rival hybrids and even some S.L.R.’s

rival hybrids and even some S.L.R.’sThis camera is a low-light superstar — not just because ofTarpsits very largeWaterproof tarpsensor, but also because it inherits, from Sony’s pocket-camera line, the clever Handheld Twilight mode. The camera rapidly fires six shots, then compares them (learning which pixels are part of the scene and which are random speckles) to produce a single, clean photo.

In short, you’ll rarely need that flash. (Sample photos accompany this article on the Web.)

The NEX-5 inherits other features from Sony’s pocket lineup, too. One is Smile Shutter: the camera fires automatically when the subject smiles. Another is the absolutely amazing Sweep Panorama. You swing the camera in an arc — horizontal or vertical — and two seconds later, the camera displays a finished, stitched-together, 220-degree, 23-megapixel panorama shot.

The NEX-5 shoots great 1080i hi-def video (720p on the NEX-3), thanks to stereo mikes, a choice of lenses and that huge sensor. In fact, the NEX cameras continuously adjust exposure and focus while they’re filming. We take that for granted on a camcorder or even a pocket camera, but it’s been a fiendishly difficultWaterproof tarpchallenge for interchangeable-lens makers. (Panasonic’s much bigger, $1,500 Lumix GH1 can do it, but only with one particular lens.)

More to love: the bright three-inch screen flips up or down, so you can shoot above or below eye level. (Alas, it doesn’t flip forward for self-portraits.) The camera focuses faster than rival hybrids and even some S.L.R.’s.

The maximum burst rate is seven shots a second — a huge perk for sports, nature and variations of a smile. An “Auto HDR” mode combines three photos into one, for a greater range of bright and dark tones than one shot could capture alone.

In Auto mode, turning the dial visibly blurs or sharpens the background, so you can dial in just the depth of field you want. Very, very cool.

Over all, Sony is in its element here, harnessing years of expertise in miniaturization and optics. The NEX-5 would be an easy recommendation, especially as your first interchangeable-lens camera —Tarpsbut there’s one hugeWaterproof tarpcaveat: Few buttons means a lot of trips into the menu system.