New Gadget 2011

For a long time, film cameras, and now digital cameras, occupied either the low- or high-end of the spectrum, with little in between. You could either choose from a simple point-and-shoot with limited image quality and low light performance, or step up the bucks and bulk to a DSLR with the added complexity that comes with it. While we have seen quality point-and-shoot cameras in recent years with faster lenses and slightly larger sensors, they still don’t compare to DSLRs in quality, capability, or size.

The last year has seen a new category of cameras emerge and slowly gain some market share: mirror-less cameras. Put simply, these cameras feature the smaller body of a point -and-shoot, the larger sensor of a DSLR, and interchangeable lenses. Unfortunately the lenses are generally unique to that specific camera line, though some models support an additional mount to accept more common lenses.

Sony’s Alpha NEX5 camera is one of the front runners in this category, offering up 14.2 megapixels of DSLR-quality images in a body that is thinner than many point-and-shoot cameras. Of course, there is no cheating the physics of light gathering, and as such, the lenses look a bit off strapped onto the svelte body. However, the overall size and weight are down quite a bit from a proper DSLR.

The NEX5K/B kit we’re covering today includes two popular lenses: a 16mm f/2.8 “pancake” lens and the more common 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. These are a good couple of  lenses to get anyone started with a DSLR-like camera, with an 18-200mm lens available separately. For the privilege of owning one of Sony’s new cameras, you can get this bundle on sale for $804.99 with free shipping. This is a price pretty on par with a regular DSLR and single lens kit, though in some cases you might be able to snag a zoom lens in a kit for this price as well.