Consumer electronics giants are changing the way we photograph. Panasonic, Samsung, and now Sony are packing a slew of new features, from touchscreen focus control to 3D panorama shooting, into small cameras that have large sensors and trim lenses you can swap out. Indeed, among the traditional camera makers, only Olympus with its Micro Four Thirds Pen line has participated so far in the rise of interchangeable lens compact (ILC) cameras.
And the newcomers have opened up a new area of competition: sensor size. Sony, with its recently-released NEX-3 and NEX-5, and Samsung, with its NX10, use bigger APS-C-format sensors to compete with the pioneering Micro Four Thirds system.
We pitted three of the newest ILCs—ony’s Alpha NEX-5 ($700, street, with 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 lens; $650 with 16mm f/2.8 lens), Samsung’s NX10 ($700, street, with 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 lens), and Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-G2 ($800, with 14–42mm f/3.5–5.6 lens)—against each other in the Popular Photography Test Lab and out in the field. To determine the best of the bunch, we evaluated them based on image quality, ease of use, control and capability, and total system flexibility. What we found may surprise you.
Excellent review of these ILC Systems! I was researching the G2 myself, as a possible "travel" and backup system, and while pleased to see it won this shootout, I was a bit disappointed at the higher noise of the bunch. In any case, you show that the G2 is a viable system, as long as one can use the lower range of ISO settings. Thank you.
reasonable, article.
i would still take the Sony over the Panasonic, think of what these images are for, they are meant to be POCKETABLE interchangeable lens cameras, the Sony is a great size with nice small lenses, while the Panasonic is approaching the size of Olympus DSLRs, which makes it rather pointless.
Sony all the way because its by far the best of the bunch for picture quality. In the end thats what matters.
And the picture quality for the Sony will only get better when Adobe releases they new ACR that supports the RAW files for CS5 and lightroom.
and the Sony is faster
and the Sony has a better screen
and the Sony has better kit lenses
and the Sony has better build quality
and the Sony has sweeppano
etc etc.
All that being said I own the G2 but neighbor has the NEX5 - NEX5 wins imo.
I have the Sony NEX5 and am very impressed with the picture quality. This is a great take everywhere camera and so much better than the G2.
Regarding this paragraph:
"While the Samsung NX10 sports a 14.6MP CMOS sensor and the Sony NEX-5 a 14.2MP CMOS, neither of them out-resolved the 12.1MP Live MOS in the Panasonic G2. In fact, all three ILCs scored within 50 lines per picture height of each other in our test—impressive for the lower-megapixel G2, not so much for the others."
The 12 megapixels of the Panasonic has an image height of 3000 pixels where a 12 megapixel APSC sensor has an image height of 2805, and a 14.2 megapixel sensor, of 3056.
Since you measure resolution in line pairs per image height, you would expect that given well-matched lens (exceeding the standard needed for any sensor) the FourThirds would comfortably beat 12 megapixel APS-C, and so closely match 14 as to be a matter of chance which came out 'better' in any single comparison.
Of course, if you measured horizontal resolution instead, APS-C would win over FourThirds. And if the FourThirds and the APS-C were both used to shoot 16:9 HD format, FourThirds manages just 2248 pixels high while 14 megapixel Sony is 2576, 12 megapixel is 2400.
To the comment that refers to "pocketable interchangeable lens cameras," that seems like a bizarre comment to me. I have to wonder how big your pockets are.
No EVF on the Sony makes it a two way contest for me.
The Olympus E-PL1 should have been included in this group test,.
Very nice article. I have the NEX-5 and I'm loving it.
One thing to point out is that, although the e-mount system currently has only 2 lenses available (with the 3rd coming out later) an adapter can be bought to fit all the Alpha mount lenses (I believe there is also a Leica M mount adapter that is coming available too if my jap reading is correct). Only problem with the alpha adapter though is that the alpha lens have no optical stabilization and no auto focus.
I find video using alpha lenses are extremely sharp. You really only get bad shake when you're trying to move quickly through a room.
Everyone who has seen this camera with the alpha lens attached all say the same thing "that's a huge lens for such a small camera." It really peaks their interests when I tell them this camera is more powerful than my a700 dslr. plus, at 7 frames/sec, this thing sound like a machine gun. I haven't tried the other 2 cameras but I like the "shutter click" feeling the NEX-5 gives.
I think the most important thing to remember about these cameras is that, though they pack such great technology and picture quality in such a small size, I feel they are still consider them compact point and shoots, great for holiday travels and for the consumer who wants to take the next step into photography without the bulk. I'd gladly take (and lug all my lenses) the a700 everywhere.
Must be the time I totally missed the adapter section of the article... :(
I read this article looking primarily for information on the Sony. Based on the specifications, the Sony looked very promising to me. However, I had not realized that the Sony did not have a hotshoe until I read your article. Thanks for the valuable information. It was a deal breaker for me.
to andy about in response to my earlier comment.
I have very large pockets infact lol.
not really just ordinary male jean pockets, which can actually fit the Sony with the 16mm lens on it in them (albeit looking very strange with a large lumpsticking out the side) but i wouldnt ever dream of trying the fit the G2 or the NX10 in there.
but my point was more about buying a compact camera for being compact :)
Hi Fred - you must be the first person on this planet claiming that the NEX kit lenses are better than Pana's. They are the major blow for the entire system and I'd never spend several hunderds of Euros for a system coming with lenses of such a poor quality. I just can't believe that you really mean it.
The Sony good for Street Photography !! I do a lot of Street Photography ,a couple of years back I bought a Canon G10 as a Pocket Camera. But Shutter Lag got the better of Me. The Camera is now with Friends in China !!
@ DonParrot
Maybe you should read some lens reviews done by experts on photozone or lenstip instead of listening to people in forums
After two weeks of using the NEX-5 with both the 18-55 mm and the 16 mm lenses (awaiting the wide angle converter), mostly in Panorama and P mode (as a complement to my Alpha 700), I can offer the following comments:
- Picture quality excellent (if underexposed)
- Focusing excellent 75% of the time, impossible 5 % of the time, often slow
- Excellent White Balance
- Excellent low light performance (3200 ISO usable)
- Very decent HD video
- Advantage of HDR over high DRO unclear
- Panoramas can be excellent, but overexposed like all scene modes, sometimes incomplete (in terms of width); no help from the manuals
- Vertical panoramas too short, horizontal panoramas too thin (I can do much, much better with my A700 hand held and Sticher Pro)
- Face and smile detection work well and are real help
- The whole shebang fits in a small Crumpler bag.
Regards - Fredo
Copyright © 2012 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Excellent review of these ILC Systems! I was researching the G2 myself, as a possible "travel" and backup system, and while pleased to see it won this shootout, I was a bit disappointed at the higher noise of the bunch. In any case, you show that the G2 is a viable system, as long as one can use the lower range of ISO settings. Thank you.
reasonable, article.
i would still take the Sony over the Panasonic, think of what these images are for, they are meant to be POCKETABLE interchangeable lens cameras, the Sony is a great size with nice small lenses, while the Panasonic is approaching the size of Olympus DSLRs, which makes it rather pointless.
Sony all the way because its by far the best of the bunch for picture quality. In the end thats what matters.
And the picture quality for the Sony will only get better when Adobe releases they new ACR that supports the RAW files for CS5 and lightroom.
and the Sony is faster
and the Sony has a better screen
and the Sony has better kit lenses
and the Sony has better build quality
and the Sony has sweeppano
etc etc.
All that being said I own the G2 but neighbor has the NEX5 - NEX5 wins imo.
I have the Sony NEX5 and am very impressed with the picture quality. This is a great take everywhere camera and so much better than the G2.
Regarding this paragraph:
"While the Samsung NX10 sports a 14.6MP CMOS sensor and the Sony NEX-5 a 14.2MP CMOS, neither of them out-resolved the 12.1MP Live MOS in the Panasonic G2. In fact, all three ILCs scored within 50 lines per picture height of each other in our test—impressive for the lower-megapixel G2, not so much for the others."
The 12 megapixels of the Panasonic has an image height of 3000 pixels where a 12 megapixel APSC sensor has an image height of 2805, and a 14.2 megapixel sensor, of 3056.
Since you measure resolution in line pairs per image height, you would expect that given well-matched lens (exceeding the standard needed for any sensor) the FourThirds would comfortably beat 12 megapixel APS-C, and so closely match 14 as to be a matter of chance which came out 'better' in any single comparison.
Of course, if you measured horizontal resolution instead, APS-C would win over FourThirds. And if the FourThirds and the APS-C were both used to shoot 16:9 HD format, FourThirds manages just 2248 pixels high while 14 megapixel Sony is 2576, 12 megapixel is 2400.
To the comment that refers to "pocketable interchangeable lens cameras," that seems like a bizarre comment to me. I have to wonder how big your pockets are.
No EVF on the Sony makes it a two way contest for me.
The Olympus E-PL1 should have been included in this group test,.
Very nice article. I have the NEX-5 and I'm loving it.
One thing to point out is that, although the e-mount system currently has only 2 lenses available (with the 3rd coming out later) an adapter can be bought to fit all the Alpha mount lenses (I believe there is also a Leica M mount adapter that is coming available too if my jap reading is correct). Only problem with the alpha adapter though is that the alpha lens have no optical stabilization and no auto focus.
I find video using alpha lenses are extremely sharp. You really only get bad shake when you're trying to move quickly through a room.
Everyone who has seen this camera with the alpha lens attached all say the same thing "that's a huge lens for such a small camera." It really peaks their interests when I tell them this camera is more powerful than my a700 dslr. plus, at 7 frames/sec, this thing sound like a machine gun. I haven't tried the other 2 cameras but I like the "shutter click" feeling the NEX-5 gives.
I think the most important thing to remember about these cameras is that, though they pack such great technology and picture quality in such a small size, I feel they are still consider them compact point and shoots, great for holiday travels and for the consumer who wants to take the next step into photography without the bulk. I'd gladly take (and lug all my lenses) the a700 everywhere.
Must be the time I totally missed the adapter section of the article... :(
I read this article looking primarily for information on the Sony. Based on the specifications, the Sony looked very promising to me. However, I had not realized that the Sony did not have a hotshoe until I read your article. Thanks for the valuable information. It was a deal breaker for me.
to andy about in response to my earlier comment.
I have very large pockets infact lol.
not really just ordinary male jean pockets, which can actually fit the Sony with the 16mm lens on it in them (albeit looking very strange with a large lumpsticking out the side) but i wouldnt ever dream of trying the fit the G2 or the NX10 in there.
but my point was more about buying a compact camera for being compact :)
Hi Fred - you must be the first person on this planet claiming that the NEX kit lenses are better than Pana's. They are the major blow for the entire system and I'd never spend several hunderds of Euros for a system coming with lenses of such a poor quality. I just can't believe that you really mean it.
The Sony good for Street Photography !! I do a lot of Street Photography ,a couple of years back I bought a Canon G10 as a Pocket Camera. But Shutter Lag got the better of Me. The Camera is now with Friends in China !!
@ DonParrot
Maybe you should read some lens reviews done by experts on photozone or lenstip instead of listening to people in forums
After two weeks of using the NEX-5 with both the 18-55 mm and the 16 mm lenses (awaiting the wide angle converter), mostly in Panorama and P mode (as a complement to my Alpha 700), I can offer the following comments:
- Picture quality excellent (if underexposed)
- Focusing excellent 75% of the time, impossible 5 % of the time, often slow
- Excellent White Balance
- Excellent low light performance (3200 ISO usable)
- Very decent HD video
- Advantage of HDR over high DRO unclear
- Panoramas can be excellent, but overexposed like all scene modes, sometimes incomplete (in terms of width); no help from the manuals
- Vertical panoramas too short, horizontal panoramas too thin (I can do much, much better with my A700 hand held and Sticher Pro)
- Face and smile detection work well and are real help
- The whole shebang fits in a small Crumpler bag.
Regards - Fredo