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Sony Alpha NEX-5N

Based on 40 reviews

Excellent:

20
Good:

18
Average:

2
Bad:

0

Pros

Very good photo quality; low noise through ISO 1600 in low light, ISO 3200 in good light, Compact body (until you attach a lens), Articulating 3inch LCD display with 921k pixels, good outdoor/low light visibility; limited (but still useful) touch features
Superb high ISO performance, 10fps burst mode, 1080p60/50 movie mode, PASM modes for movie shooting, 920k pixel touch-sensitive flip screen.
Great image quality, improved function button customisation
Large APS-C sensor, Includes removable flash, Touch screen interface with customizable control buttons, 1080p video recording, Optional eye-level OLED viewfinder available.
Excellent image quality; superior noise performance; useful tilting screen; handy button and touchscreen user interface.
A small-bodied interchangeable-lens model with excellent video, the Sony Alpha NEX-5N also offers some nice features, including a tilting LCD, EVF port, and a hybrid touch-screen/traditional interface.

Cons

Tends to underexpose by 1/3 or 2/3 stop, Redeye a problem, no removal tool available, Menudriven user interface still needs work, even with addition of custom button, Design annoyances: camera's size advantage lost when a lens is attached; LCD's 1
Single-use accessory port, No touch-shutter, Poor menu layout and organisation, Inconsistent controls when customised.
Occasional misfocusing, slow start up, poorly placed movie button, unfriendly menu system, larger lenses than most CSC competitors
Can't beat the NEX-C3 in low-light performance, Slightly larger than NEX-C3, Kit lens is larger than Micro Four Thirds equivalent.
In-camera menu interface could be more intuitive; can be bulky when paired with the 18-55mm kit lens.
The user interface won't be to everyone's taste, and the body feels almost too small for the typical E-mount zoom lenses.

By GadgetSpeak on March 16, 2012

I first saw this early last autumn at the impressive restaurant at OXO tower. I took some great images from their outside balcony over the Thames and have been impatiently waiting to get my hands on one to give it a thorough...

92
By Computeractive on March 13, 2012

A friendly, stylish compact camera that takes exceptional photos and videos. It's expensive, but worth every penny....

100
By RegHardware on February 25, 2012

The niggles I mentioned earlier might not be major sticky points for all users but they did put me off from recommending this camera wholeheartedly. It is quite unfortunate because in all other respects this revamped NEX model is very much the...

80
By Trusted Reviews on February 17, 2012

The Sony NEX-5n is a worthy addition to the company’s growing range of compact system cameras. Those looking for a small, portable and well-built CSC with the image quality benefits of an APS-C sensor will find the little NEX-5n ticks all the...

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By Photo Answers on February 03, 2012

The Sony NEX-5N sits in-between the NEX-C3 and NEX-7 in Sonys current CSC range and is the successor to the NEX-5, which picked up a Digital Photo Gold Award this time last year....

100
By PC Authority on February 01, 2012

Does Sony’s new compact system camera have enough about it to stand out from the swappable lens crowd? Short answer: yes...

67
By The Digital Camera Resource Page on January 27, 2012

Conclusion The Alpha NEX-5N is the midrange camera in Sony's mirrorless interchangeable camera lineup. The 5N has a very compact, well built body, though any size advantage it may have over its competition is lost as soon as you attach a lens (aside...

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By Digital Camera Buyer on January 23, 2012

By providing excellent value for money, the Sony NEX-5N makes itself a worthy investment for anyone wanting to move into the compact system camera marketOverall Our provides the latest photography news, reviews, previews, features and tecniques....

100
By Stuff.tv on January 01, 2012

Fiddlesome controls, fine features, fantastic image quality ...

80
By Photo Review Australia on January 01, 2012

The NEX-5N sits between the NEX-C3 and NEX-7 in Sony's Alpha series of E-mount cameras and has features common to both. Its sensor has similar resolution to the NEX-C3's, and is higher than the NEX-5 it replaces, but it supports the same movie...

85