Ever since micro four-thirds came into the digital camera scenario in late 2008, manufacturers have been slowly shifting to adopt the technology. After Panasonic, Olympus introduced their micro four-third camera Olympus PEN EP-1 and Samsung followed suit with their Samsung NX10 DSLR. Canon and Nikon stayed away from the technology, but Sony went ahead and launched its mirror-less cameras with their alpha NEX series, which have shaped up to be major competitors to the micro-four thirds. Currently, Sony has NEX-3 and NEX-5 in the range and we got the NEX-5 to review.

The NEX-5 has a magnesium alloy body which is just 38.2 mm thick and weighs a mere 230 g. The hybrid DSLR camera features a 14.2 mega pixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, which is the same size as that of a full DSLR. The NEX series uses the Sony E mount design, which has been specially designed by Sony for the series. Since, the camera features a mirror-less system, stabilisation option has been put on the lens instead of the camera body.

The camera has a slot on the top to fit in a flash when required and a rotating on/off switch. On the left side is the mini USB and mini HDMI port and on the bottom is the battery compartment alongside the SD/memory stick slot. The back houses a LCD display that works as a viewfinder. The display can be tilted up and down to around 45 degree down and 80 degrees up, which is very helpful while clicking images at different angles. There is a jog dial at the back and two selection buttons for navigation, selection and the overall control of the camera and its modes. The layout is simple and easy to use with very responsive buttons. However, for a person who has used a DSLR, this simplification of controls kills the feel of handling a DSLR. Also, the flash has to be screwed in onto the port on top that is awkward at times.

The NEX-5 features one of the best graphical user interface that I have come across in a DSLR or point-and-shoot in recent times. The icons are large with clear text labels and fluid animation allowing for easy navigation and simple controls. The auto mode provides the user with option to defocus the background by simply rotating the jog dial. 3D sweep panorama takes quick photographs in succession when a user moves the camera from one point to other and stitches them up in a flash to bring in a superb 3D panorama image.

The camera provides the user with full manual controls, superb shooting scenes and even an HDR photo mode. The only issue we faced was quick switch between shooting modes at times, as the lack of physical buttons means that you go to the menu selection via the user interface. The user interface is great for most users who want to use a DSLR without going into too much detail. However, we did find it weird that the ISO cannot go below 200 on the camera.

In terms of picture quality, the NEX-5 takes photographs in almost DSLR quality. The images are outstanding in detail with vibrant colours and the camera performs well in low light conditions as well. The only issue we faced was that in low light condition, the background area had some noise visible. NEX-5 records videos in 1080i resolution and that too in splendid quality. Videos are also recorded in 1920 x 1080 resolution/1440 x 1080 pixel and 640 x 480 resolution, whereas audio is recorded in Dolby Digital. The camera shoots at 7FPS, which provides for excellent capture of fast moving objects.

The NEX-5 offers every feature that a DSLR has and that too in an easy to use graphical user interface. It comes with an 18-55 lens in the box and Sony has a 16 mm pancake lens as well as an 18-200 telephoto lens that are the only two options available for users so far. The hybrid DSLR is an excellent device for its price, however, in the same price a user has option to go for the Canon 500D as well as the Nikon D3100 which are full sized DSLRs with more accessories and lenses to choose from.

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