Sony has at final done good upon the guarantee of mirrorless, interchangeable-lens compact cameras. We saw a little mock-ups of a slab-like cameras behind in February, and right away Sony’s answer to a Micro Four Thirds as well as Samsung’s NX1 is here.

Firtst, the NEX-3 as well as NEX-5 have been tiny. Tiny, in actuality, creation a already compress Panasonic GF1 look like the fat old SLR in comparison. Sony says which these cameras are a “world’s smallest, lightest transmutable lens cameras.” This creates a bodies look rather comical when a incomparable lenses have been merged. Sony is aiming during compact camera owners who wish to ascent, as well as a pocket-sized design is ideal for this. The cameras enclose Sony’s Exmor APS-C sized sensor, the same distance which you find in many DSLRs.

The differences in between the dual models have been tiny. The NEX-3 has 720p video as well as a NEX-5 1080i. The NEX-5 has the not as big, magnesium physique, as well as an additional twist-button upon a top image. Otherwise, a specs have been a same.

Sony seems to have strong upon creation a plain, fairly gimmick-free charity. The 14.6 MP sensor is back-lit (the electronics is upon a behind rather than a front of a chip) for great low-light performance (up to ISO 12,800), a LCD is the 3-inch 900,000 pixel beast as well as a processor is Sony’s Bionz (Bionic Fonz) chip found in the DSLRs. And amazingly for such small cameras, a LCDs flip out as well as turn. Because of a little bodies, conjunction camera has a built-in peep, though you do get one in a box that is powered by a camera’s own battery. There is no customary hot-shoe for a correct peep, yet (typical Sony unsteadiness.

Sony has created a brand-new lens-mount for a NEX-series, called a E-mount. You can still make use of most A-mount Alpha lenses with an adapter, as well as additionally comparison lenses if you’re peaceful to focus manually.

And there have been a little nice, if viewable, lenses. Made from metal not cosmetic, you can choose from the 16mm (24mm homogeneous ƒ2.8 pancake, an 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6 stabilized zoom and an 18-200mm ƒ3.5-6.3 stabilized zoom (to be expelled after. These have been fine, though miss the good wide-open limit orifice of Panasonic as well as Olympus’ pancakes, during ƒ1.7 and ƒ1.8 respectively.

There have been the couple of program gimmicks. Sony’s Sweep Panorama creates a cut. You reason down a shiver as well as swoosh a camera opposite a stage before you. The images have been afterwards stitched in camera. It works flattering good. Auto-HDR is additionally in. This snaps the couple of cinema during different exposures and combines them to give improved detail in both highlights and shadows.

With these cameras success will come down to doing. Those wanting to pierce up from a compress get some rather than nifty program, with an interface which relies on soft-buttons on a behind which change duty depending upon context. You can, for example, press them as well as get the live preview of how a orifice will start depth-of-field. The miss of manual carryout dial as well as buttons may put off those who are used to SLR-style controls, as well as to you you say take the look during a Micro Four Thirds cameras already out there.

If a handling is great, though, it looks similar to Sony competence have struck only a right change in between distance, preference as well as energy. Not bad. You can even make use of the correct SD card in them (although Memory Sticks work as well.

Available this summer. NX-3 $550 with pancake, $600 with 18-55mm wizz. NX-5 $650 with pancake, $700 with zoom.

NEX cameras [Sony]