We’ll chalk this one under disappointing news to start the day off with. I’ve long been looking for a camera that can handle both my photography and video needs. Taking one piece of camera to events like CES and E3 sure beats lugging around two different devices. While the NEX-VG10 or the upcoming NEX-VG20 would be the device of my choice, it’s frankly out of my budget, seeing how this entire site is run from my personal wallet. Step in the NEX-5N with it’s more than capable photography and full 1080p 60fps recording. The perfect camera that is light weight, compact and powerful. With my birthday fast-approaching, I strategized that between my own savings and help from family members who are never sure how to attain gifts for a techie and a geek, the NEX-5N would fit the bill perfectly. While attending Sony’s “Catch The Tablet” event at their new flagship store on Wednesday, I even had a nice long amount of hands-on time with the camera and almost pulled the trigger on a purchase though I pushed off the idea to today or this weekend.

Now comes news from multiple sites that the camera, when in motion like panning or simply walking, emits a clicking noise. The issue itself isn’t a big deal (though it shouldn’t be making it in the first place) if you are taking stills. However, if video is something you tend to do with the camera, the noise becomes very apparent, very fast. Endgadget, who has conducted a video test (that you can find after the jump) and was able to contact Sony on the matter, had this to say:

 “Sony reps on hand to acknowledge and confirm the issue, which seems to plague every NEX-5N that we’ve tried. This is still very fresh, so Sony doesn’t have a fix or even a statement to issue, but because 1080/60p video is one of this camera’s headline features, we’re going to recommend holding off on your purchase until the company can confirm what’s causing the issue.” 

Our site tends to stay away from the doom and gloom side of tech where we scream betrayal when a certain glitch shows up in a product. However, in this case, we do have to side with Engadget and say that unless you are planning on shooting stills only, we’d recommend holding off on purchasing the NEX-5N until some form of explanation and remedy is in order. After the jump, a video from Engadget showcasing the “clicking” noise of the NEX-5N.

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Discuss:

Do you have an NEX-5N and, if so, have you noticed a clicking noise? For those looking to purchase one, will this make you look else place, or are you planning on hanging tight till Sony addresses the issue?