Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 now shoot 3D panoramas

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The Sony NEX-5 is packed with very cool special shooting modes, but the most interesting is its 3D Sweep Panorama mode – which has just been introduced via a firmware update.

3D Sweep Panorama shots are taken in the same way as regular NEX-5/NEX-3 Sweep Panoramas: you “sweep” the camera in an arc and it captures several shots, then automatically stitches them together into a wide panorama. When a 3D shot is viewed back on a 3D TV (you can do this via the NEX-5’s HDMI output, or by playing the 3D image through a PS3), it sports a pretty amazing depth of field – or at least the shots we saw at Sony’s NEX-5 launch did.

The firmware update also improves regular Sweep Panorama shooting, decreases power drain while the camera is switched off and makes it start up more quickly in low light conditions. You can download it now from the Sony support website.

– See pics snapped with the NEX-5

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Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.