We’re fresh out of Photoworld Asia, and guess what Sony has in store for budding photogs? Why, their Alpha NEX-5N, A65 and A77 of course. These three new interchangeable lens cameras give both amateurs and serious professionals the tools to take the perfect shot. Constructed out of magnesium alloy, the NEX-5N boasts a solidly constructed body with a relatively thin 23.3mm cross section. While the NEX-5N closely resembles its predecessor it boasts an upgraded megapixel count (16.1 megapixels from 14.2 megapixels), higher overall ISO (26500 from 12800) and a new BIONZ processor.
The A65 meanwhile boasts a 24.3 megapixel APS-C-sized Exmor HD CMOS sensor and an OLED EVF (electronic viewfinder). The A65 (and its bigger brother, the A77) uses a slighty different system than traditional DSLRs named Single Lens Translucent (SLT). In a traditional DSLR, the mirror has to swing out of the way when the user presses the shutter in order for the light to hit the sensor and the image to be taken. SLTs uses a translucent mirror that allows 70% of the light entering through the lens to pass through it directly to the imaging sensor, allowing it to take shots faster. But since there’s less light coming into the sensor, there’s the question of low-light performance issues – we didn’t have enough time to actually play with the A65 to see if the pictures suffered any ill-effects from the use of the new system.
The A77 is similar to the A65 as it’s the bigger, pricier model with a bunch of extras thrown in aside from the standard features that are present in the A65. It uses the same kind of sensor that the A65 uses (24.3 megapixel APS-C-sized Exmor HD CMOS) has a 19-point autofocus (AF) system and an absolutely gorgeous OLED electronic viewfinder. It’s also capable of blisteringly fast 12fps burst mode for subjects that are just too quick for other cameras.