Specifications
- Dimensions
- 2.4 x 4.4 x 1.6 inches
- Weight
- 9.5 oz
- Type
- Compact Interchangeable Lens
- Megapixels
- 16.1 MP
- Media Format
- Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Secure Digital Extended Capacity
- 35-mm Equivalent (Wide)
- 27 mm
- 35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto)
- 82 mm
- Optical Zoom
- 3 x
- LCD size
- 3 inches
- Viewfinder Type
- None
- Video Resolution
- 1080i, 1080p
16 megapixel Sony Alpha DSLR-5N ($ 699.99 18-55mm lens kit, direct) is both a continuation of the Sony camera is very popular with the NEX-5 and older brother to choose our Editors' for the Alpha DSLR- C3 ($ 649.99, 4.5 stars). A surcharge of $ 50 you get 1080p AVCHD video recording, the ability to increase the FDA EV1S external OLED electronic viewfinder ($ 349.99 direct), magnesium body, the touch screen, and a socket deeper. Unlike the NEX-5, 5N is no longer cutting-edge design of its product line. Sony has announced the NEX-7 ($ 1,349.99 18-55mm, right), 24-megapixel monster OLED electronic viewfinder built into the body, and other professional activities, including the sled. The clear separation between the top of the price of the NEX and the two lines at a low price of family members that the NEX-5N in place a little 'embarrassing. It would be easy to recommend if it 5N-NEX and NEX-7 was the only line of cameras.
But overall, NEX-C3-performance in low light and a value slightly higher.
Design and features
As the NEX-C3 and cameras that are part of the Micro Four Thirds, as the Olympus Pen E-PL3 ($ 699.99, 3.5 stars), NEX-5N uses interchangeable lenses, as a unit D-SLR. Unlike an SLR, these devices do not have mirrors and optical viewfinders, instead of relying on their LCD screens to frame. This allows smaller packages, and many adapters are available to allow the use of old lenses. Sony has two adapters to allow the use of Alpha SLR cameras NEX. The LA-EA1 ($ 199.99 direct) uses the AF contrast detection for the slow, while the most expensive LA-EA2 ($ 399.99) supports rapid AF phase detection.
The camera itself measures 2.4 by 4.4 by 1.6 inches (DRC), only slightly deeper than the 2.4 by 4.4 by 1.3 inches NEX-C3. The greatest depth is that the handle 5N, beating a little more. I found it easier to maintain, despite the position of the ear of the right camera strap is still a little annoying. I had to weave the web between the thumb and index finger when holding the device to maintain access to the controls while maintaining the security 5N. The camera weighs 9.5 ounces without a lens, a little less than 9.8 ounces NEX-C3. The magnesium body feels more solid than the plastic NEX-C3. 5N also makes a little lighter than the C3, but slightly larger.
The supplied 18-55mm is approximately the same size as you can see on many SLR of 2.4 inches in diameter and 2.5 cm deep. The 5N APS-C sensor is about 75 percent of the size of a 35mm negative, sensor the same size in most consumer digital SLR. Olympus E-PM1 ($ 499.99, 4 stars) uses a Micro Four Thirds sensor, which is only half the size of 35mm and Nikon D1 is ($ 649.95, 4 stars) CX-format sensor is about a quarter of the size of a film frame. These cameras are able to use smaller lenses, as they have less area to cover, but sacrificing the ability to blur the background of an image with a shallow depth of field by doing so.
But overall, NEX-C3-performance in low light and a value slightly higher.
Design and features
As the NEX-C3 and cameras that are part of the Micro Four Thirds, as the Olympus Pen E-PL3 ($ 699.99, 3.5 stars), NEX-5N uses interchangeable lenses, as a unit D-SLR. Unlike an SLR, these devices do not have mirrors and optical viewfinders, instead of relying on their LCD screens to frame. This allows smaller packages, and many adapters are available to allow the use of old lenses. Sony has two adapters to allow the use of Alpha SLR cameras NEX. The LA-EA1 ($ 199.99 direct) uses the AF contrast detection for the slow, while the most expensive LA-EA2 ($ 399.99) supports rapid AF phase detection.
The camera itself measures 2.4 by 4.4 by 1.6 inches (DRC), only slightly deeper than the 2.4 by 4.4 by 1.3 inches NEX-C3. The greatest depth is that the handle 5N, beating a little more. I found it easier to maintain, despite the position of the ear of the right camera strap is still a little annoying. I had to weave the web between the thumb and index finger when holding the device to maintain access to the controls while maintaining the security 5N. The camera weighs 9.5 ounces without a lens, a little less than 9.8 ounces NEX-C3. The magnesium body feels more solid than the plastic NEX-C3. 5N also makes a little lighter than the C3, but slightly larger.
The supplied 18-55mm is approximately the same size as you can see on many SLR of 2.4 inches in diameter and 2.5 cm deep. The 5N APS-C sensor is about 75 percent of the size of a 35mm negative, sensor the same size in most consumer digital SLR. Olympus E-PM1 ($ 499.99, 4 stars) uses a Micro Four Thirds sensor, which is only half the size of 35mm and Nikon D1 is ($ 649.95, 4 stars) CX-format sensor is about a quarter of the size of a film frame. These cameras are able to use smaller lenses, as they have less area to cover, but sacrificing the ability to blur the background of an image with a shallow depth of field by doing so.
Sony has added a touch screen to the 5N, but has not done so at the cost of physical control buttons. The large 3-inch LCD tilts up and down, just like the other cameras in the NEX series, and is quite crisp thanks to a 921k-dot resolution. You can touch options on the screen, or press the corresponding buttons, to adjust most settings. One of the touch-exclusive features is the ability to tap an area of the frame to activate tracking focus. This comes in handy when you want to maintain focus on a moving subject, like a dog or a baby, as the camera does a good job at maintaining focus on the subject you've selected. I'm generally frustrated by cameras that rely exclusively on a touch interface, as the settings are more quickly adjusted via traditional buttons. The hybrid approach that Sony has used for the 5N makes it possible to use buttons for most functions and to touch the screen for specific purposes. I don't view the touch screen as a major plus—it's only useful to activate the tracking focus—but it is in no way a detriment. If you're adamantly anti-touch, be happy in knowing that it can be disabled via a menu setting.
The menu system is broken down by function. An on-screen Shoot mode replaces the traditional mode dial, and you can adjust autofocus area, drive mode, and other settings in the Camera submenu. There are also menus for Image Size, Brightness/Color, Playback, and Setup, although you won't have to delve into them on a regular basis thanks to the 5N's customizable controls. You can assign custom functions to three of the rear controls—the bottom button, right on the four-way command dial, and the button in the center of the dial. Dedicated physical buttons are also available for exposure compensation, drive mode, playback, and video recording, minimizing the amount of time you spend paging through menus.
Although you don't get a built-in flash, Sony has included a detachable flash that screws into the camera's accessory port. The flash adds a bit of height to the camera, but if you find yourself using it frequently it is best to leave it attached. It is hinged so that it will only fire when you raise it. Of course, as it occupies the accessory port, you won't be able to use the optional EVF accessory and the flash at the same time.
The NEX-5N also supports Sony’s Anti-Motion Blur, Sweep Panorama, and 3D Sweep Panorama shooting modes. Anti-Motion Blur is useful for low-light situations where you can’t use a fast shutter speed or the flash. It captures six frames in rapid succession and processes them to create one image that reduces both camera shake and image noise. Sweep Panorama and 3D Sweep Panorama mode record a series of images as you pan the camera. They’re stitched together to make one wide shot. When viewed on a 3D HDTV, the results of the 3D mode are pretty impressive—you get a nice amount of depth to the image, and the wide 9:2 aspect ratio allows for creative compositions.
Performance and Image Quality
The NEX-5N performed admirably in speed tests. It can start up and capture a shot in about 1.6 seconds and can shoot continuously with only 0.3 second between shots. The camera's shutter lag was an excellent 0.1 second. The differences between it and the NEX-C3 are almost negligible—it starts in 1.5 seconds, captures a photo every 0.4 second, and also scores 0.1 second in the shutter lag test. Neither is the fastest camera in the compact interchangeable lens category. The Olympus PEN E-PL3 starts up in 0.9 second and captures an image every 0.24 second. It clocks in at 0.2 second on the shutter lag test, just a hair slower than the 5N and C3.
In the Lab, I used the Imatest suite to measure sharpness and noise in photos captured by the 5N. The camera ships with an 18-55mm zoom lens, which I tested at a few focal lengths and apertures. At 18mm f/3.5 it recorded 1,786 lines per picture height, just barely below the 1,800-line mark required for an image to be acceptably sharp. Stopping down to f/5.6 increased the score to 1,889 lines. At 35mm f/4.5 the lens recorded 1,791 lines, increasing to 1,895 at f/5.6. At 55mm, the longest focal length of the lens, it scored 1,694 lines at f/5.6 and 1,818 lines at f/8. These numbers are in line with the results from the tests performed on the also-16-megapixel NEX-C3, which includes the same lens.
Sony has introduced some additional lenses for the NEX system since we reviewed the C3. Using a higher-quality lens will improve image quality, as the sensor is capable of recording more detail than the kit lens can capture. I ran tests with a much higher quality lens—a 35mm f/1.4 from Leica—via an adapter. That lens scored 2,053 lines at f/2.8, its sharpest aperture. Sony has higher quality prime lenses, including a 24mm f/1.8 by Carl Zeiss ($999.99), scheduled for release later this year, which should also record sharper images than the 18-55mm kit lens.
In terms of low-light performance, the NEX-5N doesn't do as well as the C3. The 5N is able to keep noise below 1.5 percent, the mark at which an image becomes overly grainy, through ISO 3200. The NEX-C3 performed one stop better, capturing clean images through ISO 6400. Even though it doesn't see in the dark as effectively as the C3, the 5N outperforms the latest batch of Micro Four Thirds cameras in this metric. The Olympus E-PL3 can only record clean images through ISO 800, just crossing the 1.5 percent mark at ISO 1600.
Video Quality and Conclusions
Video can be recorded in various resolutions, including 1080p60, 1080i60, and 1080p24, all in AVCHD format. The camera also supports capture in MP4 format, although that comes at a lower 1440 by 1080 resolution. Quality is excellent, detail is crisp, and the camera focuses during recording. The camera's stereo microphone does pick up the sound of the lens zooming in and out if you adjust the focal length when shooting. I viewed some footage on a large screen HDTV, and while it looked a bit better than the 720p video captured by the NEX-C3, it was a marginal improvement. The kit lens may be a limiting factor in capturing detail, and either camera is an overkill for shooting video destined for the Web. There have been some reports of a knocking sound being recorded as the camera is panned left or right, but our test unit did not exhibit this behavior. Sony has offered to repair this issue as part of warranty service if your NEX-5N is affected.
Standard mini HDMI and mini USB ports allow you to connect the camera to a TV or computer. You can use Memory Stick PRO Duo, SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards in the camera.
Pound for pound, it's tough to find a better camera than the NEX-5N. It delivers images that are on par with those captured by D-SLRs in a body that can be, at first glance, mistaken for a point-and-shoot. Its LCD is bright and sharp, and can tilt so you can shoot from your waist or above your head. The ability to add an eye-level EVF is a boon for enthusiasts, although adding that accessory will cost you a steep $350—at which point the costs rises to where it might make sense to wait for the upcoming 24-megapixel NEX-7. The 5N doesn't perform as well in low light as our Editors' Choice NEX-C3, which is $50 less expensive, but it does offer higher quality video, magnesium construction, and a touch-screen interface. Both cameras are better than those that use the competing Micro Four Thirds standard, although the $500 Olympus PEN E-PM1 is a good choice if you're on a tighter budget. Ultimately the question you have to answer in choosing between the NEX-C3 and NEX-5N is one of low light performance versus 1080p video. If the former is your main concern, save yourself $50 and go with the stellar NEX-C3. The NEX-5N is also an excellent camera, and should appeal to aspiring videographers.
Posted in: Sony Corporation
