Sony NEX-5N 16.1 MP Compact Interchangeable Lens Touchscreen Camera with 18-55mm Lens (Black)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Added 4-24-14 AFTER MORE yEXPERIENCE This camera is really impressive over time, as I have now had several of my club member's cameras for a day or two loan, and I find the 5N unbeatable. The 5N even equals the $1100 Oly EM-5, esp. at high ISO's. My latest kick is the panorama - it's so addictive (try it in B&W !!) Also, I'm using video a lot more now than I ever did with previous cameras - this camera has very well focused and exposed video. I have customized the "soft keys" or buttons (Look under "Settings - Custom Key Settings"). It has made a world of difference in my speed of shooting. I have the buttons set : A> bottom button (in Auto the Help key) : Focusing area B> center-of-ring button (in Auto the Mode selector ) can choose three things: Metering area / WB / D-range C> right click on ring (in Auto the Live selector) : ISO ORIGINAL REVIEW : ----------------------------------------- Indoor no-flash, the Sony NEX 5N is pretty much a game changer. Most cameras have to use slow shutter speeds indoors in ambient light, because they just can't control noise and smear at ISO 800 and above. For instance, I wouldn't let my nice Lumix LX5 go above ISO 800 indoors. Now, using the NEX 5N Auto mode indoors will often result in ISO 1600 or even 3200, and there's no problem : the APS-C sensor, and the processor's programming let me use ISO 3200 like it was 800...!! I then have a much faster shutter speed available, to help stop the blur of most kid and pet movements. Auto WB indoors is sometimes tricky, but by setting WB using a white napkin or other reference, the 5N is near amazing. How did I come to choose the NEX 5N ?? Well, I am retired, and I spent a LOT of time on forums for Sony, Panasonic, Canon, etc... But I especially played a lot with dpReview.com's "High ISO comparison" tool: One day I put the Canon G15 against the Nikon P7700 and the Lumix LX7. For the fourth and final unit, I happened to choose the Samsung NX1000, because I had seen it on a big sale at Amazon. The Samsung with its APS-C sensor was so superior, that I began to look for other cams that used the same type sensor. DpReview had the NEX-5N rated at 79, so I put it on my list to play with. The NEX simply blew everyone's socks off, including in later comparisons the Micro 4/3's from Nikon and Olympus. I watched Amazon for several weeks, and in mid-November I was lucky to find the 5N at $140 less than the small Sony RX100 and the Samsung NX1000, which had been my two top choices up to that time. The NEX-5N also has near-excellent video. There is no "clicking sound" that early buyers sometimes mentioned, but once in a while there is a background motor noise during quiet periods of recording. Something else I really like: the 5N has a quieter shutter than any DSLR. All DSLRs are noisy beasts in comparison, very good for calling attention to themselves at the wrong time. The NEX-5N is of course still louder than say,, a LX7, but if you set the "Front Curtain Shutter" option to "enabled", the sound is very much reduced. Some reviews say the included 18-55 kit lens is only Very Good, not great; mine has no noticeable problems, and I've become a lot more critical than I once was. In tests side by side, the NEX slightly outdid my Pentax K-30 and K-01 kit lenses for sharpness in most every type of scene. Auto focus is near perfect in good light, and very good in low light. Macro with the kit zoom, using menu setting "Camera - AF/MF - DMF". can give some pretty nice shots, but you will need to stay 9-10" away with this lens to focus. By cropping, you will get a great photo, since the NEX is so sharp and noiseless at low ISO. CONCLUSION: ============ A./ This camera far exceeds premium compacts and almost every micro 4/3rds for lack of noise at every ISO. With the kit zoom, you will need a strap rather than a pocket. You may like to look for a good used Sony 16mm pancake lens, or a used 16-50 power zoom. I highly recommend the 1650PZ , as it makes the 5N ready for almost every situation. B./ Compared to any DSLR under $1200, the 5N is their photographic equal, and 50% lighter to carry. Put a protective UV filter on, and you're good to go street shooting out of the box. C./ However, the 5N is not a replacement for an action photographer using a DSLR in the field, where frequent ISO , WB, Focus Point, HDR, and other setting changes have to be made on-the-fly. This is foremost a great family camera. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I doubt few people have had hands-on access to more cameras in the $150 - $800 range that I've had, through the amateur club I just joined last summer. Join an informal group or a real photography club - you'll have a great time and be much better able to decide which camera, at what price, is the best for your needs.

After dragging an 18MP dSLR with 18-200 lens to Disneyland and taking only 200 shots. I have realized that for somewhat serious amateurs like me, the dSLR is no longer the answer. I need the quality without the bulk. I need wide angles. I need smart focus, face focus, face exposure because, well, I have a 1 1/2 year old who is moving fast in many different situations. Pointing a fat dSLR lens at him which cannot track him only looks worse at 18MP. I have previously used the Sony Nex 5, which is a totally different camera. The 5N is much more a serious amateur camera with better high ISO, higher Auto ISO, corrects for lens distortion (huge benefit) and no longer automatically underexposes to save the highlights. Serious amateur photographers know that every camera has certain unique aspects about them. This model year camera underexposes a bit, this one overexposes a bit, etc. This only comes by experience using the camera. I have not used the 5N long enough, but I can already tell it is in a just a bit higher league than the 5. But all these new mirrorless camera are better for amateurs because they help us frame the shot. Many people will say that a viewfinder is critical for photography. I am not on that side. I think that during the brief moment from film SLRs to digital SLRs, many photographers were using compact cameras with their screens on the back. Like myself, many people learned to frame a picture better like this. Of course, the older photographers don't like this because their near sight is not good due to age, but by framing a larger view (from a screen on the back), you can still keep 2 eyes on the subjects and enviorns. I don't expect many people to understand this, but you get better framing with a large screen on the back, hence the inclusion of "live view" with dSLR. Also, with the Sony NEX cameras, the camera will easily and silently focus video, which a dSLR cannot. I've been seeing all these videos shot with dSLRs lately and can tell 2 things: 1. the focus doesn't move because they can't do it easily, 2. when there is motion, either panning or subject motions, everything is a blur. Forget all of that, with kids, you need wide angles because you want to catch a kid with their enviornment. Try finding an affordable wide angle (<28mm) on a cropped dSLR sensor. None of them cheap. With the Sony NEX you can get a 24mm for cheap and then add a cheap adapter and get 18mm. Try finding an 18mm lens for a dSLR, it'll cost as much as the body itself. The compactness, the lightness, the quality of the sensor (as good as my dSLR by all measures), the ease of wide angles makes this a no brainer. It has the latest tech all to help the photographer like Auto highlights to even out exposures because sometimes we have to shoot at noon. It has face recognition exposure to keep faces exposed correctly. It has a cool stop motion 6 merged shots to look even better than one with super high ISO. A fun auto stiching panorama mode. Before I forget, it has a touch screen to pinpoint focusing and to swipe playback like an Iphone. Sony has everyone beat at this point because they have more real feature to help the photographer and have the best performing sensor in the market. 10FPS! on a consumer camera- that is amazing. They should've called it the 'Amazing' 5. EDIT: After a few months of becoming my standard carry with me camera, I have these thoughts: The ability to attach any lens is great but time consuming. Generally, the standard zoom is more revealing and more convenient. Technique is more important. The sensor quality is just as great as originally- Images have bite, but some may say that it is not Leica-like smudgey/creamy. Just wait for Sony's 35mm F1.8 E series. That will put the cream in your coffee. Not really a PRO camera as the spinning wheel is too easy to activate with your thumb. Really a good stealth camera like a Leica- "snick, snick" is all anyone will hear. Tech helps- faces expose better, tracks eyes better. Rarely use flash, but flash itself is good. Tough- I even dented the lens. Very stealth with the flipout screen. Feels like a more intimate camera to get creative with than a machine gun. My uncle has a Sony 900 with 85mm large aperature lens which he really enjoys, "shooting." 2014 update: Even though I had to send it in to get a dark piece of dust out of the sensor/AA filter stack, it still has the best video I have ever taken and can do quick snaps with the kids. It even looks good at 3200. The small size and the small size of the lenses trumps almost anything out there, even now. I use my 16mm+Fisheye to take all kinds of videos and amusement park photos. It cannot be beat- unless I get the 20mm which reportedly is better.

The Sony NEX-5r has just come out and the price on this camera, the 5n, has dropped to around $500. After doing a fair amount of research, I decided to buy the 5n due to a variety of stellar reviews and the hard to beat new price. I recently went on a two week vacation in Europe and used both this camera and my previous camera, a Lumix Lx3. THE GOOD: WOW. The image quality of the 5n is amazing. The color saturation is incredible even at high ISOs. And the metering is fairly spot on in most situations. It handles complex lighting situations very well, generally getting a well balanced exposure. For instance, a standard outdoor shot will show great color and detail throughout the image, from the pavement to the sky. The Lx3 on the other hand, will only be able to handle one or the other, with the sky being blown out in most situations (keep in mind the Lx3 has a much smaller sensor and is from 2008; still, it is a very good camera at iso100). Contrast is also excellent and objects in the foreground feel closer than objects in the background. In comparison, the Lx3 tends to feel a bit flat overall. ISO is usable up to 6400, after which it gets chunky and crummy. Still, you can get great shots at extremely low light with amazing color that was just not possible at this price range until now. The kit lens is good and much better than I expected based upon some of the reviews I read. Still, in this regard the Lx3 is better. The Lx3 is just a little bit sharper and that makes a difference. Also, I found that I didn't like the distortion on the widest setting with the 5n and much prefer the Lx3's widest setting. In addition, the kit lens is pretty slow. Still, it is a good quality lens that I am happy using, though at a higher price point (5r, natch) I might grumble more about the slowness/sharpness. I found the grip on the camera and the general feel to be good and had no problems in this area. The screen is pretty good in bright light. Not great, but pretty good. And the fact that it moves aprox. 90 degrees up is a godsend for a variety of situations. THE NEUTRAL: The menu system takes a bit of getting used to, but once learned, is fairly easy to navigate. I found using the manual controls more intuitive than the touch controls, but to each his own. The size of the camera with the kit lens verges on being too big, but manages to still feel compact enough. My wife was able to fit the camera into a fairly small purse. Also, it is very light in weight which helps. The color accuracy is very good. The camera captures what you see very well. However, when I look online at some shot comparisons of an outdoor scene with one of the Olympus PENs (don't remember if it was the 2 or the 3) the Olympus just looked better, though it was clear that the Olympus was not color accurate. On the other hand, the PEN series seems to have horrible grain at higher ISOs, so this immediately took the PEN out of the running for me. Anyway, I haven't tried any of the other color settings on the 5n, so this is more of a thinking-out-loud comment than any real statement. In general, I think color accuracy wins the day. THE BAD: Ugh. There is no in-camera anti-shake. And this takes a lot of getting used to. I'd wager that a good 20% of shots will be missed by anyone using this camera until they learn how to compensate for this issue by using a higher ISO than should be needed or using the shutter priority setting or whatever else. Major whiff on the part of Sony and basically keeps this camera from being truly great. There are pictures that you'll take that you will think are in focus by viewing the monitor that will be ruined by motion blur upon viewing on your home computer. Basically, until you learn how to compensate for the lack of anti-shake, it is a must to zoom into the photo to ensure that it isn't blurry (on the playback screen). In a dark setting, I can take a photo with the Lx3 at 1/15 with little worry of motion blur. But with the Sony it a crap-shoot. The shutter is extremely loud. The camera takes a bit too long to start up. This is only noticeable if you're trying to take a a quick picture of something... by the time you've taken off the lens cap and started up the camera the shot will be missed. The focus isn't particularly fast or good. And it is especially bad in low light, even though the red light emanating from the camera is extremely bright. If you order the black 5n, the lens that comes with it will be silver and not black to match the body. I didn't really use the flash, so no word on its function. But the color of the flash is a sort of grey-silver, and it doesn't match the silver on the lens. So if you care about the aesthetics of a thing, then a black body with a silver lens with a grey flash starts to look a bit like Frankenstein's monster. Camera strap is adequate but a bit on the cheap side. No camera case is included. The menu system and camera controls are not very intuitive. I've read that they are much better with the newer 5r. But in comparison to the Lumix, where you can switch aspect ratios manually, switch shooting modes manually, and in general access everything you want a little easier, the Sony really loses in this area. It is somehow easy to accidentally adjust the settings on the camera to under-expose (exposure compensation). I was never able to figure out how I was doing this, but it happened enough times that I started to learn to check the exposure compensation setting if my pictures looked like they came out too dark in a light setting that should have been fine.

This is a very good camera overall. I was deciding between the NEX 5N and Nikon D5100. I went with the Sony because A. It is smaller and has less buttons - less intimidating for my non-photographer wife to use. B. $120 less than the Nikon with similar kit lens. C. Sony is rated better in low light performance, and most other aspects seem equal. What I am missing out on by not getting the Nikon: More buttons on the body, viewfinder, access to a wider range of lenses and external flashes. These are items I can live without. If you just want to take great shots and don't want to grow into being a "photographer" of sorts - the Sony is probably a better choice. The touchscreen on the Sony allows you to touch an object on the screen and make it your point of focus. Its like manual focus for dummies. There are not a lot of buttons on the camera, but the dial and touchscreen still give quick access to controls. In dim light, I've found ISO 1600 and 3200 settings to produce pretty clean shots (especially 1600 and below). ISO6400 is OK for the web, but gets grainy. I took the camera to dinner at a dim restaurant. It performed much better than my other cameras, but I was not blown away. For standard indoor lighting, the Sony does do pretty well. Shots are brighter and cleaner than any shots I've ever seen from a digital. The fast continuous shooting mode is impressive. Everyone is in awe when they here the rapid-fire. The shutter also makes a nice "mechanical" sound when you take a shot. With the large lens barrel and shutter sound, this comes across as a serious camera, without the DSRL bulk. There is a "smile detect" feature that fires the shutter when a smile is detected. Works pretty well and is a cool party trick. Could come in handy in place of a timer for group shots "Say Cheese" would have to be timed just right. All in all, I recommend this camera to pretty much anyone who is happy with the size or if and wants to take great shots. You have access to full control, or can just set it to intelligent mode and fire on auto.

First off, this camera really is the "best of both worlds." You get the incredible Sony APS-C sensor providing DSLR-quality images with very low noise at higher ISO's, and great JPEG processing, but additional benefits include those typically found in consumer compact cameras. There's a multitude of creative options to produce dynamic images without the need for post-processing on your computer. The images are basically ready to go, unless you want to crop out smaller pictures from the high-res 16mp canvas. Sony has jammed in awesome panoramic, HDR, 3D and other great features into this little guy, while still making it relatively easy to go with the "manual" PASM shooting modes. I do wish there was a bit more flexibility with setting custom buttons (there are only three physical buttons that you can customize, and it doesn't allow for ALL functions to be used.) Sony, if you read these Amazon reviews, please add the option to control shooting mode from the bottom-right button on the camera! ;) Start-up time is very fast, and shot-to-shot time is even faster. 10 frames/second is pretty awesome to see come out of this tiny camera, and it surely helps to get that perfect action shot or facial expression. The camera is VERY LIGHT. The e-mount lenses are also VERY LIGHT. This is great as far a lightness goes, however it makes the camera seem a bit toy-like and definitely takes some getting used to. I can't imagine an APS-C camera being any smaller or lighter. Since this is not a pocket-able camera, I think make Sony should have made it a little wider and taller (perhaps the NEX-7 size is better for the adult hand?). Also, the articulating screen seems a bit flimsy and the touch control is certainly not the same technology found in current smart phones. The screen almost seems "soft" and easily scratched if you are not really careful. Not a huge deal, the screen is sensitive and the touch control offers nice benefits, just be careful. Regarding the "clicking" noise you have seen in many reviews, YES, my first camera from Amazon was plagued with this problem as well. I received this camera around 11/10 and called the next day for a replacement. Lucky for me, the replacement that arrived two days later does not have the loud clicking issue (however it does make a faint sound if you move it quickly - I'm guessing this will not affect sound during videos). Point is, we're halfway into November and Amazon is still stocking some defective units. I have had a difficult time finding a suitable camera bag/case/sling to house the camera plus several lenses. If Sony wants to promote the idea of swapping multiple lenses (which require BUYING multiple Sony lenses) they should certainly come out with a mini version of the DLSR backpack or case. Most all I have been able to find are small compact cases and the typical large DSLR + multi lens cases. I was lucky enought to discover the Lowepro Impulse 110 [...]) which does the trick for me, but I would love to get a small sling or backpack that can accommodate several lenses in addition to the camera, with room for filters, flash and microphone (but without the bulk of the current stock of DSLR bags). So, all the nit-picking withstanding, this camera gets two thumbs up from me. Stunning photo quality, fun in-camera processing options, compact and light body and lens selection, and overall solid build. I have been waiting patiently for mirrorless technology to improve to the point where the avid photographer can get the "best of both worlds," and this camera is it.

I have a long love affair with photography, so I demand a lot, and while I have grown appreciative (or dependent) on automatic features, i still want a degree of control and flexibility that I cannot find in point-and-shoots. But I also was reluctant to lug the full size DLSRs around. This camera is brilliant! If you want an analysis of the precise accuracy of color, pixelation and such, those reviews already exist. This is for folks wanting a quick assessment of this camera's overall use. First, it is hard to imagine someone going wrong with this camera. The shutter is extremely quick, the auto-focus is also quick, responsive, and very accurate. The processor does anticipate your photography style well, so it adapted settings to better catch the cat while running (cat clearly in focus on blurred grass background), to still image photography with zero changes on my end. Low light shots are amazing so far. One of my disappointments with lower end (read point and shoot) is that no matter what I did, I could not take decent night shots. With this I can. Want a shot with flash -- just pop up the attachable flash. Close it and you can shoot without added flash, so switching back and forth to experiment with color or lighting couldn't be easier. The interface is intuitive and well designed. I love that I can switch from movie to still by using different buttons (movie button starts and stops movie, and stills are initiated through the shutter release). Review your images by pushing "play" and switch quickly back to snap more shots by pressing the shutter button again. A full features touch screen adds features and functionality and has the bonus of being movable so you can see what you want to shoot from multiple angles. Want to use different features (shutter priority, focus adjustment, switching what the camera is tracking for focus just to name a few) -- all are just a touch or two and are intuitively located where and how one would expect. This is a sophisticated tool that can be well utilized without ever touching a user manual (and yet clearly has features that only a manual could fully address because they are so sophitsitcated). 16.1M is a great size to grab more than adequate detail and yet remain affordable. As much as I love this camera, I may try the upgrade, but at nearly treble the cost for a 50% increase in image size, that will wait quite a bit. In the mean time, more lens have come out for this series of cameras, and I can't wait to try the newer 50-200 range. I compared this camera both online and in stores with other models (including the Nikon) and this camera absolutely is in a class by itself. The camera fits well in your hand, and is lightweight without feeling cheap. It reminds me how I felt when I fell in love with my first AE-1. If photography is a passion to you, but you don't want to give up quick snaps, this is your dream tool.

I purchased this camera because of the comparisons made with other cameras on dpreview. According to their comparison analyses, it produced better images than almost every other camera they tested. My personal experience with the camera confirmed this. The high ISO images were practically noiseless,crisp and clear and better than any other camera I have ever used. Unfortunately, the menu system needs a lot of help. It is long, complicated (for me at least) and difficult to read with my tired old eyes. The fonts are very tiny. There is a provision for making them larger but only minimally. The camera is very small but still not pocketable so I wonder where the advantage of size is supposed to be. I missed the long zoom of my point and shoot. The LCD is only partially articulated and not nearly as convenient as one that swings out to the side and allows for self portraits. This one articulates only in an up and down fashion. No self portraits here. The screen brightness is pretty dim in sunlight unless you opt for a "sunny weather" setting which then becomes way too bright when you are inside. A view finder, which is lacking, would be a great help. The stabilization is not as good as on the Panasonic FZ150 and I find that with the Sony, my videos are pretty "wobbly." I did not hear any "clicking" on the videos with this particular unit. The specs say the battery should last for 400+ shots. I found this was not the case. I fiddled with the menus and took about 100 pictures and the battery retained less than about 30% of capacity. All in all, I was sorely tempted to keep this camera only for the superb images it produced but it would be silly for me to have one camera for "good" pictures and another camera for "features." I may as well lug around a DSLR with two lenses, which defeats the purpose of having a single camera to carry around. I am not a photographer, just a picture taker who appreciates good image quality. I have never printed anything larger than an 8x10 so poster sized images are of no concern for me. The NEX 5N is a terrific camera that needs to be just a little bigger with a view finder and a menu system that is a lot better and more easily readable regarding font size. I still give this camera four stars because of the superb image quality. I want a camera with the same image quality as the NEX 5N; a little bigger with a longer zoom, excellent stabilization a good, sharp LCD screen, a good view finder and a menu system that is clear, user friendly and easy to read. Am I dreaming?

I was really excited to get this camera and thought that by now Sony would have fixed the issue. If they have, then Amazon is not getting fresh shipments because the camera that I just received (on March 12th, 2012) and ordered on March 8th, 2012 (sold by Amazon), still has the infuriating clicking problem with the sound in videos. I say "infuriating" because when paying $700 you don't expect to have to settle for a defective product. Other than that, the pictures are simply amazing, especially in low light, and I feel very sad that I have to return it to Amazon (unless they exchange it for a non-defective unit, but I doubt that is possible).