Tuesday, September 21, 2010

An ultra-compact camera that offers creative freedom

 

By Eugene Araneta
Philippine Daily Inquirer


MANILA, Philippines—Anybody can easily be charmed with the finely contoured and ultra compact steel chassis of the new NEX-5—the latest addition to Sony’s Alpha lineup of professional-grade cameras.

Given the ultra compact size and mirror-less design, the NEX-5 only weighs approximately 229 grams and measures 10.8 mm x 58.8 mm x 38.2 mm (width, height and breadth).

This makes the NEX-5 the smallest and lightest camera system that may be placed inside a pocket or a handbag.
Everyday shutterbugs, or even professional photographers who want backup cameras with them at all times, will have no problem with the NEX-5.

This 14.6-megapixel interchangeable lens camera system is equipped with an APS-C type (23.4x15.6mm) “Exmor” CMOS sensor that can deliver high quality still photo images with exceptional rich color and tonal gradation comparable to any well-known DSLR brands available today.

It features an interchangeable lens body that can accommodate various E-mount lenses from wide angle, ultra wide angle and fisheye converters to standard zoom and high power zoom.
And with the right lens mount adapter, this camera can accommodate the full range of Sony Alpha System A-mount lenses.

Aside from having a higher sensitivity of up to 12800 ISO, this Alpha camera also has a Handheld Twilight Mode feature, which allows users to easily capture high quality images even in low light conditions without having to use a tripod or flash.

The NEX-5 can also record videos in 1920X1080 full HD AVCHD format at 25 frames per second, and HD videos supported by MP4 format can easily be uploaded to any social networking websites such as Blogs or Facebook.
Furthermore, it is fitted with a 3-inch LCD monitor that can be tilted 80° up and 45° down to allow any user a view of their subjects and shoot even at awkward angles.

The screen features a high 920,000 dot resolution and integrates TruBlack technology, which allows sharper subject details to be displayed with deep blacks and high contrast, making it easy to focus on subjects accurately.
This camera features an easy-to-use control wheel and soft keys, letting you control the camera quickly and intuitively.
Pressing and rotating the control wheel lets you access shooting, drive and flash modes, as well as exposure compensation and other camera settings.

One interesting feature about this camera is its built-in shooting tips feature that provides some useful information on different photographic techniques.

Another interesting feature is the camera’s 3D capability. It can take 3D sweep panoramic images that can be viewed with a BRAVIA HDTV with 3D imaging support feature.

This camera is also equipped with Speed Priority Continuous mode that can capture 7 frames per second.
With this enhanced burst shooting feature, this camera can capture fast moving objects without missing any key shot in a sequence.

Other notable features include dual memory card slots that enable the use of both Memory Stick and SD media. This camera is compatible with the latest Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX media, enabling the fastest transfer speeds of up to 4 times that of the Memory Stick PRO Duo Mark 2, and maximizing continuous shooting with its large data capacity of up to 32GB.

With its unique and sleek design and excellent image quality, the lightweight Sony NEX-5 can surely stimulate the creative juices of amateur and even professional photographers.

Published in Philippine Daily Inquirer August 30, 2010.

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