There was a time when you had to choose between true photographic quality and carefree shooting spontaneity. One generally came at the expense of the other. But things have changed. Now the revolutionary new Sony α NEX-5 delivers interchangeable-lens creative freedom and SLR-class image quality in a stylish, ultracompact package. Despite being the world's lightest, most compact interchangeable lens camera you can enjoy the creative flexibility and individual touches that were once restricted to larger, bulkier cameras. Not only will you be able to shoot high quality, impressive photos but its new technologies and unique features actually take it beyond traditional DSLRs. The NEX-5 combines the thoroughbred heritage of the Sony α digital SLR system with outstanding operating ease and Full HD movie recording.

The powerful NEX5 offers richly- detailed 1920 x 1080 Full HD movie recording. Get shooting in an instant with the dedicated MOVIE button.

Rich tonal gradation and true-to-life colour
The NEX-5 has a powerful new 14.2-megapixel Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor, which has been specially tuned to deliver uncompromising still-photo and movie image quality. The sensor is the same size and delivers the same performance as those used in Sony's acclaimed α system digital SLR cameras so you can feel confident you'll get exceptionally rich tonal gradation and true-to-life colour as well as clean, low-noise signal output and ultra high-speed data transfer.

1080i Full High Definition movie recording
Not only does the NEX-5 offer you SLR image quality but it (and its sister camera the NEX-3) is the first Sony interchangeable-lens camera to offer movie recording. The NEX-5 offers big, beautiful 1920 x 1080 Full 1080i High Definition image quality with the high capacity of the AVCHD recording format. Its high-speed, low-noise Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor is large enough to capture background defocusing effects while its ultra-quiet E-mount lenses help keep AF motor noise off your movie soundtrack. Once you've shot your HD movies, in AVCHD or 720p MP4 format, it's easy and convenient to post video clips onto your blog or video-sharing websites.

High resolution Sweep Panoramas
Imagine you're standing in front of an incredible, immense view and you want to capture its scale and grandeur. Just choose Sweep Panorama from the Shoot Mode menu. It's beautifully simple to use: just press the shutter button and sweep the camera from side to side, or up and down. The camera will take a series of photos at high speed and seamlessly stitch them together into a single panoramic image of breathtaking beauty, with all the resolution and image detail you need for large-format printing.

The NEX range's SLR-class noise- reduction technology gives you the freedom to capture colourful photos in low light, even without a tripod or flash. View larger

New, easy-to-use menu system
The main menu is completely intuitive so you won't have to go scrabbling for the manual every five minutes. It features six clearly labelled icons that can be selected simply by rotating and pressing the control wheel. Inside, standard scrolling menus provide quick access to settings for shooting and playback functions, as well as a host of other preferences and camera settings. The wide-screen format of the LCD monitor also helps to enhance the menu's legibility, so text and icons are always easy to see and select.

Built-in help guide
The NEX-5 guides you every step of the way. A popup window appears each time you select a mode or you scroll through menu items with the control wheel. This window contains helpful information on each item or function to help you take better pictures without fuss.

These simple on-screen guides make the camera brilliantly easy to use. They also make navigation completely clear as you'll always see which functions are in use at any time.

Shooting tips to help you boost your skills
Built-in shooting tips can help you get the most out of any given shooting situation or mode selection. As well as tips on particular types of subject and scene you'll find advice on general photographic techniques. You can access the entire library of shooting tips via the Camera menu so you'll always have a complete photography tutorial on hand.

High resolution LCD display
The camera's large, tilting 3-inch (921K) Xtra Fine LCD widescreen monitor has LED backlighting and a stunningly crisp high resolution display so it's crystal clear for you to see your subjects and review your shots. Viewing and focusing is also made easier by Sony TruBlack technology, which cuts reflection and glare with a special anti-reflective resin layer, as well as anti-reflective film. So, however bright the weather, you'll be able to see vibrant colours and deeper, richer blacks.

Interchangeable lenses for added flexibility 
The beauty of SLR photography is the ability to change lenses to match your shooting situation. Now that option is available on a compact camera. The NEX-5 gives you a choice of dedicated, small, light E-mount lenses. And, with the LE-AE1 adaptor (sold separately) you can extend your choice to over 30 A-mount lenses.

Rich realism made simple
Auto HDR mode allows you to capture evenly exposed photos even in the most challenging lighting conditions like sunsets, backlit cityscapes, and other dramatically lit scenes. It achieves a super-realistic range of shadow and highlight detail by taking three exposures in rapid succession; one to capture a normal exposure, one to capture shadows, and one to capture highlights. The three exposures are then digitally combined into a single stunning image that's saved along with the normal exposure. If you want even greater creative control, you can set the Auto HDR exposure range in six steps, from 1.0EV to 6.0EV, to get the precise effect you want.