Sony NEX-5N + 18-55mm - digital cameras (Auto, Cloudy, Custom modes, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Landscape, Panorama, Portrait, Self-portrait, Manual, Movie, Scene, Black&White, Vivid, Movie, Single image, Battery)

Product Information

Lenses available: there are seven lenses currently available (16mm, 18-55 OSS, 18-200 OSS, 30mm Macro lens, 24mm Carl Zeiss, 50mm Portrait, and 55-210mm telephoto). There are also wide-angle and fisheye converter add-on lenses available for the 16mm lens as well. Adapters to use Sony Alpha / Konica Minolta Alpha lenses are also available. New OLED Electronic ViewFinder (EVF) - with 2.359 million dots the extremely high resolution electronic viewfinder gives an excellent view of the subject, and is of a higher resolution than the 921k dot screen. Although the screen does work very well outdoors in bright sunlight, there are times when it is difficult to see and the EVF helps massively in this respect. While the original NEX-5 and NEX-3 models left us a little cold, the new NEX-5N is an excellent all-round compact system camera (CSC) that successfully appeals to beginners and more experience users alike. While it looks almost identical to its predeccesor, faster focusing, less shutter lag, better video and stills, and an intuitive touchscreen interface are just some of the many improvements that have taken place under the hood, making this the best NEX camera and one of the best CSC's that we've reviewed. Sensitivity has received a boost too, with the NEX-5n able to offer a maximum setting of ISO 25,600 (compared to 12,800 on its predecessor). Continuous shooting speed also rises to a maximum 10fps (7fps on the NEX-5). The newer model also benefits from a bespoke Accessory Port hotshoe that (unlike its predecessor) allows the NEX-5n to accommodate Sony’s optional FDA-EV1s, 2.3million-dot electronic viewfinder, among other accessories. Image quality appears to be excellent, and even though megapixels have increased, the camera is still providing low noise levels, with the addition of a new ISO25600 range giving additional usefulness in extremely low light. The new 50mm f/1.8 Portrait lens also helps in low light.

Just like Olympus and Panasonic, the Sony NEX-5N offers a range of eleven creative Picture Effects. Other third-party mechanical tube adapters are also available. These adapters enable the use of Canon FD-mount, Canon EF-mount (without aperture control), Contax G, M42 screw mount, Konica Hexanon AR-mount, Minolta SR-mount (MC/MD), Leica M and screw mount, Nikon F-mount (non-G), Pentax K-mount (non-DA), Olympus OM mount, T2 screw mount and Minolta/Konica Minolta/Sony A-mount lenses. The E-mount flange register is so short that it is possible to mount 45mm or longer-focal-length non-focusing enlarging lenses on the NEX body, with the use of an intermediate focusing helicoid behind them. All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5Mb. The NEX-5N isn't quite the world's smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera, but at 210g and 23.3mm in depth if not counting its grip or lens mount, it's hardly a large model. Low light sensitivity without flash also theoretically looks set to show rivals a thing or two by ranging from ISO 100 to a maximum ISO 25600 equivalent setting. Impressive stuff, and matching the sort of spec we're used to seeing on mid-range DSLRs.The NEX-5N is impressively small - as you can see in this comparison with the Olympus E-PL3, it's the same width but sits lower and has sections of its base cut away to reduce its overall volume. However, the 5N's larger sensor means the lens is considerably larger than the collapsing unit on the PEN and, unlike the Olympus, the NEX-5N doesn't have built-in image stabilization.

The incomplete model number of NEX-3/NEX-5 series may include letter(s) at end. The definitions are: The user moves through these options and makes selections either via the scroll wheel just below the menu button, which has its own central (and again unmarked) set button, or the new touchscreen interface. As mentioned this wheel is quite responsive to the touch, which, on a positive note, means that tabbing through options is a swift process, but on the other hand it's easy to slip past the setting you actually wanted when hurrying through them as a photo opportunity suddenly presents itself. The Sony NEX-5N allows you to take panoramic images very easily, by 'sweeping' with the camera while keeping the shutter release depressed. The camera does all the processing and stitching and now even successfully compensates for moving subjects. The main catch is that the resulting image is of fairly low resolution Movie recording abilities extend to a maximum 1,920 x 1,080/50p Full HD with further options to record 1,080/50i and 1,080/25p AVCHD movies at a choice of 24 and 17mbps, or indeed MP4-encoded movies at non-HD resolutions. While the degree of choice and technical capabilities on offer are certainly impressive, we can’t help but think that many consumers will find the sheer number of options and the way they are presented somewhat confusing. Incidentally, should you already have a lens attached, screwing the flash into position proves a tad fiddly, as there's not much room to fit your fingers between the curve of the lens barrel - which stands slightly proud of the top and base of the camera - and the front of the flash, which features a small tightening nut via which it is secured in place. Though the flash can be stored flat to the body to aid portability and adds hardly any additional weight or bulk, when in use the head needs to be manually raised at a angle of approximately 45°.Image stabilisation via the lens is a very useful feature that works well when hand-holding the NEX-5N in low-light conditions or when using the telephoto end of the zoom range. The 16.1 megapixel images were a little soft straight out of the camera at the default sharpening setting and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting. The pop-up flash provides an adequate level of exposure and thankfully no red-eye. Chromatic aberrations were only really noticeable by their absence, a great credit to the 18-55mm kit lens. The Sony NEX-5n is built around a 23.5 x 15.6mm APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor that produces an effective resolution of 16.1MP. At maximum resolution in the default 3:2 aspect this equates to a maximum output of 4,912 x 3,264 pixels. In addition, it’s also possible to record images at 8.4MP (Medium) and 4MP (Small). Alternative shooting aspects are restricted to just 16:9 however, so if you want to give your images a 4:3 or 1:1 look you’ll have to crop them accordingly on a computer.

Also positioned atop the camera are a left and right (stereo in combination) microphone, each sitting either side of the lens mount, with the clip-on flash/accessory port positioned in between. To the right of this is also a small built-in speaker, for reviewing audio in the field. Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are soft at the default sharpening setting. You can change the in-camera sharpening level if you don't like the default look.D-Range Optimiser (DRO) is Sony's solution to improve shadow detail in photos taken in contrasty light. Cosmetically, the NEX-5N (on the right) is nearly identical to the NEX-5, with the exception of a slightly angled top-casing and a silver flair around the power switch. The overall appearance of the 5N has been further streamlined by creating a single magnesium-allow top plate. The hand-grip material has has a more refined feel too, but doesn't seem to offer any more grip.

High Dynamic Range Optimiser (HDR) is Sony's solution for capturing more contrast than a single exposure can handle by combining two exposures into one image.

The Sony NEX-5N's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's also a Bulb mode for even longer exposures, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 4 seconds at ISO 200.