SONY launches new NEX-3 and NEX-5 mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras
Sony have joined Olympus, Panasonic and Samsung in launching a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera which will debut in two different camera bodies, the NEX-3 and NEX-5. This category is now really gaining some traction and the folks at Canon and Nikon will be looking over their shoulders with great interest to determine whether they are going to jump in or not.
We've been playing with the Panasonic GF-1 and think its an ideal second camera for DSLR owners but Sony has seen an opportunity instead to target point and shoot users to upgrade to a more advanced camera without the bulky frame of a DSLR.
The NEX-3 and NEX-5 both sport a 14.6megapixel HD CMOS sensor in a new, proprietary mirrorless E-mount system. They both offer high-resolution and tilt/flip screens with fast continuous shooting and HD video capture. At this time, there are just two lenses available for the new E-mount system: a 16mm F2.8 pancake, offering a 24mm equivalent field-of-view, a standard 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 stabilized kit zoom, and a third lens: an18-200mm F3.5-6.3 stabilized super-zoom to follow.
The difference between the NEX-5 and NEX-3 cameras is the NEX-5 has a slightly smaller and compact magnesium alloy body, an infrared remote receiver and 1080i AVCHD movie recording; other than that, they are virtually identical.
The cameras don't have built-in flash but will be supplied with an external flash unit that is mounted on a new accessory port aboard the camera which is a strange approach.
The NEX-3 will retail for US$599.99 and the NEX-5 for $699.99 both equipped with an 18-55mm zoom lens.
Initial reviews suggest great image quality and good high-ISO performance but critics have suggested that the bare buttons and restrictions in iAuto mode and the odd flash arrangement means that the SONY NEX cameras will have some catching up to do.
Stay tuned for this interesting evolution of the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera systems.
