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Sony NEX5RK/B2BDL NEX5RK 16.1 MP Compact System Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black) and 55-210mm Lens Bundle
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| List Price: | $1,099.99 |
| Price: | $980.39 |
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Ships from and sold by Electronics Basket
2 new or used available from $879.95
Average customer review:
(89 customer reviews)
Product Description
Shoot and share DSLR-quality photos online, straight from the cameraProduct Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #13721 in Camera & Photo
- Color: Black
- Brand: Sony
- Model: NEX5RK/B2BDL
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x 9.00" w x 11.00" l,
- Display size: 3
Features
- DSLR-quality in about half the size and weight
- 16 MP APS-C sensor with fast up to 10 fps shooting speed
- Fast Hybrid AF includes phase-detection for DSLR-like focus
- Full HD movie shooting at 60p/24p with full exposure control
- includes 55-210MM zoom lens
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews224 of 242 people found the following review helpful.
An exquisite hot cake to mirror-less market.(Update Jul-27-2013)
By Z. Wu
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1V5X47HSTYK5S This review is for both new NEX adapters and exist NEX members wish to upgrade to 5R.
I'm a active NEX users and very fond of NEX-7 for it's whole package. I bought this 5R as a backup camera to my NEX-7. So here is some conclusion of my 2 weeks extensive experience with NEX-5R, hope it can give you some ideas:
The NEX-5R is the 3rd generation of Sony NEX camera line:
2010-2011
Entry: NEX-3
Intermediate: NEX-5
Enthusiastic: None
2011-2012
Entry: NEX-C3
Intermediate: NEX-5n
Enthusiastic: NEX-7
2012-2013
Entry: NEX-F3
Intermediate: NEX-5R
Sub-Enthusiastic: NEX-6
Enthusiastic: NEX-7
2013-
Entry: NEX-3N
Intermediate: NEX-5R(update soon)
Sub-Enthusiastic: NEX-6
Enthusiastic: NEX-7(update soon)
Thus, the NEX-5R is the successor of NEX-5n.
If you have don't have a extensive knowledge about NEX-5n or NEX family, here are the highlights of my field experience:
1. APS-C sensor size, 1.5x crop for lens DOF and focal calculation, very popular and balance sensor size, give you enough shallow depth of field but still keep lens in a affordable weight, seize and price.
2. Sony CMOS Sensor, the most widely used and acclaimed sensor in recent days, even Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Fujifilm put Sony senor into their highest level DSLR cameras. It gives you the lots of dynamic range, color depth and top notch low light ISO performance.
The field benefit is I can live with jpegs directly come from the camera w/o tweak Raws and struggle for more detail and dynamic range.
3. Compact size, well designed simplistic camera body is very easy to handle and grasp.
4. Relatively long battery life compare to similar specs mirrorless cameras.
5. 20ms shutter release latency and articulate LCD makes it perfect for street snap shot.
6. Handheld twilight, Panorama photo, Auto HDR is best in its class, easy to use and boost creativity.
7. High-definition (640x480) quality LCD with fast refresh rate and wide view angle, color reproduction is very good and accurate.
8. Highest movie record profile: 1080 60P 28Mbps more than the requirement of Blu-ray and have extensive control over movie recording.
9. High speed focus, comparable to DSLR in daylight but suffers at night. Face detection and scene recognition.
10. For experienced users, NEX system have a 18mm flange-to-sensor distance, so basically you can adapt almost any camera lens in human history to the NEX and enjoy the old style creativity with high technology: Zoom-in focus and focus peaking.
If you already own an NEX and want to know the difference about NEX-5n and NEX-5R, here are the upgraded areas:
1. CDAF+PDAF hybrid auto-focus system, provides both CDAF's accuracy and PDAF's focus tracking capability.
2. Focus speed improved, even with CDAF, the new focus algorithms in those 3rd generation NEX makes them hunts less and more intelligent.
3. More consistent control style, fixed some button and make the Fn as standard button in all modes and apps. (detail list below)
4. Add a new dial, provide more flexible control.
5. Combined shutter release button with power switch similar to other Sony/Nikon/Pentax DSLR shutter release button.
6. Articulate screen can provide 180 degree self-portrait and also gives you 45 degree downward view and still keeps the screen slim.(more photos please see my gallery uploaded to the production page)
7. Wifi function can share photos to mobile device and PCs.
8. App function provides more capability to this camera.(detail list below)
9. New minor improvements added and bug fix: Electronic level gauge, Movie button can be turned off, AEL lock with shutter release, Bracketing range increased from previous +/-0.7 to +/-1,+/-2,+/-3
10. White balance is more accurate.
11. In-body Macro-USB charging.
The problem still exist:
1. PDAF needs lens support, right now all Sony NEX lens support PDAF functions, some need a firmware update.
2. App store is a great concept, but it also exposed the hardware limitation of NEX: app experience not comparable to modern mobile devices.
3. NEX operation system have been improved, but still lack of pro menu functions and it's more family-oriented, such as separate of Movies and Photos libraries. and "world record super long setup menu".
4. Still using the Smart terminal 2 proprietary hotshoe, limit the studio wireless flash and create useless proprietary waste.
5. Wifi function is a little hard to setup and not easy to use for many causal no geek users.
6. App store is just the 1st step for Sony, and what's the future of it is still unknown.
So,if you wants more details:
1.control style evolving:
Historically, NEX-5 are criticized for it's awkward menu and lack of Quick-menu for quick adjustment. So Sony upgrade NEX-5n with a custom center button, which used to be modal change button, provide a custom menu of 5 functions, but leave with a mess and contradiction menu style: If you set the 5n's center button to Quick custom menu, you have to assign either right arrow or down arrow to modal change function in order to change modes(P A S M...), but if you jump into Panorama or Handheld twilight, the center button will recover to model function. thus you lose your Quick-menu function. It's so awkward and makes the your NEX is very different to your friends' NEX after the learning curve. So in 5R Sony made a great decision to it:
Sony makes the center button fixed and cannot to assign any functions, which means in any NEX w/o dedicate modal in future, the center button is fixed to change the camera mode(P A S M...). And add a dedicate Fn button, to trigger the previous Quick-menu.
I know it's a little frustration at first glance: 5R added a new Fn button, but fixed the customization of center button. But if you consider this in a more brighter way: it's good to have the modal button fixed and the new Fn button is easy to trigger with your index-finger, plus you won't lose your Quick menu in any situation even in app mode. it's not a loss. And a little comfort is this qucik-menu can assign 6 functions.
Another control style change is fixed right arrow to ISO and down arrow to exposure compensation. This modification is also accompanied with the previous discussed: make the NEX camera more canonical, so everyone touches a new generation of NEX can play with it and enjoy the new feature without dig into menus system and assign your own style. I can understand their effort to make NEX family standalize but lose the customization of control style still makes me feel NEX become obsolete and inclined to traditional DSLRs (with tremendous dedicate buttons).
2. PDAF do have some limitation:
PDAF is mostly benefit in the AF-C mode (Please watch the movie within this review), AF-S didn't improve much compare to previous CDAF, still hunts for focus.
PDAF can only be activated when aperture value is no greater than f/6.3 (e.g: f/1.4-f/6.3 works, f/7.1-f22 won't work)
PDAF is only works with still image, not for movies.
PDAF won't work when it's dark.
PDAF won't work when AF illumination turned on.
3.The NEX-5R have two kinds of wifi usage:
a. link to a exist wifi hotpot, and
surf the web and download apps
upload the photo to photo sharing site: play memory, facebook,flickr(possibly) you name it...
b. create a direct hotspot by itself, and
Let your cellphone/device to collect to this personal hotspot and wirelessly using live view/ shutter
Let your cellphone/device to collect to this personal hotspot and the camera transfer its photos to your cellphone/device
4. Welcome to App world.
I really welcome this, but my feeling is a little mixed: promote such a important function in camera is quite a innovation. but does the users ready to accept the concept that they have to pay for a function in future?
When iPhone opened the world of mobile apps, it have a most important conviction: user-centered. Every app is around user: satisfy user needs. Does Sony fully understand this and through the app to improve their user experience? It's a little early to place any conclusion.But I expect Sony understand why Google play and iTunes are successful app stores because they satisfied user needs and improve customers experience.
For example, at present, the NEX-5R app store have 4 apps: 3 free 1 for sell with $4.99.
Those free apps:
Remote control is just works, using your smartphone as live view and control the camera shutter.
Direct upload needs some updates, it's only function is upload photos to facebook or play memory gallery, hope it can support flickr or picasa in future.
Fliter+ is provide more filters, like the newest watercolor or blend two filters effects together, a welcome addition to NEX users.
The only app with price is multi-frame noise reduction app. It works like Handheld twilight but with more controls over aperture, iso, shutter speed. Sony provide such function in their Alpha cameras, but not in NEXs, NEX only have "lite version" as the automatic Handheld twilight.
I end up give MFNR a try, and here is the interesting part: You buy the app once and it can gives you 10 licenses to any camera associate with your Sony account.
Because I cant upload full-size photos to give you the illusration, So I just give you the conclusion:
In MFNR, the ISO 12800 is comparable to standard ISO 3200, ISO 6400 is comparable to standard ISO 1600, etc... and it's also makes the ISO 400 to ISO 800 noise free when 100% zoom-in, So I'd say it provide 2ev improvement over normal ISO shots.
In some sense, it's still seems like a steal money from us. but like someone said before: you have the choice. However, please understand not everything from a camera manufacture "should" be free, Nikon charges it's Capture NX 2 for $130 and Camera Control Pro 2 for $180, can we say "because you a my camera's manufacture, so everything software associate with your camera should be free?" Software is a intellectual property, manufacture have the rights to sell it or bundle it in some camera. So it's a decision made by Sony, and it's your decision whether buy it or not.
If this works like the way app store on mobile. For real example: I purchased goodreader when it came out on year 2009, it still on my newest mobilephone and upgrade twice a month from 2009 to 2012. it's quite a bargain when you consider this app cost $1 when it came out. So does this apply to many successful apps and great thanks to those hard working programmers. They treat old customers well, and we recommend those app to our friends. a win-win situation.
If Sony treat apps like MFNR, time-lapse in this way: constant upgradeable and compatible on all future cameras. people like me are willing to pay for it.
There also some bad examples: GPS device charges you fee for map upgrades(hopefully, they're dying because mobile devices.), antivirus software charges you year by year(they're dying too),Microsoft, Adobe charges quite a amount for upgrade version.
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful.
Buy it.
By Thomas Krafft
Just received my Sony NEX-5RK/S with the kit 18-55mm lens, along another lens I bought separately - the Sigma 30mm F2.8 EX DN- Sony E 330965, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0078ZYBP0/). I've only had a few hours to play around with it, but am already very impressed and happy.
I am not a professional photographer, but have used a wide range of cameras from point-and-clicks, to the Canon EOS Rebel XT DSLR I've owned for more than six years. If you're a serious professional photographer, then I'm sure there are plenty of cameras better suited to your level of expertise. If you're like me, someone who just wants professional-LOOKING photos from my various outings, holidays and special occassions, then you will be very pleased with the Sony NEX-5RK.
WHY I BOUGHT IT
I bought the Sony because my old Canon was simply too bulky and not at all easy to use on vacation of family outings. I wanted something with more of the convenience of the pocket cameras, but with all the professional capabilities of the DSLRs. The Sony, even with the zoom kit lens, is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or purse - or just use the included neck strap. The camera is so light, you won't even notice it. The shipping weight says 3 pounds, but that includes the charger and manuals. The camera alone - with lens - is probably closer to 2 pounds.
ACCESSORY NOTES
When I purchased this camera, there was a free accessory package offer I added to my order - which included a (1.) 16GB memory card, (2.) a camera bag (Case Logic DCB-304 High/Fixed Zoom Camera Case (Black) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039BPG1A/ref=oh_details_o02_s01_i00) and (3.) a Pogoplug device. The camera bag is perfect, and also includes a strap. If you can't get it free, I'd still recommend adding it to your order. It's worth it. WARNING: The Pogoplug devices might seem like a good travel backup - but they don't travel, and they're not a backup device. In other words, useless. Don't buy it. You can read my review of that product there.
AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL PHOTO MODES
Back to the camera: Again I'm not a professional photographer, but am familiar enough with various light and focus options. This camera gives you the option to shoot in several automatic, and preset modes, or to go full manual if you want. Either option will meet your needs - but more importantly for novice photographers like me, Sony's automatic modes and presets are WONDERFUL. I was prepared to dig into the guts with all the custom manual settings, but after spending a couple hours with mostly automatic modes, I'm VERY impressed. It's been several years since I had a new camera, and the technology on the Sony is quite surprising and exceptional.
For me, I set the camera to "SLN" mode, and from there you can use the selector wheel on top for two click access to all the presets, including Closeup, Portrait, Action, Landscape, Low light (tripod) or Low light (handheld), and several others. If, like me, you REALLY enjoy a narrow field of focus (where the subject or nearest thing is focused, but everything in the background is slightly or more blurry), you'll LOVE the Portrait and Closeup presets on this Sony. I've never had a small, almost-pocket camera that could do this before - and it's a real treat.
Basically, don't let all the details about manual modes scare you. Or, if those things do scare you, don't worry: The automatic and preset modes on this camera will seriously exceed your expectations, giving you really professional looking photos, with just a spin of the selector wheel and clicking "OK".
TAKING PICTURES
This camera does not have a view-finder like most DSLRs - but interestingly, I'm perfectly happy using the big LCD screen, like you find on most point-and-click cameras. You can buy the EVF (external viewfinder) accessory separately, but I don't think I'll need to. Besides, that same port can be used by the small flash - which is included with your box. Between a viewfinder or flash, you won't miss anything by not having the viewfinder.
My favorite new thing, which I couldn't do before, is touching the LCD screen to focus on specifically the subject I want. The camera has several automatic modes (it can even be set to snap a photo as soon as it "sees" your subject smile!), but for normal photo shooting and all the fancy stuff turned off, it was extremely quick to focus once the shutter is held halfway down, and for all other shots - especially where I used a narrow field of focus - that touch-screen focus capability is really neat.
There are several timer modes (10 second and 2 second), and the camera again surprised me with how smart it is. I turned the LCD screen around so I could see myself while taking a self-portrait. Without needing to click anything else, when I clicked the shutter, the camera automatically knew to give me 2 seconds (and showed me a timer indicator right there) before snapping the shot. Very smart.
USING THE FLASH, LOW LIGHT PHOTOS
By the way, even without a flash attached, this camera does have a built-in orange/red light used to detect distance and focus. Even in lower light conditions, I found the camera was very good at getting the range, focusing, and then automatically adjusting light and exposure as needed to produce very good shots - without any flash attached. I've read the other reviews about pretty good night time/dark photos, but still haven't had a chance to see for myself. Personally though, for every few thousands pictures I take, maybe only one is outdoors at night, with no other lights around - so I'm not too concerned.
VIDEO
There's a movie button on top of the body. Click it. Thats it!
Once you set the movie quality in the Settings menu, you never have to worry about it again. I held the camera, clicked the movie button and walked around for a few minutes, putting various subjects into view. Again, for you novice photographers out there - or even the professionals who don't want to bother with all the manul settings, taking videos on this camera is a real pleasure. I've had numerous camcorders before of varying quality, but it's been several years since the last. The Sony gives me better video than anything I've ever used before - definitely professional quality. And my favorite part, again, was the ability to just click the button and walk around - the camera automatically moved things in and out of focus as I aimed the camera at them, or moved away. And in those cases where I wanted to override the automatica stuff, and focus say on an object off to one side of the frame, all it took was a touch of the LCD screen while recording, and the Sony would move the focus to that object in less than 2 seconds. Brilliant!
APPS, SOFTWARE, WIFI, AND SMARTPHONE CAPABILITIES
Wow. Just wow. The Sony 5R has wi-fi and app capability - which means it can connect to any local wireless network AND it also acts as a wireless connection for your smartphone. This is big. I can already tell this will make a HUGE difference in how I use cameras, store and share photos and videos. The process goes like this:
(1.) You create an account on Sony's PlayMemories website. Remember this login.
(2.) When you're within range of any wireless network, you go into the Applications menu of the camera and connect to your network.
(3.) Now, the camera itself can act like a wireless computer, and can download apps, filter effects and connect with your PlayMemories account. Download and install the Sony apps for your camera shown in the camera's Applications area.
(4.) Make your smartphone even smarter. If you have an Android or iPhone smartphone, search the app store for PlayMemories and download both apps. One is so your phone can mange your local photos and upload to the PlayMemories site or Facebook to share photos. The second app is the REALLY neat one. It makes your smartphone into a remote control and storage device for your camera. Once you've installed the PlayMemories Mobile app on your smartphone, and the Smartphone Remote app on your camera (which you do in the previous step), you connect your smartphone directly to your camera, via the Wireless Network Settings on your smartphone. The camera itself gives off a wifi ID and gives you a password, so you can connect to it with your smartphone, like you woudl connect to any other wireless network. Neat.
(4.A.) The best thing about this Remote is that I can be holding the camera or place it anywhere within range - and whatever is visible through the camera's lens will appear on my smartphone. In other words, not only can you finally be in your own pictures - and NOT have to run real fast once you click the timer button - but you can be part of almost any picture you can imagine. Just set the camera, and use your smartphone to click the shutter and often as you want. Brilliant. I can finally get good photos of me sitting with my wife in the park, or of me and the kids *while* we're playing together. Every time you want to connect the remote, you just connect your smartphone to your camera's wireless transmitter, and open the app.
OVERALL
It's amazing what you can do with this camera - the quality and range of both automatic and manual modes, having both high quality photo and video capability, its compact size and light weight, with options to change lenses, plug-in other accessories too, aloing with the Wi-Fi, smartphone app and remote operation capabilities. There simply are no "CONS" for me. Thumbs-up, 5 stars.
35 of 38 people found the following review helpful.
Mixed feelings about NEX-5R
By S. Vogt
I took the NEX-5R hiking with me yesterday and thought the shooting experience was a mixed bag. Here are my pros and cons:
PROs:
-Excellent image quality. Color, detail, and ISO performance are all first rate for an APS-C camera. Noise becomes noticeable at ISO3200 but even at that sensitivity, the noise is of the fine grain variety so it still looks halfway decent. Color performance does degrade a little as you get to ISO1600 and beyond but this is pretty typical for this class of camera.
-Exposure is generally on the mark if skewing a little towards underexposure. Which I prefer to overexposure.
-Dual dials for adjusting both aperture and exposure.
-Autofocus performance is generally pretty good.
-Shot to shot times are good.
-Camera feels solid and well-made.
CONS:
-The LCD sucks on this camera. It's extremely reflective in sunlight even with the settings adjusted accordingly. This is a big problem because, unless you buy the add-on viewfinder, it's all you have to compose a shot. By the time you got the add-on viewfinder, you could've paid the same amount for the NEX-6 which features one built-in.
-The touch screen is of the resistive type rather than capacitive. It's good in a way because it prevents you from accidentally firing off a shot but at the same time, it just isn't as responsive as a capacitive touch screen.
-Like other Sonys, I find the menu system needlessly complicated and feel it should be streamlined for access to commonly used shooting settings.
Judged by its images (especially if you put a decent lens on it), the NEX-5R is an excellent imaging machine right up there with the best of the APS-C cameras. Whomever says that Sony can't compete with Canon and Nikon on image quality hasn't used any of their cameras as of late. However, the usability factor in the NEX-5R still lags behind the other cameras which takes some of the enjoyment away from the overall shooting experience. Unless you absolutely need the touch screen, I suggest spending the extra money on the NEX-6. It has the same excellent imaging performance but is more comfortable to shoot with, has that great built-in OLED EVF, a physical dial for changing shooting modes, and a built-in flash.
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