The Sony Alpha 5000 ; Part Two

I’m sure most of you have already heard of the Sony Alpha 5000 by now. Yes, the world’s lightest interchangeable-lens digital camera weighs only 210g without lens and battery, and 269g with battery and kit lens. But inside this very portable camera is a 20.1 effective-megapixel APS-C image sensor for superb image quality.

The Sony Alpha 5000 also equipped with a 180 degrees tiltable LCD screen for easy selfies, and Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities, for easy transfer or photos to my smartphone using the Play Memories app which is free for both iPhone and Android. This makes capturing and sharing photos really fun and most importantly - easy!

So, I took home the Sony A5000 and got to play around with it for a few weeks. Before I show you what this compact camera is capable of, I must really emphasize that the Sony Alpha 5000 really is so lightweight and convenient! I have been bringing it with me almost wherever I go! I don’t have to worry about bulky cameras anymore. Just strap on, and I’m good to go!

Another thing I love about this Sony Alpha 5000 is definitely its exterior! Sophisticated and sleek, white is surely my favourite out of the three (the other colours being pink and black).  

I am not the best photographer, but hey… this camera sure did unleash that 'inner pro' within me! I am really amazed by the amount of details this little compact camera can capture. I won't do so much talking; after all… action speaks louder than words, right? In this case, I'll let my pictures do the talking! 

CLOSE-UPS 

For close-up shots like these, I used the 'Macro' function and I must say that it was very user friendly. You don't need a degree in photography. With the Sony A5000, your photos will turn out as good! Look at the beautiful details and colours in these photos that I managed to capture. I was pretty amazed myself! I remember MHB’s official photographer Andy Kho saying during the bloggers gathering at Carcosa that this is because of the large APS-C sensor which captures more light.

And of course everyone likes taking shots of food and beverage. I liked the background defocus effect which softens the background and makes the subject of the photo more prominent. Best thing is that you can even adjust the amount of background defocus right in auto mode! Great for users like myself!

Next is a shot of a beautiful chandelier.

For this particular one, I played around with the effects. At first, I wanted to capture the details of the chandelier, but as I took a couple more shots, and changed around with some effects, I managed to capture this one with the 'Soft Focus' effect.

It actually turned out pretty cool! Feels like the sun radiating energy, right?! I actually submitted this photo for the photography competition during the event; too bad mine wasn't good enough. But I still think this is a pretty cool shot! Made it my desktop's wallpaper too. Yup, that's how much I like it! :)

DIFFERENT PHOTO EFFECTS 

I played mostly with the photo effects as I am not particularly proficient playing with ISO, shutter speed, and aperture yet. There are quite a few to choose from; Toy Camera, Pop Color, Posterization, Retro, Soft High-key, Partial Color, High Contrast Mono, Soft Focus- Low, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Mono, Miniature, Watercolor & Illustration.

However I’m hoping to improve, and I’ve read up a little on how to properly set aperture, shutter speed and ISO online... so I'm slowly but surely learning how to fully utilise the camera! (hopefully I get to keep it a little longer :P).

So the following of photos are mostly myself, playing around with the different photo effects available. It's quite amazing how just one simple effect, can alter the entire mood of the photo. Check it out!

NO EFFECT

TOY CAMERA EFFECT

NO EFFECT

WATERCOLOR EFFECT 

POP COLOR EFFECT 

HDR PAINT EFFECT 

TOY CAMERA EFFECT 

HDR PAINT EFFECT 

POP COLOR EFFECT 

RICH MONO TONE EFFECT 

For me personally, when a camera can produce good photographs when the sun goes down (night time), then it’s a good camera. Just my two cents; and what can I say? The Sony Alpha 5000 really surprised me! Just look at the amount of detail I managed to capture in the night shots below!

These are merely with the available photo effects (extremely user-friendly for users that are not so familiar with the more technical aspects of the camera) but I can totally imagine the outcome if I actually applied manual effects depending on the ambience. It’s time high I take up photography lessons! Well I heard Sony Malaysia provides photography workshops to their users!

 Notice how a simple change of photo effect changes the entire mood of the photograph? Love it!

NORMAL EXPOSURE 

HIGH EXPOSURE

MY FAVORITE SHOTS! 

I am definitely enjoying this artistic side of me. Never knew I could take such 'interesting' pictures. This Sony Alpha 5000 is definitely very user-friendly (especially photography noobies like myself), very lightweight (I can bring it with me anywhere, anytime!), and not forgetting its appealing outlook (white cameras? they look good with any outfit, for any occasion!). 

Here are some of my ultimate favorite shots! Yes, taken by me using the Intelligent Auto mode which automatically identifies the scene’s characteristics and adjusts to the best settings. I’m slowly getting the hang of using the Sony A5000 and I’m pretty impressed with it as the photos turn out GOOD considering I don’t have any advanced knowledge of photography).

 This particular shot of my baby bro is taken with the 180 degrees tiltable  built-in pop-up flash, and this is actually taken in the daytime but the flash created an effect which really highlights him as the subject! Really love how this picture turned out! 

Need I say more? Sony Alpha 5000 spells PERFECTION already!

Here’s what the Sony Alpha 5000 can do in the hands of a professional.

A view of the KL skyline shot by MHB’s official photographer Andy Kho from his condo, using “Sunset” mode.

My personal encounter with the Sony Alpha 5000 has been great thus far. I seriously am considering to get myself one (or hopefully I get to keep this one for myself... I wish! ).

Nonetheless, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sony Malaysia for the exclusive privilege to review this camera and be one of the very first few to try out the Sony Alpha 5000. Lucky or what?!

If you’re keen to find out more about the Sony Alpha 5000, head on over to http://bit.ly/1gPXynR

Or check out their official website at http://www.sony.com.my or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SonyMalaysia.

The Sony Alpha 5000 has been available in Malaysia from the 21^st February 2014 with the suggested retail price:-

Single Lens Package (Body + 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens) at RM1,999.

Twin Lens Package (Body + 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 + 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3) at RM2,799.

One thing for sure, you’ll experience photography like never before ;)

Till then! 

Sony Alpha 5000 : Get to know the camera!

One of the many perks about being a blogger has got to be the first-hand privileges we get when it comes to the latest gadgets in town. I've always been a gadget girl, and camera is definitely one of my travel essentials. Trust me, a good camera goes a longggggg way. It's one of the best inventions ever, no? The fact that we get to capture 'moments' as we live, to me... is the most beautiful thing ever! 

I was invited to Sony Malaysia's Blogger Gathering few weeks back at Carcosa Seri Negara for the preview of the Sony Alpha 5000 Compact Camera. It was definitely an honour to be able to be a part of this event; thank you Sony Malaysia for the exclusive privilege! Not to mention, I was one of the few lucky ones to get my hands on the brand new Sony Alpha 5000; and I got the white one. Double win! :) 

One advantage about having a lightweight digital camera is the convenience you get while traveling. Trust me, I’ve had horrible experiences with heavy cameras (usually DSLRs) especially during my travels. During the talk, we were told that the Photoriders, a group of cyclist and photographers from Penang who travel around on their bicycles very much preferred the compact and light Sony Alpha 5000 as compared to the conventional DSLRs.

So, what’s the hype about?”

“What’s so special about this camera? “

“What are the features like?”

These questions are probably popping in your head right now. Lo and behold ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to clear your doubts. If you’re looking to buy a camera or just simply curious about this new gadget, then you’re at the right place!

Truth be told, there are so many different models and different types of cameras in the market today; picking the ‘right one’ can be pretty tricky at times. Based on my personal experience with the Sony Alpha 5000; I must say, I’m pretty impressed!

Besides its appealing and attractively designed exterior, the Sony Alpha 5000 is also very light. According to Sony, it is the world’s lightest interchangeable digital camera weighing at an approximate of 210g (body only) and 269g (in October 2013 with battery and memory stick PRO DUO). It’s so compact and convenient, I have no problem carrying it with me everywhere I go!

The Sony Alpha 5000 is also very well equipped with a 20.1 mega pixel Exmor APS-C HD CMOS sensor and their BIONZ X processor, resulting in better quality pictures with improved clarity and lesser noise. Sony is the only camera range in the current market that uses the APS-C size sensor. To put simply, let me explain using the “handbag” metaphor. 

"The bigger your handbag, the more items you can carry, yes? Same idea with the APS-C sensor. The bigger the sensor size, the more details it can capture. The lower the noise ratio, the more color details it can capture, hence better quality!". Get what I mean? 

That's Andy doing what he does best! 

Besides being lightweight, having a compact body and a pop-up tiltable flash which is great for bouncing light off low ceilings, the Sony Alpha 5000 is also compatible with E-mount lenses and has sensitivity up to ISO16000. I’m sure you can image how powerful this compact camera is by now.

THE SELF PORTRAIT

The best part has yet to come, with the 180 degree tiltable LCD screen; it is perfect for self-portraits (in other words, selfies!) and with the Soft Skin effect, “no make-up” days won’t be a problem anymore!

Self-portrait with the "Soft" mode 

What I love most about this self-portrait mode is that, when you flip the screen; it automatically switches to a “3-seconds self-timer” mode giving you a little time to adjust yourself for the shot. Perfecto!

IMAGE SHARING/ IN-BUILT WIFI

Another awesome feature of the Sony Alpha 5000 has to be the in-built WIFI function that allows you to transfer your photos immediately to your smartphones or tablets. Talk about convenience! The best part is, you don’t need an external WiFi for the photo transfer; because the WiFi is already in-built (oh, why am I stating the obvious? :P) Here’s how you do it!

1) Select the photo that you want to transfer, and click on “MENU” and you will see this screen on display. Just select “WIRELESS”. 

2) Depending on where you want your photos to be transferred; you can either select ‘Send to Smartphone’ or ‘ Send to Computer’.

3) Prior to successful transfer to smartphones, make sure you download this specific app called “PlayMemories Mobile” from your Appstore or Android PlayStore.

4) Once connected to the Sony A5000’s in-built WiFi, your photos will automatically be shared via this app. You can then select the ones you want to be transferred! As simple as that!

This is too good to be true! It can’t get any better than this! Lightweight, pop-up flash, tiltable LCD screen, in-built wifi, One touch sharing.. what more can I ask for? I really am considering getting myself one too!

Oh yes, before I forget.. we had a mini in-house competition during the Sony Alpha 5000 Bloggers’ Preview whereby everybody at the event were encouraged to use their newly received Sony Alpha 5000. What better time than then to put the camera to test right? Plus, the grand prize winner of the contest will walk away with a brand new Sony Alpha 5000. Say what?! GAME ON!

This was my personal attempt on capturing something out of the box. I was still quite unfamiliar with the camera features then but the facilitators/photography trainers were really generous with their tips and advices. I sure did learn a thing or two!

In the end, MHB’s Careen Tan was judged to have shot the best photo and she won herself a brand new Sony Alpha 5000! Congrats Careen!

Went for late lunch/catch-up with Careen and that's her fiddling with her new toy! 

Really enjoyed myself throughout the event, and I must say that we were well-pampered with good food and great company, and I’m absolutely looking forward to the next event by Sony Malaysia!

There you go! My personal experience with the Sony Alpha 5000 thus far. I will be taking it home for a few weeks and I am really excited to see what this compact camera has in store for me! Super stoked to explore more of the features and hopefully I’ll be able to produce some beautiful photographs.  After finding out the features that this camera has, I’m pretty confident I will!

If you’re interested, the Sony Alpha 5000 will be available in Malaysia from 21^st February 2014 onwards with the suggested retail price:-

Single Lens Package (Body + 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens) at RM1,999.

Twin Lens Package (Body + 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 + 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3) at RM2,799.

For more information on the Sony Alpha 5000, check out http://bit.ly/1gPXynR

Or follow Sony Malaysian on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SonyMalaysia.

I’ll be back with another post after I’m done exploring with my new camera! Till then, cheers! X