Sony NEX-5N

The Sony NEX-5N redefines what an Interchangeable Lens Camera (ILC, or compact mirrorless DSLR) can be in terms of image quality and performance. It is recognized by most reviewers as untouched at the top of the compact mirrorless category with unmatched low-light capability.

The Sony NEX-5N features 16.1 MP resolution (on an Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor 23.5 X 15.6mm), 3.0-in. tiltabe LCD (921k-dot), iAUTO, PASM, Scene Modes, Sweep Panorama, Anti Motion Blur, Manual Focus, Background Defocus, Picture Effect, Hand-held Twilight Mode, Peaking AF function, Continuous Shooting at 10fps, Auto HDR, Dynamic Range Optimizer, RAW, Anti-Dust Technology, and Full HD 1080p Movie 1920 x 1080/60p AVCHD with stereo sound.

The Sony NEX-5N ushers in a new era in the compact mirrorless DSLR and may well mark the rise of the Interchangeable Lens Camera category at the expense of the traditional large and clunky mirrored DSLR. It’s an ideal compact point-and-shoot with DSLR-level image quality and low-light capability.

If you require a built-in high resolution electronic viewfinder and built-in flash, check out the Sony NEX-7.

From SonyAsiaPacific

• QuickFact Sheet / Buy
• Links

Sony NEX-5N	QuickFact™ Sheet
US | CA
Image Sensor	16.1 Megapixel, APS-C HD CMOS sensor (23.5 X 15.6mm)
Lens Mount	Sony E-mount
Image Stabilization	Lens-shift (optical), therefore dependent on lens attached
File Format	JPEG, RAW, RAW+JPEG
Media	SD / SDHC / SDXC Memory Stick PRO Duo / Pro-HG Duo / PRO-HG HX Duo
Viewfinder	External: Optional OLED finder available (FDA-EV1S) (sold separately)
Shutter Speed	Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane shutter 1/4000 ~ 30 sec., B
Continuous Shooting	Continuous (3fps) Speed Priority (10fps)
Shooting Modes	iAUTO, PASM, Scene
Exposure Metering	Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot
ISO sensitivity	Auto (ISO 100-3200), Selectable (ISO 100 to 25600)
Dust Reduction System	Charge protection coating on Low-Pass Filter and electromagnetic vibration mechanism
Autofocus	Contrast AF 25 points Single-shot AF, Continuous AF, Direct Manual Focus, Manual Focus Multi Point AF (25 points), Center Weighted AF, Flexible Spot AF AF Illuminator
White Balance	Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash, Setting the color temperature, Color Filter, Custom
Display Monitor	3.0 in. LCD, 921k-dot, Tiltable ( Up: Approx. 80 degrees, Down: Approx. 45 degrees)
Movie	AVCHD Full HD 1920 x 1080/60p
Remote Control	RMT-DSLR1 Wireless Remote Commander (sold separately)
Battery	InfoLITHIUM® NP-FW50 (7.2V) (430 shots, CIPA) included
Dimensions (W x H x D)	110.8 x 58.8 x 38.2 mm / 4-3/8 × 2-3/8 × 1-9/16 in.
Weight	210 g / 7.4 oz (Body only) 269 g / 9.5 oz. (with card and battery)
MSRP	with Sony 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens: US $699.99 / CAD $699.99 / UK £ / €

*Specifications and equipment are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. Please consult manufacturer’s site for latest specifications.

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Product technical specifications (including MSRP and Included Accessories) are as represented by the manufacturer and subject to manufacturer's change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. Product color availability and included accessories may also differ by country or area. Please verify the latest specs from the appropriate manufacturer's site.

Before you buy, do your homework and verify a seller's reputation. One source you may want to check with is Resellerratings.com. And remember, if a price seems to good to be true, it probably is.

DISCLAIMER:

Though we make every effort to strive for accuracy in reproducing these specs, we do occasionally make mistakes, so verify with the manufacturer's site for the latest specs. Also, in the early stages of a product introduction, you can almost guarantee there will be some errors from the manufacturers themselves as they update their sites. If you see any mistakes, please contact us. We do appreciate your writing in with the corrections and thank you in advance!

You can buy the Sony NEX-5N from our Trusted Sponsor B&H Photo-Video, the Professional’s Source, satisfying millions of customers for over 35 years:

Sony Alpha NEX-5N Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens (Black)

Sony Alpha NEX-5N Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens (Silver)

Sony Alpha NEX-5N Digital Camera (Body Only)

OLED Electronic Viewfinder for NEX-5N Camera





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Sony NEX-5N
Body only	Black w/18-55mm kit lens	Silver w/18-55mm kit lens

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Sony NEX-5N
w/18-55mm lens and 16mm F2.8 pancake lens	Black w/18-55mm kit lens	Silver w/18-55mm kit lens

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Related Links:

• Sony NEX-5N Press Release
• Sony NEX-5N Technical Specs

Olympus E-PM1

Mini. The Olympus PEN Mini, also known as the E-PM1, is one of three PEN mirrorless DSLRs that Olympus announced together in June 2011. All three have the same image sensor and basically the same features: 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3x13mm Live MOS Image Sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, fast AF, Full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording, newly designed user interfaces and a variety of Art Filters and built-in creative features. The PEN Mini (E-PM1) stands last after the E-P3 and the PEN Lite (E-PL3); it more closely ressembles the E-PL3, minus the titltable LCD screen.

The E-PM1 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with Dolby stereo sound. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

Exposure flexibility is available to more advanced photographers: Program AE (P), Aperture-Priority (A), Shutter-Priority (S) and full Manual (M) mode are all accessible directly on the Mode Dial. Advanced photographers will also appreciate available manual control over aperture and shutter speed while filming. The E-PM1 does not have a built-in pop-up flash but external flash FL-LM1 is included. This flash is compact, slides into the hotshoe. The E-PM1 also accepts a range of optional external flashes, with wireless flash control using the FL-36R and FL-50R speedlights. The use of off-camera flashes [as fill-in light] and synchronization in Super FP mode at a fast 1/125-1/4000 shutter speed allow the use of a large aperture in daylight [to obtain beautiful blurred backgrounds in portraits].

The E-PM1 includes a port for the detachable high resolution (1440k-dot) VF-2 live-finder which rotates up 90 degrees — useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The external accessory port also allows for connection with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter for enhanced audio capture. For those into underwater photography, the new optional PT-EP05L underwater housing is waterproof to a depth of 45 meters (147 feet).

There are not too many differences between the three models as far as image quality is concerned or even features. The Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 will be most attractive to those moving from a tiny sensor digicam and want DSLR-level image quality. It comes in Black, Red, Silver and White (colors are country-dependent), and is priced at about US $700 (CAD $700) with the 14-42mm kit lens.

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Olympus E-P3

Retro. The Olympus PEN E-P3 distinguishes itself from other compact mirrorless DSLRs with its distinctive and beautiful retro look. Even though it follows in the footsteps of the E-P1 and E-P2, the E-P3 includes features from the E-PLx models and adds much welcomed improvements: the world’s fastest single-AF for a 3x optical zoom lens, a built-in flash, a touchscreen OLED, AF-assist light, FUll HD movie and an interchangeable handgrip.

The Olympus E-P3 is one of three PEN mirrorless DSLRs that Olympus announced together in June 2011. All three have the same image sensor and basically the same features: 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3x13mm Live MOS Image Sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, fast AF, Full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording, newly designed user interfaces and a variety of Art Filters and built-in creative features. The PEN E-P3 stands at the top of the PEN models, above the PEN Lite (E-PL3) and the PEN Mini (E-PM1).

The E-P3 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with Dolby stereo sound. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

Exposure flexibility is available to more advanced photographers: Program AE (P), Aperture-Priority (A), Shutter-Priority (S) and full Manual (M) mode are all accessible directly on the Mode Dial. Advanced photographers will also appreciate available manual control over aperture and shutter speed while filming. Of the three PEN models, only the E-P3 has a built-in pop-up flash. Like the others, it also has a hotshoe for attachment of an optional external flash. Available external speedlites include the FL-36R and FL-50R with wireless flash control. The use of off-camera flashes [as fill-in light] and synchronization in Super FP mode at a fast 1/125-1/4000 shutter speed allow the use of a large aperture in daylight [e.g., to obtain beautifully blurred backgrounds while using fill-in flash when taking portraits].

The E-P3 includes a port for the detachable high resolution (1440k-dot) VF-2 live-finder which rotates up 90 degrees — useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The external accessory port also allows for connection with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter for enhanced audio capture. The handgrip is removable and Olympus includes a small one as standard and provides a larger one as an optional purchase for those with bigger hands. This also opens up the opportunity for independent designers to provide differently shaped and sized handgrips.

The compact mirrorless DSLR cameras have been welcomed with open arms by enthusiasts and the Olympus E-P3 is sure to figure among the very best, providing DSLR image quality and flexibility without the complexity or size. It comes in Black, Silver or White (colors are country-dependent), and is priced at about US $900 (CAD $900) with the 14-42mm kit lens.

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Olympus E-PL3

Lite. The Olympus PEN Lite, also known as the E-PL3, is one of three PEN mirrorless DSLRs that Olympus announced together in June 2011. All three have the same image sensor and basically the same features: 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3x13mm Live MOS Image Sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, fast AF, Full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording, newly designed user interfaces and a variety of Art Filters and built-in creative features. The PEN Lite (E-PL3) stands in the middle between the E-P3 and the PEN Mini (E-PM1) and differs from them mainly by having a titltable LCD screen.

The E-PL3 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with Dolby stereo sound. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

Exposure flexibility is available to more advanced photographers: Program AE (P), Aperture-Priority (A), Shutter-Priority (S) and full Manual (M) mode are all accessible directly on the Mode Dial. Advanced photographers will also appreciate available manual control over aperture and shutter speed while filming. The E-PL3 does not have a built-in pop-up flash but external flash FL-LM1 is included. This flash is compact, slides into the hotshoe. The E-PL3 also accepts a range of optional external flashes, with wireless flash control using the FL-36R and FL-50R speedlights. The use of off-camera flashes [as fill-in light] and synchronization in Super FP mode at a fast 1/125-1/4000 shutter speed allow the use of a large aperture in daylight [to obtain beautiful blurred backgrounds in portraits].

The E-PL3 includes a port for the detachable high resolution (1440k-dot) VF-2 live-finder which rotates up 90 degrees — useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The external accessory port also allows for connection with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter for enhanced audio capture. For those into underwater photography, the new optional PT-EP05L underwater housing is waterproof to a depth of 45 meters (147 feet).

The Olympus PEN Lite E-PL3 is principally targeted to those wanting to learn photography without the encumbrance of a traditional DSLR. However, if you compare the differences between the E-PL3 and its bigger brother E-P3, you’ll notice that the main differences are not deal-breakers. In fact, I suspect that many advanced photographers will be tempted by its more compact form and its tiltable LCD. The E-PL3 comes in Black, Red, Silver and White (colors are country-dependent), and is priced at about US $700 (CAD $700) with the 14-42mm kit lens.

Read our Olympus E-PL3 Review…

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 with 14mm pancake lens

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 is Panasonic’s smallest and lightest digital Interchangeable Lens Camera (ILC) with a built-in flash. If cuteness were a review criteria, the compact GF3 would win it in spades with smooth curves, no hard edges, an aluminum body that comes in a number of attractive colors, including a stunning white version.

The GF3 or GF3X (a GF3 with a new X series power zoom lens attached) is squarely targeted to the point-and-shoot crowd who wants to step-up to DSLR image quality and performance but finds the traditional mirrored DSLRs to be more bulky and complex than they want to bother with. The GF3 packages all the advantages of the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) System allowing the same image quality and performance of an entry-level DSLR in a compact, light and user-friendly camera.

The Lumix GF3 features 12.1MP resolution of a FourThirds sensor, a 3.0-in. (460k-dot) Touch Panel LCD, Contonuous Shooting at 3.8fps, and Full HD Movie 1920 x 1080/60i. Point-and-Shoot users will choose to leave the camera on Intelligent AUTO mode while beginners and more advanced users have access to all the semi-auto and manual modes with PASM shooting modes and RAW file format.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 (GF3X) is compact, elegant and targets those who are thinking of upgrading from their compact point-and-shoot digicams to a DSLR-level camera without the bulk and weight of a traditional DSLR.

Read our Panasonic GF3 Review…

• QuickFact Sheet / Buy
• Links

Panasonic GF3	QuickFact™ Sheet
US | CA | UK | Lumix
Image Sensor	12.1 Megapixel, Live MOS 17.3 x 13.0 mm
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds mount
Image Stabilization	Lens-shift (optical), therefore dependent on lens attached
File Format	RAW, RAW+Fine, RAW+Standard, Fine, Standard
Media	SD / SDHC / SDXC
Viewfinder	n/a
Shutter Speed	1/4000 ~ 60 sec.
Continuous Shooting	H: 3.8 frames/sec, M: 2.8 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View) 7 images (when there are RAW files with the particular speed) Unlimited consecutive shooting (when there are no RAW files) (depending on memory card size, battery power, picture size, and compression)
Shooting Modes	iA, iA+, PASM, Custom, Scene, Creative Control
Exposure Metering	Intelligent Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot
ISO sensitivity	Auto / Intelligent ISO / 160 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400
Dust Reduction System	Supersonic wave filter
Autofocus	Contrast AF system AFS / AFC / MF Face detection / AF Tracking / 23-area-focusing / 1-area-focusing / Pinpoint AF Assist Lamp Touch shutter, Quick AF, Continuous AF (during motion image recording), AF+MF, Touch MF Assist
White Balance	Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Incandescent / Flash / White Set 1, 2 / Color temperature setting / Portrait / Beauty Skin / Sport / Flower / Collection / Baby / Pet / Defocus Control White Balance Bracket
Display Monitor	3.0 in. Touch panel LCD, 460k-dot
Movie	[Full HD] 1,920 x 1,080, 60i (sensor output is 30p) (FSH: 17 Mbps) [HD] 1,280 x 720, 60p (sensor output is 30p) (SH: 17 Mbps)
Remote Control	n/a
Battery	Li-ion (340 shots, CIPA) included
Dimensions (W x H x D)	107.7 x 67.1 x 32.5 mm / 4.24 x 2.64 x 1.28 inch (excluding protrusions)
Weight	222 g / 7.83 oz (Body only) 264 g / 9.31 oz. (with card and battery)
MSRP	with LUMIX G X VARIO 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH/POWER O.I.S. kit lens: US $749.99 / CAD $799.99 / UK £ / €

*Specifications and equipment are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. Please consult manufacturer’s site for latest specifications.

---

Product technical specifications (including MSRP and Included Accessories) are as represented by the manufacturer and subject to manufacturer's change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. Product color availability and included accessories may also differ by country or area. Please verify the latest specs from the appropriate manufacturer's site.

Before you buy, do your homework and verify a seller's reputation. One source you may want to check with is Resellerratings.com. And remember, if a price seems to good to be true, it probably is.

DISCLAIMER:

Though we make every effort to strive for accuracy in reproducing these specs, we do occasionally make mistakes, so verify with the manufacturer's site for the latest specs. Also, in the early stages of a product introduction, you can almost guarantee there will be some errors from the manufacturers themselves as they update their sites. If you see any mistakes, please contact us. We do appreciate your writing in with the corrections and thank you in advance!

You can buy the Panasonic GF3X from our Trusted Sponsor B&H Photo-Video, the Professional’s Source, satisfying millions of customers for over 35 years:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 Digital Camera Kit (Black)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 Digital Camera Kit (Brown)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 Digital Camera Kit (Red)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 Digital Camera Kit (White)





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Panasonic GF3X
Red w/14-42mm kit lens	White w/14-42mm kit lens	Black w/14-42mm kit lens

Amazon.co.uk [UK]

Panasonic GF3X White w/14-42mm kit lens

Or, Browse our Amazon Store (US) | (UK) | (CAN)

Memory Cards

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Related Links:

• Panasonic GF3 Press Release | GF3X Press Release
• Panasonic GF3 Parts and Control
• Panasonic GF3 Technical Specs
• Panasonic GF3 360 degree View
• Panasonic GF3 Optional Accessories
• Panasonic GF3 Sample Images
• Panasonic GF3 Line-up Comparison

Olympus XZ-1

Xceptional picture quality. The Olympus XZ-1 is Olympus’ flagship prosumer compact category digital camera. It features 10MP resolution (on a 1/1.63-in. CCD sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization and an iZuiko 4x (28-112mm equiv.) wide-angle optical zoom lens in an compact body. It is the first built-in Zuiko® lens on a compact digital camera.

The XZ-1 features a fixed lens (i.e. the lens is not interchangeable) with a maximum aperture of F1.8 at wide-angle and F2.5 at telephoto, which should help obtain defocused background. The built-in Neutral Density (ND) Filter should prove useful when you want to shoot using a slow shutter speed in the bright outdoors.

The XZ-1 has a 3.0-in. OLED display with a high 614K-dot resolution. There is no built-in viewfinder but you can attach an optional electronic viewfinder. There is a built-in pop-up flash and a hotshoe to use optional external flashes, including the Olympus FL-14, FL-300R and FL-36R.

The XZ-1 records HD 720p movies at 30 fps with stereo sound. Six in-camera Art Filters (Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama and Dramatic Tone) can be applied to both still shots and HD video.

For the experienced photographers, the XZ-1 offers PASM shooting modes. A manual control ring around the lens allows for quick changes to settings such as ISO, aperture and shutter speed, depending on the selected shooting mode.

Optional accessories include optional RM-UC1 Remote cable, SEMA-1 external microphone adapter, the VF-2 and VF-3 electronic viewfinders, the PT-050 underwater case (waterproof to a depth of 40 metres /130 feet) and the MAL-1 Macro Arm Light.

The Olympus XZ-1 captures high-quality still images and HD videos in a compact digital camera with a fast, super-bright Olympus iZuiko lens.

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QUICKFACT SHEET

Category: Serious to Advanced Amateur

The Nikon D300s DSLR adds HD Movie at 720p resolution with a smooth cinematic 24 fps rate. It records high fidelity audio either with the convenient built-in microphone or by using the external stereo microphone input. Video length can be trimmed in-camera. In Tripod mode, the D300S features continuous autofocus during video recording using Contrast-Detect AF. Picture Control adjustment options allow easy midifications of the tone and colour of HD video clips.

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QUICKFACT SHEET

Mouseover image for backview

Category: Beginner Amateur – Family DSLR

The Nikon D3000 DSLR is Nikon’s newest affordable entry-level DSLR camera. It replaces the award-winning D60 (or D40 before it). The Nikon D3000 is packed with Nikon’s latest digital technology and know-how found in its more expensive DSLR models. It retains 10.2MP resolution and all the practical features that made its predecessors so popular. Main features are:

• 10.2 MP resolution (on an APS CCD image sensor)
• Guide Mode
• Active D-Lighting
• PASM
• RAW
• Picture Control
• 3.0 –in. LCD (230K dots)
• 11-point AF

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