In-depth evaluation of Sony micro-single NEX-5N beginner enlightenment machine

IT 168 evaluation 2011On August 25th, Sony officially released a new generation of micro-cameras in Beijing? NEX 5N. Compared with the previous generation NEX-5C, the new product adopts Sony's latest 1665438+ megapixel Exmor APS high-definition CMOS sensor. With the support of the new generation BIONZ image processor, the highest continuous shooting speed of 10fps, the function of 50P full HD camera and the highest sensitivity of ISO25600 are realized. At the same time, as a camera for home users, NEX-5N also uses a touch screen and provides a variety of special shooting effects. What is Sony's micro-single NEX-5N? Please see the in-depth evaluation brought by IT 168.

Sony's micro-camera NEX-5N adopts 1665438+ megapixel APS-C image sensor, which is the second largest single camera at present, only a little smaller than the new NEX-F3 of NEX series. And the highest continuous shooting speed of 10fps meets the needs of beginners.

▲ Sony micro-single NEX-5N features

Sony NEX-5N Appearance: Fashion

Because the NEX-5N adopts Al-Mg alloy with larger area, the thinnest part of the fuselage is reduced to 23.3mm, and the overall weight is lighter than that of NEX-5C 18g. However, if you don't observe carefully, I believe you can hardly see the difference between NEX-5N and NEX-5C, and considering the prominent lens bayonet and handle, the actual measurement of NEX-5N has reached 1 10.8? 58.8? 38.2 mm, exactly the same as the previous NEX-5C.

▲ Sony NEX-5N front

The top of NEX-5N keeps the characteristics of NEX series, and there is no mode dial, only camera key, power-on key, play key and video key are set.

For NEX-5N without built-in flash, external small flash is still standard, and its flash index is about GN7 (ISO 100, in meters). It should also be noted that the NEX-5N cannot use the high-power external flash on the Sony A SLR because it has no hot boots. At present, the highest power flash lamp available is HVL-F20s with a flash index of GN20.

▲ Upper and lower NEX-5N

The main function buttons of NEX-5N are distributed on the right side of the screen. continuous shooting, ISO, exposure compensation and other common parameters can be adjusted by the buttons and the dial wheel. In addition, a menu button and a custom button are set on the back of NEX-5N.

NEX-5N is equipped with a 3.0-inch, 920,000-pixel TFT display screen with a field of view of about 100%, and the display accuracy has reached a fairly good level.

▲NEX-5N back

In terms of grip, there is almost no difference between NEX-5N and NEX-5C, and the wide handle has a good performance in stability. However, it should be noted that the NEX series uses APS-C format sensor, so the matching lens size is not small. It can be said that any original lens except E 16mm F2.8 will be top-heavy.

▲NEX-5N side

The interfaces of NEX-5N are all designed on the left side of the fuselage, mainly HDMI and mini USB2.0. After connecting the TV through the HDMI interface, everyone can watch their own HD videos directly.

▲ Data interface

In terms of batteries and storage media, NEX-5N is no different from NEX-5C. It still uses 1080mA NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery, but its battery life has increased from 330 to 430. But I suggest you buy an extra battery as a backup.

▲ Battery storage

▲ battery

Appearance summary: From the overall material, shape and key layout of NEX-5N, there is little change compared with the previous generation products, which conforms to the basic quality of Volkswagen micro-camera. At the same time, the keys are evenly distributed, which is suitable for beginners.

${PageNumber} Sony NEX-5N resolution: better than most SLR cameras.

Sony NEX-5N adopts 1665438+ megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, and the pixels reach the basic level of micro-camera, but what can Sony NEX-5N do in image quality? Let's take a look at the results.

In the test, Sony NEX-5N equipped with E 16mm F2.8 lens was used to shoot the sample (4000 lines) of ISO 12233 resolution standard board, and the best resolution value was obtained through Imatest software test.

▲ISO 12233 resolution target (4000 lines)

The following are the best resolution test results of Sony NEX-5N:

▲ Sony NEX-5N test results

According to the test results, the resolution of Sony NEX-5N is excellent. The best resolution of JPG is 2483 lines when it is straight out, and even reaches 3370 lines when Raw is converted into JPG. These more than 3,000 lines have surpassed most SLR's.

Sony NEX-5N clarity: excellent picture details.

Resolution test can let us know the theoretical clarity of a camera, but whether the photo can meet our expectations depends on the actual shooting effect. After all, the theoretical value will eventually be reflected through actual shooting.

▲ Define test scenarios

In the definition test, we used NEX-5N to carry the lens in the resolution test and took this photo in the standard evaluation environment. For comparison, we intercepted four parts of the sample (the red box area above) for observation.

▲ 100% resolution sample screenshot.

From the 100% screenshot of the face, the details of Sony NEX-5N are excellent, the portraits of banknotes and pen holders are very clear, and the details of the picture are intact. Sony NEX-5N is also gorgeous in color, and its reduction performance to objects is also very high, as can be seen from the screenshot of coins.

Resolution summary: In the resolution test, we can see that the resolution of NEX-5N in RAW format is better than that in JPG format, which is relatively normal, and the value above 3000 lines has surpassed most SLR. From the actual shooting effect, the resolution of 1665438+ million pixels of NEX-5N is excellent.

${PageNumber} Sony NEX-5N high-sensitivity imaging: ISO 1600 is shown below.

In addition to clarity and resolution, high-sensitivity imaging is also a standard for testing the quality of NEX-5N images. Using APS-C format sensor, every inch of pixels will inevitably make users worry about its high-sensitivity imaging.

▲ Sensitivity test environment

The above scenario is the standard sensitivity test environment of IT 168 evaluation room. After turning off the optimization projects such as noise reduction in the machine, we fixed the camera on the gear platform of the heavy tripod, so that the camera could still shoot the photosensitive effect of each gear. Then we cut the photo slices from the same position in the above picture (pictured) to see how sensitive NX2 10 is. ?

▲ Sony NEX-5N high sensitivity performance

When noise reduction is turned off, it can be seen from the actual shooting results that when Raw is converted to JPG, NEX-5N first retains sharpness and suppresses noise better, but the clarity is slightly insufficient; JPG comes out directly, and the noise control algorithm of NEX-5N is quite good, and the details of the picture are also very clear. However, no matter whether JPG is directly output or RAW is converted into JPG, obvious noise appears from ISO 1600, and ISO 3200 has more noise, which has a significant impact on image quality. И o16000 Within the acceptable range, ISO 3200 can be used for emergency shooting.

Turn on the noise reduction comparison test

In the test of turning off noise reduction, NEX-5N has a good noise control algorithm when JPG is straight out. And what happens when noise is reduced and turned on? Let's have a look.

▲JPG Direct Noise Reduction and Standard Comparison

By comparing the sensitivity of each frame, NEX-5N can see that the image noise of ISO 400 and ISO 800 with low noise reduction and standard noise reduction is not obvious, and it is unnecessary to turn on noise reduction below ISO 800. When ISO 1600 and above, the standard noise reduction effect is very obvious, especially for ISO 6400. Although the picture details are seriously lost, the noise suppression is obvious. It is recommended to start the standard noise reduction above ISO 800.

Summary of high sensitivity test: For NEX-5N, the available sensitivity is ISO 1600, ISO 3200 can be used for emergency shooting, and it is not recommended to use it outside ISO 6400. At the same time, it is suggested to implement standard noise reduction from above ISO 800.

${PageNumber} Sony NEX-5N color reproduction: suitable for shooting scenery.

Clarity and high-sensitivity imaging are important manifestations of image quality, and the color performance of NEX-5N is also worthy of attention. One is to see whether the white balance of NEX-5N can accurately restore the original color temperature of the object, and the other is to see what the overall color tendency of NEX-5N is more suitable for.

▲ Color test environment

In order to understand the imaging style of Sony NEX-5N, in the color test, we let NEX-5N carry E 16mm F2.8 lens, set automatic white balance and manual white balance to shoot standard color cards respectively (the red box in the above picture is the color test range), and get the final data through imatest software:

▲ Manual white balance test results

The test chart reflects the difference between the actual imaging color value and the ideal value of Sony NEX-5N. The part surrounded by gray lines in the picture is the color gamut range of Sony NEX-5N. The square color block in the test chart is the ideal color value, and the circular color block is the actual shooting value.

Among them, manual white balance exceeds the sRGB color gamut 19.2%, and Sony NEX-5N has moderate brightness, which can be used for post-processing and direct output. At the same time, NEX-5N is sensitive to blue-green, so it is suitable for taking photos with landscape themes.

▲ Automatic white balance test results

In terms of automatic white balance, Sony NEX-5N exceeds the sRGB color gamut 19.6%, which is basically the same as manual white balance. It is still sensitive to blue-green and suitable for shooting scenery. At the same time, it can be seen that the automatic white balance of Sony NEX-5N is accurate and can be used safely.

${PageNumber} Sony NEX-5N control test: fewer buttons, higher control efficiency.

After understanding the comprehensive imaging performance of NEX-5N, let's talk about the control performance of NEX-5N. As a micro-camera, the problem of control performance will inevitably be mentioned. Users who are familiar with NEX series single camera still recognize the control performance of this series, which is very convenient to operate.

▲ One-handed camera control

When holding the camera in one hand, the index finger of the right hand is just pressed on the shutter, and the thumb is located on the menu wheel on the back. The dial wheel can adjust exposure compensation, continuous shooting, ISO, etc. At the same time, the middle key and right key of the wheel can be customized.

Aperture adjustment

It is very convenient to adjust the aperture. When you directly rotate the dial wheel of NEX-5N back menu, you can directly adjust the aperture value through the outer wheel, and you can enlarge or reduce the aperture after you easily dial the wheel.

▲ aperture adjustment

Exposure compensation adjustment

Click below the outer wheel to activate the exposure compensation menu, and then rotate the outer wheel to adjust the exposure compensation. At the same time, Sony's humanized design will display the description of exposure compensation after activating the exposure compensation menu.

▲ exposure compensation adjustment

Sensitivity adjustment

Sensitivity adjustment is also very convenient. You don't need to use combo buttons. You can click on the right side of the wheel outside the menu combination. At this point, the sensitivity value has been displayed, and you can adjust the sensitivity by rotating the wheel.

▲ Sensitivity adjustment

Continuous shooting rule

Almost the same as sensitivity adjustment, click on the outside wheel but this time on the left, then activate the continuous shooting menu and turn the wheel to adjust the continuous shooting mode.

▲ continuous shooting mode adjustment

Custom key adjustment

The custom button is under the outer wheel, and the author sets it to adjust the white balance function. Click this button, the outer wheel can be adjusted, and the key can reset the function. If users have the habit of setting custom buttons, they can also set their own custom functions.

▲ Custom button

Summary of control test: Sony NEX-5N can quickly adjust the four most commonly used settings such as aperture, continuous shooting, sensitivity and exposure compensation. As an operation that can take up most of the photographer's adjustment time, the control efficiency is very high. At the same time, some other commonly used parameters can also be adjusted by setting custom buttons, which is very convenient.

${PageNumber} Sony NEX-5N video performance:

Nowadays, the video shooting ability of micro-camera has also become one of the important performances, and the advantage of micro-camera is that it can focus automatically quickly and continuously. Does NEX-5N support 1920? 1080 50p progressive scanning full HD video shooting. What is the focusing speed and accuracy during shooting? Let's take a look at the effect of real shooting.

Let's watch a video shot with Sony NEX-5N autofocus tracking:

From the video, we can easily find that NEX-5N has a good autofocus speed and focus tracking effect during the train operation, and the focus has always been on the locomotive. When the locomotive leaves the picture, it can automatically focus on the car continuously for a long time.

Sony NEX-5N is positioned as an entry-level micro-camera, so it is widely used by entry-level users. We don't recommend that you use manual focusing to shoot video, which requires too much shooting. Therefore, autofocus performance is particularly important. Let's watch a video together. When the main body of the picture changes, can NEX-5N quickly identify and focus accurately? ?

From the video, we can see that the autofocus of Sony NEX-5N is relatively accurate, and the process of focus shift is very smooth, and there is no rush out of the focal plane, which is still satisfactory.

Summary of video performance: According to the overall effect of video shooting, Sony NEX-5N gives full play to the focusing advantage of miniature single camera in video shooting, which can not only smoothly shift the focus when the main body of the picture changes, but also accurately focus on moving objects.

${PageNumber} Sony NEX-5N real shot sample

Let's take a look at the samples taken for evaluation:

▲ Sensitivity: ISO 200 focus: 42mm aperture: F5.6 shutter: 1/400s.

▲ Sensitivity: ISO 640 focus: 42mm aperture: F5.6 shutter: 1/80s.

▲ sensitivity: ISO? 1250 focal length: 26mm aperture: F4.5 shutter: 1/80s.

▲ Sensitivity: ISO 1600 Focus: 25mm aperture: F4.4 shutter: 1/30s.

▲ Sensitivity: ISO 1600 Focus: 25mm aperture: F4.4 shutter: 1/40s.

▲ Sensitivity: ISO 1600 Focus: 25mm aperture: F4.4 shutter: 1/30s.

▲ Sensitivity: ISO 200 focus: 25mm aperture: F4.5 shutter: 1/80s.

${PageNumber} Sony NEX-5N evaluation summary

Although the image quality of NEX-5N is basically not improved compared with that of NEX-5C except for its higher output resolution, the great evolution in hardware performance is enough to make NEX-5N stand out in the whole electricity market (16 1000 pixel APS-C CMOS, 1080/50P full HD camera,/kloc. Besides NEX-7, we really can't find a second small battery with such strong comprehensive strength.

▲ Sony NEX-5N

In addition, the improvement of the man-machine interface of NEX-5N is also worthy of recognition, not only because it provides a brand-new touch-sensitive operation interface and multiple user-defined buttons, but also because it has many built-in shooting skills and functional descriptions (this is really sweet for users who don't know photography and rarely touch digital cameras).

Main parameters of Sony NEX-5N

"function

"parameter

sensor

1665438+ Million, APS-C format

Continuous shooting speed

10fps

speed

ISO 100-25600

concentrate

25-point autofocus

Photometric determination

1200- regional evaluation photometry

Video shooting

1920 x 1080，50p

screen

3 inches, 920 thousand pixels

roll

About110.8x58.8x38.2mm.

weight

About 2 10g (mainframe only)

Summary of advantages and disadvantages of Sony NEX-5N:

Summary of advantages and disadvantages of Sony NEX-5N

superiority

1, small and light.

2. The highest sensitivity can reach ISO25600.

3. Support 1080/50P full HD camera function.

4, video shooting focus smooth and accurate

"shortcomings

1. There are few native lenses available.

2. The wear resistance of the fuselage surface is not high, and scratches are easy to appear.

Purchase suggestion:

Sony NEX-5N is suitable for beginners and home users. Its portable characteristics can basically be used for traveling and street shooting. Sony NEX-5N's fashionable design is also in line with the buying habits of fashionable young people, especially female users, and can be used as a beginner's photography enlightenment camera.

At present, the market price of Sony NEX-5N is 4 150 yuan, which is basically the same as the price of NEX-5C at its peak, so the current price is very suitable for sale, and its cost performance is particularly outstanding.