rating

ExpertReviews Award

Video quality was impressive, too. It records in AVCHD format at 50fps 1080i, and the clips we created looked sharp and well exposed with realistic colours, even in poor lighting conditions. Autofocus was smooth and accurate and didn’t disrupt the soundtrack. Noise levels were a little higher than rival models from Panasonic, but far lower than dedicated camcorders. As with the Panasonic GF2, there’s exposure compensation but no manual mode or even a basic AE lock for video capture. This pretty much rules the NEX-5 out for creative videographers, but for casual recording, it’s an excellent choice. Just bear in mind that the soundtrack itself isn’t brilliant despite the stereo microphones as there’s a bit too much background noise. Sony sells a proprietary external microphone but because there’s no 3.5mm jack, you’re left with little choice if you want better audio.

The Panasonic GF2 has more tactile controls, a wider choice of compatible lenses and no image review performance problems, but the NEX-5’s superior image quality and superb articulated screen earn it our vote. New NEX cameras are rumoured to be coming soon, but at current prices we wouldn’t bother waiting. The silver version pictured costs £399 – almost £200 less than at launch – while the black version costs just £375. It’s more expensive with the 16mm pancake lens at £480, but with both lenses for £500, it’s extremely good value. It’s the ideal camera for anyone who wants SLR-quality photos without the complexity or bulk of an SLR. If you can live with the 30-minute recording limit and without manual control, it’s a stunning video camera too. Thanks to the firmware update, the NEX-5 earns a well-deserved Best Buy award.

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User comments

Step down from 350d?

Tim - will a dSLR user feel "hobbled" by the NEX-5? I'm fed up with carrying around a 2kg camera and want something less brain intensive.

By RSwinburne on 25 Jul 2010

I think you probably will in some ways, yeah, but it depends how you use it. The high ISO performance will be particularly welcome for you, I'm sure.

It verges on brilliance in the Program Auto mode and it's a beautiful camera to hold, take pictures with and carry around. However, it's quite annoying to use in the ASM and intelligent auto modes for one reason or another. The ASM modes are clunky because of the lack of buttons (and, consequently, the inconsistent button mapping). The IA mode lacks even basic exposure compensation, which is a feature on virtually every respectable P&S camera, while auto ISO (which IA is forced to use) is limited to ISO 1600, which kinda defeats the point of having such a large sensor that can produce very usable images at ISO 3200.

It's a great camera to carry around like a P&S with limited controls (ISO, exposure compensation) and manual controls for those times when you *really* need them, but the manual controls are about as frustrating to use as trying to pluck your nostril hair with a pair of pliers.

By Tim_S on 28 Jul 2010

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