Just got a Sony NEX-5

[clarkmagpie]

Please tell me its a good camera!
This is my first camera that has what looks to be a good spec.

Can anybody give me some useful tips?
I have been ill for the last few days and taking pics of the living room is getting a bit boring!

Once I'm out I will soon be boring you all with my photo's and asking yet more advice!

[RobDickinson]

Its a good camera! Shame its a sony...

[dblack1]

good for what? Cameras are like tires there is no one size fits all (track tire/winter tire/summer tire/all season). Think about it this way, you could buy a big expensive full frame DSLR and a set of fast lenses, a big expensive tripod, etc and have a camera that can take amazing pictures under almost any condition, but when you go to put it all in a bag, it wont fit, and it all will weigh alot too. the NEX in my opinion is a good attempt at a good for everything camera. Its got a bigger sensor than any bridge camera, but its still small and lightweight. Sony only makes 3 lenses for this mount a 16mm (f2.8), a 18-55mm, and a 55-200mm. This is a pretty slim pick of lenses. Your camera has a very limited upgrade path due to sony not making it compatible with regular alpha lenses. It is possible to put other lenses on the camera (via adapter) but you will lose a lot of the cameras functions. I doubt that a lot of products will be based on this mount in the future due to the low number of cameras based on the mount and the low number of people who own cameras with the mount. The camera has no flash on the body either, at least it comes with a flash, but your upgrade path there is pretty slim too (maybe somebody makes an adapter) because it doesnt have a regular hotshoe.

If you ever get really into photography, this is not the camera for you. This camera is a good great camera for most people who will not buy any specialized lenses or upgrade to a different camera body.

[Ammo 7]

The NEX-5 looks like a great camera. I was very tempted to get one myself. I'm sure the results will be up to crop frame Nikon or Canon DSLR standards as it has the same sensor size (don't Sony make the sensors fitted to Nikons?). Personally I would treat the NEX as a stand alone camera and forget about upgrading with extra bits.

The best tip I would give is to point your camera at something interesting. This sometimes even results in interesting photographs!

I hope you enjoy your new camera. It is more than up to the task of taking very good photographs.

[craste]

Purchased this camera from Jessops two days ago and so far I'm blown away with the picture quality and ease of use.

I'm no professional photographer just somebody who used to use a compact camera who know wants a good qaulity camera to take pictures of my family.

I read the reviews and updated the firm ware to v.3 as soon as i got the camera and the menu system is really intuitive now as when you go back into the menu system it retrns to the last item you changed so its really quick. The menu graphics are really slick and designed beautifully and its so simple to use.

You can go into the menus and change everything SLR stylee but when you have it in normal mode the camera goes into the right setting, porttraight, night shot etc and when you are doing a portraight it tailers the 'tips'button to portraits so its really clever and just so helpfull.

I wanted an DSLR origianlly but when you turn up at a function with one of those you look like a pro photographer or a japanese tourist, with the NEX-5 it just looks like a normal camera and it can fit into your pocket!!!

This is the future of camera's I reckon, give it a couple of years and those big clunky SLRs will be a thing of the past.

Well impressed!!

[DIW35]

craste said:

This is the future of camera's I reckon, give it a couple of years and those big clunky SLRs will be a thing of the past.

So, have you tried taking a macro shot with the Nex-5, or a shot of M42, the Orion Nebula? The point is that SLRs have been around for quite a few years now, and for a good reason. They have a massive support system behind them, by way of flash guns, lenses, a variety of specialised lenses, remote triggering systems etc. And what about SLRs that sport a nice big, juicy, full fat, full frame sensor? I imagine it will be quite a while before anyone comes up with a compact camera sporting a FF sensor.

As it stands, SLR cameras represent one of the most versatile systems currently available for taking photographs, and it would take a damn good compact camera to usurp that and, frankly, I don't think the Nex-5 even comes close.

[craste]

Yes thinking about it my comment about it taking over SLR's was a bit daft and I fully agree with your points.

[Mermaid]

craste said:

This is the future of camera's I reckon, give it a couple of years and those big clunky SLRs will be a thing of the past for nearly all for whom photography is not a profession.

Edited slightly.

Excellent spec for the NEX5 and is really all the camera most people need.

I use a Panasonic LX3 (the whole Panasonic compact camera range is great and the target of Sony Corp) and have significantly reduced the use of my FF camera. Compacts really are so good nowadays, and most important they are in your pocket when you need them.