Sony's NEX camera series has grown from two models to four, and the new Alpha NEX-5R ($749.99 direct with 18-55mm lens) now occupies a difficult position in the lineup. It costs $150 more than our Editors' Choice entry-level compact interchangeable lens camera, the Alpha NEX-F3£599.98 at Amazon UK, and for that money you get built-in Wi-Fi and a touch-screen display with a wider tilt range—but you lose the built-in flash. Entry-level shooters will find the NEX-F3 to be a better value, and enthusiasts are likely to be drawn to the NEX-6, a $1,000 camera that includes a compact kit lens, Wi-Fi, built-in EVF, flash, and a standard hot shoe. 

Design and Features

If you've held the previous-generation NEX-5N  SEE IT, the 16-megapixel NEX-5R will feel immediately familiar. Its body is identical in size and footprint, although the control layout has been improved upon. The 5R measures 2.4 by 4.4 by 1.6 inches and weighs 9.7 ounces. The body houses a large APS-C image sensor, but it's just barely bigger than the Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5, a similar camera with a smaller Micro Four Thirds image sensor. The Olympus is 2.5 by 4.4 by 1.5 inches and is a bit heavier at 11.4 ounces.

We reviewed the camera with the standard 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 (27-83mm equivalent) kit lens. It's a bit large compared with the body, but is optically stabilized. If you're a NEX upgrader who already has a lens, or plan to use the camera with vintage lenses, its focus peaking feature, which highlights in-focus parts of an image when autofocus is disabled, makes it well-suited for use with older lenses. (The camera can be had as a body-only for around $650.) Sony is also releasing a kit with the new compact 16-50mm power zoom lens that was introduced along with the NEX-6 for $800, but that won't be available until January. We've previously knocked Sony NEX cameras for a limited lens library, but the company has continued to release new optics for the system—there's now an ultra-wide zoom as well as a fast f/1.8 standard-angle lens.

The 3-inch touch-screen LCD has a stunning 921k-dot resolution. And it's quite responsive to touch—you can swipe to scroll through photos, touch an area of your frame to focus and fire the camera, and use your finger to navigate through menus. The display is hinged, and can face all the way forward for self portraits. This is a feature that was introduced on the NEX-F3, but the hinge has been improved so that you do not lose the ability to tilt the screen down and shoot with the camera above your head.

There's no hot shoe like on the NEX-6 or Olympus PEN E-PM2, but there is an accessory port. It can accommodate Sony's external OLED FDAEV1S Electronic Viewfinder, the included add-on flash, Sony's stereo microphone, or any other compatible accessory.

The controls are enhanced from the NEX-5N. The shutter release and On/Off switch have been combined into a single control, and a control wheel now occupies the space where the On/Off switch was on 5N. There's also a new programmable Fn button to the right of the shutter. The Movie button has been moved, so it's less likely to be accidentally triggered (it can also be disabled completely if desired), and the Play button is now on the top plate. The rear of the camera is identical—there are two function buttons, one of which is programmable, as well as a dial with four directional buttons. Unlike on the NEX-5N, these directional buttons can't be reprogrammed—they're locked into adjusting ISO, Exposure Compensation, Drive Mode, and the amount of information displayed on the LCD.