Sony Alpha NEX-5N Review | 108 Data compared

The DPReview evaluation of the Sony Alpha NEX-5N highlights a highly capable, mid-range mirrorless camera featuring a 16.1-megapixel APS-C sensor that delivers exceptional low-light performance, minimal noise up to ISO 6,400, and robust 1080p 60fps video capabilities. Its design is noted for a premium magnesium alloy build, an improved rubber grip, and a responsive capacitive touchscreen that enables advanced features like touch-to-focus. Conversely, the review notes ergonomic limitations due to a lack of physical controls, forcing reliance on a touch interface that struggles in cold weather, alongside an autofocus system that trails competing Micro Four Thirds models. Furthermore, the camera lacks a built-in viewfinder, forcing reliance on an accessory terminal for add-ons, making it less convenient for quick adjustments in the field.

The Sony Alpha NEX-5N is a mid-range, small-bodied interchangeable-lens camera that delivers solid quality, performance, and video features for its price class. Its core strengths include an excellent noise profile with clean, artifact-free JPEGs up to ISO 400 and usable detail up to ISO 1600, a functional feature set containing full manual video control, Auto HDR, Sweep Panorama, and tracking autofocus. Additionally, it boasts exceptional 1080/60p video quality with bright colors, sharp edges, and zero rolling shutter or moiré. The device introduces a hybrid interface combining physical hardware with a 3-inch tilting touch-screen, which enables helpful utilities like touch focus. However, the camera suffers from several design and performance drawbacks. The body is almost too small for typical E-mount zoom lenses, offering minimal free space for the thumb and making single-handed holding uncomfortable. The user interface is polarizing, as the touch screen can feel too small, require multiple touches to register, and lacks touch exposure. Performance-wise, it is somewhat disappointing due to slow image processing that causes the camera to stumble on sequential shots—getting noticeably slower at high ISO sensitivities—and...

The Sony NEX-5N is a mid-range mirrorless compact system camera that updates its predecessor by boosting its APS-C CMOS sensor to 16.1 megapixels and extending its maximum sensitivity to ISO 26500 using a new Bionz processor. Built with a slender, minimalist body design that appeals heavily to enthusiast photographers, it stands out for featuring a large, DSLR-sized sensor capable of delivering high-quality images alongside an ultra-fast 10fps continuous shooting speed and 1080p Full HD video recording. It also incorporates creative and user-friendly tools, such as the effortless 2D and 3D Sweep Panorama modes, as well as a background defocus slider for achieving shallow depth-of-field effects. A major benefit of the camera is the addition of a responsive touchscreen interface to its sharp, 3-inch tilting LCD monitor, making high- or low-angle framing seamless. Additional pros include the inclusion of a clip-on flashgun and the camera's impressively fast 0.02-second shutter lag. However, the camera suffers from several distinct cons: its unlabelled soft keys complicate physical handling, and the combination of a small body with a large kit lens results in an inelegant,...

The Photography Life review highlights the Sony NEX-5N for its excellent 16.1 MP APS-C sensor, offering superior image quality and high ISO performance compared to contemporary competitors. Key strengths include a robust build with magnesium alloy plates, an ergonomic grip, accurate metering, and effective focus peaking for manual, though the camera lacks built-in stabilization. Conversely, the review identifies slow, contrast-detect autofocus as a significant weakness, making the camera unsuitable for fast-action photography, especially in low-light, where it struggles to lock focus. Additionally, the large sensor results in a disproportionate lens-to-body size ratio, and it has shallow RAW buffer depths. Despite these drawbacks, the review concludes the high image quality makes it a strong contender.

The Sony NEX-5N is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera featuring a compact magnesium alloy body and a 16.1-megapixel CMOS sensor. According to the Digital Photography School review, the camera delivers superbly sharp and fully colour-saturated images. Key pros include an articulated LCD screen that tilts up and down, a fast startup time of under a second, a reliable autofocus system, and a wide array of exposure and creative panorama modes. Its low-light performance is highly usable up to ISO 1600 before noise becomes intrusive. Additionally, it offers robust video capabilities, recording in Full HD (1920×1080) AVCHD or MPEG4 formats. However, the reviewer highlights several notable cons regarding the ergonomics and physical design of the camera. The right side of the device is overcrowded with controls, making it easy to accidentally press the soft keys or control wheel and trigger the viewfinder menu while attempting to press the shutter. The placement of the memory card slot underneath the camera body makes it difficult to swap memory cards while mounted on a tripod. Furthermore, the large size of the attached E-mount lenses...

The Imaging Resource review highlights the Sony NEX-5N as a highly responsive camera featuring a 16.1-megapixel APS-C sensor that delivers excellent image quality, low noise, and rapid 10 frames-per-second shooting. Key advantages include a very fast 0.02-second prefocused shutter lag, versatile 1080p video capabilities, and solid battery life. However, the review notes that default JPEG processing can produce slightly soft images, and the camera lacks focus and exposure tracking during its fastest burst mode. Furthermore, RAW buffer capacity is limited, and the overall system size, while compact, is not truly pocket-friendly with the kit lens.

In his review, Dan Hawk highlights the Sony Alpha NEX 5N as an excellent mirrorless camera that perfectly bridges the gap between pocket-sized portability and professional-grade capability. A major pro is its large, DSLR-sized sensor, which captures rich details, provides natural contrast, and performs exceptionally well in low-light conditions. Users transitioning from smartphones will appreciate the high-quality "bokeh" background blur effects and the ability to crop images heavily without losing sharpness. Additionally, the system benefits from a stunning OLED touchscreen display and the flexibility of an interchangeable lens system that easily accommodates vintage manual lenses via third-party adapters.

Sony NEX-5N Review Summary The Sony NEX-5N serves as an excellent, travel-friendly DSLR replacement for photographers looking to eliminate bulky gear without sacrificing high-quality sensor performance. The reviewer transitioned from a heavy Canon 5D Mark II to the mirrorless Sony NEX series, praising the compact form factor and the impressive APS-C sensor size that captures strong low-light photos and shallow depth-of-field (bokeh) effects. Paired with compact lenses—specifically a manual Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 lens using an adapter and a Sony 16mm f/2.8 wide-angle pancake lens—the setup easily fits into a small travel backpack. This discreet size prevents the user from looking like a tourist and makes it easier to bring into venues with strict camera policies. Additionally, the camera outputs high-quality 720p HD video suitable for dual photo and video use. Pros and Cons The camera achieves a high overall rating of 8.6 out of 10, performing especially well in photo quality (8.5) and portability (9). Pros: It features a design significantly smaller than any DSLR while maintaining a large sensor size, offers interchangeable lenses, and includes a handy fold-out LCD...

The Sony Alpha NEX-5N, reviewed by The Absolute Sound, is a compact mirrorless camera featuring a large APS-C sensor and a tilting LCD screen housed in a lightweight magnesium alloy chassis. Key advantages include the Steady Shot mode for reduced noise, a fast electronic first-curtain shutter, and Focus Peaking for precise manual focusing. Conversely, the camera's ultra-compact design results in an awkward appearance when paired with larger lenses, and it lacks a built-in viewfinder, necessitating an external accessory. Other limitations noted include the absence of an auto-diaphragm mechanism, restricted autobracketing, and a mechanical clicking noise that can affect video recording.

Despite its stellar performance, the NEX-5N has some physical and operational compromises. On the positive side (pros), it offers a compact lightweight body, superior dynamic range, improved battery life, a highly useful swivel LCD screen, and the ability to seamlessly adapt third-party manual lenses. On the negative side (cons), the camera often struggles to autofocus in low light by hunting for subjects, lacks an in-body image stabilization system, and suffers from a notable shortage of native E-mount lenses. Furthermore, because the sensor is so large, native autofocus lenses remain significantly bulky compared to the tiny body. Users may also find that the sparse physical interface relies too heavily on a minimalist menu layout, making the camera sometimes feel more like an electronic gadget than a traditional photographic tool.

The Sony Alpha NEX-5N is an interchangeable lens mirrorless camera featuring a 16.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, a 3-inch tilting touch-screen, and 1080p60 video capability with full manual control. Its robust performance is highlighted by a 10 frames per second continuous shooting speed, a broad sensitivity range extending to ISO 25600, and highly effective Optical Steady Shot (OSS) lens-based stabilisation that allows for blur-free handheld shots at slower shutter speeds. Built into a compact, lightweight 269g chassis, it blends advanced enthusiast features like Auto HDR and Picture Effects with beginner-friendly tools like Intelligent Auto and Photo Creativity. Furthermore, it supports helpful hardware upgrades, including compatibility with an optional OLED viewfinder and an A-mount lens adapter for phase-detect autofocus. Pros & Cons Pros: Superb low-noise sensor performance, fast 10fps burst shooting, smooth touch-focus transition during video recording, and a flexible tilting monitor. Cons: Substantial physical size of the native E-mount lenses relative to the small body, lack of a built-in hotshoe, a complex menu layout that requires extensive user customisation, and the inability to use the popular miniature effect during video...

The ⁠EOSHD review by Andrew Reid highlights the Sony NEX 5N as a highly capable, budget-friendly "dark horse" in the DSLR and mirrorless video market. A major breakthrough for Sony, it is their first compact system camera to offer full manual control in video mode and a cinematic 24p frame rate, alongside standout 1080/60p recording for smooth slow motion. Built with a large APS-C sensor inside an incredibly compact alloy body, the camera delivers exceptional stills, a highly responsive capacitive touch screen, an excellent tilting display, and a brilliant JPEG engine that handles low light and noise reduction better than its competitors. Furthermore, its short mirrorless E-mount allows filmmakers to easily adapt high-end PL-mount lenses, making it a viable digital alternative for a director's viewfinder. However, the review notes several performance compromises, particularly when compared to the rival Panasonic GH2. On the pros side, the NEX 5N boasts superior tonal range, excellent highlight roll-off, natural skin tones, and bright, clean high-ISO performance in video mode, alongside its groundbreaking 60p frame rate. On the cons side, the video image suffers from...

Despite these stellar upgrades over its predecessor, the reviewer points out several notable cons and design limitations. The physical layout remains somewhat restricted due to its tiny dimensions; it lacks dedicated physical controls for AE (auto-exposure) lock and AF (autofocus) lock. While the optional, pivoting 2.4MP OLED electronic viewfinder (FDA-EV1) is praised as the best on the market, it is quite expensive at $350 and lacks a locking mechanism to keep it from accidentally tilting when hanging over a shoulder. Furthermore, real-world battery life averages between a modest 250 to 300 shots per charge—especially when utilizing the power-hungry LA-EA2 lens adapter. Finally, Reichmann criticises the camera's autobracketing mode, which is hard-limited to +/- 0.6 EV, making it woefully inadequate for serious high-dynamic-range (HDR) photographers shooting in RAW.

The ePHOTOzine first look review of the Sony Alpha NEX-5N highlights significant improvements over its predecessor, featuring a 16.1-megapixel sensor, a responsive capacitive touchscreen, and excellent image quality with low noise. Key advantages include an expanded ISO 25,600 range for low-light shooting and a faster, more responsive user experience compared to the original NEX-5. Conversely, the review notes limitations such as the inability to use the external flash while the optional OLED electronic viewfinder is attached. Furthermore, the reliance on the touchscreen stems from a lack of physical buttons, and utilizing the LA-EA2 adapter for older lenses requires additional investment.

The DearSusan review of the Sony NEX-5N praises the mirrorless camera for its excellent build quality, specifically highlighting the firm swivel screen, robust tripod support, and superb sensor performance with high tonal range and sharpness. The camera's manual focus peaking is lauded as a key advantage for, making the use of exotic lenses an efficient and pleasurable experience. Conversely, the review notes significant ergonomic drawbacks, with the ultra-small body feeling unbalanced when paired with larger lenses. Additionally, the camera features subpar build materials in certain areas, such as a plasticky feel and a delicate rubber patch, along with a lack of integrated viewfinder, making the external EVF a necessary, yet costly, addition.

Sony NEX-5n Review Summary The reviewer highly praises the Sony NEX-5n for its stunning, professional-grade image quality, which rivals far more expensive cameras and handles highlights excellently when shooting in RAW format. Its mirrorless design makes it ultra-lightweight and compatible with a vast array of legacy lenses from brands like Leica, Zeiss, and Voigtlander. Because it excels with manual focus using its customisable focus peaking system, the camera responds with an instant shutter speed, making it highly liberating to shoot with. Furthermore, the camera features an impressive creative suite, a premium build quality with a comfortable grip, and an affordable price tag, making it an exceptional tool for teaching and learning photography. Conversely, the review highlights significant drawbacks, most notably severe reliability issues; the author experienced two separate bodies failing in the exact same manner by rapidly draining battery life before completely dying. This frustration was compounded by poor customer service from the physical Sony Store, which refused to repair or exchange the broken unit while traveling. From a hardware standpoint, the camera lacks a built-in viewfinder, forcing an expensive...