The Digital Camera Store

Written on the 2011-02-21

rating of 5.0

I was tired of having point and shoot cameras that couldn't handle moving objects or low light, so I started doing research. I found that you really need an SLR to take quality action shots. This camera is a perfect choice for someone who wants a point a shoot but wants the quality images of an SLR. The automatic settings are great, especially the macro setting for flowers and other close up objects. The camera turns on incredibly quickly and its auto-focus is super fast as well. <br /><br />'Negatives': The design is odd and kind of feels like they took a point and shoot camera and taped a giant lens on it. I don't like the plastic body on the NEX-3, I really wish a camera this expensive would have a metal body like the NEX-5 does. The video was a bit grainy in low-light, and I have yet to test it in better light conditions. I bought a screen protector for the LCD because the smudges really make it hard to see after a while.
(Source: www.bhphotovideo.com)

Written on the 2010-12-31

rating of 5.0

This camera was purchased as a second camera to take along on vacation. We got some great panoramic shots off the coast of Thailand. The color and clarity of all the photos was really outstanding. I was able to take some close up photos of some of the flowers in bloom. <br /><br />Just wishing the telephoto lens that goes with the camera wasn't so expensive. Sony makes some great cameras, and this tops the list.
(Source: www.bhphotovideo.com)

Written on the 2010-12-21

rating of 5.0

I take family pictures of school concerts, Hockey league games, gymnastic meets, travel photos.<br /><br />The camera is great for indoor shooting without flash, and the ability to get high quality video clips as well as still images.<br /><br />The camera has a large sensor that produces great photos at high ISO without flash. <br /><br />My Nikon lenses can be used with an inexpensive adapter and the results are spectacular.<br /><br />Battery life is poor.
(Source: www.bhphotovideo.com)

Written on the 2010-11-30

rating of 5.0

Personal<br />All is great with this product
(Source: www.bhphotovideo.com)

Written on the 2010-10-12

rating of 4.0

This is my first Sony Alpha, and I was very surprised how easy is to use this camera. Useful hints are shown every time you may need. The intuitive menu makes the migration from my earlier canon SI5 realy fast.<br />I'm enjoing the panorama mode a lot, plus I'm not missing special moments anymore due to lag - this camera is so fast! I only regret not having this camera in my recent traveling.<br />I'd only like it better if I had a viewfinder and better batery life.
(Source: www.bhphotovideo.com)

Written on the 2010-10-06

rating of 5.0

a super easy camera to use. stunning results.<br />amazing how smart this camera is. great to travel with.<br />should it be this easy? I am glad that it is.
(Source: www.bhphotovideo.com)

Written on the 2010-09-20

rating of 5.0

I really recommend this item <br /><br />Great item as mirrorless Camera.
(Source: www.bhphotovideo.com)

Written on the 2010-08-25

rating of 5.0

I'm experienced with 35mm SLRs and Digital Point & Shoot cameras, and I recently bought this camera (Sony NEX-3 with 18-55mm lens) because I have been disappointed with the quality of photos I can achieve with Digital Point & Shooters. Having been originally spoiled by my Nikkormat and Minolta 35mm cameras I found myself taking fewer and fewer pictures on my small Digital cameras simply because the pictures were just OK. So, with some important life events coming in the next couple of years I decided to upgrade, yet I dreaded the thought of carrying around a bulky and heavy DSLR. <br /><br />The NEX-3 has solved this problem for me: Great pictures, excellent indoor pictures often with no flash needed, and much better portability than a DSLR. <br /><br />Before purchasing I read the reviews and noted some were especially critical of the user interface Sony designed for the NEX series, so when I went to the store to try one I was expecting the worst. Instead, I found the NEX to have an extremely elegant and seductive interface, much better than any of the Digital Point & Shoot cameras I've had. I repeat, the interface is actually seductive. Now, if you compare the interface to a DSLR you will immediately see that the controls are not always visible and at-hand, they must be pulled up on the screen via the menu buttons. Therefore, I do not recommend this as a "downgrade from DSLR" camera until you have tried one in person. However, with my SLR experience I was pleased to see the animated representation of the P-A-S-M knob. And once "A" (aperture priority) is chosen, for example, the aperture adjustment is directly available as part of the viewfinder display. The interface is immediately recognizable to anyone with DSLR/SLR experience. <br /><br />The second thing that struck me while testing the camera at the store was how fast it is. It powers up very quickly, and the delay between shots is better than any digital point & shoot I've seen. <br /><br />Based on these in-store observations and the consistently strong reviews regarding picture quality, I decided to purchase the NEX. <br /><br />There are several cool and innovative features on the NEX that I've not encountered before, and I'll mention the two I think most people will find useful. <br />- The panoramic photo feature will knock your socks off. The camera automatically captures a series of images while you pan from one side to the other (or up-down) and then stitches the images together into a single panoramic photo. This performs very well, and is very useful for many outdoor scenes. <br />- The integration with Eye-Fi wireless SD memory cards makes for a very nice automated transfer of your photos to your computer and to online sharing sites. When I'm shooting in my house the photos are uploaded right then, while I'm shooting. If I'm away from home then when I return I simply turn on the camera and the photos automatically upload and after a minute of idle time the camera shuts off. If you buy a Sony NEX I strongly recommend you consider getting an Eye-Fi wireless SD card. <br /><br />Upon buying the camera I left the next day for a trip to Colorado for a wedding and to visit friends and family. Everyone that saw the camera was enthralled with it. My daughters immediately took to it and snapped many excellent photos using it. My wife's reaction during the return trip: "That camera has already paid for itself!" <br /><br />Other details: <br />- I'm getting about 300 pictures on a battery charge, and will probably purchase an additional battery within 6 months or so. <br />- The high resolution view screen is part of the secret to liking the camera. You get immediate satisfaction from seeing the excellent picture quality. <br />- The flash is workable but will not impress anyone with DSLR experience. I hope Sony comes out with an improved version. <br />- If Sony introduces a normal lens (30mm) it will be tempting, since it may allow the camera to be easily carried in a coat pocket. <br />- I don't take a lot of videos, but the NEX-3 video is quite good and will suffice for any purpose I will ever have. <br /><br />I highly recommend this camera for someone upgrading from a Digital Point & Shoot. <br /> <br />
(Source: www.amazon.com)

Written on the 2010-08-16

rating of 4.0

I just bought this camera a week ago. I wanted to upgrade from a point and shoot and head into the DSLR world. It's just a hobby for me. I'm not a professional and really don't know too much about cameras. I had in my mind that I was going to go buy a Nikon D5000. I had read lots of reviews and that camera got pretty solid reviews for someone who was new to the DSLR world. I went into the store and didn't like the feel of the camera. I am 5'1 and have very small hands. I felt that the D5000 was bulky and heavy for me. I thought I would not want to carry something like that around. The store clerk showed me the Sony NEX-3 and explained what it was. He spoke very highly of it and said for someone like me it would be a great camera. I bought it and have been playing around with it. I am not certain I am going to keep it. I really liked using the Macro setting on my point and shoot for taking photos of flowers to get just a little more detail. The macro setting on this camera is not great. My point and shoot does a better job and there is not a macro lens out yet for this camera to my knowledge. I don't feel that I have very much control over the camera when it's in certain settings. The camera will disable certain features when you are using certain settings. Something as basic as wanting to shoot in black and white is disabled. My point and shoot can do that in any setting. I dont understand why I cant in this camera. I can't change the focus area in most of the settings which I don't like. Therefore the camera focuses on what it wants to whether than what you intended unless you are in PASM. I am not skilled yet with using the PASM settings but would like to learn and I'm not sure this is the camera to learn on. The camera does not have a lot of buttons, it's all built into the LCD. It can take a few minutes to change the settings and you have to push like 6 buttons to get to it so you may miss your shot if you want to change something and need to do it quickly. I will say that this camera does take great photos and is definitively an upgrade in that respect from my point and shoot. It takes great photos in low light. I haven't even used the screw on flash because I dont feel like I have needed it. The other con is the battery life. It's awful. I rate it about a 3. If you are going to be out all day I would have a backup. They cost about $80. The manual says you can shoot about 300 photos. That's not very much. Overall, I do think this camera shoots great photos as a point and shoot but if you want more control over you will need to get a DSLR. I think I may return it. I will get used to the feel of it hopefully. <br /><br />UPDATE: <br />I did end up keeping the camera and there was an update that I downloaded from Sony and it fixed the battery life so it now does not drain as quickly. I am very happy about that. The camera is in the shop for repair right now. The LCD screen turned black at the top and cut off abuot 1/3 of the picture. Sony is fixing it under the warranty that came with the camera. I dont know what caused this and have not seen any other reviews where this has occurred so may just have been my model. Now that I have been using the camera for quite some time, I am glad I bought it and not a bulky DSLR. It is so light weight and I can carry it with me any where I go. It takes fantastic photos in almost no light. I havent even had to use my flash. I cant wait to get it back from the repair shop. I have missed it. <br />
(Source: www.amazon.com)

Written on the 2010-08-01

rating of 5.0

I have had my Sony nex 3 for only a few days. I already LOVE IT. I'm an experienced photographer, and am coming off a Leica Digilux. Didn't want the hassle of a bulky SLR system, but wanted better than a cheap point and shoot. This is the perfect choice. At this level, it's all about the lens quality - these lenses are beautiful. You know Sony bought the famous Minolta camera company, so it's their lens technology. If you are serious about great photos, and artistic flexibility (manual features), this is a MUST.<br />They got smart, it uses SD, not memory stick.
(Source: pcconnectionexpress.com)

Written on the 2010-07-08

rating of 5.0

The Sony NEX 3 with 18-55mm lens does everything they say it can do and more. If you are an experienced SLR man as I am you'll appreciate the same controls, but the real strength of the camera is in the auto settings. You get as good if not better results in the i-auto mode as you do fiddling with all the settings. Images are crisp and clear. Movies are fantastic.<br /><br />The one downside is screen is a bit difficult to see in sunlight and the software, which is almost worthless, and the camera do not like Windows 7 64bit at all. Folks these cameras are the future. I get so tired of carrying around a big SLR and lens. This camera is so light you hardly notice it.
(Source: www.bhphotovideo.com)

Written on the 2010-07-04

rating of 4.0

The first thing you will notice about the NEX-3 is that it looks and feels solid. The 18-55 lens is mostly metal, whereas the body is painted laser-etched plastic with a rubber grip. The camera feels heavy in the hand, but is amazingly deminutive. My first gripe with the camera is its memory stick holder. Designed to hold both SD cards and Memory sticks, there is some kind of internal adaptor that grabs on to the sticks as you lower them into the camera. The adaptor feels a little flimsy. Most Sony DSLRs have designated bays for SD and Memory cards. <br /><br />So here's some of the highlights of the NEX-3 18-55mm(and I hope I'm not repeating too many what other reviewers have mentioned): <br /><br />1) 18-55 lens: Superb construction, absolutely beautiful to handle. Large zooming and focusing rings. You can zoom in and out while you shoot videos manually (there's no T/W toggle switch on this thing). Granted it's not the best 18-55m zoom lens, there is obvious barrel distortion at 18mm, but the distortion slowly disappears as you zoom toward 24mm. <br /><br />1.1) The focusing system for the NEX E-mount lenses falls somewhere between automatic and manual mode. Unless set to full manual focusing, when you press the shuttle button halfway down, the camera finds its focus, locks it, and should you wish to fine tune the focus, all you have to do is rotate the focusing ring (it's electronic so don't worry about damaging any gears within the lens) to push the focus forward or backward. <br /><br />2) The top-mounted swiveling 3-inch LCD has unbelievable contrast. The high-resolution LCD displays almost everything a point-and-shoot user will need to know, and more. <br /><br />3) Picture quality: I cannot stress this enough, the pictures are simply sublime. At ISO 200-1600, colors are punchy and rich, with very minimal noise even at pixel level. 3200-12800 are selectable if you need that extra sensitivity. <br /><br />4) Continuous speed: Max at 7fps (with locked focus and exposure), normal at 2.3 fps (with continuous focusing). However please note that you must use a class 6 SD card or a HX Memory Stick to get the speed. <br /><br />5) The panorama feature is smoother than Sony's compacts, but still produce undesirable effects such as misalignments etc. Probably not a problem if you're just using the images for small prints. A revision of the firmware not too long ago has enabled the NEX to shoot 3D panorama. Not sure if anyone will ever use it though. <br /><br />6) The external flash is supplied, but unnecessary on most occasions as the camera's sensor handles low light so well you won't be missing the flash at all. One thing to note: It is very difficult to screw it on and off the NEX-3. <br /><br />7) There a virtual PSAM dial to control shuttle speed, aperture size and combination of both, including bulb mode. There are a few ways to get to the dial, however, they mostly involve going into the multi-layered menu. <br /><br />8) The graphic user interface (GUI) will take some getting used to. One press of the menu button takes you to six icons, and each one of them takes you to the following controls: <br /><br />i) PSAM/scene/i-mode/panorama/3D panorama (after firmware upgrade) virtual dial, <br />ii) Drive mode (single/burst/high speed burst), AF/MF focusing, <br />iii)Image size and aspect ratio, <br />iv) Brightness and color controls including ISO, white balance, metering, DRO/HDR, creative style, <br />v) Playback functions including multiple file deletion, slide show, rotate and printing functions and <br />vi) Setup, where you get to format your memory cards. <br /><br />9) The rotating control dial is also a four direction keypad. I find myself constantly pressing the dial too hard while turning it and end up accidentally selecting items I don't need. During Aperture Priority, pressing the dial on the left takes you directly to the single frame / continuous / timered captured menu, pressing the dial on the right takes you to the flash menu, pressing the dial at the bottom lets you adjust exposure compensation and pressing the dial on the top lets you toggle between different types of on-screen displays. <br /><br />10) For the pictures, there's two JPEG compression modes, standard and fine. There is also RAW mode plus RAW+JPEG mode just like a typical DSLR. <br /><br />11) Limited support for the a-mount lenses. When used with the optional a-mount adaptor with the latest firmware scheduled for release in October 2010, the NEX-3 will support auto-focus for a-mount lenses with SAM and SSM motors. Other alpha lenses with screw-drive focusing mechanism will lose AF abilities when mounted on the NEX with the a-mount adoptor. I suppose there's nothing Sony can do with the lack of the super steady shot feature with a vibrating sensor, as the E series are designed with Optical Stabilization in mind. <br /><br />The NEX-3 has one of the most complex interface there is. You will find yourself clicking through menus and submenus tediously if you're a seasoned DSLR user trying to make adjustments to the camera's settings. However, if this camera is to be treated as a point-and-shoot, I would have to say that it is one of the best cameras out there. The resolving power and sensitivity of the APS-C EXMOR sensor is downright breathtaking, on par with the APS-C EXMOR sensor of the Sony Alpha 550. <br /><br />The NEX-3 also performs multi-frame capture (6-frames),raising the ISO sensitivity of the camera when you shoot still scenes. The function is comparable to DSC-HX1 and DSC-WX1, whereby six frames are captured quickly and then stacked up to produce a final image. With the added size of the NEX-3's sensor, night shot results can be very pleasing even handheld, as long as you're not framing a portrait. <br /><br />The auto white balance feature leaves something to be desired, so as you get to know your camera better, you might want to explore the color settings and fine-tune the white balance a little for different lighting to get more natural looking results. <br /><br />The defocusing effect given the kit lens' rather large aperture (F3.5-5.6) is substantial (but can't compete with a prime F1.4), and the minimum focusing distance of 25cm from the image sensor makes the lens a great close-up lens as well. It may not be able to produce true macro shots, but the end result is already very pleasing. <br /><br />So there you have it. As far as a point-and-shoot camera goes the NEX-3 is without a doubt one of the most powerful cameras out there. The NEX-5 gives 1080i video in AVCHD (not progressive) and comes in an even smaller, metal front body, and support for an alpha remote control (for remote shuttle release). <br /> <br />
(Source: www.amazon.com)

Written on the 2010-07-04

rating of 4.0

There is a great review on amazon written for the black version of the NEX-3 18-55mm combo, so for the sake of the other Amazon users I will try not to repeat everything that has already been written there. <br /> <br />Bear in mind that this review is written by a seasoned DSLR user, so there may be features about this camera that I don't find particularly appealing but are acceptable to most point-and-shoot users. <br /> <br />The first thing you will notice about the NEX-3 is that it looks and feels solid. The 18-55 lens is mostly metal, whereas the body is painted laser-etched plastic with a rubber grip. The camera feels heavy in the hand, but is amazingly deminutive. My first gripe with the camera is its memory stick holder. Designed to hold both SD cards and Memory sticks, there is some kind of internal adaptor that grabs on to the sticks as you lower them into the camera. The adaptor feels a little flimsy. Most Sony DSLRs have designated bays for SD and Memory cards. <br /> <br />As I've mentioned before in my earlier review, the NEX-3 has one of the most convoluted interface there is. You will be clicking through menus and submenus if you're a seasoned DSLR user trying to make adjustments to the camera's settings. However, if this camera is to be treated as a point-and-shoot, I would have to say that it is one of the best cameras out there. The resolving power and sensitivity of the APS-C EXMOR sensor is downright breathtaking, on par with the APS-C EXMOR sensor of the Sony Alpha 550. <br /> <br />Also, due to the fact that the camera's optics are much closer to the sensor (18mm, 40% shorter than conventional DSLR), the defocussing effect is very pronounced even with the camera shooting with F5.0 at 50mm. The sample pictures above were all taken with the enclosed 18-55mm lens. Any DSLR users will be able to appreciate the substantial defocussing effect given the kit lens' rather small aperture (F3.5-5.6). Also, the 18-55mm lens has a minimum focusing distance of 25cm, with a magnification ratio of about 0.7x. It may not be able to produce true macro shots, but the end result of any semi close-up is already very pleasing. <br /> <br />For normal usage, the best mode is the "I" (intelligent) mode that allows the camera to think for you. The camera will adjust the ISO, shuttle speed and white balance leaving the aperture for you to control the background defocussing. Do howerver take note that if you set the F number too high (small aperture to capture everything in front and behind the focusing point), the camera will force the ISO up and give you a somewhat grainy result. Of course, given the quality of the sensor, the noise level may be acceptable to you. <br /> <br />The auto white balance feature leaves something to be desired, so as you get to know your camera better, you might want to explore the color settings and fine tune your images a little to get more natural looking results. <br /> <br />So here's some of the highlights of the NEX-3 18-55mm(and I hope I'm not repeating too many what the other reviewer has mentioned): <br /> <br />1) 18-55 lens: Superb construction, absolutely beautiful to handle. Large zooming and focusing rings. You can zoom in and out while you shoot videos manually (there's no T/W toggle switch on this thing). Granted it's not the best 18-55m zoom lens, there is obvious barrel distortion at 18mm, but the distortion slowly disappears as you zoom toward 24mm. <br /> <br />2) Camera body: Great styling, extremely compact, swivel 3-inch LCD with unbelievable contrast. The high-resolution LCD displays almost everything a point-and-shoot user will need to know, and more. <br /> <br />3) Picture quality: I cannot stress this enough, the pictures are simply sublime. At ISO 200-1600, colors are punchy and rich, with very minimal noise even at pixel level. 3200-12800 are selectable if you need that extra sensitivity. <br /> <br />4) Continuous speed: Max at 7fps, normal at 2.3 fps (with continuous focusing). <br /> <br />5) The panorama feature is smoother than Sony's compacts, but still produce undesirable effects such as misalignments etc. Probably not a problem if you're just using the images for small prints. <br /> <br />6) The external flash is supplied, but unnecessary on most occasions as the camera's sensor handles low light so well you won't be missing the flash at all. <br /> <br />7) The stereo mic is almost invisible on the camera, but it functions well in capturing stereo sound for your 720p recordings. <br /> <br />8) There the virtual PSAM dial to control shuttle speed, aperture size and combination of both, including bulb mode. There are a few ways to get to the dial, however they mostly involve going into the multi-layered menu. <br /> <br />9) The graphic user interface (GUI) will take some getting used to. One press of the menu button takes you to six icons, the first one takes you to the PSAM/scene/i mode/panorama/3D panorama (after firmware upgrade) virtual dial, the second takes you to the camera menu where you select drive mode (single/burst/high speed burst), AF/MF focusing, the third icon takes you image size and aspect ratio, the fourth brightness and color controls including ISO, white balance, metering, DRO/HDR, creative style, the fifth icon covers playback functions including multiple file deletion, slide show, rotate and printing functions and the sixth button is the setup button, where you get to format your memory cards. The "scene" mode comes preloaded with a sample picture for each scene to give you an idea of what you need to choose to suit your shooting condition. Here is where you get to select the handheld twilight and anti-blur functions identical to Sony's HX1/HX5V/HX55, TX1/TX5 and TX7. <br /> <br />10) The rotating control dial is also a four direction keypad. I find myself constantly pressing the dial too hard while turning it and end up accidentally selecting items I don't need. During Aperture Priority, pressing the dial on the left takes you directly to the single frame / continuous / timered captured menu, pressing the dial on the right takes you to the flash menu, pressing the dial at the bottom lets you adjust exposure compensation and pressing the dial on the top lets you toggle between different types of on-screen displays. <br /> <br />11) For the pictures, there's two JPEG compression modes, standard and fine. There is also RAW mode plus RAW+JPEG mode just like a typical DSLR. <br /> <br />12) Last but not least: the NEX offers Depth of Field (DOF) preview. Most DSLRs do that just fine, but Sony alphas seem to be missing this feature. the sensor will increase its sensitivity and give you some unpleasant noise during preview for large F values (like 22), but the LCD does a good job in telling you how much defocussing there will be in the final image. <br /> <br />As the E series is a relatively new system, here's what I'm hoping for what'll come for the series in the future: <br /> <br />A super wide angle zoom lens, perhaps from 7mm-16mm, to replace the 16mm prime. The review on the 16mm prime on dpreview has not been great, mostly because the captured images are blurred around the edges, there's significant purple fringing at lower F numbers and the images are badly distorted around the edges. <br /> <br />A higher powered zoom lens that's significantly smaller than the 18-200 slated to be released this autumn. <br /> <br />A true macro lens. <br /> <br />A prime lens with a massive aperture of F1.4. <br /> <br />A more powerful flash with bounce feature. The current external flash has a guide number of 7, whereas my alpha flash has a guide number of 42. I cannot stress the bounce feature enough as this is one of the few things that are keeping the NEX series just one tier below the Sony alpha. With the multi-function connector, Sony shouldn't have any problems coming up with different kinds of higher powered flashes that work with the NEX series. <br /> <br />Full support for the a-mount lenses. The current a-mount adaptor does not support auto-focus. I suppose there's nothing Sony can do with the lack of the super steady shot feature with a vibrating sensor, as the E series are designed with Optical Stabilization in mind. <br /> <br />So there you have it. As far as a point-and-shoot camera goes the NEX-3 is without a doubt one of the most powerful cameras out there. The NEX-5 gives 1080i video in AVCHD (not progressive) and comes in an even smaller, metal front body, and support for an alpha remote control (for remote shuttle release). <br />
(Source: www.amazon.com)