Professional photographers who need to hightail from one spot to another for sure realize the significance of portability when it comes to some digital camera. For such users, Sony has just skid the wraps off two innovative compact interchangeable lens digital cameras, the NEX-5 and the NEX-3. The new devices ensure to render the quality of a digital SLR in a compact body.
Designed to be portable, the easy-to-carry offerings can be easily slipped into a small purse or jacket purse for great motility. Sony’s new models tout to be the world’s first interchangeable lens cameras with an APS-C sensor to continuously adjust focus and exposure while recording video. The highly stylish NEX-5 delivers Full HD movie capture (1080i AVCHD and 720 MP4) with Full HD 60i recording.
Emerging as an ideal choice for point-and-shoot users, the devices boast of the ‘mirrorless’ construction that considerably eliminates the thickness of both camera bodies to just about an inch at their slimmest point. The NEX-5, hammered out from magnesium alloy, and the NEX-3, with a polycarbonate casing, offer a newly developed 14.2 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor.
“Consumers want better picture quality in a smaller form factor. Sony has made that a reality with these cameras. The NEX-5 and NEX-3 cameras truly embody Sony’s make.believe spirit,” explained Kristen Elder, director of Sony’s alpha digital imaging business. “These new cameras are the game-changers everyone has been waiting for and will revolutionize the consumer experience by offering outstanding picture quality with a totally pocketable size.”
Claimed to be the first alpha cameras to put up the convenience of high definition video recording, the devices come equipped with Sweep Panorama mode that allows users to capture amazing shots up to 226-degree horizontal or 151-degree vertical shots. The compact NEX-5 can also capture Full HD video in high-quality AVCHD files that can be easily enjoyed on a compatible HD television via the cameras built-in HDMI terminal. On the other hand, the NEX-3 shoots 720p HD video as compact MP4 files. Apart from this, built-in stereo microphones are subsumed for high-quality audio recording.
The cameras also include a new easy-to-use interface. Images and cameras settings are displayed on the 3-inch (diagonal) wide-type Xtra Fine LCD display with TruBlack technology and 921k dot high resolution LCD that tilts up or down for comfortable viewing in any shooting position. For breakthrough visibility, even outdoors, the screen of the devices integrates an auto-brightness control function.
Further, three new E-mount lenses are also revealed, including a 16mm F2.8 wide angle prime lens (SEL16F28), an 18mm-55mm F3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens (SEL1855) and an 18mm-200mm F3.5-6.3 (SEL18200) high magnification zoom lens. These recently rolled out E-mount lenses provide the cameras with enormous compactness and top-notch performance for quiet continuous auto-focus and auto-exposure during HD video capture.
Additionally, the interchangeable lens cameras are merchandized with a super-compact clip-on flash that attaches via the smart accessory terminal when needed. Optional accessories like FDA-SV1 Optical Viewfinder, stylish cases, and shoulder straps are also included.
The NEX-5 and NEX-3 cameras, which are supplied with SEL16F28 lens, will be priced at $650 (approx Rs. 29,432) and $550 (approx Rs. 24,904), respectively. The cameras, supplied with SEL1855 lens will cost around $700 (approx Rs. 31,696) and $600 (approx Rs. 27,168), respectively.
