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Sony Announces the $650 NEX-5R Mirrorless Camera

09.1.12 @ 2:06PM Tags : cameras, dslr, hdslr, hybrid, nex5n, nex5r, sony, sonynex5n, sonynex5r

In what was seemingly lost in the commotion related to another big camera announcement, the C100 (from a small company called Canon), Sony is replacing its NEX-5N mirrorless camera with a brand new model and another confusing name, the NEX-5R. The new camera is mostly unchanged from the NEX-5N, except for a few notable additions, including better autofocus and built-in WiFi capabilities. The only question is what, if anything, has been done for video quality? More »

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The Sony NEX-5 Mirrorless Has Been Hacked with Higher Bitrates, is the FS100 Next?

08.12.12 @ 10:00AM Tags : cameras, firmware, gh2, hacks, panasonicgh2, sony, sonyfs100, sonynex5n

While the hacking of a camera that can’t shoot 24p wouldn’t normally be cause for excitement, in this case it may actually mean quite a bit. Sony has traditionally kept bitrates low on their lower-end cameras, and even on some of their higher-end cameras (like the F3). We’ve all seen how much higher bitrates have helped cameras like the Panasonic GH2, and while increasing the bitrate is no magic bullet for image quality, being able to do it on a camera like the FS100 or even the NEX-5N or NEX-7 would certainly be helpful, and it might even be possible to add new features to any of those cameras. With what Magic Lantern has incorporated into their own hack, it’s pretty obvious why this might be exciting. More »

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Sony's New $600 NEX-5N Hybrid Camera Put to the Test

09.6.11 @ 9:16AM Tags : cameras, dslr, hdslr, hybrid, nex5n, sony, sonynex5n

In addition to the A77, A65, NEX-7 and NEX-VG20, Sony will also soon be shipping the $600 NEX-5N, a diminutive, low-cost hybrid camera with an APS-C sensor. Despite the lack of a mirror (thus making the NEX-5N not a DSLR, technically), this camera should be capable of the same shallow depth-of-field images that have popularized HDSLRs, and a few sites have gotten their hands on it for testing purposes. Note that some of these videos follow the standard tradeshow practice of camera manufacturers: bring in female models to a predominantly male world in order to show “skin tones.” I’m not judging, just saying. To the tests: More »