I recently convinced a group of 11 people to pose and have a photo taken – after which one of them asked what the picture was for. It was a little late to be asking that though. Thankfully the picture was just for a team photo and not for a more dubious cause:)
This made me think about how we capture moments and memories. I think our need to keep a hold of the good times, something to look back on, means that most of us are pretty happy to have our picture taken – maybe even without knowing where that picture will end up.
I have always liked taking pictures and this year I have finally taken the plunge and bought a semi decent camera that claims to have all the bells and whistles to compete with a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera. The Sony Nex-3 is the plastic clad baby sibling to the magnesium metal cased and more expensive Sony Nex-5.
The Nex 3 and Nex 5 have so far been given shining reviews from CNET and alike. I plan to get closely acquainted with the little wonder in the coming months. In the meantime, here are my impressions so far:
What I like:
- Small, light – sturdy in the palm
- Quite affordable (there is £100 difference between the Nex 3 and Nex 5 but why pay £100 extra for the metal casing)
- Very easy to use with discreet tips as you shoot
- Aesthetic on screen menu with an Intelligent Auto option that does all the hard work for you
- Pictures are stupendously colourful and sharp
- Tilting screen makes for ease of awkward angle shots
- Continuous shoot mode catches movement and manages to retain good quality without blur
- Excellent night time pictures even with very poor light – much better than the Lumix on this front
- 3D Sweeping Panoramic pictures capture a wide landscape with minimal effort
- Designated video button – one click, action and you got an HD film
- HDR function produces stunning pictures
What I don’t like so much:
- Not as pretty as the Panasonic Lumix GH2
- Battery life can be sucked up by the menu display – Sony need to sort this
- Software updates are PC only and Mac unfriendly – seriously Sony?!
So overall, I am happy with the Nex 3 but I do feel that Sony have some more work to put in before I give it a full thumbs up. I will be taking the Nex 3 on a few escapades in the months to come and keep you posted.
