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

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

D-Range Optimiser (DRO) is Sony's solution to improve shadow detail in photos taken in contrasty light. As with other Sony NEX models we’ve reviewed, overall build quality is pretty high, with the NEX-5n benefiting from a predominantly metal body and a general sense of solidity. This premium feel is further enhanced by Sony’s dedicated E-mount range of lenses, which again are treated to a metal finish. And here are a couple of portrait shots. Both the Auto setting and the Red-eye reduction mode caused a small amount of red-eye. The Sony NEX-5N produces photos of excellent quality. Noise is very well handled, being virtually absent from ISO 100-3200 and not being too obvious at the fast speed of ISO 6400. At ISO 12800, noise is more easily detectable when viewing images at 100% magnification on screen, but the images are still perfectly usable for small prints and resizing for web use. The fastest setting of ISO 25600 looks good on the specification sheet, but proves much less so in reality. The RAW samples illustrate just how much processing the camera does by default, though, as they're much noisier at all ISO values than their JPEG counterparts. Metering is handled via a 1,200-zone module and proves to be consistently reliable, with just the slightest tendency to underexpose when set to evaluative mode and faced with a high-contrast scene along the lines of bright skies and dark shadows – nothing that a dab of EV compensation (of which /-3EV is available) cannot cure though.

The NEX-5 along with its sister, the NEX-3, and also the Sony Handycam NEX-VG10 use a new lens mount system developed by Sony for NEX series and known as the Sony E-mount. Initially, there were three available lenses: an all-purpose 18–55mm lens, an ultra wide pancake 16mm lens, and a wide range 18–200mm E-mount lens. [5]

contrast, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction, dynamic range optimisation, lens compensation (peripheral shading, chromatic aberration, distortion), AF micro adjust

Disappointingly you now have to delve into the Camera main menu system to access the various flash modes. The flash options more unusually include rear sync as well as slow sync, plus the regulars of auto and fill in. Somehwat confusingly the NEX-5N's red eye reduction setting isn't also found here - instead it has to be first enabled via the aforementioned Setup folder if you're shooting portraits with flash. Digital Filters - there are a number of filters and effects available, with the choice of:Toycam, Pop, Posterization, Retro, Soft High Key, Partial Colour Red, High contrast mono, Soft focus, HDRpainting, Rich Tone Mono, and Miniature. The incomplete model number of NEX-3/NEX-5 series may include letter(s) at end. The definitions are:

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. 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°. 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. While the NEX-5n is presented as a camera that’s easy to operate, it does take some getting used to before you know instinctively where to find things. Thankfully, these navigation quirks are mitigated somewhat by the NEX-5n’s touch-screen control, which proves pleasingly responsive and easy enough to use despite the fact that the on-screen virtual buttons are a little on the small side. We also like how the NEX-5n offers the ability to assign user-defined functions to the right D-pad key and the two soft function keys. 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.There's also a new Sony Alpha adapter, the LA-EA2, with translucent mirror technology, it provides high speed auto focus with Alpha lenses, and features a built in motor for lenses without built in motor. For more information have a look at our NEX-5N First Look Review. 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. 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. JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver.2.3, MPF Baseline compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 2.2 format), 3D MPO (MPF Extended compliant) Detailed technical specifications for the Sony NEX-5N are available at Sony.com. NEX-5N + E 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS @ 22mm, ISO 100, 1/400, f/9.0 Sony 16.1 MP Exmor Sensor