Sony Alpha NEX-5

Color & Noise Performance

The Sony NEX-5 managed a decent color performance in bright light, but its color accuracy wasn't quite as good as what we've seen from the competition. The camera also has a variety of color modes that can be adjusted in video mode. Click here to read our full color performance review, including color swatches and crops.

Color Accuracy Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The Sony NEX-5 produced a color error of 4.40 and a saturation level of 101.8% in our bright light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

The camera managed a very good noise performance in bright light, which is what we usually see from video-capable DSLRs. The camera measured just under 0.5% noise in this test (0.49%). Click here to read our full noise performance review, including crops and comparative analysis.
 

Motion & Sharpness

The NEX-5 records video using a 30p frame rate and its video looked rather good in our motion test. Artifacting was kept to a minimum, but there were some problems with blur and trailing. Click here to read our full motion performance review, including video clips.

Since the NEX-5 can record a Full HD 1920 x 1080 image, it is capable of capturing a sharper video image than the other cameras in this set (all of which top out with a 1280 x 720 resolution). There are other video-capable DSLRs out there that can record 1080p, but most of them are not as compact as the NEX-5. Click here to read our full sharpness performance review.

Low Light Performance

The NEX-5 did a very good job with low light sensitivity, as the camera needed just 11 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. This performance was far better than what we saw from the video-capable DSLRs we used as comparison models. Click here to read our full low light sensitivity performance review.

Required Illumination *

* the lower the lux required, the better the performance

Color accuracy in low light was not a strong point of the NEX-5, but the camera still produced pleasing colors in this test (and a good saturation level). Click here to read our full low light color performance review, including comparative images and analysis.

Auto Low Light Color Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The Sony NEX-5 produced a color error of 7.20 and a saturation level of 94.65% in our low light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

Low light noise was another strong area for the Sony NEX-5. The camera measured less than 1% noise in low light (0.9575%), which is a very low amount. There was, however, some noticable discoloration in our low light testing. Click here to read our full low light noise performance review, including crops and comparative images.

Conclusion

The NEX-5 ($699) has some of the best auto controls we've seen on a video-capable DSLR. Its continual autofocus is quiet and fast, and its auto exposure system works surprisingly well. In contrast, however, the camera has very little to offer in terms of manual controls when shooting video. You can set white balance, exposure, and color controls, but that's it; no aperture, shutter speed, or gain control is available in video mode. The fact that the NEX-5 can capture Full HD video (1920 x 1080) using the AVCHD codec is rather impressive. Most video-capable cameras of a similar size top out with 720p recording, which offers significantly less detail and sharpness. There are other video-capable DSLRs that record Full HD, but most of them are much larger than the NEX-5. Aesthetically, the NEX-5 is one of the most awkward cameras we've ever seen. The camera's body is tiny and slim, which is always a good thing, but the 18-55mm kit lens is so large that it effectively negates the compact design of the rest of the camera. This puts the NEX-5 in strange territory when recording video: it is small enough to wield with one hand, but it is difficult to keep steady for long periods of time unless you support it with a second hand beneath the hefty lens. Overall, the NEX-5 is an excellent choice for someone who is looking for a camera with a video mode that is simple to play around with and has an excellent autofocus system. If you want the freedom and versatility of manual controls, however, you are better off looking at some of the other models on the market.

Exclusive - Read the full review of the Sony NEX-5 at DigitalCameraInfo.com, including complete, comprehensive video testing and analysis by CamcorderInfo.com.