Sony Alpha NEX-5R First Impressions Review

Modes Overview

The NEX-5R is not equipped with a hardware mode dial, so you'll need to rely on the somewhat cumbersome menu system for swapping modes. Still, full "PASM" shooting flexibility is supported, with all the bells and whistles like bulb and bracketing.

Auto Mode

Just like the NEX-5N, the 5R will support Intelligent Auto and Superior Auto. Both are scene-detecting automatic modes, so they'll attempt to recognize shooting conditions like macro, landscapes, or whether or not you're using a tripod. Each mode removes nearly all manual control, so they're useful for handing off your camera to a beginning for a few moments.

Movie Mode

The 5R will shoot in Full HD and store data in AVCHD. Supported frame rates will be 24p, 60i, and even 60p for the best possible motion quality. Sony usually does a great job with camera video, so we're expecting excellence here too. After spending some hands-on time with video mode, we found it quick to start up, and equally quick to adapt automatically to changes in light or focus necessities.

Drive/Burst Mode

One of the NEX-5R's key advantages over the 5N is continuous shooting performance. Speed is the same, 10 frames per second max, but the new camera can maintain continuous autofocus with tracking while a burst is in progress. We weren't able to get a good sense of what kind of difference this will make, at least not during our limited time with the camera, so this is the feature we're most excited to test out in the labs.

Playback Mode

Other Modes