Sony Alpha 5000 review – Live view, LCD and video
The Alpha 5000’s 3in, 460,800-dot LCD screen stands out because its resolution is significantly lower than the 921,000-dot displays common in rival models, it’s disappointing to not see an improvement in this area. Even the NEX-3 had a 921,000-dot screen, and that was released in 2010.
The tiltable screen’s ability to flip up and face forward is perfect for composing ‘selfies’ and group photographs. However, its built-in pop-up flash sits awkwardly in the middle of the screen when in use, obscuring your view of the composition.
Using the LCD screen in direct sunlight can be difficult, but Sony has attempted to combat this by including a ‘sunny weather’ screen-brightness option in the set-up menu. However, it can still be difficult to compose shots because the supporting grid lines themselves can be hard to see, especially when shooting night scenes.
Full HD video in MP4 and AVCHD formats with stereo sound is available via a movie button, and it performs to a good standard that will satisfy most applications, such as filming family occasions, holiday shots and video blogging. The SteadyShot feature adds smooth filming capabilities, while colours and highlight detail are rich and satisfying.
