Sony NEX-5N Review

Overview

The new sensor and Bionz processor also allow capture of Full HD video at 60p. A new touchscreen adds a few functions, but doesn't serve to replace any existing functions. The NEX-5N is also the first NEX -- or compact system camera for that matter -- to reach 10 frames per second at full resolution.

The front of the NEX-5N is also a little different, with a slight bevel behind the lens, where the company and Alpha logos now live. "5N" is also stamped into the front of the grip next to the shutter button.

The grip has a new broader dimple pattern in place of the raised bump pattern. Other than those items, there's very little different on the front. The 16mm f/2.8 lens is shown mounted here, though it's not mounted on the image below.

The only major difference from the top is a silver ring around the power switch (the 5 has a black ring), and the Playback button is smaller, round, and on the back bevel rather than the top deck. The three speaker holes have moved over a few tenths of an inch.

Other than the Playback button's greater visibility from the rear and the slightly smaller Sony logo, the rear physical controls, appearance, and function are identical to the Sony NEX-5.

Overall, it's the same sweet little camera with some very cool new tricks.

Sony NEX-5N Technical Info

by Mike Tomkins, Zig Weidelich, and Dave Etchells

Sensor and processor. The Sony NEX-5N is based around the combination of a 16.1 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS image sensor, and the company's proprietary Bionz image processing engine. Although the resolution is very close to that of the recent NEX-C3, the sensor is actually newly developed. Total pixel count is some 16.7 megapixels, and the sensor's dimensions are 23.5 x 15.6mm, yielding a 1.5x focal length crop when compared to 35mm lenses. The NEX-5N's sensor has a standard RGB Bayer color filter.

With a 3:2 aspect ratio, the NEX-5N can provide maximum image dimensions of 4,912 x 3,264 pixels at full resolution. Two further 3:2 aspect ratio resolutions are available: 3,568 x 2,368 pixels, or 2,448 x 1,624 pixels. The NEX-5N also provides a choice of three 16:9 aspect ratio shooting modes, each of which has the same pixel width as its 3:2 aspect counterpart, but with heights of 2,760, 2,000 or 1,376 pixels respectively.

The Sony NEX-5N offers an extremely wide sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 25,600 equivalents in one EV steps, with sensitivities between 100 and 3,200 equivalents available either under automatic or manual control. The remainder of the range is available only when selected manually. High ISO noise reduction cannot be disabled altogether, but provides two adjustable operating strengths: Normal or Low.

Optics. Like all of the company's NEX-series cameras, the NEX-5N natively accepts only Sony E-mount lenses, although it can also accept an unusually wide range of lenses via mount adapters provided by Sony and third parties. As with its siblings in the NEX-series, the 5N doesn't provide in-body image stabilization, and instead relies on optical image stabilization in the lens, if available.

Five Sony E-mount lenses are already shipping in the US market: a 16mm f/2.8 prime, a 30mm f/3.5 macro prime, an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 stabilized zoom (available in a kit with the NEX-5N body), an 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 stabilized zoom, and a 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 stabilized zoom. Two further models are slated to ship imminently: a Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm f/1.8 prime, and a Sony 50mm f/1.8 stabilized prime, both currently scheduled to arrive in December 2011. The company's roadmap further calls for a Sony G-branded standard zoom, a wide angle zoom, and a mid-telephoto prime during 2012.

As well as Sony's own Alpha-mount SLR lenses (and the Minolta / Konica-Minolta Alpha-mount lenses which predate Sony's purchase of Konica-Minolta's SLR business), the NEX-5N can also be adapted to shoot with Alpha, C-mount, Canon EF-, EF-S, and FD, Contax G, Contarex, Contax / Yashica, Exakta, Fujica X, Hasselblad Xpan, Leica M, M39, or R-mount, M42 mount, Micro Four Thirds, Minolta A or SR-mount, Nikon F-mount, Olympus OM or PEN F, Pentax K-mount, Rollei, or T2-mount lenses. An impressive list indeed, although, it should be noted that each adapter will have differing limitations, and the majority will be manual-focus only.

Another item announced alongside the 5N makes the NEX-series unique among mirrorless cameras in providing support for phase detection autofocus. The LA-EA2 adapter will provide phase detection autofocusing with tracking, predictive control, and AF micro adjustment for all AF-capable Alpha-mount lenses, but cannot be used with a teleconverter.

If coupled with Sony's FDA-EV1S electronic viewfinder, the LA-EA2 adapter also provides the ability to start autofocus operation the instant that you bring your eye to the viewfinder, potentially reducing the time taken to achieve a focus lock. Available in the US since November 2011, the Sony LA-EA2 mount adapter is priced at around US$400.

Focusing. Of course, when you're not using the LA-EA2 mount adapter, the Sony NEX-5N is limited to contrast detection autofocusing, just like any other compact system camera would be. Sony's AF system in the NEX-5N offers 25-point autofocusing, and has a working range of EV 0-20 at ISO 100 equivalent, with an f/2.8 lens. The company says that it has implemented a new autofocus algorithm that improves focusing performance and speed, and indeed, we found it to be very fast by compact system camera standards, and even competitive with many SLRs. There are some other important differences compared to previous NEX-series models, too. Key among these comes thanks to the NEX-5N's new touch-panel display (more on that later): it's now possible to trigger autofocus operation by touching your desired subject on the LCD panel. Touch autofocus is something we've seen on a few competing compact system cameras, where we've found it to be quite intuitive, but it's brand-new for Sony. It's particularly handy for movie shooting, thanks to the full-time movie autofocus.

As well as the 25-point mode, the NEX-5N's autofocus system can be configured to operate either with a single point at the center of the image frame, or a flexible point that can be moved around the frame (within an 11 x 17 grid) to focus on a specific off-center subject. The NEX-5N provides both single-servo and continuous-servo autofocus operation. A built-in LED autofocus illuminator helps the NEX-5N to achieve a focus lock on nearby subjects in low ambient lighting conditions. Working range for this AF assist lamp varies depending on the specific lens in use, but with the 18-55mm kit lens, has a working range of 1.6 - 9.8 feet (0.5 - 3.0 m).

As you'd expect, it's also possible to focus manually with the Sony NEX-5N, either after an autofocus operation has been performed (Direct Manual Focus, in Sony parlance), or without any prior autofocus operation. When focusing manually, Sony offers two Manual Focus Assist zoom levels to aid in determining the precise point of focus, either 4.8x or 9.5x. Also included is the "focus peaking" display which was introduced in the NEX-C3. This makes it easier to identify the point of focus by highlighting the areas of strongest image contrast. When enabled, three highlight colors are available (white, red, or yellow), and the peaking function can operate at one of three sensitivity levels (high, mid, or low.)

Lens correction. When shooting in JPEG mode, the Sony NEX-5N includes the ability to automatically correct lens shading (vignetting), lateral chromatic aberration, and distortion in-camera, as images are captured. We don't currently have any information as to which specific lens models are supported for this feature.

Performance. The NEX-5N offers significantly improved performance over the NEX-5 in a couple of key areas. Our tests agreed with Sony's claimed prefocused shutter release lag of just 0.02 seconds, which the company says is not only five times faster than that of the NEX-5, but the fastest of any interchangeable lens camera.

Burst shooting is equally swift, with a maximum rate of ten frames per second possible in the Speed Priority Continuous burst mode, which locks focus and exposure from the first frame. Burst depth in this mode is rated by Sony as 10 fine / standard JPEG frames, six raw frames, or four raw+JPEG frames.

See the Performance page to see how the Sony NEX-5N performed in the lab.

Dust reduction. As with the NEX-5 before it, the Sony NEX-5N includes a two-pronged dust reduction strategy, with a charge protection coating on its low-pass filter that aims to prevent dust adhering in the first place, and the ability to vibrate the filter to shake free any stubborn particles that manage to adhere despite the coating. Sony describes the latter system as being new, although it hasn't detailed precisely what changes have been made. (We do note that it is now using the term "ultrasonic vibration" in its marketing materials for the NEX-5N, however, and given that the dust reduction cycle is no longer clearly audible, that suggests that it has probably increased the vibration frequency.)

The NEX-5N's dust reduction system operates when the camera is switched off, which helps to reduce the startup time, while not relying entirely on the user remembering to manually trigger a dust reduction cycle. It is, however, possible to perform a cycle manually through the menu, if desired.

Display. On the rear panel of the Sony NEX-5N is an articulated TFT LCD screen that, unless you have the optional electronic viewfinder attached, is the sole method of framing and reviewing images or movies. Like that of its predecessor, the NEX-5N's panel can be tilted approximately 80 degrees upwards, for waist-level or low-to-the-ground shooting, or around 45 degrees downwards for shooting over a crowd. The panel's basic specifications are also unchanged, with a three-inch diagonal, 16:9 aspect ratio, total resolution of 307,200 pixels (921,600 dots), and Sony's TruBlack anti-glare design. There's also still an automatic brightness control with five-step manual override, plus a Sunny Weather mode which increases brightness still further for better visibility under bright ambient lighting.

As briefly mentioned earlier, there's one very significant difference between the NEX-5N's display, and that of the NEX-5, however. In a first for a NEX-series camera, the Sony NEX-5N includes an electrostatic, touch-sensitive overlay that allows it to be used as an input device. Compared to resistive touch panels, electrostatic (or capacitive) panels have better light transmission, are more scratch-resistant, and generally have a longer operating lifetime. They're also less likely to react to accidental bumps, since they work by detecting minute differences in electrical charge across the surface of the panel when touched by a conductor such as a human finger.

The NEX-5N's touch panel not only allows the photographer to indicate the subject on which to focus with a simple touch, but can also be used to navigate menus, and make settings changes. In addition, Sony's iAuto mode includes on-screen slider controls with user-friendly names such as Brightness (exposure compensation), Color (white balance), Vividness (saturation), Background Defocus (aperture control) and Picture Effect. Of course, not everybody is a fan of touch-screen interfaces, and for photographers who prefer physical controls, the NEX-5N still provides the same user-configurable soft controls as in the NEX-5.

As well as its built-in LCD panel, the Sony NEX-5N is compatible with the company's optional CLM-V55 LCD panel accessory, a five-inch, 800 x 480 pixel display that attaches via the HDMI port, and includes a detachable hood to improve daylight visibility. The CLM-V55 requires an NP-FM500H battery pack or PW10AM AC adapter for power, as well as a VCT-55LH bracket to attach, all of which are optional accessories.

Optional Electronic Viewfinder. Alongside the NEX-5N, Sony has announced the new FDA-EV1S XGA OLED Tru-Finder EVF. This optional viewfinder is closely related to that used in Sony's flagship Alpha SLT-A77 Translucent Mirror camera, although it does have a slightly lower eyepoint. Resolution is a high 1,024 x 768 pixels (2.4 million RGB dots), and the EV1S plugs into the camera's Smart Accessory Terminal 2 port. Note that it's not compatible with the older terminal found on the NEX-5, NEX-3 and NEX-C3.

The variable-angle display tilts up to 90 degrees and offers full shooting information overlay. Sensors in the eyepiece automatically activate it when you put it you your eye, while automatically disabling the LCD monitor to save power. There's also a Finder/LCD button for manually switching displays. Note, though, that it's use precludes attachment of a flash strobe, so exposures with the FDA-EV1S are of necessity limited only to available light.

Exposure. The Sony NEX-5N offers a choice of nine basic operating modes, unchanged from the NEX-5: Intelligent Auto (iAuto), Programmed AE, Aperture-priority AE, Shutter-priority AE, Manual, Sweep Panorama, 3D Sweep Panorama, Anti Motion Blur, and Scene Selection. This last will automatically set the camera up for one of eight common scene types, as selected by the photographer. Available scene modes are Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports Action, Sunset, Night Portrait, Night View, and Hand-held Twilight.

As in Sony's recent cameras, the Hand-held Twilight and Anti Motion Blur modes are similar in that they capture six sequential frames with higher sensitivity / shutter speeds to prevent blurring, and then combine them in-camera to yield a single frame with reduced noise levels. They differ from each other in that Hand-held Twilight mode will generally opt for lower (but still hand-holdable) shutter speeds than in Anti-Motion Blur mode. The Sweep Panorama modes each capture a burst of images for as long as the shutter button is held down, then automatically stitch them into a panorama. (The 3D mode generates a single image with separate left-eye and right-eye views of the scene, as the subject passes across the field of view).

As with all compact system cameras, the NEX-5N's performs exposure metering using its image sensor. The metering system in the NEX-5N assesses the metered scene as 1,200 separate zones, and has a working range of EV 0 - 20 at ISO 100 equivalent, with an f/2.8 lens attached. Available metering modes include Multi-segment, Center-weighted, and Spot. There's not a separate Autoexposure Lock function, but the metered exposure is locked along with focus when using multi-segment metering. Exposure compensation is available within a range of 3.0 EV on either side of the metered exposure, in 0.3 EV steps, and the NEX-5N can also perform three-frame bracketed exposures with a step size of either 0.3 or 0.7 EV.

The Sony NEX-5N offers a generous selection of ten white balance modes, including Auto, six presets (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, and Flash), a direct color temperature setting (2,500 to 9,900 Kelvin), a color filter setting (15-steps of green to magenta bias, and 15-steps of blue to amber bias), plus a Custom white balance mode. There's also a white balance fine adjustment function available.

Available drive modes include Single-shot, Continuous, Speed Priority Continuous, Self-timer (with a delay of two or ten seconds), Continuous Self-timer (shoots three or five exposures, after a ten second delay), Bracketing, and Remote Commander (for use with the optional RMT-DSLR1 infrared remote control unit). The Speed Priority Continuous mode is particularly impressive, achieving a full ten frames per second, with exposure locked from the first frame.

Shutter speeds from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds are possible, and the NEX-5N also offers a bulb shutter function that will hold the shutter open for as long as the shutter button is depressed. Flash sync is at 1/160 second. An optional long-exposure noise reduction function is available for exposures shot with shutter speeds longer than 1 second.

The NEX-5N focal-plane shutter has the same exposure specs as for the earlier NEX-5, but the NEX-5N has obviously been goosed up some to get its amazing 10 frames per second at full 16-megapixel resolution. The most noticeable change in the NEX-5's exposure system is its use of an "electronic first curtain." This improves performance while reducing noise and vibration, and overall is a very welcome addition.

Sony NEX-5 Electronic First Curtain: Fast and quiet. A key technology in all Sony's August 2011 Alpha and NEX announcements is the "electronic first curtain" exposure capability. This greatly speeds the shutter release on live-view cameras, and significantly reduces shutter-generated vibration as well. A little explanation is perhaps in order.

In a conventional SLR, the focal-plane shutter is composed of two leaves or "curtains" that work together to control the exposure time. Think of your camera's sensor as a window with two windowshades; one rolling up from the bottom, the other rolling down from the top. The first curtain starts the exposure by dropping down to uncover the sensor. The second curtain ends the exposure by dropping down to cover it again. After each exposure, the shutter curtains are returned to their original positions in preparation for the next shot. Very short exposures are made by having the two curtains move together, moving a small slit across the focal plane.

To help you visualize, here are a couple of animations showing the action described above, one for a longer exposure, the other for a short one; once the graphic loads, click the button to see the shutter animation. (These animations are from Photocourse.com; check out their excellent Textbook of Digital Photography.)

In a live-view camera, the shutter curtains are initially open, so light can reach the sensor to create the live viewfinder display. In live view mode with a conventional mechanical shutter, the bottom curtain has to be raised first, before the exposure can begin. This of course takes time, increasing the shutter lag before the exposure can begin. The closing of the first curtain can also introduce additional vibration, affecting image sharpness at some shutter speeds. (See our detailed discussion of the blur anomaly in the original Olympus E-P1 for an example. The same issue exists to a greater or lesser degree in most mirrorless cameras, though it's all but invisible in some.)

What's new in this latest crop of Sony cameras is that the "first curtain" function is performed electronically. Rather than having to raise the shutter curtain before the exposure, the NEX-5N, NEX-7, A65, and A77 all begin the exposure electronically, manipulating voltage levels on the sensor array to enable light-gathering in a progressive wave, sweeping down the sensor's surface.

The most noticeable result of this is that shutter lag in live view mode is very brief: Sony claims only 20 milliseconds (0.02 second), a number closely matching the 22 milliseconds we measured electro-optically in our lab. The reduced curtain movement also reduces shutter-induced camera vibration, and makes for a much quieter shutter release as well: All Sony's new cameras with this shutter setup are unusually quiet in operation.

This isn't the first time we've seen an electronic first-curtain: The Canon 40D SLR introduced the concept back in August of 2007, and as far as we know, Canon live-view-capable SLRs still employ the technology. There's a significant difference in what we call prefocused release lag, though, with Canon's SLRs in Live View mode measuring in the range of 80-90ms, vs the astonishing 20ms for the NEX-5N and NEX-7. A 20ms release time is actually quite a bit faster than even very high-end professional SLRs can manage. (The Nikon D3s is one of the very fastest, with a release lag of 43ms, measured on the same test equipment we used for the NEX-5N.)

Face detection. Even among SLRs, face detection during live view is a fairly common feature these days, and for compact system cameras its pretty much standard. The Sony NEX-5N does a step further, though, in offering the ability to register the faces of eight specific individuals, who will then be automatically recognized and prioritized over other faces when determining focus, exposure, and flash output, as well as during post-exposure image processing. The NEX-5N is capable of simultaneously detecting and accounting for up to eight faces in any given scene, and also includes a Smile Shutter function with three-step sensitivity, which will automatically capture an image when your subject is smiling. Of course, face detection can be disabled, should you wish.

In addition, Sony is using its face detection capability to allow the user to further process images after capture. A Soft Skin Effect function can be used to locate faces in an image, and then smooth out the skin tone areas to reduce or remove fine wrinkles, freckles, and the like. Three retouching levels are available--low, mid, or high--and like the pre-capture face detection function, this tool can identify up to eight faces in a scene.

Flash. The Sony NEX-5N doesn't feature a built-in flash strobe, and nor does it include a hot shoe. Thanks to its Smart Accessory Terminal 2, which is backwards-compatible with the Smart Accessory Terminal found on earlier NEX-series cameras, it can however, accept proprietary external strobes. A Sony HVL-F7S flash strobe comes bundled with the NEX-5N, and is the same model offered with the earlier NEX-5. When not in use, it folds down flush against the top surface of the camera body, providing the smallest possible footprint, and it's enabled simply by raising it to stand proud about an inch over the camera's top deck. With a guide number of seven meters (23 feet) at ISO 100, it's reasonably powerful given its size, and since it draws power from the camera body, you needn't carry an extra battery type with you. Recycle time is manufacturer-specified at around four seconds. Although it is rated for 16mm coverage, we found it to yield rather uneven illumination at wide angle even with the NEX-5N's 18-55mm kit lens. With some lenses, vignetting is also likely to prove an issue, given the relatively modest height of the strobe when raised.

With that said, these shortcomings can be forgiven, when one considers its compact size and weight, as well as the fact that the NEX-5N is also compatible with Sony's larger and much more powerful HVL-F20S flash strobe. Announced alongside the NEX-C3 back in June, and available since August 2011, the HVL-F20S adds not only a 75-degree bounce head, but also a selection of tele (50mm equivalent) or standard (24mm equivalent) coverage, plus a built-in diffuser for 18mm wide angle coverage. It has a guide number of twenty meters (66 feet) at ISO 100 using a 50mm-equivalent lens. Recycle time for the HVL-F20S is manufactured-rated at five seconds or less. Like its smaller sibling, the HVL-F20S draws power from the camera itself, and so doesn't need separate batteries.

The NEX-5N uses pre-flash TTL metering, and offers +/- 2.0 EV of flash exposure compensation, in 0.3 EV steps. Available flash modes include Flash Off, Auto Flash, Fill Flash, Slow Sync, and Rear Sync, and an optional red-eye reduction function is available.

Creative. The Sony NEX-5N includes quite a range of creative controls to help photographers get the look they're after, with a minimum of time spent in the digital darkroom. A selection of eleven Picture Effect modes are available, five of them new since the NEX-5 (with one mode having been removed.) The new modes include Soft High-key (which replaces the NEX-5's High-key mode), plus Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Monochrome, and Miniature. The Posterization (color or black & white), Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color (red, green, blue , or yellow), High Contrast Mono, and Toy Camera are all held over from the earlier camera.

In addition, the NEX-5N provides the same Creative Style choices as in the NEX-5, each of which offers +/- three-step control over contrast, saturation, and sharpness. Creative Style modes include Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, and Black & White.

A Dynamic Range Optimizer function aims to open up the shadows while maintaining highlight detail, and can be left under automatic control, or set to one of five preset levels. There are also several multi-shot modes, including Hand-held Twilight and Anti Motion Blur (both of which allows faster shutter speeds with reduced image noise), and an Auto HDR mode. This last creates a single high dynamic range image from three sequential shots, whose exposure level varies anywhere from 1 - 6 EV in 1 EV steps, controlled automatically or manually.

The NEX-5N also offers an in-camera Sweep Panorama function, which captures and stitches together multiple images as you sweep your lens across a panoramic scene. When set to Wide mode, Sweep Panorama can create a horizontal scene with a resolution of 12,416 x 1,856 pixels, or a vertical scene with a resolution of 2,160 x 5,536 pixels. In standard mode, the horizontal dimensions are 8,192 x 1,856 pixels, while vertical panoramas occupy 2,160 x 3,872 pixels.

3D Imaging. In addition to the standard Sweep Panorama function, the NEX-5N includes a 3D Sweep Panorama mode, which was added to the earlier NEX-5 model via a post-launch firmware update. Since the NEX-5N only has one objective lens, the stereo effect is created using some clever mathematics to reconstruct a 3D image as the subject passes across the lens' field of view. The result is saved as a single multi-picture object file that contains two separate JPEG images, one for each eye, allowing it to be viewed on 3D-capable Sony Bravia displays In Wide mode, 3D Sweep Panoramas occupy 7,152 x 1,080 pixels, while in Standard mode the resolution is 4,912 x 1,080 pixels. There's also a 16:9 mode, which saves a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel panorama suitable for full-screen HDTV viewing.

Video. The Sony NEX-5N also offers Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) video capture capabilities, and according to Sony, is the world's first interchangeable-lens camera (along with other Sony models simultaneously announced) able to record Full HD off the sensor at 60 frames per second. (We've seen cameras previously which recorded 60 interlaced fields per second at Full HD resolution, but these either clocked the data off the sensor at 30 frames per second and then split each frame across two interlaced fields, or they clocked the data at 60 frames per second but discarded alternating fields, to be compliant with the original AVCHD 1080 60i specification.)

The NEX-5N's Full HD video is recorded using AVCHD Version 2.0 compression, with Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio, and a wide range of progressive-scan and interlaced frame rates are available. When set to NTSC mode, the available progressive-scan rate are 60 fps (28Mbps) or 24 fps (24 Mbps or 17 Mbps), and you can also opt for an interlaced 60 fps (24 Mbps or 17 Mbps). If you switch to PAL mode, the options are the same, except that the 60 fps rates are replaced by 50 fps equivalents, and the 24 fps rates by 25 fps ones.

It's also possible to record at a high-def resolution of 1,440 x 1,080 pixels (12 Mbps), or a standard-definition VGA (640 x 480 pixel, 3Mbps) resolution. These are all available at 30 fps in NTSC mode, or 25 fps in PAL mode, and are captured using MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) compression with MPEG-4 AAC-LC audio. Note that no 720p recording mode is available on the NEX-5N.

Unlike many competing cameras, the Sony NEX-5N provides full control over movie exposure, with a choice of Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, or fully Manual recording. It also allows Tracking autofocus, as well as use of Creative Style and Photo Creativity effects during movie capture. Recording is started and stopped with a dedicated Movie button on the NEX-5N's top panel, and audio is captured by default with a built-in stereo microphone. As an alternative, Sony's ECM-SST1 external microphone accessory mounts on the Smart Accessory Terminal 2, and can provide directional audio coverage at either 90° or 120°. A built-in monaural speaker caters to movie playback, and has an eight-step adjustable volume setting.

Playback. To let you immediately judge composition, exposure, and the like, the Sony NEX-5N provides an optional Auto Review function that can display images on-screen for two, five, or ten seconds immediately post capture. After capture, Playback mode lets you review single images, with optional shooting information, RGB histogram, or blinking highlight/shadow warning. In addition, images can be enlarged up to 14x to confirm fine details. Two index views are available, showing either six or twelve frames at once.

Connectivity. The Sony NEX-5N includes a USB 2.0 High Speed data connection, allowing for transfer of images and movies to a personal computer. Two operating modes are available for the USB connection, either USB Mass Storage Class, or Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol. Catering for high-definition video output, the NEX-5N also provides a Type-C Mini HDMI connection, with support for Bravia Sync, Sony's brandname for the Consumer Electronics Control standard. This allows certain playback functions such as switching between images to be performed using the attached display's remote control unit. There's no standard-definition video output on the NEX-5N, though, so photographers who've yet to switch to a high-def display will need a third-party device with which to view images on a standard TV.

Although the NEX-5N doesn't have a dedicated power input, it can accept external power via the AC-PW20 AC adaptor kit. This includes a dummy battery which feeds power to the camera from the AC adaptor, with a small flap in the battery compartment door providing ingress for the dummy battery cable. With the exception of the aforementioned Smart Accessory Terminal 2, there is no other connectivity on the NEX-5N.

Storage. As well as Sony's proprietary Memory Stick PRO Duo and Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo flash cards, the NEX-5N can also write images and movies to Secure Digital cards, including the higher-capacity SDHC and SDXC types. The NEX-5N also support's Eye-Fi's WiFi-capable SD cards, for wireless image transfer direct from the camera body. 2D images can be saved either in Sony ARW 2.2 raw format, or as standard JPEG files (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver. 2.3, MPF Baseline compliant). 3D images are saved as Multi Picture Object files (MPF Extended compliant).

Battery. The Sony NEX-5N draws power from a proprietary NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery pack, which is rated by Sony for 430 shots to CIPA testing standards, an improvement of 30% over the battery life of the previous NEX-5 model.

Sony NEX-5N Field Test

by Shawn Barnett

Heading out with the Sony NEX-5 is a lot like taking your grip, LCD, and a small lens out for a walk on the town, leaving the rest of your bulky SLR at home. I love my bulky SLRs, don't get me wrong, often for their very heft, but sometimes it's nice to have all the sensor and optical capability with a little less weight and volume, especially when photography will not be my primary activity.

EVF. I shot both with and without the new FDA-EV1S electronic viewfinder, and again found myself using the LCD more often than the EVF, especially out in the daylight (I say again because I did the same with the new Sony A77 and A65, which have viewfinders based around the same OLED panel). My reasons are similar, but not entirely weighted the same. I still found the EVF more difficult to use in bright sunlight, but the main reason I'd have preferred to leave it off is that I like the NEX-5N without anything on the top. The EVF just kept flipping around too much, got in the way as I held it, and sometimes snagged against my shirt. I even had the rubbery eyecup fly off once, as it's a little too easy to remove. I did like the way it tilted up so I could look down into it while shooting from a very low angle, but I could do the same with the NEX-5N's LCD, so it wasn't as big a plus as the same feature is on a camera like the Olympus E-P3, whose LCD screen doesn't articulate.

My other concern with the electronic viewfinder was its contrast ratio, which was quite high. Darks looked too dark, and the viewfinder itself was dark out in the bright light. I found the LCD worked great in bright sunlight. On the plus side, the screen is very smooth and high resolution, and works pretty well indoors. I could see using it for indoor work and shooting in close quarters, but out in bright sunlight, I'd rather have the little flip up flash attached, or else nothing at all. If you're already used to the limitations of EVFs in bright sunlight, I doubt you'll be too concerned with the issues I raise.

Wide and tele. Ranging from 27-82mm, the Sony NEX-5N's standard kit lens covers normal shooting conditions reasonably well.

Out shooting snaps of the family, I was grateful for the Program shift in Program mode, as I don't like to think about aperture changes all the time while shooting casual family shots, but when I want to tighten up the depth of field, or even increase it, it's nice to know it's just a turn of the rear dial to greater control. The two sliding scales on the back tell me what's shifted in which direction, and I can quickly get the shot I want. On a camera without two control dials, it's a great way to shoot. The same scale appears in Aperture priority, of necessity, since there's no physical aperture ring to look at. The onscreen scale is better than just a number, because at a glance you get a reminder of what the mounted lens can do, especially important for an interchangeable lens camera. The scale also changes as you zoom with a variable aperture lens. Good stuff. This scale is only available on one of the four display screens, but it's the one I prefer, because it gives you the most important information about your shooting conditions and the camera's capability.

I liked the sure grip of the Sony NEX-5N. It's just deep and thick enough so I can shoot vertically or horizontally one-handed. I put a wrist strap on it, though, to keep from dropping it. Of course, I can't zoom when shooting that way, and its not very stable, so I don't really recommend it.

The tilting LCD is handy for horizontal shots, and I almost always flip it up, as I don't do much shooting over crowds. I shoot more shots of people shorter than I, so it makes sense. It's not really useful for my more common vertical shots, also often taken from a low angle, but the display works well enough that I can usually compose well even in sunlight.

Like the other new Sony Alphas, the NEX-5N uses an electronic first curtain, making each exposure quieter. The camera doesn't need to close the first shutter curtain before opening it again to make the exposure, making less noise, and saving time after you press the shutter. The camera can go straight from Live View mode to capture mode, which makes it more likely that you'll get the shot you saw before you pressed the shutter. It's a very good thing, and is less likely to alert your subject that you're taking their picture. Instead of a clack-clack, you get the single clack of the second shutter curtain closing and opening again, apparently so fast that it only makes one sound.

Menus. I still find the menus a little frustrating. I prefer the tabbed menu system in the Alpha SLRs, as I tend to get lost in long, endless menus. It's especially troubling when I'm searching for a menu item whose name I can't remember.

I'd be happier if Sony revamped a few aspects of the menus. I can't understand why they split it up the way they did. For example, I would expect to find the ISO setting under the Camera menu, just right of the Mode dial, but it's under Brightness/Color. I understand that on some level, but "Exposure" would make more sense to me. Also, their practice of graying out certain menu items, like the Panorama resolution size, when you're not in the Panorama mode makes little sense. What if I'm going out to shoot a variety of shots and want to make sure the camera's Panorama mode is in vertical sweep mode, but with the Wide setting? Why must I first enter Panorama mode to make this change?

As usual, we recommend sitting down with a cup of coffee and the manual on a camera like this. Its few external controls can make it seem simpler than it is -- until you dive into the menus, of course -- and you'll miss out on some of the great functionality.

Touchscreen. You can use the touchscreen to navigate the menus and make selections, or else just use the physical controls. You can swipe vertically to move within the menu lists, and swipe left and right to scroll through pictures in Playback mode. Tapping on the screen also activates Focus Tracking mode, a nice feature, but not one I find myself using much.

Sweep Panorama. One of Sony's best innovations in recent memory is Sweep Panorama, and you can produce some very large, detailed images with the Sony NEX-5N. The camera also offers a 3D Sweep Panorama mode, which we didn't test, though we have tested the mode on past models.

This shot, made in Wide mode, shows a 180-degree panorama that measures 12,416 x 1,856.

Full HD movie. Sample 1,920 x 1,080 60fps movie of a passing train, 87MB MTS file.

Video. Manual mode in video on a video-capable digital camera a rarity. But not with the NEX-5N. You can select from PASM. In fact, there's no dedicated Movie mode that you need to set to enable video. Just press the red button on the top deck. While recording, you can adjust both aperture and shutter speed (you have to press the EV compensation button, the down arrow, to switch to aperture, as shutter is the first available setting), and you can even change the ISO while shooting. You'll have to accept the clicks and dial sounds entering your recording, though.

Image stabilization is quite good while recording video. My train video looks a lot more stable than I expected. Beware that there's a loud train horn in there that will get quite a bit of attention if you don't turn the volume down.

70-200mm G. Mounting the 70-200mm G lens via the LA-EA2 enables phase-detect autofocus. It's a surprisingly solid package.

Phase-detect. I decided to take the LA-EA2 out for a spin with the new 16-50mm f/2.8, and I even tried it at a high school football game with the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G lens. The combination is large, to be sure, but I found that with the smaller lens, cradling the LA-EA2 simulated the base of an SLR quite well, and the NEX-5N's small but deep grip was still sufficient to control the camera. It was another story with the larger 70-200mm f/2.8 G lens, which looked quite comical on the very small Sony NEX-5N.

Once I got the hang of it, shooting rapid-fire with the Sony NEX-5N, the A-mount adapter, and the electronic viewfinder (FDA-EV1S) attached was quite similar to shooting with the A77. The shutter sound was a little different, though, making me wonder if the electronic first curtain is still enabled with the phase-detect autofocus system enabled. My results, though, were disappointing. Most of my shots were either out of focus or back-focused. The buffer didn't capture as many shots as I was used to from the A77, either. As I tried to capture a kicker trying for a field goal, the buffer ran out just after his windup, right before his foot swung for the ball.

Continuous. Even this relatively flat scene found the combo back-focusing, with the ref in the background in better focus than the subjects. I think the camera may have paused here, given the gap at the moment of the kick.

The crowd of sideliners were particularly good at moving in my way as soon as the action started, so that reduced my opportunities; but what really cramped my shooting was the battery: It died just before the end of the second quarter. It's not really a surprise, of course, as the little battery was hard at work running not only the camera, but also the A-mount adapter with all its electronics, which were driving the lens focus motor as well.

At that point, the battery was down to 49 percent, but when I removed the lens and adapter, I was still able to shoot with the standard E-Mount lens, shooting a few more videos and stills, but football action was out for the rest of the evening. It's not a fair situation to test the NEX-5N, not entirely. True, they do make the adapter, and it lets you use these big lenses, but it's not the camera's main intent. I'm not sure I'd recommend using the NEX-5N combined with the LA-EA2 for sports shooting, as its fastest continuous mode doesn't support tracking autofocus, but though the unit said "FINAL" on its sticker, it's possible that the accessory isn't quite up to snuff as of review time. Of course, you can shoot sports like we used to before motor drives, one shot at a time, but it's less than ideal. The NEX-5N still has what it takes for well-lit sporting events with the proper lens, preferably an E-mount optic sized for the body, just make sure your subject isn't moving toward the camera.

The Sony NEX-5N is more intended as an everywhere camera for the average shooter, and it meets those needs quite well.

Sony NEX-5N Image Quality Comparison

Most CSCs will produce very good results at base ISO, so we like to push them and see what they can do at ISO 1,600. Recent advances in sensor technology have made ISO 1,600 look a lot more like ISO 100, but there are still cameras whose quality starts to fall apart at this setting. I also choose 1,600 because I like to be able to shoot at least at this level when indoors and at night.

Sony NEX-5N versus Olympus E-P3 at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 1,600	Olympus E-P3 at ISO 1,600
Up against the new 12-megapixel Olympus E-P3, the Sony NEX-5N cuts a pretty clear distinction, despite its greater resolution. There's less chroma noise, more detail, and even the red leaf swatch looks better in the Sony images. Hints of the pink fabric's texture also appear more than we're used to seeing.

Sony NEX-5N versus Panasonic GF3 at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 1,600	Panasonic GF3 at ISO 1,600
It's a very similar story comparing the Sony NEX-5N to the 12-megapixel Panasonic GF3, with is about as small as the 5N, but doesn't do quite as well in low light. The images speak for themselves.

Sony NEX-5N versus Panasonic G3 at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 1,600	Panasonic G3 at ISO 1,600
The Panasonic G3 is the best Micro Four Thirds sensor to date, and at 16 megapixels, does quite well here against the Sony NEX-5N. It's not as good, but it's not too bad either. Overall the Sony images are crisper and the color is retained a little better.

Sony NEX-5N versus Samsung NX100 at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 1,600	Samsung NX100 at ISO 1,600
Noise and noise suppression in the Samsung NX100 are so strong it's easy to tell the difference between the two cameras.

Sony NEX-5N versus Sony NEX-C3 at ISO 1,600

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 1,600	Sony NEX-C3 at ISO 1,600
We were surprised to see the difference between the relatively new NEX-C3 and the NEX-5N, but it's clear that the newer sensor is a little more crisp, with better detail overall.

Today's ISO 3,200 is yesterday's ISO 1,600 (well, almost), so below are the same crops at ISO 3,200.

Sony NEX-5N versus Olympus E-P3 at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 3,200	Olympus E-P3 at ISO 3,200
While the NEX-5N struggles a little more at ISO 3,200, especially the red leaf swatch, it's still ahead of the E-P3. The E-P3's images suffers from chroma noise in the shadows and stronger noise suppression blurs detail in the mosaic and red leaf pattern.

Sony NEX-5N versus Panasonic GF3 at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 3,200	Panasonic GF3 at ISO 3,200
Again, the tiny GF3 needed the technology in the G3 to compete with the Sony NEX-5N, as noise suppression blurs the image significantly, also dimming the color along the way. Also note the green cast, especially among yellows.

Sony NEX-5N versus Panasonic G3 at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 3,200	Panasonic G3 at ISO 3,200
The Sony NEX-5N maintains its slight lead over the otherwise quite good Panasonic G3. Color on the Sony also remains more vibrant, while the G3's color starts to fade a bit. The red leaf swatch tells its own story. Both do well at ISO 3,200, but the Sony NEX-5N will likely produce a larger print.

Sony NEX-5N versus Samsung NX100 at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 3,200	Samsung NX100 at ISO 3,200
The Samsung NX100 has a problem at ISO 3,200 and 6,400 that we never figured out. The Sony NEX-5N clearly does better.

Sony NEX-5N versus Sony NEX-C3 at ISO 3,200

Sony NEX-5N at ISO 3,200	Sony NEX-C3 at ISO 3,200
And the Sony NEX-5N remains crisper than the NEX-C3 with slightly more vibrant color at ISO 3,200. That $50-$100 difference between the two might be worth it.

Detail: Sony NEX-5N versus Olympus E-P3, Panasonic GF3, Panasonic G3, Samsung NX100, and Sony NEX-C3

Sony NEX-5N ISO 100 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Olympus E-P3 ISO 200 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Panasonic GF3 ISO 160 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Panasonic G3 ISO 160 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Samsung NX100 ISO 100 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Sony NEX-C3 ISO 200 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400
Detail comparison. High-contrast details are often sharper as ISO rises, so they're worth a look as well. And the Panasonic G3 rolls into the winner's column to illustrate why we also do these crops, as it renders the lines between the letters just a little more crisply than the Sony NEX-5N. Of course, there's a difference in image size, thanks to the different aspect ratio, so the G3 was given an unfair advantage. After that, the NEX-C3 comes in closest. The GF3 and NX100 fare worse.

Sony NEX-5N Print Quality

Excellent printed image quality, with ISO 100 producing terrific 24 x 36 inch prints; ISO 6,400 images look good at 8 x 10, and even 12,800 prints a usable 5 x 7.

ISO 100 images make excellent 24 x 36 inch prints, with excellent detail and color.

ISO 200 images look great at 20 x 30 inches, with only minor loss in detail in our red swatch.

ISO 400 images are almost the same as 200, but with some softening beginning in strong, low-contrast red areas. Detail is very crisp at 16 x 20.

ISO 800 images still look good at 16 x 20 inches, only red areas continue to soften. We'd still call it good.

Even ISO 1,600 shots are good at 16 x 20 inches, again with softening in red areas, and some cloudy noise appearing in the shadows, but they're still good.

ISO 3,200 images finally turn the corner, appearing just a little too soft at 16 x 20 in low-contrast areas, but look better with a reduction to 13 x 19 inches.

ISO 6,400 shots are usable at 11 x 14, but really look better at 8 x 10, which is still a pretty large print size for this ISO.

ISO 12,800 images have just enough fine detail to print at 8 x 10, but noise suppression in low-contrast areas merits reduction to 5 x 7, which brings all but the low-contrast reds under control.

ISO 25,600 shots are a little rough at 8x10, but look decent at 5x7, though many colors are a little darker than normal.

Overall, the Sony NEX-5N's images print well, supporting 24 x 36 inch prints at ISO 100 and a good 16 x 20 even at ISO 1600!

In the Box

The Sony NEX-5N ships with the following items in the box:

• Sony NEX-5N body
• E 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens zoom lens (in kit version; other kits may be available outside the US market)
• Body cap
• Front and rear caps for lens
• NP-FW50 rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack
• BC-VW1 battery charger (separate power cord included in some markets)
• USB cable
• Shoulder strap
• HVL-F7S proprietary flash strobe and hard case
• Application Software for Alpha Camera CD-ROM
• Alpha Handbook CD-ROM
• Instruction manual
• Warranty card

Recommended Accessories

• Extra battery pack
• AC-PW20 AC adapter
• FDA-EV1S external electronic viewfinder
• ECM-SST1 external stereo microphone
• HVL-F20S proprietary flash strobe (larger but more powerful than bundled strobe)
• LA-EA1 or LA-EA2 mount adapter (if you want to use Alpha-mount lenses)
• Protective case
• Large capacity, high-speed SDHC/SDXC memory card. 8-16GB or larger makes sense if you plan on shooting lots of HD video. Look for a speed grade of at least Class 6 for HD video capture.

Sony NEX-5N Conclusion

When the original NEX-5 digital camera debuted a little over 18 months ago, it was something of a landmark--not only for Sony, but for the compact system camera market as a whole. Its aggressively-styled body was compact even compared to CSCs that used much smaller sensors, and yet its APS-C sized image sensor kept it at the top of the pack in image quality. Following in the footsteps of that camera, the Sony NEX-5N has to fill some very big shoes indeed. As a more straightforward upgrade of an existing model, it might not grab headlines in quite the same way as its predecessor, but that perhaps does it something of an injustice. Sony hasn't simply gone the typical route of jamming in a few more megapixels, and maybe a few of the latest buzzwords. The NEX-5N includes some very worthwhile upgrades from its predecessor, including a handy boost in performance, a new touch-screen LCD panel, an upgraded accessory port that's compatible with a surprisingly good--albeit optional--electronic viewfinder, and an unusually capable movie mode, among other changes.

Perhaps the most important difference, though, is where it counts. Despite a modest increase in sensor resolution, the NEX-5N has taken a good step forwards in image quality, and again sits near the top of the pack when compared to its nearest competitors. It might not be the smallest interchangeable-lens camera on the market any more, things having rather heated up on that front over the last year, but it still offers a very worthwhile savings in size and weight over a traditional SLR camera, while providing similar levels of image quality. High ISO performance particularly impressed us, as did the NEX-5N's dynamic range. Add in a swift autofocus system--especially by contrast detection standards--and admirable performance both in shutter lag and burst shooting, and you have a camera that truly makes you confident that you can leave your bulky SLR at home. If you're an enthusiastic videographer, the NEX-5N is even more appealing, with complete control available over all exposure variables (even during recording), and the very intuitive ability to adjust your autofocus point by touching the LCD panel during capture. It makes light work of drawing your viewer's eye from one subject to another using depth of field alone, something you can happily take advantage of, given the quiet nature of Sony's E-mount lenses.

The picture's not entirely rosy, however. I continue to dislike Sony's NEX-series playback interface, which artificially separates stills from movies, and now also does the same for each movie compression type. It's confusing for newcomers, and it's unnecessarily awkward even for experienced users; even more so now that there are essentially three separate playback groups. I also find the NEX-5N's menu system rather clumsy, with options not necessarily appearing where I'd select, and the Setup menu in particular involving entirely too much scrolling. It doesn't help that--while it's impressively fast elsewhere--the NEX-5N can feel quite slow both when jumping between images and movies in playback mode, and when simply browsing the menu system. (Occasionally, it even stutters a little in simply drawing the menu.) The NEX-5N's speed in other areas makes this all the more noticeable, and makes me yearn for a complete overhaul of its on-screen interface. When compared to some of the latest system cameras to hit the market, it's growing quite obvious that Sony's chosen sensor size does leave it at something of a disadvantage in terms of lens size, as well. Nor am I entirely convinced by the electronic viewfinder, which--while visually impressive in most respects--is rather too bulky and expensive for me to consider a must-have item.

Still, the Sony NEX-5N is unquestionably a more feasible take-anywhere camera than pretty-much any SLR camera, and its combination of image quality and feature set make it fairly easy for me to look past the occasional wrinkle here or there. More often than not, I found myself grabbing the NEX-5N from our well-stocked shelf when I left the office for a little photographic R&R. That, in my book, is the mark of a camera worth owning, and for that reason the Sony NEX-5N earns a clear Dave's Pick.

Follow Imaging-Resource.com on twitter!

Operation

Sony NEX-5N Operation

Sony NEX-5N Capture Mode

When powered on, the camera is automatically placed into Record mode. The main shooting mode is selected from the Shoot Mode menu, accessed by pressing the Soft key in the center of the Control wheel, except when in Intelligent Auto mode -- in which case it's accessed from the main menu. The Shoot Mode menu offers the following options:

	Program AE. Includes a Program Shift function to bias the overall exposure towards your desired shutter speed / aperture.
	Aperture Priority.
	Shutter Priority. Shutter speeds range from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds.
	Manual. Includes Bulb mode.
	3D Sweep Panorama. Captures a burst of images while the shutter button is held down, then creates separate left and right views in-camera, and saves the result as a panoramic .MPO file.
	Sweep Panorama. Similar to 3D Sweep Pano, but creates a single panoramic view in JPEG format.
	Anti Motion Blur. Stacks multiple images in-camera to reduce noise, allowing higher sensitivity and faster shutter speeds.
	Scene Selection. Options are: Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports Action, Sunset, Night Portrait, Night Scene, and Hand-held Twilight.
	Intelligent Auto. Recognized scene types include Night Scene, Tripod Night Scene, Night Portrait, Backlight, Backlight Portrait, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Spotlight, Low Brightness, and Baby.

Movie Record Button: Pressing the dedicated movie record button on the camera's top panel will start and stop movie recording -- even if the NEX-5N is in Playback mode or a menu. Movies are recorded in the currently selected exposure mode, and use multi-segment metering as applicable. Interestingly, if available in the selected exposure mode, it's possible to adjust the shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation not only before, but also during during movie capture. Stereo audio recording from the built in microphone can also be enabled or disabled.

Playback Mode: The Playback button on the top panel accesses the NEX-5N's Playback mode, which tweaks the already-unusual design from past NEX-series models, and in the process makes it slightly more abstruse than was already the case. In earlier NEX models, playback mode allows you to review either captured still images, or movies, but not both side by side. In the NEX-5N, the playback mode now not only separates stills from movies, but also separates MP4 movies from AVCHD ones, meaning that if you shoot a lot of movie clips and vary your compression type, you'll have to browse through two separate sets of thumbnails in the hunt to find any given movie clip. The reasoning behind this strange design is likely to do with the glacially slow response when switching between movies when viewed fullscreen, which takes over a second per movie. The NEX-5N remembers whether you captured a still image or movie most recently, and defaults to entering the Playback type relevant to the last image or movie capture performed. If you leave the playback mode manually set to review a media type that doesn't exist on the flash card, the NEX-5N does at least override that setting the next time you enter playback mode, and instead reviews the most recently-captured media type.

The left and right arrow keys scroll forward and backward one image or movie at a time, and turning the Control dial has the same effect. The Up arrow key cycles through the various display modes -- image only, image plus basic information, and RGBY histogram with detailed information and blinking highlight / shadow warnings, of which only the first two modes are available in movie playback. Using the control dial and its center soft key, you can enlarge captured still images by as much as 13.6x, while the arrow keys pan around the zoomed image. Panoramic images can be automatically scrolled across the screen by pressing the soft key, and paused with a second press. The same controls are used to play, pause, and cue through movie files. By pressing the down arrow key, the NEX-5N can also display images or movies in an index format for quick viewing, with either six or twelve thumbnails per page. The index includes tabs on the left hand side with which to switch between still image, MP4 movie playback, or AVCHD movie playback, and this can also be done through a Playback menu option.

Sony NEX-5N Menus

Pressing the Menu button provides access to the camera's full menu system. The following options are available in most camera modes, through five submenus accessed from a graphical menu index which also links to the Shoot Mode screen described previously:

Camera Menu 1:

Camera Menu 2:

Camera Menu 3:

Image Size Menu 1:

Image Size Menu 2:

Image Size Menu 3:

Brightness / Color Menu 1:

Brightness / Color Menu 2:

Playback Menu 1:

Playback Menu 2:

Playback Menu 3:

Setup Menu 1:

Setup Menu 2:

Setup Menu 3:

Setup Menu 4:

Setup Menu 5:

Setup Menu 6:

Setup Menu 7:

Setup Menu 8:

Setup Menu 9:

Setup Menu 10:

Setup Menu 11:

Sony NEX-5N Shooting Tips

Like past NEX-series cameras, the Sony NEX-5N includes a comprehensive list of tips for shooting in a variety of situations. There are two ways of accessing shooting tips -- either through a menu item found on page 3 of the Camera menu, or by pressing the lower soft-key when in Record mode. The option in the menu accesses the full list of settings, while the soft-key method pulls up only settings considered to be relevant to the current shooting mode.

While the idea of hiding items completely unrelated to the current mode definitely makes sense, the options considered relevant are sometimes rather curious. For example, the Macro scene mode has entries for shooting both flowers and foods, but the corresponding Macro page in PASM modes drops the flowers tip, while keeping that about foods. Many of the tip pages are very greatly abbreviated, depending on which related mode you access them from. The tips page for the Portrait scene mode includes twelve items, while the page for the PASM modes has seven, and that for the Night Portrait scene mode has but four. If you access the Portrait tips through the Camera menu, however, you'll find no less than 33 tips available. A more extreme example is the "Shooting a subject in motion" page, which contains thirteen entries when accessed through the Camera menu, where the corresponding page accessed from PASM modes has but a single entry.

The following options are available in the Shooting Tips menu when accessed through the Camera menu:

Shooting Tip List:

The following options are available in the Shooting Tips menu when accessed through the lower soft-key, in each exposure mode:

Shooting Tip List:

Optics

Sony NEX-5N Optics

Kit Lenses

The Sony NEX-5N is available either body-only, or bundled with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens that offers 35mm-equivalent focal lengths from 27 to 83mm. With the kit zoom mounted, the NEX-5N is rather too bulky to be considered pocketable, although it's still a fair bit smaller than the typical consumer SLR with a similar lens. Sharpness is about average, while autofocus is fairly quick, quiet and well-suited to movie capture, and the Optical SteadyShot image stabilization proves useful, especially towards the telephoto end of the zoom range. In the in-depth tests performed at our sister site, SLRgear, we did find some issues with chromatic aberration towards the middle of the zoom range, as well as distortion at most focal lengths, however. More details can be found in our SLRgear.com review.

Lens Compatibility

Like all NEX-series cameras, the Sony NEX-5N features a Sony E lens mount. Thanks to its use of an APS-C sized image sensor, the NEX-5N has a 1.5x focal length crop.

Although it's still a fairly young system, there's quite a healthy selection of glass available for E-mount cameras. As of this writing (November 2011), Sony offers seven E-mount lenses: three zooms that together cover a range from 18-210mm (27-315mm equivalents), and four primes from 16mm to 50mm (24mm to 75mm equivalents.) For the zoom lenses, all are stabilized. Among the primes, only the 50mm lens offers stabilization. There's also one lens carrying Carl Zeiss branding, the Sonnar 24mm f/1.8, which is tied with the 50mm prime as brightest first-party lens available for the E-mount.

In full, the list of E-mount lenses available from Sony is as follows:

In addition, two conversion lenses which can be mounted on the front of the 16mm prime increase the wide-angle possibilities for E-mount photographers still further, to either 15mm or 18mm equivalents. It's also possible to use Alpha-mount lenses (including older glass from Minolta and Konica-Minolta) with the NEX-5N, using either the LA-EA1 or LA-EA2 mount adapters.

Beyond the optics and adapters provided by Sony themselves, a wide variety of third-party options are also available. Sony has been uncommonly open with its E-mount, providing basic specifications to lens and mount adapter manufacturers without fee, and while that hasn't yet resulted in a flurry of third-party lenses, there are a vast array of mount adapters available that allow use of lenses from most common mounts. If you have a lens from a mount that's at least reasonably well-known, chances are an adapter will be available; there are so many that it's really beyond the scope of this review to attempt to cover them all. Suffice to say that there will be limitations in their use, however -- most notably with the lack of autofocus, and with vignetting on lenses designed to provide an image circle smaller than the NEX-5N's APS-C sized image sensor.

Third party lenses, at this time, are all completely manual, and include an 8mm fisheye from Korea's Samyang Optics, plus three primes (28mm f/2.8, 35mm f/1.7, and 50mm f/0.95) from Hong Kong's SLR Magic / Noktor. Japan's Sigma Corp. showed prototype lenses for the E-mount in early 2011, but has yet to release any products. A number of other manufacturers have expressed interest, but likewise have yet to release any E-mount lenses.

Image Stabilization

There are two approaches to mechanical image stabilization in compact system cameras: lens-based, or in-body (sensor shift). For the NEX series models, including the 5N, Sony has opted for a lens-based system, branded as "Optical SteadyShot". One of the main advantages of lens-based stabilization in SLRs--the fact that the optical viewfinder image is also stabilized--doesn't apply in compact system cameras, since they're always operating in live-view mode, thus allowing sensor shift systems likewise to provide a stabilized preview. Still, lens-based stabilization typically performs better at longer focal lengths than do sensor-shift systems. There is a drawback, though: with a lens-based system, you must decide whether to opt for a stabilized version of each lens, and pay a premium for the stabilization, where in-body systems offer stabilization with pretty-much any lens.

As with all currently-available E-mount zoom lenses from Sony, the 18-55mm kit lens is stabilized. With the exception of the 50mm f/1.8, none of the current primes are stabilized. When using Alpha-mount lenses with the optional mount adaptors, stabilization is not available, since Sony's Alpha-series image stabilization relies on sensor shift ("SteadyShot Inside") technology inside the camera body, something that's not available in NEX-series bodies.

Autofocus

Like any compact system camera, the NEX-5N's lack of a mirror box means that there's nowhere in the optical path to put a dedicated phase detection sensor. Instead, the NEX-series cameras are reliant on the image sensor itself for autofocus. This means using contrast detection autofocus, by default, as do all mirrorless models except Nikon's J1 and V1. (Those cameras don't have a dedicated phase detect sensor, but include phase detection AF points on the main imaging sensor.) Sony's E-mount lenses were designed from the ground up with contrast detection autofocus performance in mind, with the weight and positioning of the focusing group tuned appropriately, and focus drive is provided by a near-silent stepper motor. This, along with the increased processing power of modern cameras, means that contrast detection autofocus is a much more useful proposition than was the case a couple of years ago, although it's typically still somewhat slower than phase detection. The advantage of contrast detection, though, is that it negates problems with front or back focusing, and generally provides higher autofocus accuracy.

Some Alpha-mount lenses attached via the LA-EA1 mount adapter that's running current firmware can also be used with the NEX-5N's contrast detection autofocus system, but only if they use an in-lens autofocus motor. That rules out screw-drive lens models, which must be focused manually when using this adapter. Since Alpha-mount lenses weren't designed with contrast detection autofocus operation in mind, performance may suffer to varying degrees--depending on the lens model--both in terms of AF speed and power consumption. If shooting video, lens drive noise may prove objectionable.

With the alternate LA-EA2 mount adapter, the NEX-series cameras are uniquely able to provide for phase detection autofocusing with Alpha-mount lenses, courtesy of a dedicated phase detect sensor. They do this in basically the same way as Sony's Translucent Mirror-based SLT-series cameras. A partially reflective mirror is placed in the optical path, sending a portion of incoming light to the dedicated 15-point autofocus sensor. Unlike the earlier mount adapter, the LA-EA2 provides support for screw-drive lenses, thanks to a built-in autofocus motor. Since it doesn't rely on the stepped motion of contrast detection AF, it should also provide significantly better AF performance even with lenses that include their own AF motors. Of course, AF drive noise may still prove an issue, depending on the lens model in use.

When using the LA-EA2 mount adapter, the NEX-5N offers a focus micro adjustment feature, allowing an adjustment within an arbitrary -20 to +20 step range to be dialed in for up to 30 separate lenses. The adjustment is specific to the lens model, and not to the serial number -- that is to say, if you have two identical lenses, the adjustment dialed in for one will also apply to the other.

AF-Assist Illuminator

The Sony NEX-5N includes a bright orange LED lamp, just inside the top of the hand grip, which serves as an AF assist illuminator. With relatively limited space available on the body, it's quite easy to accidentally obscure with your fingertips, especially if you have large hands. It's also likely to be obscured by larger lenses, and can't be used with Alpha-mount lenses attached via the LA-EA2 mount adapter. It serves its purpose quite well for nearby subjects with the kit lens, however.

Dust Reduction

The Sony NEX-5N features an electromagnetic vibration dust-reduction system, coupled with a charge protection coating on its low-pass filter that aims to prevent dust adhering -- especially important since the NEX-5N's shutter is normally open for full-time Live View. The vibration seems to be at a higher frequency than in past NEX cameras, because it's no longer clearly audible when operating. (At launch, Sony described the dust reduction system as being new, and used the term "ultrasonic vibration" for the first time, backing up--but not definitively confirming--this assumption.) The system automatically runs only at power-off, meaning that it doesn't delay camera startup. It can also be triggered at any time while using the camera, should you notice that dust specks are present in your images.

Sony NEX-5N Optical Test Results

Below are the results of our optical tests with the Sony NEX-5N and the bundled E 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens. The test images shown on most other pages of this review were taken with very sharp references lenses, so we use this page to explore kit lens quality.

Lens Test Results

Zoom
Typical performance with the E 18-55mm OSS kit lens.

The Sony NEX-5N is available bundled with an E-mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens. This lens possesses a very typical optical zoom ratio of about 3x, with a 35mm equivalent focal range of about 27-83mm because of the NEX-5N's 1.5x "crop factor". Sharpness and contrast at wide-angle were pretty good at f/8. Chromatic aberration is very low, but that's because the NEX-5N corrects for it by default (see below), though some flare is visible around the building's white surfaces. Results at the 55mm setting were also pretty good at f/8, with just a touch of flare. See below for comments on macro performance, geometric distortion, corner softness, etc.

Macro
An average sized minimum coverage area, with very good detail. Flash throttled down well.

As with zoom performance, the Sony NEX-5N's macro performance will depend entirely on the lens in use. However with the E 18-55mm kit lens set to 55mm, the NEX-5N captured an average sized minimum area measuring 2.98 x 1.98 inches (76 x 50 millimeters). Detail was quite good in the center, though corners and edges were quite soft (most lenses have some softening in the corners at macro distances), and the NEX-5N's Auto white balance rendered the shot with a yellow/green cast. The flash did a very good job throttling down resulting in a well-exposed image, and had no trouble clearing the lens as there is no detectable shadow.

Geometric Distortion
Higher than average geometric distortion at wide-angle and telephoto.

Barrel distortion at 18mm is 1.1 percent

Pincushion distortion at 55mm is 0.5 percent

The Sony NEX-5N's E 18-55mm kit lens produced about 1.1 percent barrel distortion at wide-angle, which is higher than average and noticeable in some of its images. At the telephoto end, there's about 0.5% pincushion distortion, also higher than average and noticeable in some images. This is the tendency for the lens to bend straight lines outward (like a barrel -- usually at wide-angle) or inward (like a pincushion -- usually at telephoto).

Unlike previous NEX models, the NEX-5N can apply geometric distortion correction to JPEGs. See the Lens Corrections section below.

Chromatic Aberration and Corner Sharpness
Moderately low chromatic aberration at wide-angle; even lower levels at full telephoto. The lens produced some soft corners wide-open, though corner sharpness was quite good stopped-down.

Aperture: maximum
18mm@f/3.5: Lower left C.A.: Moderately low Softness: Soft	18mm@f/3.5: Center C.A.: Low Softness: Sharp
55mm@f/5.6: Upper left C.A.: Low Softness: Soft, with lower contrast	55mm@f/5.6: Center C.A.: Very low Softness: Sharp, but lower contrast

Chromatic Aberration. Chromatic aberration in the corners with the NEX-5N's 18-55mm kit lens at wide-angle (18mm) is moderate in terms of the number of pixels, but not very bright, so the effect isn't very noticeable in some shots. At full telephoto (55mm), CA is also moderate in terms of pixels, but the colors in the fringes are even more muted, partially due to a loss of contrast. Color fringing gradually reduces in brightness and width as it approaches the center of the image, where it is very low at wide-angle and telephoto. Note that the NEX-5N corrects for CA by default though. See the Lens Corrections section below for details.

Corner Softness. Wide-open at full wide-angle, the copy of the 18-55mm kit lens that came with our NEX-5N was a little soft in all four corners, with the the left corners slightly softer than the right. What little softness there was extended pretty far into the frame. The center of the image was sharp with very good contrast. Some vignetting (corner shading) is also noticeable at full wide-angle, as indicated by the darker corner crop. At full telephoto, corners were also soft and the lens had lower contrast overall.

Aperture: f/8
18mm@f/8: Lower left C.A.: Moderately low Softness: Pretty sharp	18mm@f/8: Center C.A.: Low Softness: Sharp
55mm@f/8: Upper left C.A.: Low Softness: Pretty sharp, though still slightly low contrast	55mm@f/8: Center C.A.: Very low Softness: Fairly sharp

"Stopped-down" to f/8, performance in the corners at wide-angle improved quite a bit compared to wide-open at f/3.5, with noticeably better sharpness in the corners. At telephoto, corners were also much sharper, with better contrast than wide-open. Very good results here.

Lens Corrections

When shooting in JPEG mode, the Sony NEX-5N includes the ability to automatically correct for geometric distortion, chromatic aberration, and lens shading (vignetting), as images are captured. Only E-mount lenses are supported, and RAW files are not corrected.

Geometric Distortion

Barrel distortion at 18mm is 0.3 percent

Pincushion distortion at 55mm is <0.1 percent

Above, you can see with Distortion Correction enabled (set to Auto), the kit lens shows significantly less distortion (+0.3% at wide-angle, <-0.1% at telephoto) than with it disabled (+1.1% at wide-angle, -0.5% at telephoto). The default setting is Off.

Chromatic Aberration

CA Correction Auto	CA Correction Off
18mm@f/3.5: Lower left C.A.: Moderately low	18mm@f/3.5: Lower left C.A.: High
55mm@f/5.6: Upper left C.A.: Very low	55mm@f/5.6: Upper left C.A.: Low

Above, you can see a significant increase in CA at wide-angle with CA Correction disabled, though the difference at telephoto is minimal because CA is low at telephoto to begin with. The default setting is Auto.

Lens Shading

18mm @ f/3.5
Auto	Off

Mouse-over the links above to see the difference Lens Shading correction makes at wide-angle when wide-open at f/3.5 (the worst-case scenario for most lenses). The default setting is Auto.

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a collection of more pictorial photos, see our Sony Alpha NEX-5N Photo Gallery .

Exposure

Sony NEX-5N Exposure Options

The Sony NEX-5N offers much the same exposure options you'd find in a traditional SLR camera, plus a few Sony-specific options. Available exposure modes include Program AE, Manual, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority modes, with shutter speeds from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds, as well as a Bulb setting for longer exposures. The x-sync speed for flash photography is 1/160 second. A fully automatic mode called Intelligent Auto (iA) enables Scene Detection, and places the camera in control of almost all functions, to try to deliver optimum results under a wide range of conditions. Even basic options such as exposure compensation aren't available to the photographer in this mode. The Sony NEX-5N also offers a number of Scene and Sweep Panorama modes, and an Anti Motion Blur mode which merges multiple high-ISO images into a single exposure with reduced noise. See the Operation page for more details.

The NEX-5N offers an optional live histogram function in all operating modes except Sweep Panorama. Located near the bottom right corner of the LCD panel, it's rather small, and offers only a luminance readout rather than a full RGBY histogram, but it's still very useful for ensuring your exposures are correct. Another feature that's rather more common, but still very welcome, is the exposure display visible at bottom center of the LCD when the camera is in Manual exposure mode. This shows the amount the camera thinks an image will be over- or underexposed within a range of +/-2.0EV, based on the settings you have selected, to help you find the best exposure for the subject. (Beyond the 2.0EV range, the value blinks to emphasise that the metering system's limit has been reached.) Together, the live histogram and exposure display make it relatively easy to get suitable exposures even when shooting manually.

Sony NEX-5N Face Detection
The Sony NEX-5N includes Face Detection capability, capable of locating the positions of your subjects within the image frame. This information is taken into account when determining several exposure variables -- focus, exposure, flash and white balance. Unlike past NEX-series cameras, the NEX-5N also goes a step futher, and attempts to recognize specific individuals. Up to eight faces can be registered in-camera, and when the NEX-5N recognizes these faces in the scene, they're prioritized over any other recognized faces. With the exception of the dominant face which is framed in white, recognized faces are also given a magenta frame before the shutter button is half-pressed, rather than the grey frame of unrecognized faces. The order of registered faces can be changed after registration, to ensure your favorite subjects are given the highest priority. Unlike some competing cameras, you can't capture more than one shot of a particular subject to improve face recognition quality, however. With this new face recognition functionality, the NEX-5N no longer offers the option to differentiate between adult and child faces.

The NEX-5N also includes a related feature that is now pretty common in point-and-shoot cameras, but relatively unknown in large-sensor cameras. Dubbed "Smile Shutter", this allows the NEX-5N to automatically trigger the shutter, capturing photographs by itself when a smiling face is detected within the image frame. The NEX-5N's implementation is perhaps best suited to portraits of individuals, since the shutter is tripped when only one face within a group is smiling. There's a three-step control over the degree to which a subject must smile before the shutter is tripped. and when Smile Shutter is enabled, the NEX-5N also provides a graph at the left of the screen that indicates how close a particular expression has come to passing the required threshold for the shutter to be tripped.

The face detection functionality can also be used to automatically smooth your subjects' skin tones, courtesy of a Soft Skin Effect mode. Three strength levels are available for this effect: high, mid, or low.

Sony NEX-5N ISO Range
ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 to 25,600, and is adjusted through the Brightness / Color menu in one-stop increments. In all but Manual mode, an Auto ISO mode is also available. The function is limited to a maximum of ISO 3,200 in Program and Priority modes.

Sony NEX-5N Noise Reduction
The Sony NEX-5N gives you only two choices for High ISO noise reduction, neither of which allows the function to be completely disabled. The default Normal setting leaves High ISO NR entirely in the camera's control, but if the maximum image detail is desired (or you prefer to do your noise filtering in post processing), a "Low" option is also available in all except Sweep Panorama modes. A separate Long Exposure noise reduction On/Off setting is available for dark frame subtraction when shooting exposures of one second or longer. If enabled, this approximately doubles the exposure time for each shot, allowing the second dark frame exposure to be captured with the shutter closed. Long Exposure NR can't be disabled in Intelligent Auto or Scene modes, and cannot be enabled for Anti Motion Blur, Sweep Panorama, Hand-Held Twilight, Continuous / Speed Priority Continuous, or Bracketed shooting.

Sony NEX-5N White Balance Options
White balance modes on the Sony NEX-5N include Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Warm White Fluorescent, Cool White Fluorescent, Day White Fluorescent, Daylight Fluorescent, and Flash. A direct Kelvin temperature setting is also available, ranging from 2,500K to 9,900K, as is a Custom white balance setting, for setting white balance from a white or grey card. The NEX-5N's proprietary external flash strobe can be used when determining a custom white balance, and unusually, the camera also provides a Kelvin readout of the measured color temperature -- a great feature which lets you dial the temperature in directly if you're shooting in familiar conditions. The effect of changes in white balance settings is shown in real-time on the LCD monitor.

In all white balance modes, including both Custom and Kelvin, you can fine-tune the color by pressing the bottom Soft key. You're then presented with a menu that allows dual-axis amber / blue and green / magenta adjustment within a range of -7 to +7 arbitrary units.

Custom white balance is set by selecting Custom Setup from the white balance menu, and pointing the camera at a neutral white or grey card under the lighting you'll be shooting in, filling a small frame in the center of the display with the reference target, then pressing the Shutter button.

Sony NEX-5N Metering Options
The Sony NEX-5N offers three metering modes, selected via the Metering Mode option in the Brightness / Color menu: Multi-pattern, Center-Weighted, and Spot. All three modes operate on data from the camera's CMOS image sensor. The default Multi-segment metering mode divides the image into 1,200 segments, and compares these to determine exposure. Center-Weighted gives precedence to the center of the image while reading the whole frame. Spot metering is useful for high-contrast subjects, as it bases the exposure reading on the very center of the image, letting you set the exposure based on a small portion of your subject. Face Detection and the related Smile Shutter can only be enabled if the metering mode is set to Multi-pattern, which is also the only choice for movie capture, Intelligent Auto and scene modes, and when using digital zoom. As well as locking the exposure reading by half-pressing the Shutter button (which also locks focus in Single-shot AF mode), you can optionally configure either the Right key or Soft Key B to toggle an autoexposure lock when pressed.

Sony NEX-5N Exposure Compensation & Bracketing
The Sony NEX-5N's Exposure Compensation adjustment increases or reduces the overall exposure from -3 to +3 exposure values (EV) in one-third stop increments, and like White Balance, the effect of Exposure Compensation is simulated on the preview. In addition, the NEX-5N offers -2 to +2 EV of flash exposure compensation, in 1/3 EV increments. A Continuous Bracketing feature captures multiple shots with different exposures. See the Drive Mode section on Continuous Bracketing below for more details.

Sony NEX-5N DRO / HDR
The Sony NEX-5N offers two different functions aimed at handling high-contrast scenes, each functioning in a rather different manner. The Dynamic Range Optimization (DRO) function adjusts the tone curve of captured images, bringing out shadow detail without adversely affecting highlights. As well as an Auto DRO mode, there are also five different levels of DRO available. Alternatively, Sony has included a high dynamic range (HDR) mode, similar to that seen in certain of its digital SLRs. The HDR mode captures three separate images with varied exposures, and then combines these in-camera, creating a single image with significantly increased dynamic range. The NEX-5N can either automatically select the exposure variation, or a value can be selected manually in 1EV steps within a range of 1EV to 6EV.

The DRO and HDR modes can't be used together, and each brings its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Since DRO only works from a single shot, it must operate entirely within the dynamic range available from the image sensor, where the HDR mode is able to capture a significantly greater dynamic range than is possible in one shot. Since DRO is effectively amplifying the signal in shadow areas of the image, it also brings increased noise (or increased noise reduction) in the shadows. HDR mode, meanwhile, is suitable only for relatively static subjects, given that it requires multiple exposures. Thanks to microalignment capability, Sony's HDR mode is at least able to deal with the slight changes in framing caused by shooting handheld, but subject motion or camera shake will likely cause unacceptable artifacts in HDR images.

Both DRO and HDR can be disabled altogether if desired, although the default on the NEX-5N is for DRO Auto mode to be left enabled.

Sony NEX-5N Anti-Motion Blur
Another function which the Sony NEX-5N has inherited from the company's point-and-shoot camera line is its Anti-Motion Blur mode, which merits its own position on the Shoot Mode menu. Anti-Motion Blur mode shoots a burst of six images with a single press of the shutter button, using as high sensitivity as is necessary to offer moderately fast shutter speeds, with which to freeze motion blur. The NEX-5N then combines all six source images into one image with reduced noise in static areas, as compared to a single shot taken with the same exposure settings. Cleverly, Anti-Motion Blur mode is able to deal with moving subjects, by making the assumption that the first frame includes your intended subject. Areas of subsequent images which match up with the first image are factored into the final result, but areas that don't match -- either due to subject or camera motion -- aren't used in creating the final image. This does, however, mean that the moving subject doesn't benefit from the same degree of noise reduction as the rest of the image.

The Sony NEX-5N's implementation of Anti-Motion Blur does have one important difference from the similar mode found on its point-and-shoot siblings. Where the existing cameras have been able to use an electronic shutter to capture the source images, the NEX-5N must instead rely on its physical shutter. The act of firing the NEX-5N's shutter is surprisingly loud, given that there's no reflex mirror entering into the equation -- we've seen some DSLRs issuing similar noise levels (or possibly even a little less). The net result is that with six frames captured in a rapid burst, the NEX-5N's Anti-Motion Blur mode can have bystanders turning around in expectation of seeing a paparazzo in their midst. ;-)

Sony NEX-5N Sweep Panorama & 3D Sweep Panorama
The final modes inherited from Sony's Cyber-shot point-and-shoot lineup are the NEX-5N's Sweep Panorama functions, with which it can automatically capture a burst of images, and stitch them into a single panoramic image in-camera. Both 2D and 3D modes are offered, with the latter cleverly comparing the relative positions of subjects as they pass the left and right sides of the lens, and using this information to create a 3D image consisting of separate 2D views, stored in a Multi Picture Object file.

Again, since there's no electronic shutter to rely on, the focal plane shutter noise means you won't be catching anybody by surprise, That said, the feature functions pretty well if you've a reasonably steady hand, and your subject matter isn't too close to the camera. If your subject matter is too close to the camera, or your panning isn't smooth and straight, the seams between separate images can become fairly noticeable. Focus and exposure are locked from the first frame of the panorama, so you'll want to pick your starting point carefully. From there you can pan left or right, and if shooting in 2D mode, up or down, simply sweeping the camera across your subject matter after pressing the shutter button. Two panorama sizes are available in 2D mode-- standard, or wide. For 3D mode, only horizontal panoramas are possible, with three sizes: standard, wide, or 16:9.

A darkened mask over the left third of the LCD display shows an area of the frame that won't be included in the final output image, and an on-screen message warns you if the NEX-5N wasn't able to track your panning, prompting you to recapture the panorama. (Depending on how much was captured, the NEX-5N sometimes retains a partial panorama with the uncaptured portion of the image left as a flat grey.)

Sony NEX-5N Drive Modes
The Sony NEX-5N offers a variety of shooting modes through the Drive Mode option under the Camera menu, which can also be accessed by pressing the left-arrow button in Program, Priority or Manual modes. Drive options include Single Shot Advance, Continuous Advance, Speed Priority Advance, four different Self Timer modes, Continuous Bracket, and Remote Commander. Single-shot, as you'd expect, captures a single image with each press of the shutter button. Continuous Advance captures images at 3.3 frames per second while the shutter button is held down, adjusting focus and exposure between shots as necessary. Speed Priority Advance boosts the frame rate significantly to ten frames per second for as many as seven frames, by simply fixing exposure and focus from the first frame in the burst.

The Self-timer mode offers a choice of either two or ten second timers, as well as a 10 second timer that captures either three or five images in a rapid (sub-one second) burst. Continuous Bracket mode lets you take a sequence of three shots with either 0.3 EV or 0.7 EV exposure variation steps, with the sequence order being to shoot the metered exposure first, followed by the underexposed and overexposed frames. Finally, Remote Commander mode works with the optional RMT-DSLR1 remote control to trigger the shutter release wirelessly.

Sony NEX-5N Picture Effects
The Sony NEX-5N includes a variety of special effects modes that let photographers unleash a little extra creativity without needing to resort to post-processing on a PC. Unlike the NEX-C3, which grouped these under a dedicated Picture Effects position on the Shoot Mode menu, the NEX-5N provides access to picture effects through the Brightness / Color menu. Confusingly, this option is greyed out in Intelligent Auto mode, although you can still access the same effects through the Photo Creativity function accessed with the OK button. There are also quite a few more options available than in the NEX-C3.

Picture Effects in the NEX-5N include Toy Camera (Normal, Cool, Warm, Green, or Magenta), Pop Color, Posterization (Color or B/W), Retro, Soft High-key, Partial Color (Red, Green, Blue, or Yellow), High Contrast Monochrome, Soft Focus (High, Mid, or Low), HDR Painting (High, Mid, or Low), Rich-tone Monochrome, and Miniature (auto, or one of three positions vertically or horizontally).

Sony NEX-5N Creative Styles
Finally, the Creative Style option on the Brightness / Color menu allows photographers to set the NEX-5N's color mode. Six preset options are available -- Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, and B/W. For all six choices, Contrast and Sharpness levels may be adjusted in seven steps. In addition, all but the black and white mode offer seven-step control over saturation. A separate Color Space option under the Setup menu lets you choose between sRGB and AdobeRGB color spaces, with sRGB being best for viewing images on a computer, and Adobe RGB the best choice for printing images.

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a collection of more pictorial photos, see our Sony Alpha NEX-5N Photo Gallery .

Not sure which camera to buy? Let your eyes be the ultimate judge! Visit our Comparometer(tm) to compare images from the Sony Alpha NEX-5N with those from other cameras you may be considering. The proof is in the pictures, so let your own eyes decide which you like best!

Performance

Sony NEX-5N Performance

Imaging

Sony NEX-5N Image Quality

Color

Saturation & Hue Accuracy
Vibrant default color with about average accuracy.

In the diagram above, the squares show the original color, and the circles show the color that the camera captured. More saturated colors are located toward the periphery of the graph. Hue changes as you travel around the center. Thus, hue-accurate, highly saturated colors appear as lines radiating from the center. Click for a larger image.

Saturation. Like many cameras, the Sony NEX-5N pushes strong reds, dark blues, dark greens, purples and browns just a little, but actually undersaturates light greens and cyan tones slightly. The NEX-5N's overall color saturation (12.8% oversaturated) is a little higher than average for its class, but still well within acceptable limits. You can of course tweak saturation to your liking, or choose a different color mode. See the comparison of available "Creative Style" image options below. Most consumer digital cameras produce color that's more highly saturated (more intense) than found in the original subjects. This is simply because most people like their color a bit brighter than life.

Skin tones. Here, when adjusted for optimal white balance, the Sony NEX-5N did well, producing fairly natural-looking Caucasian skin tones. Where oversaturation is most problematic is on Caucasian skin tones, as it's very easy for these "memory colors" to be seen as too bright, too pink, too yellow, etc.

Hue. The Sony NEX-5N did push cyan toward blue, red toward orange, orange toward yellow and yellow toward green, but shifts were relatively minor to moderate. (The cyan to blue shift is very common among the digital cameras we test; we think it's a deliberate choice by camera engineers to produce better-looking sky colors.) With an mean "delta-C" color error of 5.69 after correction for saturation, overall hue accuracy was about average. Hue is "what color" the color is.

Creative Style
The Sony NEX-5N offers six preset "Creative Style" options. You can adjust contrast, saturation (except for B&W), and sharpness for any of the settings. The NEX-5N also offers eleven creative filters called Picture Effects: Toy Camera, Pop Color, Posterization (Color), Posterization (B/W), Retro Photo, Soft High-key, Partial Color (Red), Partial Color (Green), Partial Color (Blue), Partial Color (Yellow), and High Contrast Mono. (These are not shown here.)

Creative Style Options
Standard	B&W	Landscape
Portrait	Sunset	Vivid

Mouse over the links above to see the effect of Creative Style presets on our Still Life target. Click on a link to load the full resolution image.

Saturation Adjustment
The Sony NEX-5N has a total of seven saturation settings available, three above and three below the default saturation. This covers a pretty wide range of saturation levels. Saturation had little effect on contrast, which is how it should work.

Saturation Adjustment Examples
-3	-1	0	+1	+3

The table above shows results with five of the seven saturation settings, including the default and the two extremes. Click on any thumbnail above, then click again to see the full-sized image.

Sensor

Exposure and White Balance

Indoors, incandescent lighting
Very warm cast with Auto, but good color with the Incandescent and Manual settings. Slightly higher than average exposure compensation required.

Indoors, under normal incandescent lighting, color balance was overly warm and orange with the Auto white balance setting and quite disappointing. Results with the Incandescent setting were quite good, though, just slightly warm and yellow. The Manual setting was very accurate, but some may prefer Incandescent because it conveys a touch more of the warmth of the original lighting. The 2,600 Kelvin setting which matches the color temperature of our lights resulted in a slightly cool, bluish image. The Sony NEX-5N required +0.7 EV positive exposure compensation here, which is a little higher than the average for this shot (+0.3 EV). (Our test lighting for this shot is a mixture of 60 and 100 watt household incandescent bulbs, a pretty yellow light source, but a very common one in typical home settings here in the U.S.)

Outdoors, daylight
Very good results under harsh lighting, with good handling of contrast, color, and exposure.

Outdoors, the Sony NEX-5N performed well. +0.3 EV compensation was required to keep the model's face bright in our "Sunlit" Portrait shot. The average among the cameras we've tested is +0.7 EV, so the NEX-5N performed better than average here, especially considering Dynamic Range Optimization (DRO) was disabled for these shots which tends to brighten shadows. (More on DRO below.) Contrast is a little high, as you might expect under such harsh lighting, but the camera does an excellent job of holding onto detail in bright highlights and shadows, even without the help of DRO. Auto white balance rendered the model's face a touch too warm, though, so we preferred results from the Manual white balance setting. Default exposure was good for our Far-field shot as well, with very few highlights blown, again with DRO disabled. Some very dark shadows in the leaves were lost, but the camera kept the main subject reasonably well exposed, so that's to be expected. The Far-field shot using Auto white balance had very good color. Overall, a very good performance in harsh lighting.

See full set of test images with explanations
See thumbnails of all test and gallery images

Resolution
Very high resolution, 2,000 lines of strong detail from JPEGs, up to about 2,200 lines from RAW.

In camera JPEGs of our laboratory resolution chart revealed sharp, distinct line patterns down to about 2,000 lines per picture height in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Complete extinction of the pattern didn't occur until about 2,800 to 3,000 lines. We also noticed the NEX-5N seems to show a bit more color moire than previous NEX models in some shots. When converting the matching RAW files, Adobe Camera Raw was able to extract perhaps 200 lines more of resolution here, but the Sony NEX-5N did a good job holding on to high contrast detail at base ISO in its JPEGs. Use these numbers to compare with other cameras of similar resolution, or use them to see just what higher resolution can mean in terms of potential detail.

See full set of test images with explanations
See thumbnails of all test and gallery images

Sharpness & Detail
Very good detail and sharpness, though fine detail is a touch soft despite somewhat high default sharpening. Low levels of noise suppression visible in the shadows and areas of low contrast.

Sharpness. The Sony NEX-5N captures sharp, detailed images when coupled with a sharp lens, though fine detail can be a touch soft, despite slightly high default sharpening. (The images above were shot with very sharp reference lenses: the Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 SSM lens at f/8 above left, and the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 at f/4 above right.) There are some mild to moderate edge enhancement artifacts on high-contrast subjects such as the larger tree branches in the image. Fine detail such as the smaller branches and pine needles show very little edge enhancement, but appear just a touch soft. Still, very good results here. Edge enhancement creates the illusion of sharpness by enhancing colors and tones right at the edge of a rapid transition in color or tone.

Detail. The crop above right shows very good detail with low levels noise suppression in the darkest areas of the model's hair. Yes, a few individual strands are smudged together in areas of low contrast, but quite a few strands are still visible. Very good results here for a 16-megapixel APS-C sensor at base ISO, and an improvement over the previous generation NEX models, partly because base ISO is now 100 versus 200 on older models, and also because the 5N's JPEG noise processing has improved. Noise-suppression systems in digital cameras tend to flatten-out detail in areas of subtle contrast. The effects can often be seen in shots of human hair, where the individual strands are lost and an almost "watercolor" look appears.

RAW vs In-Camera JPEGs
As noted above, the Sony NEX-5N produces sharp, detailed in-camera JPEGs, though fine detail can be a touch soft. More detail can often be obtained from carefully processing RAW files with a good RAW converter, as shown below.

In-camera Fine JPEG, (Defaults)	RAW via Sony IDC (Defaults)	RAW via Sony IDC (Sharpened)	RAW via ACR (Sharpened)

In the table above, mousing over a link at the bottom will load the corresponding crop in the area above, and clicking on the link will load the full resolution image. Examples include (from left to right): an in-camera Fine JPEG, RAW file processed through Sony's Image Data Converter SR version 3.2 software at default settings, another processed with IDC's sharpening turned up to +100 and its overshoot and undershoot sliders set to +50, and finally the same RAW file converted with Adobe Camera Raw 6.5, then sharpened in Photoshop using unsharp mask at 300% with radius 0.3.

As you can see, the Sony IDC version at default settings is somewhat softer than the in-camera JPEG. (Color rendering is also slightly different.) Increasing the sharpening settings gave the image a crisper look and helped extract a bit more detail, though noise reduction is still reducing fine detail. The Adobe Camera Raw conversion showed the most detail, but also revealed slightly more noise, as expected. Bottom line: as is usually the case, the Sony NEX-5N rewards RAW shooters with better detail than JPEGs when used with a good RAW converter, and of course also offers more control over noise reduction, sharpening, etc.

ISO & Noise Performance
Very good noise vs detail performance, with excellent results up to ISO 1,600.

Default High ISO Noise Reduction
ISO 100	ISO 200	ISO 400
ISO 800	ISO 1,600	ISO 3,200
ISO 6,400	ISO 12,800	ISO 25,600

Detail in the Sony NEX-5N's images remains very strong up to ISO 800, which is remarkable. There are some visible demosaicing errors in the hair above the mannequin's forehead as well as some slight moire patterns in the jacket, though that's pretty common and not really something to be concerned with. Reds get a little soft from ISO 400 as can be seen in the roses, but otherwise these images don't show much degradation until ISO 1,600, and chroma noise is also well controlled. There's a bit of softening at ISO 1,600 due to stronger noise reduction, but fine detail is still quite strong. ISO 3,200 is softer as you'd expect, but fine detail is still pretty good for such as high ISO. Fine detail gets pretty smudgy at ISO 6,400 and above, though, and there's an increase in luminance noise, blotchy chroma noise and a drop in saturation at the highest ISOs as well. Still, these are really excellent results overall and quite an improvement over its predecessor, the NEX-5, as well as the more recent NEX-C3. Much of the improvement is in JPEG processing though, as RAW files don't show as much improvement as the JPEGs would lead one to believe. As always, see the Print Quality section below for maximum recommended print sizes at each ISO.

A note about focus for this shot: We shoot this image at f/4, usually using one of three very sharp reference lenses (70mm Sigma f/2.8 macro for most cameras, 60mm f/2.8 Nikkor macro for Nikon bodies without a drive motor, and Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/2.0 for Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds bodies). To insure that the hair detail we use for making critical judgements about camera noise processing and detail rendering is in sharp focus at the relatively wide aperture we're shooting at, the focus target at the center of the scene is on a movable stand. This lets us compensate for front- or back-focus by different camera bodies, even those that lack micro-focus adjustments. This does mean, though, that the focus target itself may appear soft or slightly out of focus for bodies that front- or back-focused with the reference lens. We know this; if you click to view the full-size image for one of these shots and notice that the focus target is fuzzy, you don't need to email and tell us. :-) The focus target position will have been adjusted to insure that the rest of the scene is focused properly.

Extremes: Sunlit, dynamic range and low light tests
Very high resolution with excellent highlight and shadow detail. Very good low-light performance, capable of capturing bright images in near darkness. Special modes make it possible to capture low-light images without a tripod.

Sunlight. The Sony NEX-5N handled the deliberately harsh lighting in the test above very well. We preferred the +0.3 EV exposure here, as the mannequin's face was a little dim at default exposure. Contrast is a little high, but shadow and highlight detail are both very good. Despite the apparent brightness, there are actually very few clipped highlights in the model's face and shirt at +0.3 EV, with most of the clipping occurring in specific color channels in the flowers (mostly in the red channel), or in specular highlights where you'd expect clipping. There were only a few lost shadows, but shadow noise is pretty low, which is very good. Still, be sure to use fill flash in situations like the one shown above; it's better to shoot in the shade when possible. See below for results with Dynamic Range Optimization and High Dynamic Range features enabled.

Because digital cameras are more like slide film than negative film (in that they tend to have a more limited tonal range), we test them in the harshest situations to see how they handle scenes with bright highlights and dark shadows, as well as what kind of sensitivity they have in low light. The shot above is designed to mimic the very harsh, contrasty effect of direct noonday sunlight, a very tough challenge for most digital cameras. (You can read details of this test here. In actual shooting conditions, be sure to use fill flash in situations like the one shown here; it's better to shoot in open shade whenever possible.)

Dynamic Range Analysis
A key parameter in a digital camera is its Dynamic Range, the range of brightness that can be faithfully recorded. At the upper end of the tonal scale, dynamic range is dictated by the point at which the RGB data "saturates" at values of 255, 255, 255. At the lower end of the tonal scale, dynamic range is determined by the point at which there ceases to be any useful difference between adjacent tonal steps. Note the use of the qualifier "useful" in there: While it's tempting to evaluate dynamic range as the maximum number of tonal steps that can be discerned at all, that measure of dynamic range has very little relevance to real-world photography. What we care about as photographers is how much detail we can pull out of the shadows before image noise becomes too objectionable. This, of course, is a very subjective matter, and will vary with the application and even the subject matter in question. (Noise will be much more visible in subjects with large areas of flat tints and subtle shading than it would in subjects with strong, highly contrasting surface texture.)

What makes most sense then, is to specify useful dynamic range in terms of the point at which image noise reaches some agreed-upon threshold. To this end, Imatest computes a number of different dynamic range measurements, based on a variety of image noise thresholds. The noise thresholds are specified in terms of f-stops of equivalent luminance variation in the final image file, and dynamic range is computed for noise thresholds of 1.0 (low image quality), 0.5 (medium image quality), 0.25 (medium-high image quality) and 0.1 (high image quality). For most photographers and most applications, the noise thresholds of 0.5 and 0.25 f-stops are probably the most relevant to the production of acceptable-quality finished images, but many noise-sensitive shooters will insist on the 0.1 f-stop limit for their most critical work.

JPEG. The graph at right (click for a larger version) was generated using Imatest's dynamic range analysis for an in-camera Sony NEX-5N JPEG file with a nominally-exposed density step target (Stouffer 4110). At the base ISO of 100 (the optimal ISO) with DRO and HDR settings turned off, the graph shows 9.61 f-stops of total dynamic range, with 8.02 f-stops at the "High" Quality level. Roll-off at the highlight end of the curve was gradual, but for shadows it was quite abrupt. We did see some dark shadows in the NEX-5N's images, but they were pretty clean as echoed by the noise plot results in the lower left. These are are very good numerical results, almost as good as the best performers to date, such as the the Nikon D7000. Compared to the Sony NEX-5, the NEX-5N scored slightly higher at the High Quality level (8.02 vs 7.57 f-stops), but lower in total dynamic range (9.61 vs 10.7 f-stops). Note though that this measurement has a margin of error of about 1/3 f-stop, so differences of less than 0.33 can be ignored.

RAW. The graph at right is from the same Stouffer 4110 stepchart image captured as a RAW (.ARW) file, processed with Adobe Camera Raw using the Auto setting. (Slightly better results are likely possible with manually tweaking, but we weren't able to do much better.) As can be seen, the score at the highest quality level increased from 8.02 to 9.95 f-stops, which is almost a two f-stop improvement, while total dynamic range increased about 2.7 f-stops, to 12.3 from 9.61. These results are excellent, almost as good as the best APS-C sensors we've tested. (The Nikon D7000 for example scored 10.1 f-stops at the highest quality level, while the Pentax K-5 scored 10.2 f-stops.) It's also worth noting here is that ACR's default noise reduction settings reduced overall noise somewhat (see the plot in the lower left-hand corner) relative to the levels in the in-camera JPEG, which would tend to boost the dynamic range numbers for the higher quality thresholds.

Contrast Adjustment
We really like it when a camera gives us the ability to adjust contrast and saturation to our liking. It's even better when those adjustments cover a useful range, in steps small enough to allow for precise tweaks. Just as with its saturation adjustment, the Sony NEX-5N's contrast setting meets both challenges.

Minimum Contrast
Contrast set to lowest, 0 EV	Contrast set to lowest, 0 EV

At its lowest contrast setting, the NEX-5N did a really excellent job of preserving highlight detail, maintaining natural-looking skin tones, and holding nice detail in the shadows. Overall, very good results here.

Contrast Adjustment Examples
-3	-1	0	+1	+3

The table above shows five of the seven contrast setting, including the default and two extremes. It's pretty hard to evaluate small differences in contrast on small thumbnails like these, so click on any thumbnail to go to the full-size image.

One very nice feature of Sony's contrast adjustment is that it has very little effect on color saturation. Contrast and saturation are actually fairly closely coupled, it's a good trick to be able to vary one with out the other changing as well. Sony did a good job here.

Outdoor Portrait DRO Comparison
	DRO Setting: Auto (Default) Off Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Dynamic Range Optimization is Sony's name for their dynamic range enhancement technology. DRO divides the image into small areas, analyzes the range of brightness of each area, and adjusts the camera's image processing parameters accordingly to make the best use of the available dynamic range. Auto DRO is enabled by default on the Sony NEX-5N. You can also set the level manually, from 1 ("weak") to 5 ("strong"), or turn it off. As one would expect, DRO is only available for JPEG files.

The above thumbnails and histograms show the effects of the various levels of DRO on our "Sunlit" Portrait shot with no exposure compensation. Mouse over the links to load the associated thumbnail and histogram, and click on the links to visit the full resolution image. As you can see from the thumbnails and associated histograms, DRO had only a slight effect on the highlights in this shot, though few highlights were clipped to begin with. The bulk of the difference between different levels of DRO is found in the shadows and darker midtones. The stronger the DRO level, the more boost is applied to darker areas. That usually results in more visible noise in boosted areas of the image, but the NEX-5N produces images with fairly low shadow noise, so increased noise wasn't really an issue even at the highest DRO levels. The default Auto DRO setting did a pretty good job here.

Far-field House DRO Comparison
Auto (default)	Off	Level 1	Level 2
Level 3	Level 4	Level 5

Above, you can see the effect of DRO settings on our Far-field House shot. The default Auto setting produced a good exposure overall, despite the harsh lighting.

Outdoor Portrait HDR Comparison
	HDR Setting: Off (Default) Auto 1 EV 2 EV 3 EV 4 EV 5 EV 6 EV

High Dynamic Range. The Sony NEX-5N's HDR mode takes three images in rapid succession, one nominally exposed , one underexposed, and one overexposed, then combines them into one high dynamic range JPEG automatically. Lighter areas from the underexposed image are combined in-camera with darker areas from the overexposed image to produce an image with increased dynamic range. The camera then saves a single composite image, as well as the nominally exposed image. The overlaid images are micro-aligned by the camera, but it can only correct for so much movement. If it can't micro-align successfully, an icon indicating HDR capture failed will appear. For best results, the subject should not move or blink, so it's not really intended for portraits. There is also a manual mode where you can select 1 EV ("weak") to 6 EV ("strong") difference in exposures.

Mouse over the links to load the associated thumbnail and histogram, and click on the links to visit the full resolution image. The higher the setting, the more highlights were toned-down, and shadows opened up. As you can see, the highest settings produce images that looked flat and unnatural with this scene, however Auto and the lower manual settings did a pretty good job at boosting shadows. reducing highlights, while still retaining enough contrast.

Far-field House HDR Comparison
Off	Auto	1 EV	2 EV
3 EV	4 EV	5 EV	6 EV

Above, you can see the effect of HDR settings on our Far-field shot by mousing over the links.

	1 fc 11 lux	1/2 fc 5.5 lux	1/4 fc 2.7 lux	1/8 fc 1.3 lux	1/16 fc 0.67 lux	1/16fc No NR
ISO 100	1.6 s f2.8	3.2 s f2.8	6 s f2.8	13 s f2.8	25 s f2.8	25 s f2.8
ISO 200	0.8 s f2.8	1.6 s f2.8	3.2 s f2.8	6 s f2.8	13 s f2.8	13 s f2.8
ISO 400	0.4 s f2.8	0.8 s f2.8	1.6 s f2.8	3.2 s f2.8	6 s f2.8	6 s f2.8
ISO 800	1/5 s f2.8	0.4 s f2.8	0.8 s f2.8	1.6 s f2.8	3.2 s f2.8	3.2 s f2.8
ISO 1600	1/10 s f2.8	1/5 s f2.8	0.4 s f2.8	0.8 s f2.8	1.6 s f2.8	1.6 s f2.8
ISO 3200	1/20 s f2.8	1/10 s f2.8	1/5 s f2.8	0.4 s f2.8	0.8 s f2.8	0.8 s f2.8
ISO 6400	1/40 s f2.8	1/20 s f2.8	1/10 s f2.8	1/5 s f2.8	0.4 s f2.8	0.4 s f2.8
ISO 12800	1/80 s f2.8	1/40 s f2.8	1/20 s f2.8	1/10 s f2.8	1/5 s f2.8	1/5 s f2.8
ISO 25600	1/160 s f2.8	1/80 s f2.8	1/40 s f2.8	1/20 s f2.8	1/10 s f2.8	1/10 s f2.8

Low Light. The Sony NEX-5N performed well in our low light test, producing bright images down to the lowest light level we test at (1/16 fc) at all ISO settings. The metering system struggled a bit at very low light levels though, so we used manual exposure for these shots as we often need to do. Noise is very well controlled up to ISO 1,600, though as expected, at higher ISOs there are moderate to high amounts of fine luminance noise and some blotchy chroma noise. Auto white balance did a very good job here, producing a fairly neutral, just slightly cool color balance at all ISOs and light levels, though darker colors had a greenish cast at higher ISOs and lower light levels. At the highest ISO, the bottom of the frame showed what looks like heat blooming in the form of red coloration, though hints of it can be seen at other ISOs. There is also just a hint of some horizontal banding at very high ISOs, but that's not uncommon. A few hot pixels can be seen especially with long exposure noise reduction turned off (the right-most column), but nothing out of the ordinary.

The camera's autofocus system was only able to focus on the subject down to just below the 1/4 foot-candle light level unassisted with the kit lens. However, the NEX-5N was able to focus in complete darkness with its built-in focus assist lamp enabled.

How bright is this? The one foot-candle light level that this test begins at roughly corresponds to the brightness of typical city street-lighting at night. Cameras performing well at that level should be able to snap good-looking photos of street-lit scenes.

NOTE: This low light test is conducted with a stationary subject, and the camera mounted on a sturdy tripod. Most digital cameras will fail miserably when faced with a moving subject in dim lighting. (For example, a child's ballet recital or a holiday pageant in a gymnasium.) Thanks to their larger sensors, compact system cameras like the Sony NEX-5N tend to do better than point & shoots, but you still shouldn't expect a quick autofocus lock with moving subjects. (A useful trick is to just prop the camera on a convenient surface, and use its self-timer to release the shutter. This avoids any jiggling from your finger pressing the shutter button, and can work quite well when you don't have a tripod handy.)

Output Quality

Print Quality

Excellent printed image quality, with ISO 100 producing terrific 24 x 36 inch prints; ISO 6,400 images look good at 8 x 10, and even 12,800 prints a usable 5 x 7.

ISO 100 images make excellent 24 x 36 inch prints, with excellent detail and color.

ISO 200 images look great at 20 x 30 inches, with only minor loss in detail in our red swatch.

ISO 400 images are almost the same as 200, but with some softening beginning in strong, low-contrast red areas. Detail is very crisp at 16 x 20.

ISO 800 images still look good at 16 x 20 inches, only red areas continue to soften. We'd still call it good.

Even ISO 1,600 shots are good at 16 x 20 inches, again with softening in red areas, and some cloudy noise appearing in the shadows, but they're still good.

ISO 3,200 images finally turn the corner, appearing just a little too soft at 16 x 20 in low-contrast areas, but look better with a reduction to 13 x 19 inches.

ISO 6,400 shots are usable at 11 x 14, but really look better at 8 x 10, which is still a pretty large print size for this ISO.

ISO 12,800 images have just enough fine detail to print at 8 x 10, but noise suppression in low-contrast areas merits reduction to 5 x 7, which brings all but the low-contrast reds under control.

ISO 25,600 shots are a little rough at 8x10, but look decent at 5x7, though many colors are a little darker than normal.

Overall, the Sony NEX-5N's images print well, supporting 24 x 36 inch prints at ISO 100 and a good 16 x 20 even at ISO 1600!

Testing hundreds of digital cameras, we've found that you can only tell just so much about a camera's image quality by viewing its images on-screen. Ultimately, there's no substitute for printing a lot of images and examining them closely. For this reason, we now routinely print sample images from the cameras we test on our Canon Pro9000 Mark II studio printer, and the Canon Pixma MP610 here in the office. (See the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II review for details on that model.)

Viewfinder

Sony NEX-5N External Electronic Viewfinder

Among the concessions made in the name of attaining the Sony NEX-5N's compact size was the elimination of any form of built-in viewfinder, with the LCD display serving as the sole method of framing and reviewing images. Sony does offer an external viewfinder accessory, however, catering to those who prefer the feel of framing with the camera held up to their eye.

There are two main camps for external viewfinders: optical or electronic types. With the earlier NEX-5 model, Sony offered only an optical type, which had not only the advantage of a true optical image, but also offered a savings in battery life, and removed the need for delicate electrical connections. On the downside, though, the separate optical path meant that the accessory was prone to parallax with nearby subjects, and there was no zoom capability. Instead, the field of view was a fixed 16mm, with a 15mm eyepoint.

That FDA-SV1 external optical viewfinder accessory is still compatible with the NEX-5N, however there's also a new FDA-EV1S electronic viewfinder accessory. Like the optical viewfinder, it's an optional extra, but the good news is that it is based around the same Organic LED panel that's used for the built-in electronic viewfinder in the Sony Alpha A77. While it's not perfect--we've previously noted issues with blocked-up shadows and overall brightness in our A77 review--it's still the best electronic viewfinder we've seen, with incredibly high resolution, smooth motion, and minimal lag.

You'll note that we said it's based around the same panel as the A77's viewfinder: Sony's spec sheets and our own experience suggest that the optics differ somewhat from that camera's built-in EVF. While magnification and coverage remain at 1.09x and 100% respectively, the eyepoint of 23mm from the rear lens surface / 21mm from the frame is rather less generous than the 27mm / 22mm of the A77's viewfinder. Sony doesn't provide a specification for refresh rate or brightness, but on the plus side, the 13mm-diagonal OLED panel has an extremely high resolution of 2,359,296 dots, and a useful -4.0 to +1.0m^-1 dioptric adjustment range.

The FDA-EV1S also bests the A77's built-in EVF in one respect, since it can be tilted upwards 90 degrees when shooting low to the ground. A built-in proximity sensor is used to automatically enable the electronic viewfinder when brought to your eye. It's also possible to manually enable or disable the EVF with a "Finder/LCD" button on the left of the viewfinder itself.

The FDA-EV1S electronic viewfinder weighs 26 grams / 0.9 ounces without the eyepiece cup, and comes bundled with a plastic cap that protects its electrical connections when not in use, as well as a small carrying pouch to prevent accidental scratches.

Both the optical and electronic viewfinder accessories mate into the same proprietary Smart Accessory Terminal 2 that's used for other accessories including flash strobes, meaning that it's not possible to use either viewfinder type for flash photography. The FDA-SV1 optical viewfinder is priced at around US$200, and the the FDA-EV1S viewfinder is about US$350.

Sony NEX-5N Full-time Live View

By its nature, the Sony NEX-5N is always in "Live View" mode. In that respect, it's like any point & shoot digicam with a rear-panel LCD that works as its viewfinder. The differences with this camera are that it has interchangeable lenses, and has a larger sensor to provide better low-light performance than typical pocket cameras.

The Sony NEX-5N's optional electronic viewfinder offers output similar to that of the main LCD display, but with a significantly higher resolution, and a 4:3 aspect ratio. As you change exposure settings, the display changes to reflect what the captured image will look like, also known as "exposure simulation." Much like the NEX-5N's main LCD display, Sony has provided a brightness adjustment for the electronic viewfinder, which can be found in the Setup menu. By default, viewfinder brightness is controlled automatically.

Only two display modes are available through the electronic viewfinder accessory: basic info, and histogram. Both displays include the exposure mode, battery and flash card remaining, aspect ratio, quality and compression of still images, movie mode, SteadyShot mode, shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity, as well as an exposure level display. Through the Settings menu, you can also enable one of three styles of grid displays.

When the viewfinder is in use, it's possible to configure the main LCD not to provide a live view image at all, and instead to act solely as a roomy status LCD, showing camera setup info.

Viewfinder Test Results

Coverage
Excellent accuracy from both the optional electronic viewfinder and LCD monitor.

The Sony Alpha NEX-5N's optional FDA-EV1S XGA OLED electronic viewfinder and LCD monitor both showed just slightly below 100% (~99.7%) coverage with our Sigma 70mm f/2.8 prime lens. This is excellent performance, though not a surprise given the electronic viewfinder and LCD are deriving their images from the main imaging sensor.

Video

Sony NEX-5N Video Recording

High-definition video capture has become a must-have feature in this year's interchangeable-lens cameras, and essentially all the major manufacturers now provide some form of video capture in their compact system cameras. Although positioned as a mid-range camera, the Sony NEX-5N includes some more advanced features including full manual exposure control and external microphone support, along with consumer-friendly options such as full-time autofocus, and a wind noise filter. Although it does lack audio levels control, standard microphone connectivity, and the fine-grained control over framerates that are sometimes found on competing models, these features would likely be overkill for its target market.

As a mid-range system camera, the Sony NEX-5N provides a useful feature set that offers amateur and prosumer videographers plenty of room to grow and experiment with new techniques.

Sony NEX-5N Basic Video Specs

• 1,920 x 1,080 (Full HD), 1,440 x 1,080 (Anamorphic HD) and 640 x 480 (VGA) recording
• MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 compression, either High Profile (AVCHD) for Full HD, or Main Profile for lower-res video
• AVCHD recorded at 60p, 60i or 24p on NTSC models; 50p, 50i or 25p on PAL models
• MPEG-4 1,440 x 1,080 recorded at 30p on NTSC models, 25p on PAL models; VGA is 30p regardless of region
• Autofocus functions during movie recording, with any NEX-series lenses
• Essentially silent autofocus and aperture operation on NEX-series lenses
• Auto, shutter/aperture-priority or full manual exposure, set before or during recording
• EV adjustment is available in all auto and semi-auto recording modes
• Stereo audio recording via built-in microphones or via a proprietary, hotshoe-mounted external mic attached to accessory connector
• Compatible with a wide range of Sony Alpha-mount lenses, via an accessory adapter (Depending on adapter and lens in use, autofocus may be possible, but is likely to produce audible noise and perhaps untoward focus changes in captured video.)
• Some scene modes carry over into video recording, adjusting parameters for color and tone to match specific subject types
  
  

Sony NEX-5N Video: Image Size, Frame Rate, and Encoding

The Sony NEX-5N records at three different video resolutions, with a choice of three frame rates and two quality levels at the higher resolution. Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) movies are recorded in AVCHD format, while lower resolutions are also recorded with MPEG-4 compression, but using the Main rather than High profile setting. Unless audio capture is disabled, AVCHD movies include Dolby Digital (AC-3) stereo audio, while MPEG-4 movies include AAC-LC stereo audio. No spec is provided for the sampling rate of the audio tracks, though video players report 48 kHz at either 256 kbps for AVCHD clips, or 128 kbps for standard MPEG-4 clips.

The table below shows the specs for various video recording options.

As noted above, the Sony NEX-5N offers two video recording formats, although the choice of format is made for you, depending on whether you're shooting at Full HD, or a lower resolution. The NEX-5N's Full HD video is recorded using the newer AVCHD format, which is based upon MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 High Profile compression. At 1,440 x 1,080 pixels or below, the NEX-5N still uses MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 compression, but abiding by the Main Profile type. Note that 1,440 x 1,080 mode uses rectangular pixels (1.33:1), so movies are 16:9 aspect ratio. Compared to AVCHD, the vanilla MPEG-4 files are a bit less efficient in their use of memory card space for a given image quality level, but are more widely supported, and seem to be a bit easier for older computers to read. Continuous movie recording is limited to approximately 29 minutes regardless of file format, and maximum MP4 movie file size is 2GB. Sony recommends use of at least a Class 4 Secure Digital card, or a Memory Stick Pro Duo Mark 2 / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo card to avoid issues with write speeds during video capture.

Here are some examples of video shot with our sample of the Sony NEX-5N:

Sony NEX-5N: Video Samples
1,920 x 1,080, 60fps progressive AVCHD, PS quality View on Vimeo | Download Original
1,920 x 1,080, 60fps interlaced AVCHD, FX quality View on Vimeo | Download Original	1,920 x 1,080, 24fps progressive AVCHD, FX quality View on Vimeo | Download Original
1,920 x 1,080, 60fps interlaced AVCHD, FH quality View on Vimeo | Download Original	1,920 x 1,080, 24fps progressive AVCHD, FH quality View on Vimeo | Download Original
1,440 x 1,080, 30fps MPEG-4 View on Vimeo | Download Original	640 x 480, 30fps MPEG-4 View on Vimeo | Download Original
1,920 x 1,080, 60fps interlaced AVCHD, FH quality View on Vimeo | Download Original
1,920 x 1,080, 60fps progressive AVCHD, PS quality View on Vimeo | Download Original
1,920 x 1,080, 60fps interlaced AVCHD, FX quality View on Vimeo | Download Original (Our apologies, but this video is failing to upload correctly to Vimeo. We have a support request in; for the meantime, please download the original file instead.)	1,920 x 1,080, 24fps progressive AVCHD, FX quality View on Vimeo | Download Original
1,440 x 1,080, 30fps MPEG-4 View on Vimeo | Download Original	640 x 480, 30fps MPEG-4 View on Vimeo | Download Original

Sony NEX-5N Video-Mode Focusing

As with previous NEX-series cameras, consumer videographers will appreciate the Sony NEX-5N's live autofocus during recording. Although pros and many advanced amateurs can "pull focus" (adjust the focus manually) while filming video, and indeed may well prefer to do so, considering focus to be another means of expressing their artistic vision, it's very much a learned skill, and something few people ever manage to do really well. Without live AF, consumers for the most part are reduced to only shooting subjects at a constant distance from the camera, or to having to settle for a lot of poorly-focused video. A lot of video-capable interchangeable-lens cameras are sold to consumers these days, and while having some video capability is certainly better than none, for most consumers to make full use of a video-capable camera it really needs to be able to focus on the fly.

With the NEX series, Sony's engineers had video recording in mind from the earliest stages of development. E-mount lenses use low-mass focusing elements and high-speed stepper motors to give the rapid response required for live contrast-detect focusing during video recording. (They also employ a continuously-variable aperture mechanism, to provide stepless exposure control, another key issue for video recording.)The result is a fairly competent autofocus system that should meet the demands of most consumers, especially considering the NEX-5N's affordable pricing.

One particularly nice feature of the NEX-5N's video-mode autofocus is that the focus point can be set using the touch-screen panel on the camera's rear. This makes it easy to shift the focus between different subjects at will, with almost no handling noise or camera shake, if you're just a little careful.

Sony NEX-5N Video Exposure Control

Sony NEX-5N: Aperture Control / Depth-of-Field
Aperture-priority, f/4.5
1,440 x 1,080, 30fps MPEG-4 View on Vimeo | Download Original
Aperture-priority, f/29
1,440 x 1,080, 30fps MPEG-4 View on Vimeo | Download Original

The Sony NEX-5N lets you record movies directly from any of its still-image exposure modes, including aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and full manual exposure modes, and unlike many competitors, it does actually provide direct control over the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation settings for video recording, as appropriate to the current exposure mode. Perhaps even more unusually, it also provides these controls not only before capture starts, but actually during capture.

There are, of course, some provisos. The ISO sensitivity range is reduced to ISO 100 to 3,200 equivalents during video capture, and Auto ISO isn't available in Manual mode. The slowest available shutter speed is 1/4 second, and if a shutter speed below the video framerate is selected, this obviously has an effect on the perceived frame rate. (The actual video frame rate isn't reduced to match the shutter speed, however.) It's also worth noting that while Program Shift is available for still imaging, it isn't applicable to video capture. Also, with the built-in microphone, handling noise is clearly audible when changing any of these exposure variables, and they do cause clear shifts in image brightness if adjusted during capture. Still, the ability to quickly make adjustments to exposure settings without first having to stop video recording is pretty cool, and any unwanted portions can always be edited out of the video in post-processing, should handling noise or exposure level changes prove too objectionable.

White balance settings also carry over to video mode, as do the tone/color aspects of the camera's various scene modes.

Sony NEX-5N Movie-Mode Image Stabilization

Sony's unique among camera manufacturers, in having both body-based and lens-based image stabilization technology in their product lines. In the case of the NEX-5N, image stabilization happens in the lens, so its availability will be a function of the particular lens used. Among the company's E-mount lens lineup, all of the zoom lenses offer nearly silent lens-based IS. Among the primes, only the 50mm lens offers stabilization. Using the 18-55mm kit lens, even in extremely quiet scenes, we were unable to hear any trace of the IS system in the NEX-5N's captured sound track.

Sony NEX-5N Video: Audio recording

External Mic. The Sony NEX-5N can accept the same optional, external stereo mic that's shown on the NEX-5 in this image.

Sony's only published spec for the NEX-5N's audio recording capability simply says "MPEG-4 AAC", so we don't officially know the sampling rate or number of bits of A/D resolution employed, although third-party MPEG players suggest a 48 KHz sample rate at either 256 kbps for AVCHD clips, or 128 kbps for MPEG-4 clips. Audio recorded with the camera's internal mic sounded very clear, but we do no tests to measure frequency response or sensitivity, so can't comment quantitatively. We did notice that there was audible hiss in audio tracks recorded with the in-camera mic in very quiet environments, but less than we've heard on some competing models. The camera's auto-gain system also did a good job of adjusting sensitivity as sound levels got louder or softer, with no evident "breathing" in transitions from high to low sound levels.

As noted above, the AF and iris-control systems on the 18-55mm kit lens were effectively silent, in that their operation couldn't be heard on the audio track, even with no background noise. Zooming the lens could produce audible noise, as could changing our handhold on the camera or using the physical controls, but these issues could likely be mitigated significantly with the external mic accessory.

As with most of its competitors, the Sony NEX-5N doesn't have any provision for manual audio level control, whether working from the internal or optional external mic. As is the case with the lack of a 3.5mm external jack, we don't think this will be an issue for the NEX-5N's primary target buyers. It is, however, possible to disable audio capture altogether, and there's also an optional Wind Cut filter function.

Sony NEX-5N Movie Recording/Playback User Interface

The Sony NEX-5N makes movie recording very easy, as you can initiate it at any time, regardless of the mode-dial setting: Simply press the prominent Movie Record button with the red dot at its center at the top of the camera's rear panel, and the camera will start recording video.

Normally, this is where we'd list the Movie-mode menu items, but the NEX-5N has no separate movie menu. In fact, the only menu items exclusively related to video recording are the choice of file format (AVCHD or MP4), image size (1,920 x 1,080, 1,440 x 1,080, or 640 x 480 pixels), and frame rate / compression level (if recording at the higher resolution), as well as options to disable audio recording, and to enable the wind cut filter.

Playback mode on the Sony NEX-5N is decidedly odd--actually a little more so even than past NEX-series models--although it offers at least one feature we liked. The odd part is that the NEX-5N's playback is an either/or proposition, relative to stills and videos, and relative to the two video formats: If you've just shot a video and press the playback button, you'll see only movies of the same type last recorded that are stored on the card; not the still images. Likewise, if you've just shot a still image, you'll only see other stills when you hit the playback button. To switch between still, AVCHD, and MPEG-4 modes, you're expected to either navigate to an option on the Playback menu, or drop into thumbnail view and scroll over to the left, to select the correct tab on that screen. Alternatively, you can simply grab a throwaway exposure of the type you want to view, something we actually found much more convenient than either of the designers' intended methods. The playback mode works similarly on all of Sony's NEX-series models, although previously there was only one video format, and so there were only two disparate playback modes previously. Although we're now very familiar with this somewhat infuriating design, it initially caused us quite some consternation. We can only imagine the dismay many new NEX-series users must experience (if only until they read the manual), when they think their once-in-a-lifetime photos disappeared after they decided to try shooting a video.

We continue to mourn the absence of a playback option that's become increasingly common on video-capable cameras; namely the "trim" function. Whenever you record a short video clip, it's almost inevitable that you'll start earlier and keep recording longer than the action you're interested in. (If you don't do this, you're almost certainly going to miss action you're interested in.) While "padding" like this is important and necessary, we like to keep our videos concise by trimming away the extraneous material at the beginning or end of the clip after they're recorded. Many cameras support doing this in-camera these days, but the NEX-5N does not. You can certainly still import the video clips to your computer and do the trimming there, but for consumers, that's awfully cumbersome.

Rolling Shutter Artifacts ("Jello Effect")

Sony NEX-5N: Rolling Shutter Artifacts
1,440 x 1,080, 30fps MPEG-4 View on Vimeo | Download Original
640 x 480, 30fps MPEG-4 View on Vimeo | Download Original

Essentially every video capable digital SLR/CSC currently on the market exhibits some level of motion-related distortion called rolling shutter artifacts. These are caused because the image data is captured and then read off the chip sequentially by rows, rather than each frame's data being captured all at once. In the case of the Sony NEX-5N, this means that image data for the last row of a given frame is captured and read out anywhere from 1/24th to 1/60th second after the data for the top row was captured. The effect on moving objects is like that of a focal plane shutter in an SLR, but more pronounced, because the video frame is read out much more slowly than the slit of a focal plane shutter moves across the sensor.

For a camera that scans video frames vertically (as all do that we're aware of), rolling shutter artifacts will be most noticeable for subjects that are moving rapidly side to side, or when the camera itself is being panned horizontally. Verticals in the scene will appear tilted to the right or left, depending on the direction of camera motion. As an example, consider the case of a camera being panned from left to right, with a flagpole or other vertical object in the middle of the scene when recording for a particular frame begins: If the top of the object was centered horizontally when the first line of the video frame is acquired, by the time the last line of the frame has been captured, the bottom of the object will have shifted to somewhere left of center: As a result, the vertical object would appear to be leaning to the right.

Computer Requirements for Viewing HD Video

A typical computer these days has little trouble dealing with still images, but high-definition video can be another matter. Depending on the file format involved, it can take a pretty beefy computer to handle HD-resolution video playback without stuttering or dropping frames. The AVCHD image compression used by the Sony NEX-5N is one of the more compute-intensive formats, and its high maximum resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels resolution means there's a lot of data in each frame to deal with. The net result is that you'll need a reasonably recent computer to play the NEX-5N's Full HD video files smoothly, and will want a pretty powerful machine for Full HD video editing.

You can of course view your movies on a high definition TV via the HDMI output. If you're still on a standard-def TV, though, you're out of luck, as the NEX-5N doesn't offer any form of standard-def video output connectivity.

Flash

Sony NEX-5N Flash

Like almost all NEX-series cameras at the time of this writing-- the sole exception being the flagship NEX-7--the Sony NEX-5N forgoes any built-in flash or standard hot shoe, in an effort to keep body size down to a bare minimum. Instead, flash photography is catered for with an updated version of the proprietary accessory port used in earlier NEX models, and the same tiny HVL-F7S flash strobe is included in the product bundle.

Sony's HVL-F7S flash folds flat against the top of the lens mount when not in use, and although very compact, is still reasonably powerful for its size, with a useful range extending out as far as sixteen feet. Sony officially lists the guide number as being seven meters (23 feet) at ISO 100. Once safely packed in its protective plastic case, it's dimensions are barely under 2" x 1.5" x 1", easily small enough to slip in a pants pocket and forget you're even carrying it, until you have a need for it. Unfortunately, the coverage is rather narrow, leading to pretty uneven illumination at wide angle with the 18-55mm zoom kit lens. The same will apply to the 16mm prime and 18-200mm zoom lenses, and vignetting will likely prove an additional concern with that combination, given the modest height of the HVL-F7S strobe when extended (around an inch), and the significantly larger dimensions of the lens itself.

Thankfully, the bundled HVL-F7S flash strobe is no longer the only option for NEX-series camera owners. Sony now also has an optional HVL-F20S strobe, which while it's quite a bit larger, should also offer greater performance. At ISO 100, the guide number is officially 20 meters, almost triple that of the bundled strobe. Sony doesn't provide a specification for coverage, but the HVL-F20S also includes a built-in diffuser panel to improve coverage at the cost of some reach. The larger dimensions also mean that the HVL-F20S stands significantly higher above the lens, and should thus be less likely to be blocked by the lens barrel. In addition, the HVL-F20S can operate as a bounce flash, providing more natural light so long as the distance from camera to subject via the ceiling is within the flash's working range. Of course, since the HVL-F20S strobe uses the same proprietary connection as the bundled flash, you still have the issue that you can't use any other accessory simultaneously with flash photography.

A small thumb screw in the base of either strobe--or any of the other available accessories--allows them to be tightly fixed to the camera, safe from being accidentally bumped off, but those with large hands may find the screw a little fiddly to tighten down. If you're in a rush, the flashes do function without the screw being tightened, but they don't mount very tightly, so if you're planning on keeping the flash on camera for more than a few seconds, tightening the thumb screw is a must. Two small pins on all the accessories mate into holes on the camera body to keep everything steadily aligned.

The Sony NEX-5N's has five flash modes: Auto, Fill, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., and Off. The Sony NEX-5N allows you to adjust flash and ambient exposure independently of each other, by providing flash exposure compensation between -2 and +2 EV in one-third EV increments. Through a separate menu option, red-eye reduction can be enabled, which functions by adding several bursts of preflash to contract your subjects' pupils, in addition to the regular metering and exposure flashes. Flash modes are changed in the Camera menu, Flash Compensation in the Brightness / Color menu, and Red-Eye Reduction in the Setup menu. Available settings vary depending on exposure mode. X-Sync (the maximum shutter speed with the flash enabled) is 1/160 second.

Below are test results using the bundled HVL-F7S flash unit.

Flash Test Results

Coverage and Range
A somewhat weak flash (compared to most SLRs) with narrow coverage at wide-angle. Our standard shot required above average exposure compensation but was still dim.

Coverage. Flash coverage was quite uneven at wide-angle (18mm), leaving very dark corners in our flash coverage test image. Narrow coverage at wide-angle isn't unusual, though, and some of the corner darkening is from the lens itself. Coverage was much more uniform at telephoto (55mm).

Exposure. Our Indoor Portrait test scene was still dim with +1.0 EV flash exposure compensation at base ISO of 100. (Most cameras we've tested required about +0.7 EV for this scene.) The NEX-5N offers flash compensation up to +2.0 EV, but higher values did not increase brightness, though you can always increase ISO sensitivity to increase flash range. The camera's Slow-Sync flash mode produced bright, even results with no flash exposure compensation, though with a stronger pinkish-orange cast from the room lighting.

Flash Range: Wide Angle
6 ft	7 ft	8 ft	9 ft	10 ft	11 ft
1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100
12 ft	13 ft	14 ft	15 ft	16 ft
1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 100

Flash Range: Telephoto
6 ft	7 ft	8 ft	9 ft	10 ft	11 ft
1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100	1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100	1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100	1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100	1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100	1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100
12 ft	13 ft	14 ft	15 ft	16 ft
1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100	1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100	1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100	1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100	1/60 sec f5.6 ISO 100

ISO 100 Range. With the 18-55mm kit lens at maximum aperture, flash exposure started out bright at 6 feet at wide-angle, and gradually became dimmer. Brightness was good to about 9 feet. At full telephoto, flash exposure started out slightly dim at 6 feet, and decreased in brightness from then on.

Manufacturer-Specified Flash Range
Wide Angle	Telephoto
6.6 feet ISO 100	4.1 feet ISO 100

Manufacturer Specified Flash Test. The Sony NEX-5N's built in flash is rated with a Guide Number of 7m or 23 feet at ISO 100. That works out to about 6.6 feet at f/3.5 and 4.1 feet at f/5.6, the maximum apertures of the kit zoom lens. In the shots above, the Sony NEX-5N performs as Sony says it will, producing good exposures at the rated distances with its ISO set to 100. In fact, flash exposures were slightly overexposed by about 1/3 EV here. Our standard test method for flash range uses a fixed setting of ISO 100, to provide a fair basis of comparison between cameras. We've now also begun shooting two shots using the manufacturer-specified camera settings, at the range the company claims for the camera, to assess the validity of the specific claims.

Pricing and availability

The Sony NEX-5N compact system camera shipped in the US market from early September 2011, in black or silver. Body-only pricing is set at approximately US$600, while a kit version including the Sony E 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens is priced at around US$700. Available since November 2011, the FDA-EV1S OLED electronic viewfinder accessory is priced at around US$350, and the LA-EA2 Alpha mount adapter with phase-detection autofocus capability costs about US$400.