Olympus was the first of the lot to bring Micro Four Thirds system to the world, followed by Panasonic and then Samsung with its own mirrorless SLR system. As one of the largest electronics company in the world, it’s only fair that Sony also want to tap into the large compact user crowd and this it did with unveiling of its highly anticipated Sony NEX range of mirrorless SLRs. Using Sony’s proprietary interchangeable lens system in a body as small as its Cyber-shot range, Sony has managed to roll out the world’s smallest mirrorless SLR ever.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting for something like this since its prototype was unveiled a few months ago. The NEX-3 was introduced alongside its sibling, the NEX-5 and the main differences are their bodies and that the NEX-5 shoots in 1080iP. The NEX-3 is built with polycarbonate body while the NEX-5 has a magnesium alloy body.
To be honest, I really like the NEX-3, firstly because it also comes in white and red whereas the NEX-5 only comes in silver. The review unit I got comes with the 18-200mm lens and 16mm F2.8 pancake lens. I find that the pancake lens does an awesome job of wide shots up-close while the zoom lens gives you more control over creative shots. The NEX series acts as a ‘bridge’ to DSLRs for compact users and it comes with shooting tips to optimize photography results.
The only gripe I had was with the auto focus, which couldn’t ‘lock’ onto the subject if you half press and release the shutter the second time. This not only happens with the Sony NEX-3 but for most mirrorless compacts as well, I find.
With HDR mode, Sweep Panorama, Anti Motion Blur and many other artistic effects for creative, edgy look, the NEX-3 is never short of capabilities and it goes beyond just point-and-shoot. It incorporates the simplicity and size of a compact but uses the performance and capabilities of a DSLR. Personally, I was contemplating to get a DSLR but after just one-night with the NEX-3, I realize that this too can be a complement or possible replacement for DSLRs in the future.
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