Nex Cameras as reviewed by DPReview

[Greg Beetham]

It's all down to the buying public as far as NEX goes winner or failure. I think it will do fairly well but it's not likely to stop all over micro 4/3 not just yet anyway. Sony have some advantages in that they can get products into shops that other rivals would find less easy (Samsung for example can be a bit patchy despite a not bad retail presence)

I think I prefer the Kiwi accent to the Aussie one but that's purely down to taste, neither is a patch on a Canadian accent IMHO

BF, the Aussie 'accent' if that's what you call it, is a total shocker, and getting worse as time goes by. Females are probably the worst at pronunciation, I'm forced, reluctantly, too watch female announcers at news time murdering word after word, (even national news casters), how they get the job I'll never know, when they can't even speak properly. Kiwi's aren't all that much better, they decided that they couldn't pronounce any word with i in it, so they pronounce 'fish and chips' for example as 'fush and chups' or 'chicken' as 'chucken'.
I have a theory about what happened too all the unused I's and also some E's over there in NZ too, they drifted accross the Tasman and settled here, we didn't know what to do with them all so we re-invented words to use them up, thus we have words like Igzarmple instead of example, Igzactly in place of exactly, Igzamine in lieu of examine, Eekanomic replaces economic, and many others I forget offhand, I'm at a loss on how we arrived at Januree or Feburee....so far.
Greg

[Greg Beetham]

The argument that DSLR's will gradually dwindle down to a node of high priced models is one I'm not sure of either, there is competition in the marketplace that will keep the prices at a reasonable level, if anything we have been getting more features for less money, in the upper model range at least. There was a report that the DSLR market was/is becoming saturated and the projections were for declining sales anyway, so it might be that that market interpretation will delay the introduction of new models more than competition from some alternative camera design, granted DSLR sales could be dependant on the uptake of the alternative to some extent. After the NEX runs it's course and sales level off, the camera companies will have to come up with something to get the consumer interested again, my guess is they will re-discover DSLR's, in any case sales could go up and down in waves, there is always going to be those who just need a new camera because the old one has done a lot of work and needs to be replaced, apart from the ones who are just buying a new camera, besides there is still plenty of room to build a better DSLR, the perfect DSLR hasn't been built yet.
Greg

[Wes Gibbon]

Unfortunately Sony has been behaving like the NEX is to be their replacement for DSLR. They advertise it as being just as good at photography as a DSLR which speaks volumes about their attitude about DSLRs.

If I were a cynical advertising executive trying to sell Sony cameras, I would say that the NEX will do everything a dSLR can do. A few months later, when selling newly announced Sony dSLRs, I would push all the advantages they have over EVIL cameras (without naming the NEX, of course).

Sony are inscrutable, and it's usually impossible to know what they really intend, except when they want to le tus know. Advertisements are are hot air. Would anyone expect Sony to sell NEX cameras by saying they cost as much as a cheap dSLR but aren't as good?

[Danjojo_Resurrected1]

The biggest factors is how many DSLR's are used for specialized and/or broad use photography and how many are purchased to be a "nice camera."

Entry/beginner market is majority people buying it to have a "nice camera" and to overall have better pictures than their compact can provide, especially indoors where people want to have good photos of the kids and birthdays and holiday parties....

Over 90% of Nikon entry/beginner level DSLR owners never purchase an additional lens or flash on top what is in their kit package. Pretty sure it is the same or more with Canon and close to the same with Sony. We are projecting our own image too much onto the masses who just want to get a better picture and maybe down the road figure out how to really get into the hobby. My cousin who was given a D60 a couple years ago still didn't even know what White Balance was when I talked to him last week.

For people who have more "advanced" uses they will have the more advanced DSLR's and they will pay a premium for it. For the rest of the people they are going to go with the cheaper, smaller, "friendlier" package if it gives the same images for that Average Joe not buying real flashes and that 70-200 2.8 lens.

In the stores they will see what is shown in the photo I attached...(captured from infosyncworld video)...you will have the "EVIL" cameras right next to DSLR cameras and the price/small size will take Average Joe if any body mentions that sexy, little thing takes the same quality pictures and 1080 HD video...

It's a losing battle for there to be any thing other than upper mid-level and advanced prosumer/pro models. Most people with DSLRs simply do not have the extra passion or the bigger wallet many people assume.

Fujifilm got out of the DSLR market for this very reason....and Sony is only thinking smart business with this new focus that is upsetting others.

[bakubo]

I have a theory about what happened too all the unused I's and also some E's over there in NZ too, they drifted accross the Tasman and settled here, we didn't know what to do with them all so we re-invented words to use them up, thus we have words like Igzarmple instead of example, Igzactly in place of exactly, Igzamine in lieu of examine, Eekanomic replaces economic, and many others I forget offhand, I'm at a loss on how we arrived at Januree or Feburee....so far.

And then Aussies still had a surplus of i's so they started putting them on the end of words:

barbi (barbie) -- barbecue
brekki (brekkie) -- breakfast
etc.

When I have been around Australians I am always amused at all the common words that they have transformed into cute, children's words. I wish I could remember some more examples! No offense intended, just something I have always found a bit funny.

[bakubo]

Entry/beginner market is majority people buying it to have a "nice camera" and to overall have better pictures than their compact can provide, especially indoors where people want to have good photos of the kids and birthdays and holiday parties....

Over 90% of Nikon entry/beginner level DSLR owners never purchase an additional lens or flash on top what is in their kit package. Pretty sure it is the same or more with Canon and close to the same with Sony. We are projecting our own image too much onto the masses who just want to get a better picture and maybe down the road figure out how to really get into the hobby. My cousin who was given a D60 a couple years ago still didn't even know what White Balance was when I talked to him last week.

I think we all "get" that these NEX cameras are meant for beginners and p&s shooters. A beginner, p&s shooter camera with interchangeable lenses, no built-in flash, etc. Rather large lenses except for one 16mm prime. Beginners love those things. We will soon see!

[twm47099]

[

When I said you were and old guy it was not in a negative way. I meant you had went from MF to AF to digital, you have the experience for answer my question "how much it used to cost a professional camera 20 years ago? how much 30 years ago? "

.

Pako,
I bought my SRT-101 with the 55mm f/1.7 as a new kit for less than $250 in 1971. While it might not have been as professional as a MAXXUM 9 or Minolta XK, it was a camera used by many professionals through the beginning of the AF era. What made it so was that there was a full system to support it (flashes, bellows, lenses, etc), and that it wasn't limited by 'no this or no that' and had advanced features (meter-coupled lenses, auto aperture, instant return mirror, DOF-P, MLU, and shutter speeds from Bulb to 1/1000s.) The only things it didn't have was an optional motor drive and interchangable backs. The interesting thing was that I was a relative beginner moving up from a Konica Auto S-2 fixed FL rangfinder camera. So the reality at that time was that a beginner and pro would be using the same camera, just with different lenses, accessories, and knowledge/experience.

In 1990 the Minolta pro cameras would have been the new 8000i or the older 9000AF. I don't know what those cameras sold for at that time. I found an old post where someone stated they bought the 7000i + kit zoom for $600 in 1991. So the 80001 was probably a lot less than $900.

tom

[twm47099]

The biggest factors is how many DSLR's are used for specialized and/or broad use photography and how many are purchased to be a "nice camera."

Entry/beginner market is majority people buying it to have a "nice camera" and to overall have better pictures than their compact can provide, especially indoors where people want to have good photos of the kids and birthdays and holiday parties....

Over 90% of Nikon entry/beginner level DSLR owners never purchase an additional lens or flash on top what is in their kit package. Pretty sure it is the same or more with Canon and close to the same with Sony. ...

It's a losing battle for there to be any thing other than upper mid-level and advanced prosumer/pro models. Most people with DSLRs simply do not have the extra passion or the bigger wallet many people assume.
.

I agree, but I wonder if Sony is going to keep introducing entry level cameras or if the new 2xx/3xx is the last? If NEX does take over that market, and if Sony responds as you suggest, that could be a positive sign for the prosumer DSLR users in that Sony might be able to keep that segment up to date (optimistic POV) or find DSLRs unprofitable and try something else (pessimistic POV.)

tom

[bfitzgerald]

The point about 90% never buy another lens or flash is completely valid..however the ones who do are sucked into the system (to varying degrees) That's why the DSLR business has done well in recent years..and lower end bodies have become so cheap that it's a doorway that's open to just about everyone.

The NEX and similar types are going to appeal to some but it's a double edged sword here. They're smaller than DSLR's but not normal compact small, and the "bigger camera looking good/f;ashy" is a factor here. Pros use DSLR's..they don't use these ILC models. So I wouldn't expect the DSLR market to just disappear overnight or even in the near future. The EVF aspect is not IMO a major selling point it's a by product of the desire to keep things smaller (a few forum folks predicted the G1 from Panasonic would kill DSLR's..it didn't nor anywhere near it)

So at the moment I'd say ILC models will just slot in as a stop gap to DSLR's for some and probably do ok to fairly well. But again the market will become flooded with competition so that's not really open for a huge growth in the medium term either. Give it 3/4 years and there will be ILC's all over the place. Sony might play with this new fixed mirror EVF job as well..if it's a Canon Rebel killer we shall soon see. In a way the ILC market will always be more suited to shorter tele zoom or pancake primes, it's a handling contradiction with larger lenses, even the normal zoom lenses are bigger than they should be and nowhere near rangefinder small..the tech just isn't up to it yet.

[Javelin]

there will never be a rebel killer. These companies are not going to gain/lose ground all in one shot like that. The only way there will be a Canon or Nikon general failure in the markert is if it's discovered one of them is making their camera from dead elephants or something. What can happen though is less and less people go that way when they buy new and one day the healthiest and bigest will survive and the others will find other business to be in. That can happen quicly. if Canon finds iteself with no profit from the low end cameras and all that is left s the pro market then they may deciide that photocopiers are more profitable and just dump the whole thing on a chinese manfacturer for a song.

[Greg Beetham]

And then Aussies still had a surplus of i's so they started putting them on the end of words:

barbi (barbie) -- barbecue
brekki (brekkie) -- breakfast
etc.

When I have been around Australians I am always amused at all the common words that they have transformed into cute, children's words. I wish I could remember some more examples! No offense intended, just something I have always found a bit funny.

Quite so Henry, or I should say igzactly, there, that's used up one more
And no offense taken whatsoever, if the shoe fits, wear it I say...
Greg

[Danjojo_Resurrected1]

I loved my 4 days in Townsville back in 2003, I couldn't believe all the $2 coins I could find inside the pubs...drank XXXX half the night for free They were giving all the guys who just left Iraq free ferry rides over to Magnetic Island also...its sad I have no photos left, my ex-wife kept all of them.

Had 4 days in bakubo's place also on the same "trip" back to San Diego, definitely liked Townsville more

Those days in Townsville, Sydney, and Waikiki definitely made up for the 7 months in Iraq. If the current wife was out of the military already might even relocate to one of those.

As far as the Canon Rebels I think they will be the last hold outs, they sell more than all the other entry-level DSLRs combined.

It's too bad Samsung NX10 is not more similar to the NEX series, I just came back from playing with one at the store and have never had a camera feel so cheap besides the disposable $2 Kodaks. At the least I see Nikon jumping in the mix within a year's time and maybe Canon soon after that.

There was one man who asked an employee "What is this camera?" while holding an Olympus E-PL1, and the employee said "That's a small digital SLR camera, they are selling very well." I just laughed, held my self back, and left to get some pizza for the family.

[Greg Beetham]

That's a pleasant surprise Danjojo, that you have visited Townsville, next time I'll shout you a XXXX. What service were you connected too?
Greg

ps. I'm fairly convinced that Sony's intended target with the NEX is the m4/3'rd market area, not the DSLR market directly, (although there might be some collateral damage), it has most of the qualifications for doing some damage in both areas for sure, being well made with it's larger sensor IQ, similar or better portability too m4/3, interchangable lenses, good video and extra modes, the problems it has is there is no effective VF for all occasions, and also whether it experiences any resistance from A-mount owners because of the limited functionality of their existing lenses, but it could still possibly sell quite ok there as well, as a handy second camera.

[Danjojo_Resurrected1]

I was in the U.S. Marine Corps then, we were the first wave that went in a huge Armada of Navy ships. We were put back on the ships after we finished the "shock and awe" stage, then a thank you on the way home was those 12 days at port in Towsville, Sydney, and Honolulu.

I went back again for a large part of 2004 and 2005 with no nice little stops

Hope one day soon I can take my wife and kids on vacation to visit the same places.

Panasonic and Olympus really dropped the ball by never properly advertising m4/3 here in the States. A few television ads are much more effective than several positive online reviews. My wife has 4 younger sisters and they don't ask me advice about any cameras besides the Nikon Coolpix they just saw on television or "touch screen Sony with sweep panorama" (TX series) which is now on TV and radio commercials.

I believe there is a very large media package being set up for the NEX cameras in the U.S. right now and it will be released at the same time the major retailers receive the first batches. Fairly soon, it is going to be strange seeing much more people at San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park with some thing more than a compact. m4/3 will actually sell more because of the NEX in the end, since they couldn't manage to do their own advertising.

NEX propaganda will educate "the people" for them on why they "need" more than a compact and the more intelligent will look at the options as well.

For now, hardly anybody in the real world knows what the heck an m4/3 camera is. They completely wasted their chance at making the first big push in this area...Sony should write them a thank you letter for getting them interested in this style of camera and leaving the market wide open.

Personally I can only see improved Sony versions of Canon's 7D and their own a900 making sense when it comes to future DSLR purchases. If you are going to carry big (DSLR), might as well do it properly and get a camera worth the portability disadvantage.

[agorabasta]

Personally I can only see improved Sony versions of Canon's 7D and their own a900 making sense when it comes to future DSLR purchases. If you are going to carry big (DSLR), might as well do it properly and get a camera worth the portability disadvantage.

My thoughts exactly. All current Sony series up to and including a5x0 should better be replaced with large-sensor compacts.
After all, the a550 is just a P&S DSLR, and it's quite good at that when used on green auto in LV. So Nex just trims the unnecessary bulk while looking sexier to consumer.

If they later make a Nex in the class of a700, the thing would still have to be bulky, only about an inch thinner than the current design while keeping all other dimensions.