Sony NEX-5T

The Sony NEX-5T is a compact mirrorless camera released in 2013. It pairs an APS-C sensor with the Sony E mount, so you get interchangeable lenses in a body that weighs just 276 g and slips into a small bag.

There is no viewfinder, so all framing happens on the 3-inch tilting touchscreen. The tilt makes low and overhead angles easier to manage.

The compact footprint and 276 g weight make the camera easy to pack, and built-in Wi-Fi is on board for wireless connectivity.

The NEX-5T pairs a 16.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with Sony's Bionz processing, and it earns a modest Optics score of 55, placing the camera around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics.

Shooting at up to 10 frames per second lets you fire a short burst and keep the best frame, which suits children, pets and other quick subjects. Focus is handled across 99 autofocus points.

The shutter tops out at 1/4000 of a second, fast enough for most action, though wide apertures in bright light can push past it. The ISO range runs from 100 to 25600, providing settings for dim rooms and evening light.

There is no in-body stabilisation, so sharp handheld frames at slower shutter speeds rely on steady technique, a tripod or a stabilised lens. The Sony E mount means you can change lenses as your interests grow instead of replacing the whole camera.

Video tops out at Full HD resolution, and the fastest frame rate on offer is 60 fps. For holiday clips and family moments that resolution suits phone and laptop screens, though the camera stops short of 4K.

Footage records as MPEG-4, a widely supported video file format.

There is no built-in timelapse mode. If you want one, the usual route is shooting a sequence of stills and combining them in software afterwards.

The Video score of 56 is modest. Treat movie recording as a useful extra for occasional clips rather than the main reason to choose this camera, and check how the resolution ceiling fits your plans if filmmaking matters to you.

Everything happens through the 3-inch LCD, which offers 921,600 dots of resolution. It tilts and responds to touch, so shooting from waist level or overhead stays practical, and live view shows the frame as you go.

The camera accepts an external flash, and you will likely want one because there is no built-in flash. Indoors you either add a flash unit or raise the ISO.

Wi-Fi is built in for wireless connectivity. There is no Bluetooth on board.

The Features score of 54 is modest, and omissions such as no weather sealing and no Bluetooth cost points. Without sealing, keep the body out of rain and dust.

A single card slot accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC cards or Memory Stick Pro Duo or Pro-HG Duo, so there is no spare slot for a second card. Carrying a spare card is wise for longer outings.

The NP-FW50 battery is rated for 330 shots, and your real figure will vary with screen and video use. A second battery removes anxiety on longer days.

The battery cannot be charged over USB, so a laptop port or USB power bank cannot top it up.

The Storage & Battery score of 21 is limited: the single card slot, 330-shot battery rating and lack of USB charging each cost points, so charge beforehand and pack spares.