If you want a solid camera with a lot more oomph than a point-and-shoot without the bulk of a DSLR, I'd recommend the Sony NEX-5N.
In fact, it's so good that I'm moving it to the top of the leader board, replacing the budget DSLR, the Canon T3i.
(Last Updated September 17th 2012: Olympus has just unveiled two new, affordable Mirrorless cameras. The PEN E-PL5 and E-PM2 which will set you back $700 and $600 respectively, with kit lenses. Both cameras have the same processor as the Olympus OM-D E-M5, which blew our minds with its image quality out of a small sensor. They could offer a serious threat to the NEX-5R.)
It's one of the best values in the category of mirrorless cameras. At $600, it produces images that rival $1,500 DSLRs and does so in a much smaller, user-friendly package. There is a whole upper tier of these mirrorless cameras that cost over $1,000 that are more an attempt to tuck in right under what a mid-range DSLR can do, but we'll look at those in another piece.
Before we get into why we picked the NEX-5N, we need to discuss whether you need a mirrorless, interchangeable-lens camera, or if there's a better option out there for you.
Even in their late-2011 mirrorless camera guide, the pros over at DPReviewweren't able to pin down exactly who the manufacturers were aiming these cameras at. In a technical sense, mirrorless cameras have interchangeable lenses like DSLRs but lose the physical prism that directs light to an optical viewfinder, which gets out of the way to let light hit the sensor when you click the shutter. That physical system is archaic and bulky at this point, and it's why some professionals like Eric Cheng from underwater photography siteWetpixel and Lytro says he "wouldn't recommend a DSLR to a non-pro over a mirrorless camera these days." (He adds, however, that a big viewfinder is still king when it comes to catching action shots.)
Should you get a DSLR instead of this camera? That's easy to figure out: You probably should, if you don't give a damn about weight and intend to become a photographer with a serious set of lenses. Or if you need a viewfinder for shooting in the sun or capturing fast-moving subjects, and want easy access to manual controls on a regular basis. If you're a budding photographer with dreams of turning pro, the Canon T3i we recommended, which is still the best budget DSLR, is good because you can start building a set of lenses that will work with a higher end body later. It also has better manual controls and a viewfinder. But keep in mind, the sensor in the Sony NEX-5N destroys the image quality available in the T3i. Destroys. That's according to the sensor ratings at DXOMark. And the NEX-5N is slightly less expensive than the T3i.
CNET's Lori Grunin said it simply and best when she positioned them as being for people frustrated with the lesser quality of most point-and-shoot cameras, but who are turned off by the size and complexity of DSLRs.
The NEX-5N's $600 price tag includes an 18-55mm kit lens, which is roughly equivalent to a 27-80mm lens on a full-frame DSLR. You can get it for $500 without a lens, too. The thing that makes this camera awesome, most of all, is the sensor Sony crammed into its body. It's the same size as most mid-range DSLRs on the market, and significantly larger than the competing Micro Four Thirds sensor used by Panasonic and Olympus.
Why is this important? Bigger sensors offer better light sensitive, which produces images with better colors and low-light performance. Kelcey Smith at DPReview awarded the camera 79 percent and noted that, "in terms of image quality the NEX-5N sits untouched at the top of the mirrorless interchangeable lens compact category. The low-light capability of its APS-C format CMOS sensor matches or exceeds what we've come to expect from the best of the current crop of APS-C DSLRs, as well."
Audley Jarvis at Trusted Reviews had positive things to say about the quality, too, saying that the NEX-5N's "image quality pretty much leads the field within the compact system market, with the benefits of the large Sony-made APS-C sensor clearly visible." He also notes that even ISO 12,800 "isn't a complete disaster area."
As for ease of use, reviewers seem largely pleased with how easy the camera is to just pick up and shoot with. Dave Etchells at Imaging Resource said "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."
TJ Donegan at Digital Camera Info sums it up perfectly: "This is a mid-level DSLR boiled down and poured into the body, and price, of something any novice will feel comfortable shooting with."
Of course the NEX-5N has a few drawbacks. It lacks any viewfinder, which is important for shooting in bright light. You can add a $350 electronic viewfinder, but there are probably better ways to spend that money. And while easier to pick up and shoot with than a DSLR, some reviewers were put off by having to drill deep into menus to access certain settings; a more expensive camera would have all sorts of knobs for quick manual control over the exposure settings.
You're also not going to get a great lens selection compared to a Canon or Nikon DSLR, or even a Micro Four Thirds camera. The only prime 35mm equivalent is a $1,000 f1.8 Zeiss piece of glass. You could get an equivalent prime for $600 or so in the M4/3 format. The NEX-5N's 18-55mm kit lens is sharp and versatile, at least enough for a $500 body. But beyond that, what we know from research is that people who buy low-end DSLRs or mirrorless cameras like this one tend not to get a second lens.
Oh, the lenses tend to be rather large compared to those on Micro Four Thirds cameras. Let's talk more about that.
The biggest competitor is the Micro Four Thirds format, pioneered in 2008 by Olympus and Panasonic. The Olympus PEN E-P3 and Panasonic Lumix GX1stack up nicely against the NEX-5N, and thankfully the folks over at Camera Labs compared the three. Overall, the Sony produced better looking images (especially at higher ISOs) and shot faster than either Micro Four Thirds camera. The biggest advantage for the M4/3 systems came from a larger lens selection. The Olympus is also $900, with a lens. Nikon recently entered the fray with its V1, but it features a sensor smaller than the Micro Four Thirds, so it's not the best performer in low light.
Sony just announced a cool little point and shoot called DSC-RX100 that is smaller, and has a smaller sensor than the NEX-5N. It's $650, which is close in price to the NEX, but you're giving up sensor size and image quality (presumably) for pocket ability. I don't think it's as good of a value as the NEX in image quality and flexibility but it is a lot more pocketable. I'd get either. More on DPReview.
How about comparably priced new DSLRs? The Canon T4i just came out, and it has evolved the state of DSLRs to the point where even better models can't do some of its tricks. It's the first DSLR that does continuous autofocus while shooting video, regardless of price and has a touchscreen you can use to zoom into shots you're reviewing. That's pretty neat for an $850 camera but the 5N already does continuous autofocus and has a touchscreen. The Canon T4i also costs $1200 with a zoom that is silent enough to autofocus continuously during video, so that is kind of not even close to the real ballpark in price. Also, the Canon T4i likely does not have much better image quality than Sony NEX-5n. (Note: I say this as an assumption, since reviews aren't out yet.) Again, you would buy DSLRS because you hope to become a pro or serious enthusiast one day and use the lenses from your lower end camera in your high end camera. The NEX-5N is smaller and cheaper and an astounding value in image quality than most DSLRs including this one. (More on the Canon T4i: FWD, DPReview.) Lastly, Canon has come out with a mirrorless camera called the Eos M that has the same guts as the T4i. More on that below, since it's not out yet.
Sony's whole line of NEX mirrorless cameras are quite attractive, but we think the 5N hits the sweet spot. For twice the money you can step up to the 24-megapixel NEX-7. This camera borders on being a true DSLR replacement, with the inclusion of an electronic viewfinder and a myriad of physical knobs for adjusting things on the fly. It also has a microphone input, a built-in flash and an ultrasharp OLED viewfinder that makes manual focusing easy, even in the sun. But all those pixels on the same sized sensor as the 5N results in slightly poorer low-light performance. In our opinion, it's not worth stepping up to the NEX-7 for the average shooter.
Things are less clear in the low-end market, where Sony just introduced the NEX-F3. It matches a lot of the specs of the 5N, but shoots slower, lacks a touchscreen and doesn't shoot video as well as the 5N. It's listed at $100 less but isn't yet available, so it remains to be seen how the two cameras will compare in the real world. Right now, we're sticking with the 5N.
As for the point-and-shoots and low-end DSLRs, it's a bit more difficult to compare. The NEX-5N has the ease of operation of a point-and-shoot camera with the quality of a mid-range DSLR. But it's significantly more expensive than a point-and-shoot and can be less versatile than even the cheapest DSLRs if you're pursuing photography seriously. If you're looking for professional quality gear, nothing is going to beat a DSLR, and we've got you covered there. If you want something cheap that's a step up from your camera phone, then a point-and-shoot might be for you. But if you're looking to get quality photos from a camera that is fast and isn't intimidating to use, then theNEX-5N is what you want.
What to look forward to:
The followup to the NEX-5N is the newly announced Sony NEX-5R, which is set to launch in October for either $650 without a lens, or as $750 with an 18-55mm kit. While it still shoots the same 16-megapixel images, and has the same maximum ISO 25,600, the NEX-5R has enough going for it that we think you should hold out on buying the NEX-5N to see how well the NEX-5R does. For starters, Sony has installed a totally new sensor with what's called "phase-detection autofocus." This is combined with the older contrast autofocus, and the new camera uses both to find focus more quickly, though it's still not quite as fast as an SLR. The new camera also has built-in Wi-Fi and the ability to use apps direct from Sony, with tools like direct uploads to Facebook, extra retouching tools, better bracketing, and remote control from your smartphone. Sony has also overhauled the interface, adding a second control dial to the top of the camera, a function button, and giving the LCD enough flexibility to flip-up 180°. It's not a big enough upgrade that people who have already bought the NEX-5N should go grab it, but it you're looking at a camera in this price range, seriously consider the NEX-5R.
At Photokina 2012, Olympus showed off two new affordable Mirrorless cameras. The PEN E-PL5 and E-PM2, with an asking price with lens of just $700 and $600 each. Olympus has taken the processor from the immensely successful the Olympus OM-D E-M5 and put it in these cheaper cameras — which should hopefully give them a major performance boost. Both will grab 16-megapixel images, have ISO 25,600, touchscreen LCDs, 8fps images, and a built-in app for using Wi-Fi enabled SD cards. They have slightly worse image stabilization than the OM-D — 3-axis instead of ff — but could take the affordable Mirrorless crown after we see some reviews. Then again, Sony's NEX-5R still has a much larger sensor, and Wi-Fi. We'll have to wait and see.
Canon's also got a new mirrorless camera which is the first one from a competitor with a sensor just as big. It's called the Canon Eos M and it's $800, but it will have the use of many of Canon's EF lenses as well as its own line. It's a little thicker, and costs a bit more, but this seems like it'll really shake things up when it's finished in October. It also comes with a 22mm prime, which is a 35mm equivalent. Perfect.
Key Specs
Sensor: 16.1MP APS-C CMOSLens Mount: Sony E-mount (Sony Alpha via adapter)Video: 1080p at 24 or 60 FPSBurst Mode: ~10 FPSLCD: 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD with 921,600-dot resolutionSize/weight: 4.4 x 2.4 x 1.6 in., 9.5 oz. with SD card and batteryViewfinder:No (optional)Best Sources
August 29th 2012: Sony has just told the world about the upcoming $750 NEX-5R, which will be for sale in October. While it packs the same resolution as the NEX-5N, it has an overhauled sensor with what looks to be a much better and quicker autofocus system, and the camera has built-in Wi-Fi with the ability to run apps downloaded direct from Sony, and a better interface. Hold off on buying the NEX-5N until we hear if the NEX-5R is worth picking up instead — but we have a hunch it will.
June 23 2012: Added notes on a new DSLR, the Canon T4i and a new point and shoot, the Sony DSC-RX100, which are in similar price ranges to the Sony NEX-5n. Also added a line about the Canon Eos M which is Canon's new slightly thicker, $800 mirrorless camera which has a similar sized sensor but potentially many more lenses.
- Kelcey Smith, Digital Photography Review. "Gold Award" 79 percent, September 2011. "The NEX-5N's image quality is excellent. The 16.1MP sensor in the 5N is capable of capturing images that rival some of the best APS-C format DSLRs on the market, and up to ISO 6400 image quality is impressive."
- Audley Jarvis, Trusted Reviews. 9/10, February 17, 2012. "Those looking for a small, portable and well-built CSC with the image quality benefits of an APS-C sensor will find the little NEX-5n ticks all the right boxes."
- Dave Etchells, Mike Tomkins, Zig Weidelich, and Shawn Barnett,Imaging Resource. "Dave's Pick," December 5, 2011. "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."
- TJ Donegan, Digital Camera Info. 8/10, February 4, 2012. "The NEX-5N is just about everything the NEX system aspired to be: DSLR image quality in a compact mirrorless body. The 5N’s 16-megapixel sensor provides fantastic image quality, its body is downright tiny compared to a DSLR, and its shot-to-shot time puts it among the faster cameras under $1000."
- Amazon user reviews, 4.5 stars, 92 reviews
