If the NEX C3 model was a logical continuation of the budget mirrorless, the new Sony NEX F3 is a completely self-sufficient camera. The F3 uses a completely different design, in addition, it pleases the presence of a built-in flash. However, this is not all the features of the Sony Alpha NEX F3.
Appearance
As they say, they are met by clothes. For this reason, we will begin this review with a description of the appearance of the device. If the first two generations of the third NEX were similar to each other like two drops of water, then the novelty is significantly different in terms of design. From F3 it blows innovation. The camera looks pretty futuristic. Strict outlines give the device additional aesthetics. Nevertheless, the appearance of the device meets all the canons of Sony products. Therefore, ardent fans of the Japanese company will not be disappointed.
The dimensions of the camera have increased. Also significantly changed the shape of the protrusion on the front. In addition, the location of the control buttons has changed (which is noteworthy, there are fewer of them). Sony NEX F3 is very similar to the recently released NEX 6. The faceplate is similar in appearance to rubber, but it is made of plastic.
Ergonomics
The camera is very convenient to use. She is very comfortable in her hand. Thanks to the slightly rough material, the camera does not even try to slip out of its hand. Although the layout of the buttons has changed, they are in convenient places. You quickly get used to the situation. If you used previous Sony cameras, you won’t have to relearn. The assembly of the device, as always, is at the highest level. There are no backlashes and creaks even after prolonged use. Despite the increase in size compared to its predecessors, the weight has not changed. Even with many hours of shooting, the hands do not get tired or numb.
Shooting
The quality of the photo for a budget camera is very decent. Each pixel is full of bright colors, thanks to it, the pictures look just great. The frames have very good detail, in the photo you can see the smallest details. But the speed of inclusion is rather mediocre. The first picture after pressing the lever is taken in 1.05 seconds. Although relative to the model called NEX C3, the shooting speed of which is 1.14 seconds, this is a clear progress.
Features
What new did Sony bring to F3? First of all, it is worth noting the presence of face recognition. It works quite correctly. In addition, there is a “priority of persons”. The essence of the function is that the camera itself takes a photo when a smile appears. This is a very useful addition, because the photographer does not always have time to capture a clear frame due to camera delay or his own slowness.
In addition, it pleases the presence of a function that allows you to significantly expand the dynamic range. And for this there are as many as two options. Software processing of a specific photo called D-Range Optimizer automatically adjusts exposure by one pixel. This is done based on the illumination of the image. The HDR function, in turn, glues as many as 3 frames, which have a different exposure. You can forget about the tripod. Thanks to a very quick CMOS-matrix, which almost completely eliminates blur, HDR works great during handheld shooting. In the settings, in addition to automatic mode, there is the possibility of shifting the range from 1 to 6. Thus, you can independently change the range. Manual tuning may come in handy if you intend to shoot objects in motion.
Panorama shooting is another fun feature. Now this will not surprise anyone. Panoramas can even be created using the phone. But initially this function appeared in the devices of the NEX line, and only then other companies picked up this idea. Sony specialists have developed their technology over the years. Therefore, the quality of panoramas is a cut above that of competitors. Sony NEX F3 allows you to get a panoramic picture in the highest resolution. In addition, compared with the previous generation, the quality of gluing has increased significantly.
The process of shooting panoramas is very simple. To start panoramic shooting, you need to press the button only once. Then, fast burst shooting is activated. All that is required of the user is to turn the camera in the right direction. After the completion of serial shooting, the camera quickly processes the images and gives a full panorama. Quite often, cameras “chew” parts of a panorama during gluing. Fortunately, the brand new Sony NEX F3 Kit does not suffer from this ailment. Images are always very accurate, and no pixels are lost during processing.
Sony NEX F3 reviews
In general, users are satisfied with the new “mirrorless” from Sony. The camera boasts high quality shooting, a pleasant appearance and a lot of fun features. But the most important thing is the price. Sony NEX F3 is a budget model, which at a relatively low cost (14-15 thousand rubles) opens up a lot of opportunities for the user.