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