Sony Alpha NEX-5R Digital Camera Review

Dynamic Range

The NEX-5R has phenomenal dynamic range. Our lab tests recorded up to 8.26 stops of usable data, which is extremely wide. What's more, the camera held onto more than 7 stops until all the way up to ISO 800, and after that, only dropped down to around 6 stops at ISO 1600, then 5.3 at ISO 3200, before fading off from there.

Now, when we say "usable" data, we're talking about zones in which the signal-to-noise ratio is at or above 10:1. In other words, we mean the shadowed areas from which details can easily be rescued. Therefore, the results you see here may be different from similar tests elsewhere. More on how we test dynamic range.

At any rate, according to our test the NEX-5R actually surpasses the NEX-7, a camera with famously wide dynamic range, and one that was already ahead of most of the competition. Aside from phase detection autofocus, dynamic range seems to be the key improvement of the NEX-5R's newly designed sensor.