Sony Brings the Nex-3 and Nex-5 to India

Sony have announced the launch of their newest range of point-and-click cameras, the Alpha NEXs and yes, we so totally called it. The Nex-3 and Nex-5 have interchangeable lenses and aim to aim to capture DSLR-quality photos at the size and weight of point-and-click digicams.

The Nex-5

Mr. K Teshirogi, Business Head, Alpha division, Sony Corporation had this to say. “For photographers who are averse to extensive manual controls on a camera, the NEX-5 and NEX-3 offer sleek form factor, as well as user-friendly settings. This allows them to capture professional quality photos effortlessly. For experienced photographers, lightweight NEX offers serious DSLR performance in a camera that they can easily carry with them at all times.”

Mr. M.Tamagawa, MD, SONY India & Mr. K Teshirogi, Business Head Alpha Division, Sony Corp

Both the Nex-3 and Nex-5 are 14.2 megapixels and while the Nex-3 can capture 720p video, the Nex-5 lays claim to 1080p video recording at 60fps! That explains the HDMI port present on the cameras - you can shoot videos in HD and play them back on your TVs or Monitors.

I see HDMI, people.

They both also sport the Background Defocus feature, which defocus the background in order to make the subject of the photograph grab the most attention from its viewers. This could be really useful for users who dabble in macro photography. In addition, the cameras can capture upto 7 frames per second in still photographs, which will create some pretty cool fast-moving action pictures.

The Nex-3

To top it all off, 3D panoramic photographs are also an option with these cameras, even though you can’t take normal 3D pictures. It’s strange to say the least, and maybe that feature will show up in a firmware update later.

3D Sweep Panorama

The USP of this range of cameras has to be the interchangeability of the lenses, though. The cameras, in DSLR style, give you the option to hotswap the lenses attached to the camera at any given time. While the cameras will ship with the SEL1855 - an 18-55mm wide-angle zoom lens that costs Rs. 10,990, other lenses will be available for purchase. These include the SEL16F28, a 16mm lens and the SEL18200, which is an 18-200mm lens. These will cost Rs. 14,900 and Rs. 49,990 respectively. You can also use Sony’s actual A-mount DSLR lenses on these cameras, but you’ll need to purchase an adapter for that. This adapter will set you back by Rs. 10,990.

Shapely and petite

The Nex-3 is available in two colours – black and red, and is priced at Rs. 29,990 while the Nex-5 is only available in black for Rs. 34,990. The package will include the cameras, one 18-55mm wide angle lens, a 4GB memory card and a detachable flash.