It's a known fact that Sony has never really been able to properly break into the dSLR market. The giant has faced stiff competition from Canon and Nikon, and these two, own a major chunk of the market between them. To make things worse, Sony actually supplies Nikon with sensors for their dSLRs. Surprisingly though, the same sensors exhibit less noise inside Nikon bodies than Sony's - testament to Nikon's design and engineering thoroughness. Whether it be this fact, or the intention of creating a new camera niche, Sony has an interesting segment for us. We're not quite sure what to call it, but the NEX series are basically small camera bodies with removable lenses and 1.5x crop sensors. That's right! - instead of the piddly 8 x 5 mm sensors found on most compact cameras, the NEX-5 has a (relatively) whopping 23.4 x 15.6 mm sensor - probably the same as the sensor on the Nikon D3100, an entry-level dSLR, and this sensor has the same dimensions as sensors found in just about any Nikon or Sony crop dSLR.

With a huge theoretical advantage in sensor size, and therefore photodiode area, a lot was expected from the NEX-5. For those who still cannot grasp the concept of a dSLR sensor in a small body, the NEX-5 is meant aimed at a niche segment who demand quality, but do not want to lug a bulky camera with them. The NEX-5 is more stylish, and has a lot of idiot-proof features built in, whereas a dSLR would give you a lot more customisable options. The NEX range do not use the A-mount, instead, the E-mount is used.

For comparison, I am using a Canon EOS 7D and a Canon PowerShot A710IS. Both are cameras that I have used extensively and am quite familiar with.

Look and feel

The NEX-5 has a distinctly upmarket feel. It's a slim camera with a nice bulge in the grip region. While not comparative to the large, comfortable grips on a dSLR, it is distinctly more substantial than the grip on the Canon G12 (read our review of the Canon G12 here). The body is made of metal, and feels extremely sturdy. However, because of the denseness of components packed inside, we caution against sharp impacts. The E-mount is pretty solid, with steel used in its construction, and the top of the camera has an accessory slot, that, among other things, accepts a flash unit. The kit lens is an 18~55 affair, and also solidly built. There is no optical viewfinder, rather a widescreen LCD viewfinder does duty on the rear. The display conceals a double hinge that allows upward and downward inclination, but no articulation. The add-on flash is the only part of the kit (other than the charger) that is made of plastic.

Unlike a dSLR, the NEX-5 has minimal buttons on the body. An on-off switch on the top is flanked on the left by a recessed play button and shutter button. Below it, is the video record button. No zoom ring - remember manual zoom. On the rear, is a dial with an inset centre button. Each direction on the dial has a click function too. Above and below the dial are two menu buttons.

Controls and usability

The controls of the NEX-5 are interesting. Firstly, the rear buttons are represented on-screen with their corresponding functions. On the main menu, there are eight options. Select one, and then spin the dial in conjunction with the buttons to set options. Most of the controls are pictorially represented on-screen, like the mode dial, which spins on-screen in sync with the spinning of the rear dial. While this is neat, it takes a bit of getting used to. To make up for dedicated buttons, settings like ISO rating, focus mode, white balance, aperture, and shutter speed, among others, are all displayed on-screen, and changing them involves using the dial and rear buttons. We like the visual interface, and kudos to Sony for trying something new. However, hardcore dSLR users will not be impressed. We're objective enough to realise, that 20 odd buttons and memorising their functions is not exactly intuitive either, and mastering this interface of Sony's, is much easier, and quicker than mastering the interface of even an ergonomic dSLR, like the Canon EOS 7D.

However, where cameras like the 7D score is, that, while the learning curve is steep, once you get there, it's downhill most of the time. They're highly customisable, and once you configure and set custom settings, and memorise key positions and functions enough for instinctual use, the 7D becomes a relatively friendly beast. With the NEX-5, you will still spend the same time, changing a setting now than you will a month down the line. At the most you may not waste time in the wrong menu. However, there is only so much one can do when designing a minimal-button interface on a small camera body, and considering this, Sony has done reasonably well.

Click next for a look at the performance and our final take