OT: Camera Sony Nex Series

[norcalbiker]

Anyone here own one of these? Mirror less with DSLR quality sensors.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&identifier=S_NEX_Bundles

Need your input good and bad.

TIA

[false_Aest]

Quality is hot.
Camera is sexy.
It does what it needs to do.

It'll be up to you whether or not you dig the layout of the camera. Nex 3 vs Nex 5 have different depths for the right-hand grip.

They're enjoying the idea of selling you another lens (16mm) I dunno if its absolutely necessary. But I'm a snob and would prefer to have the equiv of a 35mm prime.

I haven't played around with one in depth but I do prefer the Canon G12 to the Nex. Just me though.

[false_Aest]

BTW,

If you buy it.

Please shoot in RAW and use Adobe RGB 1998 color space.

If you don't it's the equiv of the attached picture:

[norcalbiker]

BTW,

If you buy it.

Please shoot in RAW and use Adobe RGB 1998 color space.

If you don't it's the equiv of the attached picture:


Very funny. Thanks for the laugh.

[veloduffer]

I would look at the Olympus and Panasonic mirror-less cameras. IQ is reportedly better in the head to head comparisons and I think they're lenses are better, particularly Panasonic. Panasonic is launching the G3 in early June with a new sensor, which will be followed by the GF3 with the same sensor. It will shoot better in low light (high ISO) and the G3's autofocus has been improved with more sensors and is very, very fast.

I'm a long time Nikon user (currently D3 and D300s) and have been researching mirrorless for a lightweight kit. I'm not satisfied with the compact point & shoot, even the Canon S95 doesn't interest me.

Personally, I was thinking the Olympus E-PL2 but want to see the GF3. The G3 is pretty close to a DSLR in size, so it would be less of an option. If the GF3 does have the new sensor, hopefully it is very close to the G3 in performance but a smaller package.

But if you need something now, I would choose the Olympus and couple it with the 14-42 kit and Panasonic 14mm/1.8 (currently out of stock everywhere).

[Ray]

Over the past year I've transitioned from being a bike junkie to a small camera junkie. I have a Nex5 and I have a couple of the Panasonic m43 cameras (gf1 and gh2). The Nex has a larger sensor which means two things. First, its a bit better in low light (although the newest m43 sensors are getting very good so unless low light is a huge priority, the difference may not be enough to worry about). Second, the lenses have to be bigger on the Nex, even though the bodies are incredibly small.

The downside to the Nex is that there aren't very good lenses available for it YET. There's a kit zoom that's a standard focal range of about 28-80 (thinking in 35mm film or full frame equivalencies) that isn't bad for a kit zoom, but these are never great lenses. And there's a 24mm wide angle equivalent that's quite small and I like a lot, but its not the sharpest lens ever invented. I really like it and it realizes the small size of the nex system, but real hardcore lens folks don't much like it. Sony is supposed to be coming out with a Zeiss lens in a good all around 35mm focal length (slightly wide angle, but close to "standard") that will be very good in low light (f1.7) and if its a Zeiss its gonna be optically very very good. And it will probably cost more than the camera. There's also a "super zoom" that's about 28-300 available for the Nex but its huge and looks insanely ridiculous hanging off of the postage stamp sized Nex body. There are a few other lenses likely to come out within the next couple of years. I love the Nex for street shooting, largely because of the rear screen. Its very good in bright light (many rear screens suck when there's a lot of sun - barely visible) and it flips up so you can hold your camera at your waist and shoot pretty discretely.

Bottom line, a great little camera with a great sensor but not a lot of great lenses yet.

The m43 cameras (panasonic and olympus) have smaller sensors (but still a lot bigger than a compact) and there are a lot of very good lenses available for them. And the lenses can be smaller. There's a series of pancake prime lenses that are quite small and even the kit zooms and ultra wide angle lenses are very small and light. This stuff is phenomenal travel gear. The nicer Panasonics are almost catching up to mid level DSLRs in terms of performance (auto focus speed, burst shooting, etc). Within a year or so I think all of these mirrorless cameras will be about as good as any but the highest end DSLRs. And they're a good deal smaller and lighter.

My advice - if you just want to get a kit zoom lens and don't see taking it any farther, go for a Nex. If you want to get a bunch of lenses, might want an eye-level viewfinder, and have more specialized needs, m43 is a much more fully realized system at this point.

-Ray

[Ray]

Personally, I was thinking the Olympus E-PL2 but want to see the GF3. The G3 is pretty close to a DSLR in size, so it would be less of an option. If the GF3 does have the new sensor, hopefully it is very close to the G3 in performance but a smaller package.

But if you need something now, I would choose the Olympus and couple it with the 14-42 kit and Panasonic 14mm/1.8 (currently out of stock everywhere).
the G3 is actually looking really small, but it does have that DSLR "hump" for the built in electronic viewfinder. But its a very small camera. The GF3 looks almost too small and won't have a hot shoe if you want to add the detachable electronic viewfinder or an external flash. The primary advantage of the Olympus is better jpegs, but if you shoot in raw, that's moot. The Panasonics are much better performing cameras for the most part. Having owned a couple of each. The GH2 outperforms some DSLRs I've shot with and the G3 should come pretty close to equalling it.

You mentioned a Panasonic 14mm f1.8. There's a 14mm f2.5 and a 20mm f1.7. The 14 is a wider angle and reasonably good in low light (INCREDIBLY tiny too, btw) and the 20 is closer to a more standard field of view, but very good in low light. The 20 is probably a slightly better lens, but they both rock for what they're good at.

-Ray

[JMerring]

BTW,

If you buy it.

Please shoot in RAW and use Adobe RGB 1998 color space.

If you don't it's the equiv of the attached picture:

exposure and color balance are the least of that particular photo's problems. :)

[veloduffer]

the G3 is actually looking really small, but it does have that DSLR "hump" for the built in electronic viewfinder. But its a very small camera. The GF3 looks almost too small and won't have a hot shoe if you want to add the detachable electronic viewfinder or an external flash. The primary advantage of the Olympus is better jpegs, but if you shoot in raw, that's moot. The Panasonics are much better performing cameras for the most part. Having owned a couple of each. The GH2 outperforms some DSLRs I've shot with and the G3 should come pretty close to equalling it.

You mentioned a Panasonic 14mm f1.8. There's a 14mm f2.5 and a 20mm f1.7. The 14 is a wider angle and reasonably good in low light (INCREDIBLY tiny too, btw) and the 20 is closer to a more standard field of view, but very good in low light. The 20 is probably a slightly better lens, but they both rock for what they're good at.

-Ray

I haven't seen the G3 in person but it looks close to the size of the low end DSLRs. I think it really boils down to what your need is. Mine is portability on a bike or golfing, etc. So the GF3 with a sensor that rivals the NEX and a pancake lens is ideal. No hotshoe, though, is a bit of a bummer. I wish they could have a wireless commander built in and use and off-camera flash.

[Ray]

I haven't seen the G3 in person but it looks close to the size of the low end DSLRs. I think it really boils down to what your need is. Mine is portability on a bike or golfing, etc. So the GF3 with a sensor that rivals the NEX and a pancake lens is ideal. No hotshoe, though, is a bit of a bummer. I wish they could have a wireless commander built in and use and off-camera flash.
I have a GH2 and its a good deal smaller than almost any DSLR, although it resembles them. And the G3 is a good deal smaller than the GH2, according to all of the comparisons I've seen. I think the body is very similar to the GF2 or GF1, but with the addition of a small hump on top for the EVF, which gives it a more DSLR appearance. But not the size. Doesn't even have any front grip to speak of, which the other "G" cameras have had. Its more of a GF with an EVF. I think the GF3 will have to have a REALLY good lcd if there's no way to add an evf. The add-on evf for the gf1, gf2, lx5 is really a piece of garbage, but for framing in bright sunlight, its pretty invaluable. The Nex and the S90/S95 are the only camera's I've used that didn't have any way to attach a viewfinder that really didn't need one, and the S90 is a close call. The Nex has a pretty incredible LCD.

If you don't care about interchangeable lenses and like a medium wide focal length, the camera to check out is the Fuji X100. Its a fixed lens 35mm equivalent, so slightly wide. It has a built in EVF and OVF that you can switch between the two. It has a Nex sized sensor and the lens rocks, so its got IQ and low light capabilities that are unreal. Its about the size of a GF1, very slightly taller to accommodate the EVF/OVF. Traditional old fashioned controls too. Awesome camera - its about all I'm shooting with lately. You gotta like shooting with a prime lens, but if you do, there's nothing better out there. Kind of quirky, but incredible.

-Ray

[johnnymossville]

Having owned a couple of each. The GH2 outperforms some DSLRs I've shot with and the G3 should come pretty close to equalling it.

You mentioned a Panasonic 14mm f1.8. There's a 14mm f2.5 and a 20mm f1.7. The 14 is a wider angle and reasonably good in low light (INCREDIBLY tiny too, btw) and the 20 is closer to a more standard field of view, but very good in low light. The 20 is probably a slightly better lens, but they both rock for what they're good at.

-Ray

I've got the GH2 as well Ray, Video is it's strong point. Probably the best "DSLR" for the filmmaker currently available, at any price.

Do you use any other lenses with it? I've got a really sweet old Canon FD 55mm F/1.2 that I've been using a lot lately on it.

The 14mm F2.5 is on my list of lenses to get.

I'm having a great time with this camera.

[veloduffer]

I have a GH2 and its a good deal smaller than almost any DSLR, although it resembles them. And the G3 is a good deal smaller than the GH2, according to all of the comparisons I've seen. I think the body is very similar to the GF2 or GF1, but with the addition of a small hump on top for the EVF, which gives it a more DSLR appearance. But not the size. Doesn't even have any front grip to speak of, which the other "G" cameras have had. Its more of a GF with an EVF. I think the GF3 will have to have a REALLY good lcd if there's no way to add an evf. The add-on evf for the gf1, gf2, lx5 is really a piece of garbage, but for framing in bright sunlight, its pretty invaluable. The Nex and the S90/S95 are the only camera's I've used that didn't have any way to attach a viewfinder that really didn't need one, and the S90 is a close call. The Nex has a pretty incredible LCD.

If you don't care about interchangeable lenses and like a medium wide focal length, the camera to check out is the Fuji X100. Its a fixed lens 35mm equivalent, so slightly wide. It has a built in EVF and OVF that you can switch between the two. It has a Nex sized sensor and the lens rocks, so its got IQ and low light capabilities that are unreal. Its about the size of a GF1, very slightly taller to accommodate the EVF/OVF. Traditional old fashioned controls too. Awesome camera - its about all I'm shooting with lately. You gotta like shooting with a prime lens, but if you do, there's nothing better out there. Kind of quirky, but incredible.

-Ray

Thanks for that comparison. I'll check the G3, as the hump did look big in pictures.

I did look at the X100 but the cost is high compared to what you get IMHO. I also read that the camera doesn't maintain your settings when you turn it off - it reverts to default. If that's true, what was Fuji thinking as this is aimed at photo enthusiasts that know their way around a camera.

BTW, I read that Olympus will have a new E-P3 and E-PL3 out in June as well. The E-PL2 is only about 6-8 months old, as is the Pany GF2.

[norcalbiker]

Thanks for all the help and input. My daughter decided to go for Canon G12. I think it's a better choice for now.

[Ray]

I've got the GH2 as well Ray, Video is it's strong point. Probably the best "DSLR" for the filmmaker currently available, at any price.

Do you use any other lenses with it? I've got a really sweet old Canon FD 55mm F/1.2 that I've been using a lot lately on it.

The 14mm F2.5 is on my list of lenses to get.

I'm having a great time with this camera.
I've got a bunch of m43 lenses - all three pancakes (2 Pany, 1 Oly), a 9-18 wide angle, a 100-300 telephoto, and a 14-150 superzoom that's really nice for traveling. I also have a Voightlander 50 f1.5 that I use with both the m43 cams and the Nex, with different adapters. Great low light portrait lens, for sitting around after dinner with friends and family. And the manual focus isn't bad in a situation like that.

The irony is I do almost no video. If I'd known about the G3, I'd have probably waited, but I'm glad to have the GH2. I'd played with enough actual DSLRs to know I didn't want one and the GH2 works with my lenses and will do almost anything I could do with a DSLR almost as well. And I'm turning into mostly a street and abstract photographer anyway, so my other cameras get more use than the gh2. But its there when I need it.

-Ray

[Ray]

Thanks for that comparison. I'll check the G3, as the hump did look big in pictures.

I did look at the X100 but the cost is high compared to what you get IMHO. I also read that the camera doesn't maintain your settings when you turn it off - it reverts to default. If that's true, what was Fuji thinking as this is aimed at photo enthusiasts that know their way around a camera.

BTW, I read that Olympus will have a new E-P3 and E-PL3 out in June as well. The E-PL2 is only about 6-8 months old, as is the Pany GF2.
the X-100 doesn't forget your settings when you turn it off. It does have some amazing quirks in the menu system and UI that take some getting used to. I can generally pick up a camera and know my way around it pretty well within a couple of hours. It took me a few days to get fully comfortable with the X100 and Fuji is taking a lot of heat for some of them. But the bottom line is there's nothing else like it and once you do get over the steep learning curve, its more fun to shoot with than anything else I've tried and the results it turns out are frickin' incredible. Obviously, its a very niche camera in that it has a single fixed lens, but if that lens happens to be in your sweet spot (as it is mine) I shoot with it almost all the time except for those rare situations when I need to go really long or really wide.

And, yeah, there are a lot of rumors floating about both Oly and Pany m43 bodies right now. And Nex for that matter. It should become clearer over the next month or two. I'm probably set for m43 gear for the foreseeable future.

-Ray