You may have read that I am going on a trip to Asia next month. To give this blog a much higher quality I was looking for a new camera.
I found the Sony NEX 5R, a brand new compact system camera combining quality of DSLR cameras and the small form factor of compact cameras.
This is the first part of my detailed review about this amazing camera. Part 2 will be a detailed live testing on my trip in Asia.
The specs
The Sony NEX 5R features an 16 Megapixels APS-C cmos sensor with hybrid autofocus system. The camera also records HD video with 1080p at 50 frames per second.
It also features an 3″ touch screen display with live view. The Sony NEX 5R offers the same options like a typical DSLR camera. You can set Aperture, EV, ISO, …
The Camera is able to shoot up to 10 frames per second. Another awesome feature is the integrated WiFi support. You can download “apps” like direct upload, photo effects
and much more.
Kit lens
The Sony NEX 5RK comes with a 18-55mm standard zoom lens. It has an average speed of F3.5-5.6.
The lens supports both constrast and phase detection autofocus.
It’s very light and compact, but it also offers an integrated optical image stabilisation.
[note color=”#FFCC00″]Newer versions of kits come with a 16-50mm (F3.5-6.3) power zoom lens, which is even lighter.[/note]
Image quality
What do you expect from a camera with a DSLR sized CMOS sensor? Good image quality with without noise.
I’ve already shot several hundreds photos in different light conditions. The image quality is extraordinary. For low light / night photography I recommend a better lens than the kit lens.
I already ordered the Sony NEX 50mm F1.8 fixed lens. It is a portrait lens which is also a top choice for night photography. Stay tuned for part 2 of my review, in which I intend to give this lens a serious low light challenge.
This camera has an excellent autofocus, which is super fast and precise when Hybrid AF is enabled. Currently it’s only supported by a limited number of lenses.
The Sony NEX 5R produces photos with very natural colours.
Lens support
The NEX line supports E-mount and A-mount (Sony DSLR) lenses with an adapter. Sony offers a bunch of standard zooms, fixed lens and macro lenses.
Also companies like Sigma, Tamron and others have a few lenses for the E-mount in their portfolio.
Stay tuned for part two of my review. Live from Asia.