Sony Alpha NEX-5

After seeing so many cameras come out through the years, each with tiny improvements over the last, it hasn’t been the most exciting of times in the point-and-shoot camera segment. We’re happy to report that the NEX-5 is one of the most exciting...

Great low-light performance ; Excellent video capture ; Improved handling over previous generation

Small lens selection ; No viewfinder ; Controls are still limited

Sony's improvements to the NEX-5R make it an even better value than it was before

Tilting, touch-screen LCD. Optional EVF available. Built-in Wi-Fi. Great high ISO performance. 9fps burst shooting

No built-in flash. So-so kit lens. No hot shoe. No dedicated battery charger. Some camera apps cost money

The Sony Alpha NEX-5R is a small interchangeable-lens camera built around a big, excellent image sensor, but it's a tough sell when you consider the rest of Sony's NEX lineup, including our Editors' Choice, the less-expensive Alpha NEX-F3.

Drastically improved focusing performance ; Excellent image quality and battery life ; 10 frames-per-second stills ; 180-degree rotatable LCD

No microphone input ; WiFi app issues at launch

Sony's third-generation NEX-5 delivers excellent performance for a manageable price.

Put the Sony NEX-5N and its predecessor, the NEX-5, next to each other and you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Like a “spot the difference” comic in the newspaper, the NEX-5N’s aesthetic changes are few and far between. Once you see the shots...

Regardless of how you feel about the practicality of the NEX system, and the idea of designing a compact system camera that, with lens in tow, doesn’t fit in your pocket, the NEX-5N is a significant advancement towards fleshing out what this system is...

Great Build Quality ; Very Comfortable size and weight ; APS-C Size sensor allows for high quality images ; Ability to record 1080i video with Stereo Sound ; Fast and Quiet Contrast Detect AF system using NEX lenses ; Superb High Resolution LCD ;...

Default Metering settings give brighter than desired exposures in some conditions ; Limited Lens Availability without using an Adapter (only 3 NEX lens models so far) ; Limited External Controls compared to some competing models ; No Viewfinder...

Solid image quality ; Accepts both SD/SDHC and Memory Stick cards ; Innovative modes, including Sweep Panorama ; HD movie recording with stereo audio ; Compact design with DSLR capabilities ; Excellent burst mode

No built-in flash ; Proprietary accessory mount and new lens mount

Sony's first interchangeable-lens compact camera, the NEX-5 offers image and video quality on a par with a DSLR and has unique modes that go beyond anything else in its class. The only thing missing is a built-in flash.

The NEX-5 looks like some kind of evil experiment where a mad scientist grafted an SLR lens onto a point and shoot camera. We won't speculate on if Sony cackled evilly as they created it, but the result is an interesting camera that is the smallest...