Nex-7 vs OM-D. A personal take
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:43 pm
Having had the misfortune to smash my NEX-7 irreparably I have had to replace it. However, things move on and since I bought it two new contenders have arrived - the Olympus OM-D and the Fuji XPro-1. Since I have used the camera exclusively with legacy lenses I have bought no E-Mount lenses apart from the two basic kit lenses that came with the NEX-5. There was, therefore, no over-riding imperative to replace the NEX-7 with the same. Admittedly, I do have E-mount adapters for Leica-M, Leica-R and Minolta MD lenses but these are very saleable.
So, what to do? I discounted the Fuji pretty well from the start. It sounds pretty good when used with its own dedicated lenses but I am mindful of f the various issues which have disillusioned users of the X-100 and X-10. Indeed,the latter is now being heavily discounted (£350) so it looks likeFuji has been unable to fix the white orb issue. That aside, the XPro-1 is considerably more expensive than the OM-D and NEX-7 and also a lot bigger. This by itself would not have been a deal-breaker but i have no interest in an OVF and the Fuji EVF does not sound great. Critically, MF is hampered by (reportedly) slow EVF response and hard to use magnification.
I checked out tbe OM-D and was mightily impressed. For me the EVF was easier on the eye than that of the NEX-7 which came as a surprise as the resolution is lower. The LCD screen was excellent as well. And then there is in-body IS - a huge plus on paper although not all reviewers have been convinced by it. However, the clincher was the poor grip. The camera is simply too small to hold comfortably without the accessory grip, which adds another £250 to the price. Conversely,the grip on the NEX-7 is brilliant and just right. This may seem a trivial distinction, and if I had been coming to the camera afresh I might well have gone for the OM-D but I wasn't so I didn't. By all account there is little practical difference in IQ between these cameras and, clearly, the Olympus has greater lens choice for the moment. But legacy lenses work on both and crop factor undoubtedly favours the NEX. And the really attractive future lens, the 24-70 equivalent, is now available for the OM (the Panasonic 12-35/2.8 ) and is imminent for the NEX (the 16-50G). Of course, I am hoping the latter will be a 2.8 lens. If not, I may have made the wrong call!
So, what to do? I discounted the Fuji pretty well from the start. It sounds pretty good when used with its own dedicated lenses but I am mindful of f the various issues which have disillusioned users of the X-100 and X-10. Indeed,the latter is now being heavily discounted (£350) so it looks likeFuji has been unable to fix the white orb issue. That aside, the XPro-1 is considerably more expensive than the OM-D and NEX-7 and also a lot bigger. This by itself would not have been a deal-breaker but i have no interest in an OVF and the Fuji EVF does not sound great. Critically, MF is hampered by (reportedly) slow EVF response and hard to use magnification.
I checked out tbe OM-D and was mightily impressed. For me the EVF was easier on the eye than that of the NEX-7 which came as a surprise as the resolution is lower. The LCD screen was excellent as well. And then there is in-body IS - a huge plus on paper although not all reviewers have been convinced by it. However, the clincher was the poor grip. The camera is simply too small to hold comfortably without the accessory grip, which adds another £250 to the price. Conversely,the grip on the NEX-7 is brilliant and just right. This may seem a trivial distinction, and if I had been coming to the camera afresh I might well have gone for the OM-D but I wasn't so I didn't. By all account there is little practical difference in IQ between these cameras and, clearly, the Olympus has greater lens choice for the moment. But legacy lenses work on both and crop factor undoubtedly favours the NEX. And the really attractive future lens, the 24-70 equivalent, is now available for the OM (the Panasonic 12-35/2.8 ) and is imminent for the NEX (the 16-50G). Of course, I am hoping the latter will be a 2.8 lens. If not, I may have made the wrong call!