Better than compact camera quality from (almost) compact camera proportions
Oblong design resembles more prototype than finished item, fiddly scroll wheel and function access requires period of familiarisation
More of an exercise in matching rivals than raising the bar further, this is a competent alternative to packing both a snapshot and a DSLR on your travels.
Overall, the NEX-5 accomplishes almost everything it sets out to do. It's slim and compact (particularly with the pancake lens). It's got a lovely LCD, a reasonable selection of lenses, and a better autofocus than its competitors. It also looks fantast...
Small size; excellent build quality and finish; tilting, high-resolution display; APS-C sensor; good high-ISO image quality
Awkward user interface; limited movie controls; daft clip-on flash
Beginners stepping up from a Sony Cyber-shot compact camera will feel instantly at home with the NEX-5, and will love the huge jump in quality. But, if what you really want is a digital SLR in a pint-sized package, this camera isn't for you. The manua...
Fiddly menu system, no standardised hotshoe, long start up delay
The NEX-5 turns the interchangeable system on its head by offering the most compact-like solution yet to be seen. It's a breeze to use, if not a little limiting due to lack of buttons to adjust more advanced settings, and has snappy and accurate autofo...
Pluses, Excellent build and tiny size, Very attractive rotating screen, Quality of photos and noise handling, 1080i HD video with continuous autofocus and stereo sound, Onthefly panoramas or long exposure shots with not tripod
Minuses, Useless flash port, Not enough direct access to key settings, Not easy for everybody to hold, A little slow to start up
The Sony NEX-5 has proved a bit of a surprise in more ways than one. The first surprise is that it really is amazingly small for a camera with an APS-C sized sensor, and the body is dwarfed even by the oridinary 18-55mm kit lens. The second is the exte...
