NEX-5N for recreational photography - old D-SLR user

Hello NEX users

I used to own a Pentax K10D. I was pretty happy with it, taking amateur photos of, well, everything I could. Mostly using auto mode, switching to manual (or one of the other modes) for adjustments when the situation demanded it.

Unfortunately some !@#$%^ decided I shouldn't own it anymore and stole it.

Been filling the gap with half-decent phones (Galaxy S2 atm), but I miss being able to take proper photographs under any conditions.

Enough babbling though. What I wanted to ask NEX-5N users who've owned (or still own) a D-SLR as well is:

am I going to enjoy this one or will I regret not going for, say, a D5100 that sells for around the same price?

everything I've read says this is a wonderful camera (sans the lack of a viewfinder, which I hope to get used to). am I missing something?

thanks

Unless you need to shoot action or sports, I'd take the NEX over D5100. In fact, I use my NEX-5N to pretty much anything compared to my D7000, except when I need fast continuous autofocus

I would get the NEX5n over an entry DSLR for sure (eg. d3100, t3i).

But, the d5100 is a different beast. I would get the D5100 if i wanted to shoot with quality Nikon lenses... of which there is a vastly superior line up.

But, if youre just getting the d5100 and only intend to use the kit lens or other entry level lens, then the 5n may be more worthwhile given its smaller.

wirednet said:

Hello NEX users

I used to own a Pentax K10D. I was pretty happy with it, taking amateur photos of, well, everything I could. Mostly using auto mode, switching to manual (or one of the other modes) for adjustments when the situation demanded it.

Unfortunately some !@#$%^ decided I shouldn't own it anymore and stole it.

Been filling the gap with half-decent phones (Galaxy S2 atm), but I miss being able to take proper photographs under any conditions.

Enough babbling though. What I wanted to ask NEX-5N users who've owned (or still own) a D-SLR as well is:

am I going to enjoy this one or will I regret not going for, say, a D5100 that sells for around the same price?

everything I've read says this is a wonderful camera (sans the lack of a viewfinder, which I hope to get used to). am I missing something?

thanks

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Well I guess I may want to shoot some action occasionally, but my main usage will be still landscapes and portraits.

I'm a bit worried about the lack of a viewfinder (the add-on is a bit expensive and kills the flash). Do you miss it?

Also, it seems the camera's AF is a bit sucky in low lighting. Does it use the flash to assist AF if you have it attached?

Thanks for the reply

Jogger said:

I would get the NEX5n over an entry DSLR for sure (eg. d3100, t3i).

But, the d5100 is a different beast. I would get the D5100 if i wanted to shoot with quality Nikon lenses... of which there is a vastly superior line up.

But, if youre just getting the d5100 and only intend to use the kit lens or other entry level lens, then the 5n may be more worthwhile given its smaller.

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If the kit lens are good enough I'd probably stick to them.

I was pretty happy with the kit lens on my Pentax K10D, although I did consider buying some not-that-expensive zoom lens before it got stolen.

Size is not really an issue, all I care about is image quality with-in a reasonable price range - anything that shoots at least as well as my K10D did would make me happy. Of course if I'm to pay 600-700 euro these days I expect more than just that.

Thanks for answering

Get the Nex5n and rejoice in its IQ, interface and small size! The only thing is, if you need to use a flash gun for bouncing off ceilings, you'll need some or other dslr. That's about the only thing I still use my Canon 5d for - that, and macro / reproduction work.

spontaneousservices said:

Get the Nex5n and rejoice in its IQ, interface and small size! The only thing is, if you need to use a flash gun for bouncing off ceilings, you'll need some or other dslr.

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Or a NEX-7?

I agree the 5N is lacking in the flash department, but getting one has taught me something. With modern sensors, you often don't need flash nearly as much as you used to. Provided I remember to set white balance to incandescent (auto doesn't cut it in that situation), my interior after-dark shots are very successful, and much more pleasing than those with my a33 and ceiling-bounced flash.

The 5N is a joy to use and much easier to tote around than the a33 (small and light as that is), so I have a camera with me that much more frequently. Now that's a real plus.

IanML said:

Or a NEX-7?

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The NEX-7 is awesome, unfortunately the price is a bit too high for me atm. maybe in a couple of years

IanML said:

I agree the 5N is lacking in the flash department, but getting one has taught me something. With modern sensors, you often don't need flash nearly as much as you used to. Provided I remember to set white balance to incandescent (auto doesn't cut it in that situation), my interior after-dark shots are very successful, and much more pleasing than those with my a33 and ceiling-bounced flash.

The 5N is a joy to use and much easier to tote around than the a33 (small and light as that is), so I have a camera with me that much more frequently. Now that's a real plus.

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How's AF in dark interiors? Does mounting the flash help with it?

spontaneousservices said:

Get the Nex5n and rejoice in its IQ, interface and small size! The only thing is, if you need to use a flash gun for bouncing off ceilings, you'll need some or other dslr. That's about the only thing I still use my Canon 5d for - that, and macro / reproduction work.

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I doubt I'd ever use a flash gun for recreational photography, so that won't be an issue.

I'm just happy to be able to take decent photos in the dark, one of the things I've missed the most. That and the amazingly vibrant colors in daylight photos.

cons

moving subjects, forget it the nex isn't the easiest tool.
flash photography, again it isn't the easiest tool.

it's pros

available light photography, consistent metering, small and light, flip lcd for creative composure, 1080 60P video, adaptable to legacy glass

i think of my NEX as a secondary camera ( a modular point and shoot) as a main. it's will be frustrating due to it's current AF limitations. think as a main body a D5100 is better. can cover more photography situations.

I have a DSLR and a NEX 5N and really enjoy both. I do love the handling of the SLR but the size of the NEX makes it extremely useful for traveling and I find that I end up taking it with me a lot more than my DSLR and taking it with me at times when I used to leave a camera at home. I love the size, weight, and quality of it and think that it and a DSLR are great compliments.

As a side note the NEX5's low light abilities are stunning. The twilight mode sounds like a gimick but is one of the most effective software tricks i've ever seen on a camera.

I am sure you will enjoy NEX-5n and AF in low light is not a big issue, once you learn to use peak function and DMF. (Switch off AF illumination help)

Tracking fast movement is tricky but you can try to use pre-focus in manual mode.

Being on budget you will certainly enjoy the wide range of inexpensive but good legacy lenses, that you can effectively use with 5n.

Other alternatives you might consider, beside DSLR's
New Canon Gx1
Samsung NX200

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/viktor_viktor/
http://verybiglobo.blogspot.com/

That's a really tough question to answer.

I've been shooting SLRs (film, then digital) for many years and NEX-5 for 1.5 years. I could not own the NEX-5 (or 5n) as my only camera. I could possibly own the NEX-7 as my only camera if I didn't use lenses that aren't available/practical on NEX.

My NEX pretty much only sees recreational use so hopefully my comments are useful. The tilting LCD is very nice. With the LCD tilted up, you can hold the camera very steadily with your elbows braced at your sides. The issue I had at first was making out detail in the LCD because I needed reading glasses (ended up with varifocals). The problem I still have with the LCD is that it's hard to use in bright sun in "Auto" brightness and menu-diving to change the brightness is annoying given the NEX' bad menu. (We have a Sony HX5V that lets you change brightness directly with the 4-way keypad ... stupid of Sony to buy that feature in a menu on a camera that depends on the LCD). In "Sunny" you can compose in bright light, but the view is "garish" and I only use it when necessary so I have to change that frequently.

Autofocus on the NEX-5 is sufficient for my uses; the 5n is better still. It's silent. I don't really have any issues with low light focus - I turned off the built in AF assist because it makes focus unpredictable, and I use spot focus - typically focus & recompose, but I sometimes change the AF point).

The shutter is loud; better on the 5n, but still not quiet.

The kit lens is quite good. At its better settings, the combination of the lens, the mirrorless body and the 14MP sensor in the NEX-5 gives me detail that rivals the CZ16-80 on my A700.

The 5n is a better camera in several ways, but personally, I would not use one of these in lieu of a DSLR without a viewfinder. When I first got the NEX, I found it a fun novelty, but over time, I found the lack of a viewfinder increasingly frustrating. I might upgrade to a NEX-7 at some point, but only when I see lenses that would cause me to use the NEX more often.

• Dennis

--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com

verybiglebowski said:

I am sure you will enjoy NEX-5n and AF in low light is not a big issue, once you learn to use peak function and DMF. (Switch off AF illumination help)

Tracking fast movement is tricky but you can try to use pre-focus in manual mode.

Being on budget you will certainly enjoy the wide range of inexpensive but good legacy lenses, that you can effectively use with 5n.

Other alternatives you might consider, beside DSLR's
New Canon Gx1
Samsung NX200

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Thanks, sounds like what I'm after.

To be clear though, I am not trying to avoid DSLRs. On the contrary, I'm just looking for IQ, whatever gives me the best image wins. Size doesn't really matter, it's still a an extra bag I'm going to carry around everywhere.

Also, I like pointing and shooting, but will switch to manual mode when that doesn't give me the result I want.

I'll take a look at those other two as well, thanks.

The D5100 is a great camera, and the IQ out of both is about the same. With the 5N, you gain small size and a faster live view AF (so you don't always have to have your head mashed into the viewfinder). Also, it's a swivel screen to allow for creative composition. The battery life is worse and so is the selection of lenses, and the d5100's PDAF is more useful for moving subjects, but I'd take small size over all that. DSLR's get annoying to carry around. The NEX isn't as small as Micro four thirds (including lenses), but it's still dang small. If you want faster CDAF, look into four thirds cameras too. They're also a good choice.

Dennis said:

That's a really tough question to answer.

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So your biggest issue with the 5N is the lack of a viewfinder. That has been troubling me as well, I fear I'm gonna end up hating the screen finder. Or not. My last real camera only had a view finder so I don't really know.

The limited lens are not really an issue, I don't have requirements high enough to warrant better lens (yet, anyway).

Going through the dpreview samples I get the feeling the 5N produces better details in images than the 5100 (kit lens), making things even more complicated.

Thank you for your comments

It is really hard to give you some ultimate advice, as whatever you choose from your pre-selection, you will have to deal with some compromises.

The IQ however IMO, is not one of the most important issues you should focus on between those cameras.

In my blog, I did compare Samsung NX200, Sony NEX 5n and Canon 550D and I can't say that any of them has significantly worse IQ.

Yes, Sony has best low light performance, and what I like even more - weak AA filter, resulting in a crisp sharp image. But the others are close. Very close.

I love to play with Sony, but mainly because I have a bunch of nice old FD Canons, C/Y Zeisses and some Leica R's lenses.

If I will consider price/value ratio, I will certainly choose Samsung NX200, as I was able to get impressive deal for the system - camera + 4 lenses + stronger external flash for just bellow 1000 USD.

If I would have only one of my cameras to keep, I will still choose Canon 550D, because it best suits my needs for everyday use and has a great system support behind including native lenses and studio tools.

I know I didn't help much, but take it from the brighter side - whatever camera you choose from those, you won't be disappointed.
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/viktor_viktor/
http://verybiglobo.blogspot.com/

verybiglebowski said:

I know I didn't help much, but take it from the brighter side - whatever camera you choose from those, you won't be disappointed.

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Every comment helps, thats why I asked you guys for opinions.

I admit that at some point it becomes nitpicking, but when shelling out money I like to know I did my homework and researched things as well as possible.

Thank you very much for your feedback, going to pay your blog a visit now

wirednet said:

Dennis said:

That's a really tough question to answer.

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So your biggest issue with the 5N is the lack of a viewfinder.

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Lack of certain lenses keeps me from being able to use it for certain things (as you've said, not an issue for you); lack of a viewfinder keeps me from wanting to use it for many things.

• Dennis

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Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com

wirednet said:

I admit that at some point it becomes nitpicking, but when shelling out money I like to know I did my homework and researched things as well as possible.

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Smart. A lot of people will say "just get out and shoot" but it's your money and you have choices, so it pays to take some time with it !

• Dennis

--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com