James Shackleton's Blog

On Jianguo Road

I was in Shanghai over the weekend. While my girlfriend was having her hair “done”, I wandered nearby.

As you can see, I took these two photos within a few feet of each other, but they are quite different.

On Jianguo Road (15 feet up the road)

I don’t really write product reviews because despite what I read online, there really is no “best” camera and with that out the way, you are left with what is an essentially personal choice, which explains why people get so up-in-arms if you dis their puppy.

Ok. I used to own an NEX-5 and for what I do (mostly people and “found” photography), it was very good. The focusing wasn’t mind-blowingly fast and no I didn’t think the standard lens was L-glass, but it packed quite a punch in a very small package.

That last part is important,’cos to be honest most “enthusiast” type DSLRs are too big and bulky to carry slung over a shoulder all weekend or for a trip to the park.

Ok, so I’ve had the NEX-5N for a couple of days – how is it so far?

Well, the good news is that it bangs out beautifully detailed images even at high ISO. The files look very clean – obviously cleaner than from my 50D.

The not so good news is the autofocus, which seems fine with close-up objects, but struggles with infinity. I will do a scour of the manual and see if I can work out what is going on.

The other issue (here in China at least) is getting your hands on one.

Well, so far, I am pleased with mine. It is a lovely piece of kit.

I will update later.