Monday 24th January 2011

Sony NEX-5

The Sony NEX-5 is an EVIL camera, which is the delightful shorthand for Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens.

These types of camera try to be as compact as possible and simple to use as possible, while offering the picture quality and flexibility of a decent DSLR.

Olympus, Samsung and the Lumix G1 are all examples of these, but the Sony is something a bit different.

It looks like a slightly flattened and wider compact camera, with a slightly oversized lens attachment to it, that can use a 16mm f/2.8 pancake lens, an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 optically stabilised superzoom lens and a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 optically stabilised standard zoom kit lens.

What I like about this camera is that you can get very good picture quality from it, and it is pretty easy to use. The more the cameras can give, thankfully many manufacturers now facilitate you with a simple way to handling it, as well as diving deep into the settings.

It is an attractive camera to look at with a big grip in the right hand side (looking from the back), and a sturdy magnesium alloy in the body. The long lens does make the body seem small and the lens oversized, but that's the point of it. The rear screen can hinge out and then tilt upwards and downwards, but not from side to side, so if you are trying to take a photo of yourself, you don't get a view. It's more aimed at taking shots such as a crowd shot, or trying to get height and point the camera downwards, but still see what you are shooting. This way you shouldn't just snap the tops of people's heads.

The Panaoramic mode is very easy to use - with simple on screen instructions on what way to move the camera and just how fast to move as well, and it gives a damn fine result.

With a 14 MP sensor and a 1080iHD movie camera , it's an impressive camera that will give you a comparative performance with a mid range DSLR, but prices are from €600 to €700 depending on the lens choices you make, which may put off customers who don't want a big DSLR but want all of the features. Remember you will be relatively limited in lens choices, compared with a DSLR but, that's probably not your overiding concern, and look out for training courses worth up to €300 in some cases.