Sony NEX-5R announced!
Note: This page will be continually updated. Reload the page from time to time. The NEX-6, A99 and FF NEX will be announced on September 12th!
Preorders:
Black NEX-5R body links to Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
Black NEX-5R with kit lens at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
Silver NEX-5R with kit lens at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
White NEX-5R with kit lens at BHphoto (Click here) and Sonystore DE-UK-FR-IT-ES-NL-SE-FI-CH
Sony HDR-AS15 HD action camcorder at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
White HDR-AS10 HD action camcorder at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
Note: I will list all new Photokina Sony stuff at Alphacameradeals.com. Subscribe the RSS feed and join the Facebook page.
Previews Hands-on and Reviews:
Hands-on preview at Dpreview. First impressions at ThePhoBlographer. Playmemories news at Dpreview and available on iTunes. Cnet. TheVerge. Hands-on review at Techradar. Hands-on preview at Imaging Resource. Detailed info about the APP function at Photoclubalpha. Hands-on pictures at Photographyblog. First impression at Digitalcamerainfo.
Image Samples:
Image quality test at Techradar.
Press Release:
Gizmodo. Digitalversus. ePhotozine. Photographyblog. Sony Blog. Pocket Lint, SystemKamera, AlphaNumerique. Photoclubalpha. Quesabesde. Photoscala.
Videos:
Hands on video at Engadget. German hands-on on youtube. English hands-on on youtube.
Poll:
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archer
9 months ago |No new lenses!!
Patrick
9 months ago |WWTF!!
ChenAlan
9 months ago |OMG, the guy is wearing an Adventure Time t-shirt! God help Sony.
quentin
9 months ago |WHERE. ARE. THOSE. LENSES???
Bear
9 months ago |yeah.. what do you expect?
Sky_walker
9 months ago |Waiting for September
Matt
9 months ago |Adorama – http://www.adorama.com/ISONEX5RB.html
maxout
9 months ago |Just ordered it
Benny
9 months ago |Did I miss the A99 announcement or wasn’t it supposed to be announced today???
Rick
9 months ago |From the DPReview preview:
And, unlike the NEX-F3 that also featured a flip-up screen, the NEX-5R’s will also tilt down through 40 degrees, for overhead shooting.
BB
9 months ago |I was so happy to see the 50-degree downward tilt demo’d on the DigitalCameraWorld YouTube review. I had rewind a few times to verify that they weren’t showing the 5N. After all the rumors of 0-degree and 10-degree downward tilt on the 5R, this was a welcomed surprise. Definitely picking up a 5R now!
Edit: DigitalCameraWorld says 50-degree whereas DPreview says 40-degree…will have to find official specs…
Frank
9 months ago |Bugger the lenses, we need more bodies, 1 series, 2 series and 4 series, available in any colour as long as it’s pink.
John Peter
9 months ago |The NEX-5R looks “stupid” with that 18-55 lens. Where is the 16-50 pancake?
Zony
9 months ago |You right, the camera doesn’t look balanced at all. So typical of Sony to give us a closed App system. Sony wants to make everything Sony-proprietary.
The R gives me not enough reason to sell my N. Unless the sensor is some kind of wonderkin, there is no point in taking a bath on the old model, pictures will not look any sharper. But, thank-you Sony for advancing sensor-on-a-chip technology- faster and more accurate AF is always welcomed.
Wheelus
9 months ago |Closed apps seems to have worked for Apple.
Zony
9 months ago |Developers OTHER than Apple can make apps for Apple products, this will not be so with the Sony camera. Your argument does not hold water. Sony apps can only be made by Sony designers, it does not get any more closed than that.
deniz
9 months ago |besides sony does not apple userbase. not even close.
Fred
9 months ago |Looks good! I’ll wait to see what’s coming on the NEX-6 though. The touchscreen shutter and the addition of a control wheel improves the usability of the 5N 100% in my view.
(and I’m a former X-Pro 1 owner who gave a NEX-5N to his mother, so I’m fairly accustomed to both and the controls at the 5N really bothered me). Tell you the truth, the viewfinder is the only thing holding me back from ordering a 5R right now!
And guys, please, the guy from Sony was okay, the other one with the weird t-Shirt is not employed by the company at least… And it was a nice video…
Desperate Dan
9 months ago |Sony has walked away from its promise of several quality prime
lenses for NEX. The new Fujis start to look good right now (shame cos I love my NEX7)
Beachrider
9 months ago |Does someone need a cuddle?
Douglas Grillo
9 months ago |Kudos for:
-Fast hybrid AF
-Better screen rotation than the NEX F3
-Touch shutter
-Additional wheel and Fn button.
Waiting for the Nex 6.
Cal
9 months ago |Hey Dan,
How is high ISO (3200-6400) with the NEX 7 in low light/dark areas? I know it has the 24MP, does the high pixel count become grainy looking?
Thanks
ben
9 months ago |Did I miss the A99 annoucement?? What a bummer…
Bill
9 months ago |Today’s 5R announcement was part of a Sony corporate event where products from a few different lines were introduced. The 5N made the cut for the camera division. The video cut out for me before they got to the camera announcements so I do not exactly what was discussed. The big camera event is rumored for Sept. 12th. The 5R was probably also scheduled for Sept 12th but Sony moved it up for the corporate event, it is still not shipping until October. I do not know how much Sony will include on Sept. 12th, but the NEX 6, the lenses, the A99 are rumored to be among the announcements then. Note: this is also the rumored date for the iPhone 5, which if true should bury the Sony news very very deep except on photo sites.
Ryan
9 months ago |Any word on whether they will allow third party apps? Will there be an SDK like the iOS has?
Mistral75
9 months ago |According to Focus Numérique, no and no: “Pour l’instant ces applications sont 100% made in Sony et il n’est pas prévu de mettre à disposition le SDK pour des développeurs externes”
See http://www.focus-numerique.com/sony-nex-5r-wi-fi-16-mpx-aps-af-hybride-hdtv-1080-750-euros-news-3542.html
rDk
9 months ago |So in fact NEX “app” is just partial firmware upgrade… no true apps.
Ryan
9 months ago |Wow, that’s very disappointing, I thought Sony was starting to be a bit more open and progressive with that sort of thing. What’s the point of even calling them Apps? Why not just call these things features?
Perhaps this is something that is coming down the road? There’s a whole lot of backend that needs to be figured out for an iOS style app system to exist. One would think they could leverage some of the work that was down for the Playstation Store and the PS Vita. Unfortunately, I don’t think the different Sony divisions work so well together.
rond
9 months ago |DPreview: CIPA 330, CNet: CIPA 430, Imaging Resource: CIPA 330. Where is the truth?
Rod
9 months ago |Why on earth is there no built in flash???? The external flash just makes it seem bulkier! For that reason alone I’m not buying one.
Rod
9 months ago |Seriously, can anyone explain why no built-in flash?
Jordi Ribas
9 months ago |Because they have kept the ultra-small body design of NEX-5N instead of enlarging it slightly as the NEX 3F. Sounds quite a silly decission, btw.
Matti
9 months ago |That app isn’t available in the Swedish App store.
jimbo
9 months ago |I played around with NEX cameras, their handling is just plain awkward. Why Sony keeps pressing on with this design just boggles my mind. Sony, it’s time to fire your NEX designers and create something we want to hold in our hands.
Frank
9 months ago |But you understand that it’s YOUR hands, right, and other people love NEX?
harvey
9 months ago |Yeah, playing around with it might give that feeling. Taking pictures with it proves its design is genious, for both small and large hands!
Carl
9 months ago |Fuck you Jimbo
Beachrider
9 months ago |Does someone need a sedative?
Carl
9 months ago |Yeah let’s get him one
squirlo
9 months ago |When will it be available?
Steve
9 months ago |How many little teasers did we hear on this site for that last few months?
For what, another NEX body replacement!
I recall that at one point the rumor here was full-frame and lenses then…..that got postponed to now Sept 12?
It’s time to reset both the expectations of what Sony will deliver and when.
New A-Mount lenses, what and when?
New A-mount Full-frame bodies, what and when?
New E-mount lenses, what and when?
Sony is lucky that both Canon and Nikon are stuck firmly in legacy hardware and not offering a compelling view of digital still photography future and are not themselves electronic technology suppliers like Sony is with its sensors. So for now, everyone else’s is stuck in a mirror flopping world.
matt
9 months ago |oh steve, you seem so easy to please!
The Lotus Eater
9 months ago |Moan moan moan.
Rick
9 months ago |Would there be any reason why an E-mount lens wouldn’t be able to support the new hybrid AF system?
Kevin Z
9 months ago |According to dpreview, now the rear dial is USELESS and DECORATIVE!!!
WTF is sony doing?!
Hellven
9 months ago |sorry?? now the back wheel is useless?? do you even have a camera, any camera?
in aperture priority mode you can set the top wheel to set aperture and the back one to set exposure conpensation
in manual you can set one to the aperture and other to shutter speed
the exemples are endless!!! so for you the Nex-7 has 2 dials more than its needed… why do i even bother…
raef02
9 months ago |This looks really good and really thinking if I should upgrade from the F3 but I love the built in flash on my F3. I’ll wait for the NEX 6.
BenV
9 months ago |Sony A99 announcement? Did I miss?
admin
9 months ago |I am so surprised that so many readers didn’t get it that we are going to have a double announcement. Wrote it at least five times on SAR!
Frank
9 months ago |I’m surprised that many people here can remember how to tie their shoelaces…
KaKtusSs
9 months ago |“not all E-mount lenses support the new Hybrid AF system right off the bat, though. At launch, only the SEL1855, SEL55210, SEL18200LE, and SEL24F18Z models will be compatible with the faster autofocus system”.
Very bad news… I use my SEL50F18 most of the time, and people who buy sigma lenses won’t get any PDAF? That’s silly…
Frank
9 months ago |You can’t blame Sony for Sigma’s problems!
Booe
9 months ago |Actually this is VERY GOOD, that suggests they did work on AF software, not just inserting a new chip
So AF will take be optimized to each lens.
Also, PDAF has drawback that it is sensitive to chief ray angle. Unlike CDAF.
By the time you’ll get a 5R or 6, they might have added 50F18 support.
Worst problems could be, that PDAF is bad, or sacrifises IQ too much.
kirk fuk
9 months ago |NO support for the first SEL18200?
I think it’s a matter of firmware, no?
E
9 months ago |Sony doesn’t come across as system designers. It couldn’t have taken that much imagination to realize that pdaf would emerge, and design for it from day one. Equally strange as the external flash on the first nex. But the gadgets they release are nice
.
Booe
9 months ago |>It couldn’t have taken that much imagination to realize that pdaf would emerge, and design for it from day one.
What you’re talking about? The camera designers did not have sensor with PDAF at that time, what could they do, write software for non-existent sensor with unknown response function?
KaKtusSs
9 months ago |I don’t really understand why they don’t at least release the NEX-5R ready for all existing lenses ! Seems to me that a focus motor just has to obey to the body, no matter what technology is behind… But it would once again explain the bad focus speed performance of the SEL50F18.
Colin
9 months ago |I was all sold on the idea of getting on of these – when I thought the pancake zoom would be released with it. Problem is I need the camera soon and 18-55 is just too large as the standard lens on this camera! Looks like it will be a Micro Four Thirds camera for me – very disappointing! I would have thought some smaller lenses might have been a higher priority than further body upgrades…
Rod
9 months ago |No image stabilization either!
The Lotus Eater
9 months ago |You mean IBIS? Get over it, it isn’t going to happen.
On the upside, the 35mm, 11-18mm and 16-50mm will all have OSS apparently.
Booe
9 months ago |I still don’t get it. It seems producing bodies is easier for Sony than producing lenses. Why not introduce at least one model with IBIS…
The Lotus Eater
9 months ago |Because that would totally screw up their NEX range and confuse people maybe?
Sony made the decision to put stabilisation in their lenses – accept it. This has the advantage of making the bodies smaller.
Booe
9 months ago |>Because that would totally screw up their NEX range and confuse people maybe?
Many things in NEX are confusing. Like separate view for stills and movies.
Some people buy NEX exclusively for manual lenses. There would be a lot more of them if NEX had IBIS.
Compare that, to EVF, builtin in 6,7 and external in 3,5. Having choice is better.
E
9 months ago |e-mount is for video as well. IBIS causes heating and other issues. A fixed sensor can have (and they do) a large cooling device mounted, good for noise mitigation.
I don’t like it but I understand why they went for OSS.
kirk fuk
9 months ago |Go find other camera from oly.
This camera is not for you yet.
bloodsucker
9 months ago |yes, more new body! sony need to release camera bag for 1 lens, 4-5 bodies and adapters
Zony
9 months ago |Perhaps they would be happy if we used their camera’s as pinhole cameras, then their dream of making no lenses would come true.
Fred
9 months ago |“The NEX-6, A99 and FF NEX will be announced on September 12th!”
What on earth was the Sony marketing team thinking when they picked the same announcement day as the iPhone 5??!!
Rick
9 months ago |+1
Photokina runs from Sept. 18 – 23, Sony should push it back a few days and announce during the show – give the iphone hype a week to cool off. Otherwise it won’t see the light of day outside of photo sites as Cnet, Yahoo and the like will be gushing about the new iphone and comparing it to all the various Android phones.
Kevin Alpha
9 months ago |to me, it’s great, I will buy both iphone 5 (my ATT contract expired) and a99 (to pair with my A900)
Douglas Grillo
9 months ago |And what the Iphone5 announcement have to do with the Sony announcement? not be on two web pages at the same time? Iphone5 is a camera? or the world will be to busy looking the Apple Live event at Gizmodo and never knows about the new Sony cameras?
Sorry but i don’t get.
E
9 months ago |Where do you think a newspaper sends their reporters?
Fred
9 months ago |Every tech website on the planet will be loaded with iPhone articles front and center. This is a significant Sony announcement that should also garner the same front page attention.
Rick
9 months ago |They have nothing to do with each other, but there will be tens of millions more people buying iphones compared to the A99, Nex and such … that will be all the front page info. Sony is going to get buried everywhere that’s not a photo site. Not exactly a great strategy to sell more cameras and actually turn a profit.
Look at all the ink they got from today’s announcements, lots of coverage. It was all over the Yahoo front page and other big tech sites.
Zony
9 months ago |Doug, Fred, Rick- announcing on a day different than the iPhone 5 announcement makes too much sense. How un-Sony of you. In the mind of Sony (formally the mind of Minolta) they ARE the biggest announcement for Sept 12th
kalpurush :)
9 months ago |Sony needs better marketing leaders – don’t have any clue about the current events!
Ryan
9 months ago |LOL. So true. Maybe they can make bodies with different sensor sizes. If you want to change focal length on your one lens, you simply swap bodies. That 16mm lens could be a telephoto lens with a small enough sensor =)
Gadge
9 months ago |Yawn…
OmegaRed972
9 months ago |Apps for my Nex7 in a Firmware Update ?
Kevin Alpha
9 months ago |Andrea, any news on the new NEX pancake lens? when will it be announced?
Art
9 months ago |It’s astonishing how many stupid comments we have here. From the “rear dial is useless now” to “where is A99 announcement” (even though everyone here knew A99 announcement wasn’t scheduled today)
Where do these people come from?
Rick
9 months ago |I vote these comments get deleted before we ever have to read them.
Atlasman
9 months ago |Then what would we read?
alphabee
9 months ago |Where do these people come from?
Most likely America…
EH43
9 months ago |Too expensive. Not impressed.
kalpurush :)
9 months ago |+1
Not many will buy at this price IMHO.
Amit Zinman
9 months ago |So, Sony, how hard can it be to put an earphone plug inside one of these things? I thing anyone would prefer it over the mono speaker
tony
9 months ago |Please view the Youtube video where they open one up. These cameras are so compacted that nothing else will fit. Before they put an earphone plug into these cameras they need to put in an external mic jack.
Amit Zinman
9 months ago |And yet somehow there is room for a mono speaker. Come on, if they can fit it into tiny player they can fit it into a camera, or at least provide a gadget that could extend the camera to do this. Know what, I would settle for an app so I could listen to the sound over Wifi.
tony
9 months ago |TIME LAPSE APP ANYBODY? OMFG
Fly Moon
9 months ago |+1000
Patboyslim
9 months ago |Can’t wait to try the hybrid fast AF. Hope it works as advertised. I can’t focus fast enough on my m4/3 with my child learning to walk.
Bob
9 months ago |REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION! I thought you said that the Full Frame Nex wasn’t coming anytime soon… Your post says the “FF NEX” will be announced on Sept. 12th. Do you have new information?
Rick
9 months ago |Full Frame NEX camcorder.
Austin
9 months ago |This is a pretty significant step beyond the 5N, and an incredible one when considering the original 5. Though if I am correct the price is $50 more than before? I paid $650 for the 5 and it’s 16mm, that doesn’t seem to be a package now
Jordi Ribas
9 months ago |Nice camera, but I’ll wait for NEX 6 + 16-50mm pancake zoom kit.
Benji
9 months ago |Couple of review sites mention there will be a bracketing app… but for aperture/shutter/focus?!? Please tell me Sony is not stupid enough to leave out wider-range exposure bracketing.
Quite pleased with the prospect of phone app triggering… my IR remote has a good range, but it pretty much has to be visible in the photo for the camera to register a signal, tired of ‘shopping the remote’s LED out of photos, leaving my visible hand oddly contorted.
Don Cox
9 months ago |You can bracket exposures by varying either the aperture or the speed.
Focus bracketing could be interesting for stacking. Built in stacking would be very good.
But the Apps scheme seems to be just a way to make people pay for firmware updates. (Unless the Apps are free, which is highly unlikely.)
SS
9 months ago |The question is if +-2 ev or more is allowed and in RAW (presently only +-2/3 in 5n)
Also why restrict the app to 3 photos why not 5,7 or 9 !!!!!!!
Benji
9 months ago |@Don: Do you mean in manual mode? Ok, you’re technically right, but do *you* want to do the math to determine how much to vary the aperture or shutter speed to get approximately +/- 2.0 EV? That also leaves ISO out of the equation, which depending on the shot might actually be the preferred variable to adjust.
ahomad
9 months ago |can anyone answer this question. I have read from several posts that the sensor has been updated, can anyone tell whether this means the image quality has improved or the sensor was updated just to add the hybrid AF function but the image quality still the same as the NEX-5N, any idea?
Don Cox
9 months ago |I think if the image quality was improved, they would have mentioned it.
So I think the AF is the only change. One step at a time.
ahomad
9 months ago |so the conclusion from this update is that it just adds extra features such as wifi and apps but nothing essential for the main purpose of a camera, except for the hybrid AF, am I right?
JesperMP
9 months ago |techradar already posted a review.
Two things:
1. Hybrid AF seems to work.
2. The sensor seems to be slightly improved.
Weakling
9 months ago |Pro: the screen can tilt down as well (unlike the F3)
Con: the lens needs to support Hybrid AF to be able to use it … yikes!
Florian Knorn
9 months ago |What annoys me is that it is not Android based. Nikon has one, Samsung has one. For those cameras, I believe “anyone” can make apps. For the NEX? Only Sony can. That super cool bracketing app? Probably still only allows you to shoot 3 shots at +/- 2/3 stops. Yeah. Not.
alphabee
9 months ago |Small upgrades…
Stuff you have already won’t work fully…
Apps… wonder how long till Sony sells you small updates….
Sony and Apple should team up… same business tactics.
iToys
Wait for six updates to the 5 line then you’ll get something more worthwhile… and maybe some better lens…
Max
9 months ago |It’s a nice camera for first time DSLR buyers but not good enough for an upgrade. I’ll continue using my 5N!
Steve
9 months ago |Sony will release a new 5 series again next year.
Booe
9 months ago |Are there complete reviews?
When first bodies will be shipped to customers?
Dee
9 months ago |Confirmed the D800 sensor is made by sony:
http://nikonrumors.com/
DH
9 months ago |So, I’ve gone through all the posts here. Didn’t find anyone wondering if the hydrid PD-/CD-AF sensor will help improve performance of alpha lenses as well. I mean using the standard LA-EA1 adapter instead of the overpriced and bulky LA-EA2. Sony makes no mention of it. But I’ll be so disappointed if it doesn’t benefit alpha lens performance. I was looking forward to the NEX 6 just because I thought it would.
Rob
9 months ago |It’s already an antique – time to produce a reasonably-price camera that can shoot 4k, ’cause the tvs are on the way to market.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/08/30/tech-sony-4k-tv.html