Sony adds NFC and compact kit lens to new NEX-5T mirrorless camera

By Les Shu August 27, 2013

sony adds nfc and compact kit lens to new nex 5t mirrorless camera 2

Check out our review of the Sony Alpha NEX 5T digital camera.

In addition to the new Alpha A3000, Sony also announced the fourth-generation of its Alpha NEX-5 series, the NEX-5T. Whereas Sony tries to fit a mirrorless compact system camera into a DSLR-like body, Compared to its predecessor, the NEX-5R – a very strong-performing camera, we found – the NEX-5T’s specs remains the same. It has a 16.1-megapixel Exmor APS-C HD CMOS sensor, tiltable touchscreen LCD that flips 180 degrees, and a hybrid autofocusing system (phase detect) that Sony touts as fast, although our time spent with the NEX-5R suggested otherwise. What is new is support for NFC, letting you easily tap and pair with a smartphone for Wi-Fi sharing and remote viewing/controlling. We saw NFC being demoed at Sony’s briefing of the NEX-5T and it works fairly well, provided you have devices that support the protocol. The kit lens has also changed: Instead of an E-mount 18-55mm that came with the NEX-5R, the NEX-5T will come with a 16-50mm power zoom lens (the same one that comes with the NEX 6 and NEX 3N0 that’s half the size of the 18-55mm. Compared with the newly announced A3000, the NEX-5T comes off as more feature-rich.

The NEX-5T will ship in early September for $700 with lens, $550 without. Read our review of the NEX-5R to give you a sense of what this camera’s like.

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Super-zooms and compacts make up Sony’s new Cyber-shot models at Japan camera show

new sony cybershot cameras announced 2014 cp plus dsc h300 image 1200

While the star of Sony’s new camera announcements at the 2014 CP+ camera show in Japan (which opened today) is the mirrorless Alpha A6000 interchangeable lens camera, the company also introduced several Cyber-shot models. These include three super-zoom bridge shooters and two compacts.
Cyber-shot HX400V, H400, H300
At the top of the new Cyber-shot super-zoom H-series is the HX400V. Available in March for around $500, the DSLR-like camera has a 1/2.3-inch 20.4-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor and uses Sony’s newest Bionz X image processor. It has a 50x, 24mm wide-angle Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T zoom lens with Optical SteadyShot image stabilization. Wi-Fi/NFC lets you pair the camera with an Android or iOS smartphone or tablet for image transfers and remote operation; the camera also supports Sony’s PlayMemories Camera Apps platform of downloadable apps you can use in-camera. There’s GPS built in for geotagging, LCD electronic viewfinder rated 920k dots, ISO ranging up to 12,800, and burst shooting at 10 frames per second. The HX400V can also record “cinema-style” movies at Full HD 1080 at 24p, and up to 60p, as well as “Motion Shot” videos that overlays several images of a subject in an action sequence.
Next is the H400, which Sony calls the “world’s first compact camera with a long-reaching 63x optical zoom lens.” With its DSLR-like body, we’re not sure we’d describe it as compact, but it’s an impressive record, if you’re into that stuff. The zoom uses Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, but a bit of a downer is that it uses a 20.1-megapixel CCD sensor – that means video capture is only up to 720p. The specs aren’t as strong as the HX400V’s, but still, the camera will appeal to the budget user who wants a very long telephoto zoom that doesn’t cost too much. It’ll hit stores in March for around $320. For even less money, at $220, you can pick up the H300, which has a 35x optical zoom lens; this camera hits stores this month. This camera, however, runs on AA batteries. No Wi-Fi/NFC in either model.
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Sony is going for some record-breaking titles, it seems. The WX350 compact is the “world’s smallest and lightest compact camera with 20x Sony G optical zoom lens.” We know tech titles like these are somewhat a bit of a stretch, but a long zoom in a compact camera in a nice feature to have. The 18.2-megapixel WX350 also uses a 1/2.3-inch Exmor R CMOS sensor and the Bionz X image processor. The lens uses Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, and video capture is Full HD 1080 up to 60p/60i. There’s Wi-Fi and NFC as well. The camera will come in black or white, and go on sale in March for about $320.
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