Reddit reviews Sony Alpha SEL1855 E-mount 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS Lens (Silver)

I got my NEX-5N (body only) a month or so ago (first camera, so I'm still a beginner), along with the Sony 30mm f/3.5 macro lens and the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 prime lens.

1. It's small, but gives superb IQ for it's size. It shoots comparable photos to entry DSLRs like the D3100 and T2i. Although irrelevant, people you meet/encounter will underestimate the pictures it can take because it doesn't look like a DSLR.
   
   
2. Lack of an optical viewfinder is a huge annoyance if you're shooting in sunlight. I've found myself wanting an optical viewfinder (built in) simply because the screen can sometimes look off, especially when it has smudges and stuff on it; but the screen does serve its purpose well. There's also that add on OLED EVF, looks nice but kind of expensive... If you plan on getting a 5N and the OLED EVF, might as well get the 7.
   
   
3. Lens ecosystem is sort of small, but not really. You can also use old manual lenses, etc. I also don't know why, but the Sony 50mm f/1.8 prime lens was in extremely limited availability for the past few months, which pissed me off. And if you look now, the Sigma 30mm is in low availability at Amazon... But Sony does have a 16mm wide angle, fisheye converter, extreme wide angle converter, 18-55mm, 50mm, 30mm macro, 18-200mm, 55-210mm, and a Zeiss 24mm.
   
   
4. Not too many buttons on the actual camera itself. It has a dial with a center click, and 2 buttons on the top and bottom of the dial. You can customize the buttons to do what you want, which I have set to the focus point, ISO, WB, focus option, metering mode, and creative style. I'm learning in manual mode, so it would be nice if there was more physical buttons on the camera so I could quickly change settings.
   
   
5. Autofocus feels slightly slow (for the 30mm macro it's a given) on the Sigma 30mm f/2.8. If I'm walking down the street and try to snap a photo real fast at maybe ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/1000+, I can, but it doesn't seem too fast.
   
   
6. The swivel LCD screen is a very nice feature.
   
   Like everyone says about these cameras, if you're looking for excellent IQ in a small package, the NEX 5N / 7 fulfills that request. If you're looking to invest into the NEX system, I'd go for the NEX-7. Also, don't even bother with the C3; the 5N is much better for ~$100.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SEL1855-E-mount-18-55mm-F3-5-5-6/dp/B003U8Q7TC