I want a pocket NEX

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Greg Beetham
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by Greg Beetham »

David I’d still like a little investigation on the merits or not of shooting the 24MP sensor at 12MP in terms of saving memory card and hard disk space and whether there is any penalty in general use for doing so, also if there is any difference in printouts at snapshot size, even a comparison at A4 size would be interesting.
I imagine in scenic photography one would use 24MP as a matter of course provided the lens is up to the task but I have been wondering right from the start why not use the lower ‘memory footprint’ resolutions for other things, I guess there might be ‘some’ difference but I haven’t seen any investigation/tests to show/prove what that might be and by how much, I have doubts myself that there would be any difference in snapshot sized printouts from even 6MP versus 24MP provided the camera could actually take and process a 6MP photo properly.
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bakubo
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by bakubo »

David Kilpatrick wrote:But, but but - i've been using the NEX-5n for a few days. Agorabasta is right, the 16mm is transformed. It's hard to understand how a different sensor can apparently improve corner sharpness to the point where it might as well be a different lens. My EVF arrives tomorrow. I have no interest in the G1X. In fact I've decided to sell the A77/16-50 as well. Complex reasons, but ultimately, I've been using it to replace the A900 for jobs the A900 does better, just to get my moneysworth.
Yes, I am not very interested in the G1X in the sense of seriously thinking about buying one, but I am interested at a bit more abstract level though since the size/weight is getting almost in the ballpark. As a replacement for a backup DSLR when I travel though it might be okay, not sure yet. The price at US$800 is beyond what I think I would be willing to pay for it though. Maybe if it was $500-600 I would look on it more favorably. As it stands, I am just following what happens with it and curious to see if Sony and others follow along.
David Kilpatrick wrote: I'll explain why I'm going for NEX for location/travel after I get a NEX-7 and 55-210mm (which is why the A77 must go).
Yes, as you can probably imagine, I often think along the same lines. The NEX 7 or NEX 5N + EVF looks really interesting. The 18-55mm + 55-210mm is not so big and heavy, but after many years I have settled on superzooms as the best for my travel because it isn't just the range of focal lengths for me, it is the lens changing that I have found causes me lots and lots of lost shots when I have more than one lens in the most used focal length range. Of course, for NEX there is the Sony 18-200mm OSS and the somewhat smaller Tamron 18-200mm VC. From comments I have read it seems that if video is important the Sony lens is the one to get, but for still photos there are the usual advantages and disadvantages to each. I would be concerned that the Tamron VC for NEX has the same slow start-up as the Tamron lenses for DSLR though.

Also, although the NEX AF is snappy enough much of the time from what I have seen, it isn't all that fast so there would be times when it might be a bit slow to catch a quick moment. I don't care much about follow focus since I always use single shot mode, non-continuous AF, and the center AF sensor, but I do care if the AF is too leisurely to get a single shot. It seems NEX is probably adequate in many cases, but may lose shots in some. The Panasonic G3 and GH2 seem to be quite a bit faster to lock on. I have also sometimes toyed with the idea of m4/3, but the sensors are quite a drop in size from APS. I also care a lot about being able to separate AF from the shutter button. Most people don't care, but ever since my first AF SLR (7000i) in 1988 I have hated how most cameras link AF to the shutter release and often cursed my 7000i, 7xi, 9xi, 707si, etc. because they would sometimes refocus automagically at the most inopportune times and then screw things up. With the KM 7D I had the DMF button set to toggle so I could AF and then press the button to switch to MF mode to maintain focus even if I pressed the shutter release again. With the A700 I can separate it and so can the Canon 30D and 60D. Since the KM 7D I almost never get an OOF shot except when I have made a mistake or things happen so quickly that I have to squeeze off a shot without my usual care. I am not sure if the NEX 7 and 5N can do this.
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by alphaomega »

I'll explain why I'm going for NEX for location/travel after I get a NEX-7 and 55-210mm (which is why the A77 must go).
I was amazed by this statement from David until I read the "for sale" post. So the A77 is not providing the image quality expected.
I never have to downsize images taken with my A580/550/350/700 or indeed my NEX5 to achieve required output quality.
Seems to me that my decision to stay away from SLT cameras was a good one. I shall also invest in the NEX7 and await David's comments when he has got hold of one.
So far I have only good things to say about my NEX 55-210 zoom on my NEX-5 so I would expect that it will do justice to a 24Mp sensor as well.
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

I have the finder for the 5n now, and I am definitely going to get a 7. I am fairly sure I did not use the finder for the 5n at the press launch, or I would have known how it differs from the A77 in terms of eyepiece comfort and ergonomics. It is usable, but uncomfortable for me as the sticking-out top of the eyepiece surround hits my eyebrow (or my specs) - and the simple sliding dioptre adjustment is very crude for a finder of this price (as expensive as many complete cameras). I can not remember the NEX-7 feeing as uncomfortable.

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bakubo
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by bakubo »

David Kilpatrick wrote:I have the finder for the 5n now, and I am definitely going to get a 7. I am fairly sure I did not use the finder for the 5n at the press launch, or I would have known how it differs from the A77 in terms of eyepiece comfort and ergonomics. It is usable, but uncomfortable for me as the sticking-out top of the eyepiece surround hits my eyebrow (or my specs) - and the simple sliding dioptre adjustment is very crude for a finder of this price (as expensive as many complete cameras). I can not remember the NEX-7 feeing as uncomfortable.
I hadn't heard anyone mention that before. I have never seen one of the EVF finders except in photos so I haven't been able to try it out.

One of the ironies of being here in Japan where most things, at the best of times when the exchange rate is okay, are more expensive than in the States is that now even with the horrible exchange rate there are NEX cameras that are cheaper than in the States. And they are available. It is ironic because Sony cameras sold in Japan have only a Japanese menu that cannot be changed so I wouldn't buy one here. :lol: For example:

NEX 7 body: 92,000 yen = $1150
NEX 7 + 18-55mm: 111,000 yen = $1387
NEX 5N body: 54,000 yen = $675
NEX 5N + 18-55mm: 57,000 yen = $712
NEX 5N + 18-55mm + 16mm: 66,000 yen = $825
NEX 5N + 18-55mm + 55-210mm: 94,000 yen = $1175
FDA-EV1S: 26,000 yen = $325
David Kilpatrick
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

In fairness to Sony pricing, my EVF was £239.99 including post (worth about £4.99) so call it £235. That is including VAT, not a grey import, so real cost £195. Equals about $310.

It's still MUCH too much for a small accessory finder, exceeding the cost of large accessory screens or indeed complete cameras.

David
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Dr. Harout
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by Dr. Harout »

BTW, I read on Dyxum that the EVF of NEX-7 has some flickering.
Would that be a problem too with the EVF accessory for the NEX-5N?
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David Kilpatrick
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

It was supposed to be as good as the Alpha 77 but I don't think it is. I think the 77 has a better EVF. I need to get my packed-up A77 back out again to compare.

David
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bakubo
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by bakubo »

David Kilpatrick wrote:In fairness to Sony pricing, my EVF was £239.99 including post (worth about £4.99) so call it £235. That is including VAT, not a grey import, so real cost £195. Equals about $310.
Yes, that is a better price than I have seen before. I haven't spent time following the prices though so I don't know if it occasionally goes for less in the States or Japan. The thing about those prices I posted is that they are in yen but the converted price in dollars can fluctuate a lot depending on the exchange rate. The price in yen may be quite stable, but a few days later the price converted to dollars may drop quite a bit or go up. Since I live on dollars and exchange money when I need to it is the current price converted to dollars that is important to me. If a more typical average exchange rate of 100 yen to the dollar was used then all those prices would look really good. Many cameras and lenses here with the current 80 yen exchange rate (better than the last 3 months where it was 76-77 most of the time!) are quite bit more expensive than in the States right now, but some Sony cameras and Panasonic (m4/3) are cheaper even at the 80 yen rate. Anyone here who has yen income would be pretty happy with those prices, I think, if they compared to the prices back in their home country.
David Kilpatrick wrote: It's still MUCH too much for a small accessory finder, exceeding the cost of large accessory screens or indeed complete cameras.
Definitely agree.
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by mvanrheenen »

As the title of the thread states, I want a pocket NEX.

From a good trade a few months ago I got a NEX 3 in my posession. I accepted the trade thinking about it would be perfect for my city trips: small and good IQ. Although the latter is true, the lens options are just too big! Looking at the 18-200, it seems as out of place as my a580 dangling at the back of the 70-400G. This is by no means what I had in mind and seeing the roadmap of Sony and third-party vendors, no real pocketable lenses I want are in the line-up. Maybe only the new Sigma DN line.

I'm now contemplating selling the NEX and look into buying a Canon Powershot G/Nikon P7X00 or soon to come out Sony RAW shooting, high end compact. Or maybe a Olympus PEN as the lens options there are much smaller.

It's a real shame.

Mark
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by Vidgamer »

What lens are you using now? I can manage to stuff the Nex and 18-55 into (large) pockets, if uncomfortably. The Nex and a couple of lenses seems to be a much smaller kit than what I was carrying before with the DSLR, so I guess it's all relative. I did briefly look at someone's Oly -- it probably is smaller in depth with the lens, but overall, it seemed a bit bulky. I also handled a Samsung, and that is really interesting and worth a look too. Perhaps the Nikons would be best if size is paramount?

Hopefully, the upcoming Sigma lenses will be relatively small and give Nex owners some options when it comes to keeping the size small.
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by pakodominguez »

David Kilpatrick wrote:It was supposed to be as good as the Alpha 77 but I don't think it is. I think the 77 has a better EVF. I need to get my packed-up A77 back out again to compare.

David
hi David,
You have both cameras now, right? What's your impression?
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David Kilpatrick
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

Don't have A77 on me but the 7 and 5n finders are slightly different - 7 is higher contrast and colour saturation, looks better, may be due to sensor but I do not see the same difference between the files.

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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by pakodominguez »

David Kilpatrick wrote:Don't have A77 on me but the 7 and 5n finders are slightly different - 7 is higher contrast and colour saturation, looks better, may be due to sensor but I do not see the same difference between the files.

David
I don't expect the files to look as the EVF -EVF is just a reference, I follow the histogram: the EVF on my NEX7 looks brighter than the screen...
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Richard T
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Re: I want a pocket NEX

Unread post by Richard T »

David
Not sure how appropriate this is but if you would like to sell your viewfinder I'd be interested, I looked at sending you a pm but it didn't appear to be allowed.
Please pm me if OK but understand if this needs deleting !
Best wishes
Richard T
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