Sony camera provided. Please see full disclosure below.
We recently took a trip down to the Dominican Republic to attend a friend’s wedding. I decided to bring along the Sony NEX-5R to capture memories from our trip. We stayed at the Hard Rock Resort & Casino in Punta Cana nestled right next to the ocean and everything about it was absolutely beautiful.
The property alone was just gorgeous with lush landscaping and palm trees at every turn. But what really took my breath away was the view of the ocean.
I had a really easy time shooting with the Sony NEX-5R. It’s small and compact making it lighter to carry around and easier to pack for travel. I used the standard kit lens and I’m not the least bit disappointed in the way the pictures turned out.
I love that the camera is very user-friendly even for those who really don’t know much about cameras. My husband picked it right up and began shooting and got some of these amazing shots.
The features of this camera truly are outstanding considering the price point. It features a 16.1 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, Fast Hybrid phase autofocus system, 3-inch, 180° tilting LCD panel with 921,000-dot resolution (perfect for selfies), a touch-screen interface, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and the PlayMemories Camera App, an ISO range of 100-25600 and both a mechanical and electronic shutter.
There are several different shooting modes, including the standard P, A, S, and M plus 9 different scene selections. I usually just shoot in Aperature Priority, but it was fun playing around with all the different scene settings.
The camera also comes with a compact clip-on flash that I have yet to use. There hasn’t been a situation to where I’ve needed a flash (I never shoot with the flash) but I did try to clip it on while my lens was attached and found that it was a bit tricky. I gave up and haven’t tried again.
What I adore about this camera is that it is WiFi enabled and when used with the PlayMemories App on your mobile device, you can use the mobile device as your remote as well as use it to share your photos immediately to social networks. There is no more waiting until you can download the pictures for sharing. Talk about instant gratification.
I’m totally in awe of the pictures we were able to capture in the Dominican Republic. I love having these to keep me satisfied until I can go back again.
As great as I think this camera is, I also think that when you actually get into all the different options, it’s quite confusing. Not every option is where you think it might be found. For example, the ISO is not found in the Camera folder with the other key shooting options, but rather in the Brightness folder. It just takes some getting used to and some digging around.
All in all, I really like the camera. I do find that it is a big top heavy with the bulkiness of the lens, but it is still much smaller than my other camera and I think that some of photos are comparable to those of my more expensive DSLR.
Buy:
You can purchase the Sony Alpha NEX-5R for the suggested retail price of $599.99. If you order from Sony.com, you will receive free shipping on your order.
Tricia @ Night owl mama says
takes Fabulous photos everything looks so clear
Penelope (NYC Blogger) says
I’ve been looking for a micro 4/3 camera because mine d700 is so darned big, and this was recommended to me- thanks for the review!
Vanessa: thequeenofswag says
Great review. I think it takes some great pictures! The beach looks so beautiful.
Angela says
Wow, the vivid colors this camera captures is amazing! It makes me want to be on that beach so bad!!
Stefanie says
Gorgeous photos! I really want to visit the DR.
Ty @ Mama of 3 Munchkins says
The colors are so beautiful!
Tammy says
I love my tiny hybrid DSLR, I don’t miss my large one at all especially when traveling – but mine doesn’t have the WIFI feature built in, you have to purchase a dongle separately, so I am really jealous of that feature because it is such a great addition to the Sony NEX. I’d love to be able to share my pictures directly to instagram and facebook and such without coming home first!
Lolo says
Such amazing views! The Sony takes beautiful photos.
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
The pictures are beautiful! Of course the setting helps. What a pretty place to visit.
Tiff @ Babes and Kids says
I have a Sony dslr and have been eying the Nex cameras for quite some time. You photos are absolutely gorgeous and I like that it has the wifi sharing capability. Going to be saving my pennies for this one. Beautiful photography.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
For the smaller size and portability ease, this sounds like a terrific option! It really did take wonderful photos and you certainly had an idyllic location in which to try it out!