Sony Nex-5

Sometime in May 2011 I decided to get a Sony NEX-5.  I was extremely tempted by the size of Sony's offering: APS-C sensor in a small and light body with flat lens.  So after looking around and comparing between NEX-3 and NEX-5 I settled for NEX-5 with SEL 16mm F2.8.

Clarke Quay in Mid-Autumn Hand Held

Why SEL 16mm F2.8?  Because it is the smallest (as in "flattest") lens with the biggest aperture that I could get at that time.  And for a wide angle, there's almost no distortion - (almost) not a bad lens.

Close-up Try

The camera is very easy to use, this photo of me was taken by my wife on my birthday

My views of the NEX-5?  Daytime shots always turn out pleasant, sharpness leaves much to be desired, possibly because the NEX lenses' quality are nowhere near Nikon's or Canon's and also the HDR mode which could be a bit too strong.  Surprisingly, ISO performance is really bad. Noise starts to show from ISO1000 onwards, although the dynamic range is very good.  

The good dynamic range also means good landscape photos at most times.

View from the balcony of my parents' condo in Tiong Bahru - love the dynamic range here

My verdict of the camera is somewhat mixed:

On the bad side:

- AF is quite slow, almost like having a big PnS

- ISO performance is quite disappointing, from ISO 1000 onwards take shots with precautions - bad for an APS-C

- Lens sharpness is terrible to say the least

On the good side:

- Very light and compact

- Very good dynamic range as long as you don't exceed ISO 800, but when overly done you'll find your photos losing contrast

- Relatively cheap price

There's no doubt that Sony's NEX range revolutionized the large sensor photography world ever since the introduction of NEX-3 and NEX-5.  The price also meant affordable large sensor photography which results in getting more people to take up photography. Sony was not the first to introduce large sensor mirrorless cameras, that honor belongs to Olympus with their M43 EP-something something -their PEN range, and perhaps Leica.  But I won't bother to talk about Leica too much since their system are just extremely too expensive and I think their price don't justify the quality of the photos either.

But let's face it, M43 is still significantly smaller than APS-C.  While Olympus' lens quality is better than Sony, their price is also quite expensive.  Hence as a system, Sony is still more affordable, and in my view, the party responsible for popularizing mirrorless.

Mid-Autumn Lighting at Clarke Quay Outside Central Mall

Sony's NEX range really got me thinking what if I could get photos like my 5D Mark 2 (and later Mark 3) without all that weight.  While my experience with the NEX-5 was disappointing, I became open to the idea that mirrorless camera can somehow complement DSLR and I started keeping a lookout for a good mirrorless camera from then on.  

Sony's NEX line has transformed to the new A(lpha) line.  And they are the first to mass market Full Frame Mirrorless with their groundbreaking A7.  While not necessarily the best performer all the time, Sony's cameras set the benchmark for other camera makers - oh yes, now there are rumors flying around that Nikon will release a mirrorless FF too (http://nikonrumors.com/2015/04/20/new-nikon-full-frame-mirrorless-camera-on-the-horizon.aspx/).

The AF speed in the new A range is significantly faster than my NEX-5 then.  And their lens offering is much better now with the inclusion of Zeiss lenses.  Advanced HDR modes ensure photos with good dynamic range, and easy to use menus make it a popular choice for beginners.  But somehow, Sony cannot move away from their poor ISO performance, this is the main reason why I never returned to Sony after selling my NEX-5.  

Anyway, Sony's mirrorless look set to stay for a long time to come.  There's no doubt that they will be a popular choice among people who would like to start learning photography.  I will strongly recommend Sony to anyone interested to start learning/adopting large sensor photography.

~ Photos Taken With Sony NEX-5 + SEL 16mm F2.8 ~