Customer Ratings & Reviews

This camera is capable to take professional quality pictures while being relatively light and compact compare to DSLR cameras. Works best when switching settings for appropriate scenery to archive superior quality and best result. Pop-up flash gives extreme illumination in low or no lighting.

this is my 3rd high end camera system i have ever owned and for comparison i had a 1,600$ dslr previous to this one that took a swim and was too much to fix in relation to a new one so i went shopping and after reviewing all of my options at multiple brick n' mortars as well as online i ended up choosing this one. first off i will say that it is slightly on the intermediate to advanced level as far as being able to fully enjoy everything this unit has to offer, although, even someone without any knowledge can take incredible shots. i love this camera and find it far better than my last two and not even in comparison to all my other "basic" style point and shoots. after a few hours of playing with all the settings, functions, and combinations it completely blew me away with the stunning clarity, sharpness of images without loss of definition, (once your accustomed to the locations) the quick and easy interface for changing "on-the-fly" settings to meet unique criteria for action, still, panoramic, land/sea/air, auto, moving objects...etc. i am very pleased with the cameras overall functionality and professional quality results- i even started playing with the memory and adding previously captured photos and loading them into the camera (via removable high speed sd) and in some, but not all, cases it changed the resolution of the photo and made it look like it was a completely different picture, bringing out the image quality the file deserved (not sure if its a normal occurrence or why it would do it i just got overexcited about the a5 and decided it was worth a shot... i also am running an upgraded macbook pro/ retina with multiple editing programs that i am still very new to, so it may just be the variations in how the files were read by the computer when i "re-imported the photo...). the camera feels very robust and comfortable in your hand making one handed shots reliable and the stabilization the a5 has mixed with the 180deg flip screen rounds all of that out into a perfect cam for the "selfie" in everyone... because of the price tag and the moving parts i went with a "hazard 4" wedge camera bag to protect the unit, along with their "jelly roll" lens pouch, and purchased a shiner optics "bundle to further enhance my experience. i got the digital pro uv mrc lens filter/ tulip hood,nl3 close up +3 diopter, as well as the keasemann circular polarizer mrc to round out the external side of the package and yet again i was not only fulfilled in every photographical way, but completely surprised at the picture quality that came from using the different combinations! the shined optics filters in my experience (& of course opinion) are by far the best your money can buy! why spend nearly a grand on a unit and then put an inferior object in the cameras focal plane...anything less than a quality, multi coated filter would be dissatisfying to say the least, do yourself a favor and protect your lens with some good filters and invest in shined optics, i assure you that you will not be disappointed. i also got the bundle with the 55-210 lens that i have not received yet so that'll be for another review in a few weeks but if its as good as this stock lens then I'm sure ill be more than satisfied, especially when i strap the 49 mil series shiners on to it! overall, thank you sony for building a superior product at a price that most can afford! i couldn't afford a "high end" system again and to be honest in this situation I'm glad i couldn't because i would surely not be satisfied in comparison had i spent 3 times the price and only gotten similar, to moderately increased abilities... i will say again that i am no professional, nor do i know everything about cameras but in my situation and for what i use my systems for this is as good as it gets... if you can afford the next model then surely go for it to get (for one) a higher pixel rate because if this one @20 is so satisfactory then it could only get better with sony's tech!!! thank you again!!! *the uploaded pictures do NOT do it justice!!!

I love this camera! It takes pictures quickly which is what I wanted since I have 2 children that I love taking pictures of! I have some issues with the flash sometimes but I do not want to give it up for 2 weeks to be sent away and fixed! The pictures are clear and I absolutely love it especially after using my old camera again. There is a big difference! It isn't too complicated and its not as big as a dslr but takes pictures that are just as good as a dslr!

This camera is great. Simple to use, great video quality (which is the main thing I use it for), but also great if you're a simple point and shoot camera user! This camera offers DSLR quality in such a compact device, and the flip-up screen is great if you do any kind of filming for YouTube, as I do. I highly recommend this camera if you're starting up and don't know much about cameras, and even if you're a well-seasoned photographer/videographer, this device won't let you down. The sound quality is outstanding and I absolutely love this camera. Amazing purchase!

I purchased the a5000 to use on trips so that I could leave my 7d at the hotel. Not that I wouldn't rather use it for travel photos. In many European cities you have to hold your hand on your lens to deter thieves. I am very happy with the quality of pictures and of the camera. This is my first Sony camera so I have really been looking for flaws. There have been very few so far. Size is very good, fits in my pocket( cargo pants). 20.1 mega pixels makes very sharp pictures. Image stabilizer is O K , hold tight when pushing the shutter release button. Lenses are interchangeable which is great. It comes with a 16-50 that is good for landscapes and normal street photos. I like the option of zooming ring on lens. I am still having trouble using the LCD screen, there is no view finder, that I am accustomed to using. I find the recording time is slow. Between the click of the shutter release to the recording of the photo is like 2 seconds. I took pictures at a Soccer game with the a5000 and they were pretty good in the action mood setting. I have used the Superior Auto mode the most and find it adequate for most occasions. Overall I am impressed with the a5000. If you have been using a DSLR this camera would be a breeze. If this is your first you'll be in haven . I recommend using a 32GB SDXC card.

I decided I wanted a real camera now that our little ones are growing up. I studied photography in college and work as a creative director, so I'm comfortable with a camera as well as photoshop for post editing. I wanted a mirrorless camera for portability sake without sacrificing quality and interchangeable lenses. I purchased a Nikkon One first and returned it within a week. The Sony Alpha is hands down the best I can find in the category. There are great pre-sets for any situation, the lenses have excellent quality glass. The sensor performs very well in a variety of lighting situations (indoor swim lessons, outdoor photo session on a rainy day, low light birthday parties). The built in instruction manual (the ? button on the camera) is ingenious and makes me wonder why it isn't a standard feature. I'm getting high quality, balanced photos and having a blast exploring background blurring and burst modes for sports. Nice surprise to find that Sony has opened up their devices to standard SD cards, a main concern was having to buy Sony proprietary tech. After having the camera for a couple of weeks I talked with a pro-photographer friend who informed me the Sony Alpha series was the only one to get and what he carried as a 'travel camera'. No hesitations to recommend this purchase to anyone looking for a high-quality camera without the bulk of a DSLR.

I purchased this as a gift for my significant other. Originally was against getting it since they already had a Canon T5i, as well, and figured it was of lower specs than the T5i. When I finally caved and got it for them, and saw the images it was producing and all of the functionality of the a5000, I was impressed and could see the difference between it and the canon and their respective uses/purposes. The a5000 is quite smaller for easier carrying and the ability for the screen to fold 180 degrees is definitely convenient, especially for those selfie moments. The image quality is definitely NOT a let-down, has great zoom distances, and wifi image transferring is something that you don't see on most cameras and definitely sets this camera apart from the rest. This camera exceeded my expectations and I would say is a great camera for the everyday user wanting better quality images but aren't professional photographers.

I could not resist buying this camera because it was offered at a great price, I was intrigued by 'mirrorless' cameras, and I did not want a heavy piece of hardware to carry around. It is certainly light, and takes pretty good pictures. I'm still using it basically as a 'point and shoot', essentially. The controls are hard to use, especially in bright light as they are all screen based. In fact anything is difficult in bright light, without a viewfinder its almost impossible to see what you are photographing on a sunny day. A trade off I wish I had not made. The lens is good, I like that it has good wide angle capabilities, but it does not zoom very far. Not far enough for normal use even, And Sony does not seem to make much of a range of lenses, even if you want to pay for them. The next lens starts at a fairly high focal length so to take 'normal' shots you would be constantly swapping lenses. The most frustrating thing is the wifi - which was not on my wish list, but this camera has potentially several capabilities. I never have got it to interface with the smartphone yet, although the idea of controlling the camera with a phone is very tantalizing. After many tries it did decide to talk to my computer, and being able to just set the camera on a table and press a button and have it transfer all the photos to the computer, arranged by date, was neat. But now I have a new computer it will in no way recognize it and its a great waste of time trying to work with it.

I purchase this camera to augment my Sony Alpha 300. I have to say that I was not disappointed, the quality is great the selfie feature is adequate, i just need longer hands, LOL. The only thing that prohibits me from giving it a 5 star rating is the App feature, PlayMemories. It leaves a lot to be desired in the iPhone version. Very limited from the Droid Version.

The Sony a5000 is an excellent camera for those who want to get better quality pictures over a point and shoot. It's easy to use and light weight. It takes professional quality pictures making you feel like a professional photographer.

This by far is the best point and shoot selfie camera out there. The pictures are crisp and the colors are vibrant. It sets the timer for you to give you time for the group to pose. I love the option to buy more lenses since there are times when I go on vacation and want to get close up shots. It's easy to use and very light.

Easy to use and lots of features. Shooting great photos is easy. We use it to for candid shots, vacation photos, parties, kids sports, etc and it does everything you could ask for without you having to make lots of adjustments/settings in order to shot a great photo. the whole family will enjoy using this camera.

This camera is great. Easy to use, takes great pictures. Has a good amount of features for the price. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is that the lens that it comes with is very limited. In order to utilize the camera to is full potential additional lenses must be purchased.

The camera has some weight which is good for more steady shooting. It doesn't feel cheap or especially lightweight - especially compared to shooting with an iphone. The lens seems to be of good quality. The overall concern at this price point was how substantially different (hopefully better) the images would be over the current set of camera phones. The pictures are great! Substantially better, not only at higher resolution, but better and crisper in lighting and contrasts. A slide zoom from 80 to 200 would really make this an all purpose usable good quality package for nearly any situation. Am excited to see how it does capturing movement in artificial lighting - ie basketball games - Haven't done that one yet, but I really need to larger lens in order to make those pictures come out... so, waiting for the next purchase..

Very easy to use, especially if you are a novice. Image quality is excellent.. Focuses fairly fast in good light. Flash overexposes a bit by default. Camera is limited in terms of physical buttons though. You have to go into menu's to change most settings.

Not for people with big hands! I like its compactness, even though it makes the flash a little hard to activate. As for the photos, they turn out well enough, and the way the screen can be turned up for selfies is a nice feature.

I had may point-shoot cameras over last few years and always wanted a DSLR camera. The biggest draw-back for me with DSLRs is their size & weight. I came across Sony Alpha series cameras which seem to pack in most of DSLR features into compact system. I did some research and found Sony - Alpha a5000 suit my needs. Its been over 3 months since and this camera is easy to operate and has lot of features/options that a DSLR offers. This will be great addition for anyone one transitioning from point-shoot cameras to DSLR. The quality of the pictures is great and it seem to handle low light conditions well. It also has a pop-up flash built in and the rotating/flipping LCD screen works great for those selfies.

I just bought this camera recently , it was fine at first and I like quality of the pictures but my family were gunna take a self portrait we flipped the monitor then suddenly when we were done we put back the monitor back down but apparently the screen remain upside down and we all checked online and read the book to see about the LCD .. No luck !

I'm no photographer by any means, but this camera has made people question that by some of the photos I've achieved. It's super user friendly for beginners, isn't bulky, and packs enough features to rival competitive models in the $500-600 range. I've only been able to get pictures so far with the lenses that's included, which gets some great clarity on macro shots, but I do plan to purchase the telescopic lense at some point. Overall Ive been quite pleased.

Bought this camera for our trip to Paris last Xmas. Excellent pictures and 1080p HD videos. Very easy to transfer pictures to a smart phone, Ipad, smart TV and to a computer with wireless connection (can also use mini hdmi cable). Forget your old bulky DVD camcorder and SLR camera. This is far better than a compact digital camera and performs both functions with clarity very close to DSLR cameras between $500-$900 range, but a lot smaller and easy to carry, especially if you travel during winter. I bundled up this with Sony 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 Telephoto Lens which it also did excellent job for portraits and long distance shots. My only complaint that the lens cap does not have a small strap to be attached to camera and very easy to lose, also it should have come with a small pouch. But these accessories did not impact my product rating. 400 page detailed manual is available on Sony website: https://docs.sony.com/release/ILCE-5000_DigitalCamera_HelpGuide_EN.pdf.