Pace of change accelerating

[artington]

I don't know how others feel but I'm beginning to get innovation overload (although I am certainly not against innovation per se). The changes taking place in the dp world are happening more and more quickly and with such variation that it's becoming impossible to hone in on a system choice. No sooner do we have DSLRs than they are challenged by MFT, SLT, NEX, Pentax Q, Nikon 1, Fuji X100 and, the latest, a Fuji CSC which claims to have better than FF performance. And then there's the 36Mp Nikon D800 and the A99..

This is truly a surfeit of possibility although,as the reported experiences with the A77 indicate, there's many a slip twixt cup and lip.

So what to do? (as Tolstoy's Lev was fond of saying).

I suspect the answer is to curb desire, be happy with what we have and stand back to allow the dust to settle.

I am happy with my NEX-5 but hate the LCD but, rather than be a disgruntled Early Adopter, have decided to do just this. After all, unless we get decent dedicated E-Mount lenses we may find ourselves better off with Fuji? Or even the D800/a99 now the a900 is going, or possibly with what we ave. After all Capa and Cartier-Bresson did pretty well with their M3s!

[alphaomega]

Frankly,I feel like artington. Sony's R1 I purchased the A700 and then the A350, followed by the A580 and then the NEX-5. In truth all these cameras can fulfil my requirements. I will sit tight for while and observe developments.
I will probably purchase one of the new releases, but I want to see stability and in particular new lenses. I could do with a NEX-7 with the 16Mp NEX-5N sensor. If such a camera was released I would buy it for sure. Too tied in to Sony now and will not switch brand. DPReview of NEX-5N v. positive.

[UrsaMajor]

I could do with a NEX-7 with the 16Mp NEX-5N sensor. If such a camera was released I would buy it for sure.

I have essentially the same viewpoint. I am tempted by the A77, the NEX-5N, and the NEX-7, but it will probably be a while before I give in to that temptation and get one of them. If Sony offered a NEX-7 with the NEX-5N sensor, the temptation would very quickly overcome my resistance.

With best wishes,
- Tom -

[[SiC]]

I needed an upgrade, but coming A77 seemed "too much" for my taste - 24Mp, SLT, no OVF and so on so I decided to buy an "old" A700 (it's been sitting in a store up until july when I bought it).

Had Sony released a revised A700 (with OVF) and the 16Mp sensor I had probably bought that one instead.

/Z!

[GeirJ0909]

It is nice to see that others feel more or less the same way that I do. I used to have two Minolta 9xi bodies back in the nineties, then I went digital and got the a100, upgraded to the a350 and then came the real upgrade: I bought an a850 on special offer. The Wife now uses the APS cameras and I have the A850 with CZ 16-35, CZ 24-70, 70-300G and 70-400G. I have sold a few lenses i do not need and I am going to sell a few more.
To me now the question is whether any of the new Sony cameras will give me any advantage over the stuff I already have and since I do not need video or 12 FPS the answer seems to be no. I agree that a 16MP NEX-7 would be nice and I might have bought a 16MP a65. It would be nice to have lighter and less bulky camera gear, but I am not buying into the NEX system before I see the high quality standard zoom which has been promised for 2012 along with the wide angle zoom. The present NEX lenses do not seem to be interesting. The NEX-5n looks interesting, but I learned a lesson when I bought an Olympus E-P1. I never got round to figuring out the menu system and found the camera nearly impossible to use if full auto did not give me the results I wanted. I bought my first SLR in 1969 so I find manual mode easy to use. As far as I understand the NEX-5 seems to be made to make photography easy for people who do not know what an f-stop is.
I might wait and go for the a99 (or whatever it will be called), but it will be a 36MP camera and that is something I really do not need. The raw files from the a850 have made me very critical about which pictures I keep to avoid filling up my hard drive.
So I wait. According to SAR there will be three new FF bodies in 2012. I will be saving up just in case I might fancy one of those.

[Richard T]

I've been thinking of buying the 5N + the new A mount adaptor &/or (not sure about this bit) the viewfinder which effectively gives you a NEX 7 with 16MP + use of all the Alpha mount lenses doesn't it + old legacy glass (with adaptors) ? Could be the best of all worlds.....
No I won't say what I'm smoking !
Thoughts ??
RT

[GeirJ0909]

I have been thinking along those lines myself. What would be the price of the NEX-5n with EVF compared to the NEX-7?

[Richard T]

If you're prepared to buy via e-bay (new) then abt 700GBP for 5N + 16mm + flash + VF, not sure how much the new MA adaptor is or whether it incorporates a VF as well.
RT

[Vidgamer]

It is nice to see that others feel more or less the same way that I do. I used to have two Minolta 9xi bodies back in the nineties, then I went digital and got the a100, upgraded to the a350 and then came the real upgrade: I bought an a850 on special offer. The Wife now uses the APS cameras and I have the A850 with CZ 16-35, CZ 24-70, 70-300G and 70-400G. I have sold a few lenses i do not need and I am going to sell a few more.

This thread started by talking about how the changes are coming too quickly. Does this mean that you guys are buying cameras so frequently but not noticing an improvement? Or just that you tire of getting new cameras? After my A100, I waited until the Nex-5 to replace it. At first, I wasn't sure that it would be a replacement, but seems like it.

To me now the question is whether any of the new Sony cameras will give me any advantage over the stuff I already have and since I do not need video or 12 FPS the answer seems to be no.

Are those the only features you see as advantages in the Nex cameras? Strikes me as a bit odd. The advantage is mostly having a smaller form-factor, more similar to rangefinder cameras of the past. Using the LCD as a viewfinder isn't always ideal, but works OK most of the time. But I've enjoyed some of the new, gimmicky features, and the improved high ISO. The main reason it seems to me to get something like a Nex is the smaller size. If that's unimportant, I can see not being too excited about it.

I agree that a 16MP NEX-7 would be nice and I might have bought a 16MP a65. It would be nice to have lighter and less bulky camera gear, but I am not buying into the NEX system before I see the high quality standard zoom which has been promised for 2012 along with the wide angle zoom. The present NEX lenses do not seem to be interesting. The NEX-5n looks interesting, but I learned a lesson when I bought an Olympus E-P1. I never got round to figuring out the menu system and found the camera nearly impossible to use if full auto did not give me the results I wanted. I bought my first SLR in 1969 so I find manual mode easy to use. As far as I understand the NEX-5 seems to be made to make photography easy for people who do not know what an f-stop is.

I'm not sure what you mean here. Sure, you can put it into green iAuto mode, but I always use one of the PASM modes, and it works pretty much like my A100. So, yeah, it might be easier to use for some people -- set it to iAuto before handing it to your family members -- but I am happy it does not seem artificially limited in some way.

I might wait and go for the a99 (or whatever it will be called), but it will be a 36MP camera and that is something I really do not need. The raw files from the a850 have made me very critical about which pictures I keep to avoid filling up my hard drive.
So I wait. According to SAR there will be three new FF bodies in 2012. I will be saving up just in case I might fancy one of those.

The EvF is compelling. So's 24mp. But I'm pretty sure I'll just keep using this camera for a while.

[twm47099]

Oops! I forgot this was the NEX forum, but I think that most of the discussion below would apply to that as well. But I will add, I don't consider the NEX as satisfying any need I have right now. When I use the fuji 3D camera, I usually have a number of shots where I wish I had a DSLR with the same 3D capability (i.e. single shot 3D). With the NEX I see the same things, primarily lack of flash support and no real interesting AF lenses. (I primarily use longer focal lengths so there is no size advantage to NEX.) The NEX 7 is interesting but primarily so I could use legacy manual focus macro equipment - not something I want to spend close to $1300 for as a specialty camera.

(non-NEX specific follows:)

I have decided that I am comfortable with what I have:

• Film Maxxum 7
  Film Maxxum 700si (for fun stuff with the program cards)
  KM7D (best interface of my digitals, but...)
  A700 (my primary camera)
  A100-IR (for IR)
  Fuji W3 for 3D (actually the camera I have been using most lately, but too limited for 'real photography.")

For a while I wanted to buy anything new, but the Maxxum 7 spoiled me. It let me do anything I wanted quickly without having to figure out a "work around" or fighting with the camera. So now I expect a camera to have the IQ I want (the fuji is on the very low side of that, but it has a unique feature), and to have a non-interfering UI. That's not so easy to get, so I've lost some interest in buying new stuff.

Now I look at what do I want to shot, and is my camera making it difficult (or just not fun). If there is something I identify, then I'll look for a camera that fixes that.

I don't have too many things now that I really want (improved AF and AF cross sensors at the rule of thirds intersections are the main ones.) The A77 has that, but in the tradition of the Great Sony, give with one hand - take away with the other. I'm not keen about the removal of the AE meter selector and SSS switch (both of which I use often). Also not convinced about EVFs or the long term viability of the SLT mirror (e.g. greasy dust as the camera ages - I don't replace cameras every 3 years.) So I will definitely wait for a long time.

The improved AF is not enough right now to spend $1400 + the actual and potential compromises to buy one. If the A77 had the following, as I had hoped, the downside would have been offset:

• - Very high ISO with very high quality -- I think we were led to believe this would happen by the famous rumor site. The fact that there discussions about questionable IQ is very disappointing. I thought they would have learned with the A700 that you can't compromise on IQ and that high ISO is more important (or at least as important) than high Mp.
  - Better implementation of the drive mode menu - separate some things that are now exclusionary.
  - Easier flash comp
  - Either MR1,2,3 on the main dial or more memories with user defined titles (if it takes multiple steps to use why not make it more useful)
  - More Raw options (HDR, 12Mp, 6Mp, and TC - it is a disappointment that this is primarily a jpeg camera for most of the new features.)
  - Probably more things that I don't recall now, but I just don't see this as a "I've got to have it camera", unlike the Maxxum 7)

tom

[Dusty]

Well, I'm not an early adopter, nor a "gotta have the latest" type of guy.. I finally gave up my MD cameras (actually, just put them on the shelf) when it became hard to find a pro shop that did film. So, I bought an A350 to do weddings. Then another as a backup. Then, Pako's old A700. Such was my introduction to letting the camera focus for me.

However, I DO want some of the new features, like GPS, and more MPs, as I often tend to shoot wide and crop.

But - I don't want an EVF, and I don't want to give up IQ for stupidly high ISO ratings. I also would like to have back the option of low ISO, 25-50. I would like more dynamic range. I would also be very happy if my still camera wasn't negatively affected by video compromises, and that I can turn off smile detection, and other things that get in the way of ME being the picture taker and not just the camera holder.

I don't think innovation is going too fast, just in directions I don't want in my camera. I would like for Sony to do an A750 w/OVF, or even a 720 w/ the 16MP sensor.

Perhaps, even invested in Sony/Minolta as much as I am, I'll have to change. But then again, if I can keep my current gear healthy and pop for a 580, I could wait several years to do so.

Dusty

[GeirJ0909]

I know I said I don't need a NEX-7, but I'll probably buy one eventually, but not before I can get one with the new NEX G standard zoom.

[The AtlasMan]

Hello everyone, this is my first post on this forum.

I have the NEX-7 on order. I own the Sony R1—and I own many other systems to help me with my photographic requirements.

I love the idea that technology is bringing rapid change—this is an exciting time in photography!

[KevinBarrett]

Hello everyone, this is my first post on this forum...I love the idea that technology is bringing rapid change—this is an exciting time in photography!

Hello, and welcome to the forum! I must agree with you; Sony users, and photographers in general, are fairly well spoiled for choice at the moment! Yes, there are lots of new technologies. Yes there are myriad combinations of features and functions across different systems and architectures, and (as confusing as they might be) they all generally offer more solutions to photographers practicing "the art of compromise" than the cameras we bought five years ago.

[The AtlasMan]

Hello, and welcome to the forum! I must agree with you; Sony users, and photographers in general, are fairly well spoiled for choice at the moment! Yes, there are lots of new technologies. Yes there are myriad combinations of features and functions across different systems and architectures, and (as confusing as they might be) they all generally offer more solutions to photographers practicing "the art of compromise" than the cameras we bought five years ago.

Thanks for your kind welcome.

We as photographers might be "spoiled" but for me, I think that empowered works better to describe today's conditions.

Empowered to create and share!