- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Sony NEX-5
- 14 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
Released May, 2010
Rated 77% by by c|net (May, 2010)Video is sharp, and the lenses are really quiet, both for zooming and focusing, but you have practically no controls beyond a background defocus.
Conclusion Check out the Sony NEX-5
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Sony NEX-5
14 MP
APS-C
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)It is the smallest interchangeable lens camera on the market, but has outstanding build quality, plenty of useful features, excellent performance and the kind of still image and HD video quality you'd be lucky to get from a digital SLR.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 24 MP    | 30 MP |
NEX-5 by Carmin-A.-Politano (Dec, 2010)A high megaPixel count is impressive, but I doNot concern myself with a megaPixel here or there.
NEX-5 by B.-Song (Dec, 2010)The photos from this camera capture a lot of details and with 14.2 megapixels you have plenty cropping options.
sensor size
NEX-5 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)The NEX-5 features a full-size APS-C 14.2-megapixel sensor, a large articulated 7.5cm monitor and full 1080p HD video with stereo audio, with a body not much bigger than a standard compact camera.
NEX-5 by G.W. (Jul, 2011)I wanted DSLR quality in a compact profile, but this camera isn't even close to DSLR quality, forget the sensor size.
body size
111 x 59 x 38 mm
124 x 92 x 85 mm
120 x 67 x 43 mm
NEX-5 by Hendi-Koesuma--Dad-for-two (Feb, 2011)The weight is just amazing!! For the picture, there are many modes to choose from to get a nice quality picture.
NEX-5 by The-Z (Jun, 2011)The cleaning cloth is nice to have, and it stuffs into a little pouch about the size of a quarter so it is easy to carry around.
focus points
| 0 | 25 | 100 |
NEX-5 by Photography Blog (Jul, 2010)Set at four points around this scroll wheel/pad are a means of adjusting the display, calling up the various flash settings (accessible only if the flash has first been attached of course), exposure compensation (+/- 2EV selectable), and drive mode (single shot, continuous, continuous with speed priority, so focus/exposure fixed from the first shot), or self timer option (10 seconds).
NEX-5 by D.-E.-Goode--Dr.-Dale (Mar, 2011)I own a Nikon D80 and a Canon 50D both with high end non kit lenses and the NEX-5's af is just as fast and picture quality is at times much sharper.
Performance Real world tests of Sony NEX-5
DxOMark image quality
NEX-5 by Haidong-Huang (Dec, 2011)Other than that, it has stunning good performance under low light, very little noise in low light images.
NEX-5 by Karmacomposer (Feb, 2011)The picture quality is superb - 14MP is pretty big, so your images look great and can be used for full page spreads in magazines!
DxOMark low light performance
NEX-5 by Thomas-Krafft (Dec, 2012)I've read the other reviews about pretty good night time/dark photos, but still haven't had a chance to see for myself.
NEX-5 by Karmacomposer (Feb, 2011)Because the camera can be fully manual, it allowed me to set my ISO small and make adjustments so low light looked clear and crisp - dark, but clear and crisp.
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 223 ms  | 300 ms |
NEX-5 by rj45 (May, 2011)Other micro 4/3 cameras on the market may have better sharpness for images, but have high shutter lag; you're better off with a modern p&s; I have the Nikon S8100.
NEX-5 by Photography Blog (Jul, 2010)The Sony NEX-5's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's also a Bulb mode for even longer exposures, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography.
continuous shooting
NEX-5 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)It has two continuous shooting modes, the first being a standard mode that includes autofocus between shots, which can maintain 2.5 shots per second, shooting until the memory card is full in JPEG mode, or for eight shots in Raw plus JPEG mode.
battery life
330 photos
500 photos
460 photos
NEX-5 by Emily-V. (Jan, 2012)We used it at Christmas and it works great, takes great pictures, great battery life.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
HD video -
Generic -
920 k dots -
Great for recording movies -
Create 3D photos to view on a 3D TV -
1,000 ms -
Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas -
Stitches together multiple photos into a single ultra-wide view -
111 x 59 x 38 mm
cons
-
4.99 s -
May, 2010 -
None -
0 -
Use buttons to access features and menus -
Taking quality photos in low-light will require external hardware -
0 -
Won't have that film look
Reviews Word on the street
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 | Rated by 173 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by n00b Rated 100% by by Jinzei (Dec, 2010) Rated 80% by by Matt-Eye--Matthew (Jul, 2011) |
Lens
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 100% by by randy-cGet the one with both lenses because the wide angle lens is good for movies but not so good for close up work so the medium telephoto works best here.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 100% by by Mike (Apr, 2012)Most importantly it has a superior zoom lens that gives crystal clear pictures at any focal length.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)The system has only just been launched, so naturally the range of available lenses is a bit limited, with only a 16mm f/2.8 pancake lens, an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 optically stabilised superzoom lens and the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 optically stabilised standard zoom kit lens shown here.
Video
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 100% by by Thomas-Krafft (Dec, 2012)It's amazing what you can do with this camera - the quality and range of both automatic and manual modes, having both high quality photo and video capability, its compact size and light weight, with options to change lenses, plug-in other accessories too, aloing with the Wi-Fi, smartphone app and remote operation capabilities.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 100% by by G.-Kimmle (May, 2011)It is my digital SLR camera - so I can't say that I am an expert!! BUT I do know the pictures and videos are absolutely beautiful!
Image quality
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 100% by by Niten-Jaiswal (Feb, 2013)I do see an improvement in picture quality and definitely feel the increaed quality of the all metail body.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Jul, 2010)Edge to edge sharpness is similarly reasonable, though - another Sony regular - pixel fringing makes an appearance between areas of high contrast.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 100% by by Thomas-Krafft (Dec, 2012)For me, I set the camera to "SLN" mode, and from there you can use the selector wheel on top for two click access to all the presets, including Closeup, Portrait, Action, Landscape, Low light (tripod) or Low light (handheld), and several others.
Sensor
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 80% by by Matt-Eye--Matthew (Jul, 2011)The Sony NEX-5 takes very good photos up to ISO 1600, but focusing isn't that great in low light unless you are as still as possible (image stabilization is quite weak using the zoom because it isn't speedy like a true DSLR such as a Canon EOS).
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 80% by by cameracraverThe megapixel count along with the large size of the sensor helps get better pictures versus a point and shoot.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)It has a minimum ISO setting of 200 ISO, and a maximum of an ultra-fast 12800 ISO.
Screen
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 60% by by GJW (Dec, 2010)The only way the NEX will work well with a long lens from another camera system is if you use a tripod, have a stationary subject, and can shield the LCD display from bright sun.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 60% by by GJW (Dec, 2010)The LCD display is big and bright, but if you're outdoors with a bright sun on the display you simply cannot see what you're shooting.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)It is clear and bright enough for use even in bright sunlight, and has a good anti-glare surface.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony NEX-5N Least noise at high ISO NEX-5N vs NEX-5 |
 | 2 | Sony NEX-7 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark NEX-7 vs NEX-5 |
 | 3 | Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 Highest resolution screen Cybershot DSC-RX100 vs NEX-5 |
 | 4 | Sony SLT-A37 OK cross-type focus points SLT-A37 vs NEX-5 |
 | 5 | Sony Alpha NEX-6 Fastest to start up Alpha NEX-6 vs NEX-5 |
 | 7 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 2-way tie: Long long exposure Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 vs Sony NEX-5 |
 | 8 | Samsung NX1000 Largest sensor Samsung NX1000 vs Sony NEX-5 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Popular Questions
August 18, 2012
Does the large sensor on the Sony benefit the camera?
I understand that Sony has a larger sensor then other comparable compact cameras, how does this effect picture quality? The supporting lens are quite big, making the tunnel longer hence reducing...
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Best Pro Camera?
Looking to upgrade my camera. I want quality photos that are able to be taken in low light and action situations.
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Answers April 4, 2012
Amateur photography
I am a bit confused. Not hard for an amateur in such a complicated field. I see that the Nikon D5100 has over 160 lenses that can be used whereas the Sony NEX_5 only has 8. However in the pros it...
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Answers Latest Questions
April 16, 2012
Take pictures of kids while travelling (and at home)
I'm a beginner who's been using an old Nikon D70 for last 7 years - in auto mode only. I want something lighter and easier to travel with but don't want to sacrifice photo quality - and I want...
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Travelling - landscape, architecture and people
I'm a beginner when it comes to photography and cameras; I'm about to go travelling and would like a camera that wont be too bulky to carry around but will still capture all the amazing things I...
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Answers Unanswered Questions
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November 24, 2012
Video production
Good video quality, lots of manual controls, low price, microphone jack
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Answers October 30, 2012
Is the NEX 5N a huge upgrade over NEX 5?
The 5N hasn't been launched in India yet. but the NEX 5 is available. i am torn between NEX 5, E PL 3, and the EPM 1. however, none of those come with a viewfinder. the sony slt a37 also seems to...
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Answers October 18, 2012
I have a 30d but want to upgrade to a great camera for basketball
I need a great camera for shooting low light in gyms at basketball games. Fast motion And lighting issues. Please help with camera type, lens, flash, etc. Thank you, Tim Am thinking or...
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Answers Community Find out what the Sortable community is saying about the Sony NEX-5
13
people have recommended the
Sony NEX-5Top Sony NEX-5 experts at Sortable
Ben-Marshall 
Intermediate I
Sony NEX-5N
- 16 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
3 more Sortable users recommended the NEX-5N over the NEX-5.
View all discussions | View comparison 
Intermediate III
1
vote Hi Matthew, I think both of these cameras would be awesome. The Sony NEX cameras are really small compared to DSLRs but offer similar image quality and features. They have some great features for...
- 0 comments
- April 5, 2012
- Reply to: Take pictures of my kids mostly
Nikon D5100
- 16.1 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
2 more Sortable users recommended the Nikon D5100 over the Sony NEX-5.
View all discussions | View comparison Intermediate I
1
vote You will only Have Autofocus, if the adapter AND the lens you use have Autofocus Capability. I personally own a NEX 3, and a Canon 50D. I have Adapters for both to use LEGACY lenses, or that...
- 0 comments
- June 2, 2012
- Reply to: Amateur photography
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1
- 15.8 MP
- Four Thirds CMOS
- 3" LCD
1 more Sortable user recommendeds the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 over the Sony NEX-5.
View all discussions | View comparison Intermediate I
2
votes Both Cameras are good enough to do this... These are more of a Semi-Professional grade camera... My recommendation is not in the camera itself, but rather in your choice of Lens. Autofocus...
- 0 comments
- June 2, 2012
- Reply to: Lightning Quick Autofocus for a moving 2 year old target!
