Review: Sony Alpha 5000 Lightest Interchangeable Lens Camera

Sony's latest addition, Sony Alpha 5000 is newly introduced in February 2014. Following the Sony Alpha 5000 Bloggers Gathering, I was given a unit of this brand new camera for review. The basic set comes in a Sony Alpha 5000 body and E-mount 16-50mm kit lens f/3.5-5.6.

The box also includes a power cord, rechargeable battery pack, micro USB cable, 

AC adapter, should strap, instruction manual and a Wi-Fi connection guide. 

Sony Alpha 5000 is considered the successor of Sony NEX series. It is now lighter, smaller yet more powerful in a way that it suits both amateurs and professionals. What used to be called “NEX” cameras will in the future be called “Alpha”.

Here are some of the notable key features of Sony Alpha that you should look into:

  20.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensors

  3-inch 460,000 dots tilting screens (Non-touch screen)

  Full HD movie with stereo sound recordings

  ISO100 - ISO16000

  25-point contrast detection focus

  3.5fps continuous shootings

  Built-in pop up flash

  Wi-Fi / NFC built ins

  Available in black, white and pink

Let's see what impressed me throughout my 2-week adventure with Sony Alpha 5000!

#1 For me, holding a bulky DSLR for long hours especially while travelling can be very exhausting and troublesome. I need something light and small enough to carry anywhere, preferably that the camera can fit into the dinner clutch. Now I found a perfect alternative to DSLR, Sony Alpha 5000 is only half the weight of its preceding NEX series!

Light and compact, the restyled handgrip enables better gripping and less shaky hands, while the body accommodates a built-in flash to brighten dimly-lit scenes. Taking good pictures have never been so easy without this camera!

#2 Sony Alpha 5000 features a new BIONZ X image processor, for improved tonal gradations, detail reproduction and lower noise whether shooting images or video. Under natural daylight, I can see how powerful the 20.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor is, when capturing every fine detail into the image.

Pictures are taken outdoors with sufficient sunlight. I love the clarity and vividness of the color composition here.

How about indoor photography? This picture is taken under natural light, using Aperture mode with dynamic focus area and low aperture. The lighting may not be sufficient inside a restaurant, therefore increasing EV (Exposure Composition) will do a great job to retain the original color and texture of hte salmon steak. No flash, I never use flash for my pictures. 

#3 It is a great camera even for beginners who want to produce pro-style picture quality, because the Superior Auto mode allows customizable setting where you can easily adjust the background clarity, brightness, color and vividness. It is very helpful to shoot perfect pictures and save the hassle of editing.

#4 Honestly, what matters most about the camera quality is its low light performance. Taking pictures outdoors during bright days is not a major issue. But when it comes to indoors or night photography, it is not easy to create sharp images with good color composition. If you're planning to get a camera, make sure you test it under low light condition. 

My unhappy encounters with other camera brands always result in dark, yellow-toned pictures when natural light is absent and flash light is too strong for the setting. Under low light condition, Sony Alpha 5000's performance is above my expectation! It manages to 'cool' down the pictures, removing the yellow undertones and hence creating crisp, clear images. 

This picture is taken using Superior Auto mode, with reduced warmth, brightness and increased vividness. With Sony Alpha 5000, the ambiance inside this dimly-lit, romantic restaurant looks more realistic with richer tonal gradations and lesser noise.

#5 Another notable feature of the camera is Background Defocus. Instead of adjusting the aperture to control the depth-of-field, Sony has made it easier for beginners like myself to capture images that focus on the front object and create a blurred background. For the food reviews I attended past 2 weeks, this function has been very helpful and I love how great the pictures turn out to be!

Camera enthusiasts may play around with the easy background defocus control 

using Sony E-mount 50mm lens for the best result. 

#6 Shoot creatively with 13 types of Picture Effects! The camera comes with 13 creative photographic effects: Posterisation (Colour, B/W), Pop Colour, Retro Photo, Partial Colour (R,G,B,Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera, Soft High-key, Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Monochrome, Miniature, Watercolour, Illustration.

I was playing with the Partial Red Colour picture effect, and absolutely loving it! This creative effect can now be done instantly on the camera itself, without the help of any photo editing software.

#7 I believe it is every girl's dream to own a beauty camera. Although beauty is not the main selling point of Sony camera, but it incorporates some beautifying feature into the camera so that it suits girls who love selfie! Using the soft skin effect, my skin is extra vibrant, smooth and flawless. Dark circles are gone in the pictures too. How miraculous! 

#8 Since the pictures are so flawless with soft skin effect, I need good angles and a trustworthy photographer who takes good shot at the first attempt. Who can do that? Myself! I can be my own photographer with the help of this 180 degree tiltable screen. It works wonder especially for my product review shooting!

#9 Built in Wi-Fi and NFC means the camera can be remotely controlled using the Sony PlayMemories app, which is available for Android and iOS devices, letting you control aperture, ISO, shutter speed, white balance, touch AF, zoom and flash. Most importantly, it is now easier to share photos straight from the camera!

#10 Battery life is important, you wouldn't want to risk missing any moment just as when the camera battery dies off. Compact but powerful, the improved, fully-charged battery can capture up to 420 still images. It should be sufficient from morning till sleep even if you're on trip!

After 2 weeks experiencing my first Sony interchangeable lens camera, I'm impressed with what this compact yet mighty Alpha 5000 can do! You can head to any authorized Sony camera dealers nationwide, get your hands on the camera and experience its awesomeness yourselves! :) 

 Sony Alpha 5000 is now available in Malaysia.

Single lens (Body + 16-50mm Kit Lens) is priced at RM1,999. While twin lens package 

(Body + 16-50mm Kit Lens + 55-210mm Telephoto Zoom Lens) retails at RM2,799.

For more information about Sony Alpha 5000, 

please visit http://bit.ly/1ffJeVN