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Sony NEX-5T

 
Sony Alpha NEX-5T front
 
Portability
89
Imaging
58
Features
79
Overall
66

Sony NEX-5T summary

Sony NEX-5T is Sony's Entry-Level Mirrorless camera initially released on August of 2013. It houses a 16 MegaPixel, CMOS APS-C size sensor with a max resolution of 4912 x 3264.

Sony launched this camera as a way to update the older Sony NEX-5R (Read Full Comparison)

The NEX-5T is positioned #35 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras and overall #217 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. You should try our Smart camera finder to get camera listings based on your personal requirements.

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Below is a diagram of multiple factors used in the rating system.

Sony NEX-5T family

The Sony NEX-5T is part of a family of digital cameras. You can see the detailed list below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-Alpha-NEX-5T front thumbnailSony NEX-5T16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2013
Sony-Alpha-NEX-6 front thumbnailSony NEX-6
NEX-5T vs NEX-6
16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2013
Photography Glossary
Sony-Alpha-NEX-3N front thumbnailSony NEX-3N
NEX-5T vs NEX-3N
16MPAPS-C4.0 fps2013
Sony-Alpha-NEX-5R front thumbnailSony NEX-5R
NEX-5T vs NEX-5R
16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2012
Sony-Alpha-NEX-F3 front thumbnailSony NEX-F3
NEX-5T vs NEX-F3
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2012
Sony-Alpha-NEX-7 front thumbnailSony NEX-7
NEX-5T vs NEX-7
24MPAPS-C10.0 fps2011
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Sony-Alpha-NEX-5N front thumbnailSony NEX-5N
NEX-5T vs NEX-5N
16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2011
Sony-Alpha-NEX-C3 front thumbnailSony NEX-C3
NEX-5T vs NEX-C3
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2011
Sony-Alpha-NEX-5 front thumbnailSony NEX-5
NEX-5T vs NEX-5
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-NEX-3 front thumbnailSony NEX-3
NEX-5T vs NEX-3
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2010

Sony NEX-5T Pros and Cons

Here is a collection of upsides and downsides of the Sony NEX-5T based on aspects that are oftentimes considered essential in a camera.

comes with HDMI support
good ISO range (25,600)
good minimum ISO (100)
good resolution (16MP)
has a tilting screen
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
NFC support
nice screen size (3")
nice sensor size (APS-C)
provides face detect autofocus
provides tracking focus
selfie friendly display
supports phase detect autofocus
supports RAW formats
supports touch focus
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
touchscreen functionality
very good screen resolution (922 thousand dot)
you can focus manually
does not have image stabilization
lack of headphone jack
lack of microphone jack
lack of Timelapse mode
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Sony NEX-5T Sensor features

The Sony NEX-5T is run by the Bionz chip. The spec of the sensor on the Sony NEX-5T is 23.4mm x 15.6mm (APS-C). The 365 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 4912 x 3264 pixels with aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 16MP and delivers a native ISO range of 100 to 25600. RAW photos are saved which means that you have more room to maneuver in post.

The picture below shows the NEX-5T's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The NEX-5T sensor comes with a crop factor of 1.5 and is presented in green.

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To get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony NEX-5T dimensions

Sony NEX-5T weighs around 0.61 lbs (276 grams / 9.74 oz) and features external size of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5"). The weight of typical Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329 grams and the Sony NEX-5T is less heavy than various competitors.

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Below is a visual of the Sony NEX-5T with a soft drink to help you have a feel for its size.

Sony Alpha NEX-5T dimensions scale

The top view directly below will show the button layout on the NEX-5T.

Sony Alpha NEX-5T topview buttons dials

Sony NEX-5T Lens features

The NEX-5T fits the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses that you can buy. Here is a few of the lenses we have in our database that will fit the NEX-5T.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Sigma-135mm-F1.8-DG-HSM-Art-FE-Mount lensSigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art135mmf/1.81130g
Tamron-18-200mm-F3.5-6.3-Di-III-VC-Sony-E-NEX lensTamron 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 Di III VC18-200mmf/3.5-6.3 460g
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Tamron-70-180mm-F2.8-Di-III-VXD-Sony-FE lensTamron 70-180mm F2.8 Di III VXD70-180mmf/2.8815g
Sony-FE-400mm-F2.8-GM-OSS lensSony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS400mmf/2.8 2895g
Samyang-8mm-F2.8-UMC-Fisheye-Sony-E-NEX lensSamyang 8mm F2.8 UMC Fisheye8mmf/2.8 265g
Sigma-20mm-F2-DG-DN-C-E-Mount lensSigma 20mm F2 DG DN C20mmf/2.0 370g
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Sony-FE-50mm-F2.8-Macro lensSony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro50mmf/2.8236g
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Sony NEX-5T Connectivity

The NEX-5T has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras with NFC or Bluetooth support can easily be used wirelessly via smartphones. You are able to send photos and at times alter settings without connecting directly with the camera.

Several apps also stream a Liveview and hit the shutter when you are not close to the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI out, it could be attached to an external monitor. A good number of cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Sony NEX-5T Video features

The max video resolution on the Sony NEX-5T is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in MPEG-4, AVCHD and H.264 format. 1080p resolution delivers a great balance in quality versus file size but 1080p won't leave you with much room to downsample. The body does not have a mic or headphone socket which means you have zero control over your sound. It is probably a better idea to shop for a different camera if you need better sound in your video clips.

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Sony NEX-5T Weather Sealing

Sony NEX-5T does not have environment proofing so wet conditions may affect the camera.

Sony NEX-5T Display and Viewfinder

The Sony NEX-5T is equipped with a 3 inch tilting display with a resolution of 922 thousand dots.

It has a selfie friendly display to shoot self portraits and even group photos if necessary. Moreover the display is touch friendly which means that you can easily change focus point as well as adjust settings with your fingertips.

Sony Alpha NEX-5T screen and viewfinder Photography Glossary

The View Finder specifications regarding Sony NEX-5T are as follows:

  • ViewFinder Electronic (optional)

Viewfinders are really useful in bright outdoor situations which may make the camera display washed out and hard to view.

Sony NEX-5T Shutter features

Sony NEX-5T has the ability to shoot continuously at 10.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/4000 sec.

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Sony NEX-5T Flash and Hot shoe features

Sony NEX-5T includes external flash support but with missing inbuilt flash. The max flash sync speed is 1/160 sec.

Sony NEX-5T Autofocus features

Sony NEX-5T includes both Phase Detect Autofocus along with Contrast Based Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot snappier & exact than Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera supports Face detect which can be valuable for people photography.

It supports 99 focus points to choose from. Sony NEX-5T has touch to focus. You can use your fingers to shift focus. It also has Tracking Autofocus for moving subjects. Sony NEX-5T comes with manual focusing if required in low light situations or you want to have more accurate focusing control.

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Sony NEX-5T Battery life

The battery pack (NPFW50) for the Sony NEX-5T is fashioned to last for 330 photographs based on the CIPA requirements which is on par with its competition. The usual Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 has the maximum (750) battery life in this class of cameras.

Following is a collection of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras which have the strongest battery life:

Sony NEX-5T for specific kinds of photography

The following illustration shows a rundown of the Sony NEX-5T for specific kinds of photography. To see more, have a look at the specific section below.

Sony NEX-5T as a Portrait photography camera

The Sony NEX-5T receives a points total of 74 which is very good, and means the camera is a respectable option to use for portraits. Taking portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor dimension, support for RAW photos & capability to work with off-camera flash.

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you can focus manually
MP count good (16MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports face detection focusing
delivers RAW files

Sony NEX-5T Street photography features

Having a terrific rating of 80, the Sony NEX-5T is a wonderful option to use in street photography. A good street photography camera gives a good balance of picture quality plus portability.

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tilting screen
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
has focus by touch
above average ISO range (25,600)
no image stabilization

Sports photography with Sony NEX-5T

A nice sports photography rating of 69 means the Sony NEX-5T is a respectable pick for taking photos of sports. A camera must have very good focusing plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

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sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
provides tracking focus
has phase detect AF
lack of image stabilization

Sony NEX-5T as a Travel photography camera

Size is very important when getting a camera for travel. All things considered, the Sony NEX-5T gets a awesome 77 as a travelling camera which is a fantastic pick to take with you on your travels.

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includes focus via touch
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
selfie friendly screen
missing Timelapse mode

Sony NEX-5T Landscape photography highlights

If you are looking to pick a digital camera for landscape pictures, the biggest factor will no doubt be image quality. The Sony NEX-5T with it's above average score of 70 as a landscape camera is a good pick amongst its competitors.

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has manual focus
change lenses (Sony E mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
great ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
does not have Time Lapse recording

Sony NEX-5T Vlogging advice

A camera for vlogging should really have a articulating display screen, microphone port and ideally image stabilization. Taking all things into account, the Sony NEX-5T is a respectable fit for vlogging as it receives a nice score of 73.

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selfie friendly screen
has touchscreen
comes with face detect focusing
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
no image stabilization
doesn't have microphone port

Sony NEX-5T Alternatives

If you are searching for alternatives to the NEX-5T, here is a number of the highest placed cameras that fall into the family of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The chart underneath provides you a bird's eye view of the NEX-5T versus it's top scored competitors mentioned previously.

There are a bunch of cameras you may take into account as alternatives. To browse through a full comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

Photography Glossary

Specifications

General Information
Brand
Sony
Model type
Sony Alpha NEX-5T
Type
Entry-Level Mirrorless
Released
2013-08-27
Body design
Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Processor Chip
Bionz
Sensor size
APS-C
Sensor measurements
23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area
365.0mm²
Sensor resolution
16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution
4912 x 3264
RAW support
Maximum native ISO
25600
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points
99
Cross type focus points
25
Lens
Lens support
Sony E
Total lenses
121
Focal length multiplier
1.5
Screen
Range of display
Tilting
Display sizing
3"
Resolution of display
922 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Display tech
Tilt Up 180° Down 50° TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Electronic (optional)
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
78
DXO Color Depth rating
23.6
DXO Dynamic range rating
13.0
DXO Low light rating
1015
Features
Min shutter speed
30 secs
Max shutter speed
1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter speed
10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
7.00 m (ISO100)
Flash options
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash sync
1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
1920 x1080 (60p/60i/24p)
Maximum video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
276 gr (0.61 lbs)
Physical dimensions
111 x 59 x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
Other
Battery life
330 photographs
Type of battery
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NPFW50
Self timer
Yes ((10/2 sec. delay), Self-timer (Cont.) (with 10 sec. delay; 3/5 exposures))
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots
One
Retail cost
$400