The Mirrorless Thread: Son(y), I Am Disappoint.

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Dorkroom > The Mirrorless Thread: Son(y), I Am Disappoint.

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Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

evil_bunnY posted:

Pretty sure that's the back screen, not the one in the EVF. I don't think anyone makes anything that good in such a sall package.

Nah, that's supposed to be the viewfinder. Rumors are rumors and anything could change between now and the release date, but the high-resolution EVF has been a consistent rumor for months. Supposedly, it's the same one that's going into the a77. I'm not sure if the plan is to have finer pixels, a larger viewfinder, or both.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2011 00:45

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 02:22

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Earlier today, I took a walk through Pike Place Market. I was surprised by how many tourists were carrying NEX cameras. I didn't do an exact tally or anything, but I'd guess 20-25% of the non-point-and-shoots were NEXes. Anecdotal, I know, I just thought it was interesting to see so many of them mixed in with the consumer level DSLRs.

# ¿ Aug 26, 2011 00:14

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Pompous Rhombus posted:

That's kind of counter to my experience, I've seen 0 other NEX's in the wild until I came to Japan. One of the guys at Tokyo Orientation had one, and three of the other teachers here in my city have them as well. The ones in my city went with the 16mm pancake, which is a little surprising because they're novice photographers and don't have any other lenses.

It's counter to my experience as well, which is why I mentioned it. Also, I don't want you guys to think I saw dozens of NEXes today. I saw between twenty and twenty-five interchangable lens cameras today. Of those, five were NEXes, the rest were Canons and Nikons.

# ¿ Aug 26, 2011 04:22

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

My a77 arrived a couple of days ago and so far, I love it. It makes me even more excited for the NEX-7.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2011 04:32

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

daspope posted:

Has anyone heard anything in regards to the viewfinder of the x100 vs the nex7? I am aware the nex will only have a EVF. I am more interested in the quality of looking through it for the photographer. I am aware the NEX7 is not out, but I am being impatient.

I have an a77, which uses the same EVF as the NEX-7. The viewfinder is very bright, with good color. The refresh rate is fast enough that tearing is rare, and it's nice to have an accurate DOF Preview button. The viewfinder does neat tricks like display a histogram or a digital level, if you want/need that sort of thing while you're shooting. It can get a little noisy at high ISOs, but you can still clearly tell what you're shooting, colors, and so on.

Compared to an APS-C pentamirror or pentaprism, it's much larger and brighter. Compared to a full-frame pentaprism, it doesn't seem as large or as detailed, but it's still pretty nice. I've never even seen an x100 in person, so I can't really compare the two viewfinders. But in general terms, it's a very nice viewfinder, and I expect NEX-7 shooters to be satisfied by it.

Bob Socko fucked around with this message at 06:37 on Oct 7, 2011

# ¿ Oct 7, 2011 06:34

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

I plan on picking one up, but that's because I'm pretty heavily invested in the alpha mount. Between that adapter and the Minolta hotshoe, it makes a NEX-7 a true backup camera for me. Yes, I know about the LA-EA1 adapter, but I'm not crazy about having to rely on CDAF for fast action and/or dark settings.

# ¿ Oct 13, 2011 06:50

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Wanna know where that NEX-7 you preordered is? Right here:

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Bob Socko fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Oct 24, 2011

# ¿ Oct 23, 2011 23:43

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Between the earthquake/tsunami in Japan and the recent flooding in Thailand, the release date for the NEX-7 has been pushed back even further. Even worse, the NEX-5N was made at the same plant, so whatever is already on the market is supposedly it until the new year. I really had my heart set on taking a NEX with me to Lanai in February. so I pulled the trigger on the NEX-5N two-lens kit today. If you have your heart set on a NEX-5N, you might want to start looking sooner as opposed to later.

# ¿ Nov 11, 2011 04:45

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

HPL posted:

It's not even a normal hot shoe at that.

One thing I'd love to see from Sony is interchangeable hot shoes on their DSLR line. Like the old days where some old film SLRs didn't come with hot shoes and you would get one that would screw on on top of the prism. It wouldn't be something you'd be changing out constantly, more of a "set it and forget it" thing.

I guess the down side would be that you wouldn't be able to get TTL out of anything with a regular hot shoe because all the Alpha flashes would have the Alpha shoe.

Sony does make an adapter which lets you mount ISO-standard flashes, it's good for stuff like radio poppers.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2011 21:53

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Skam posted:

Thanks for this, i got one a few days ago and have been getting some great photos

i was also using an old �10 chinon 50mm 1.9 why i waited which created some surprisingly nice photos. Now im just trying to resist the urge to run down to the market and grab more

not the greatest photo (got a load i need to run through photoshop) but this was taken with the 50mm 1.4 if anyone is intrested

Eco Friendly travel by scott1928, on Flickr

Looks like a nice photo to me, at least in terms of the lens itself. People make too big of a deal of image quality at 100% magnification.

# ¿ Dec 8, 2011 05:00

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

I suspect we will see a mirrorless full-frame from Sony, though it would be an A-mount (or this bizarre hybrid mount idea). The biggest criticism of SLT technology is light loss due to the mirror, and the mirror is there to provide phase detection autofocus. Here is a link to Sony's patents for on-sensor PDAF, which would eliminate the SLT mirror. It's the realistic next step for Sony.

# ¿ Dec 25, 2011 16:41

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Why the C3 over the 5N? The 5N is a lovely camera, and it has the touch focusing feature you like.

# ¿ Dec 29, 2011 17:07

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

It's gonna happen, Sony will make it. The problem is that Sony's fullframe mirrorless won't be a tiny, rangefinder-esque body - it will be alpha-mount, complete with the longer register distance. That's going to turn off a lot of folks, as mirrorless has become synonymous with tiny. It doesn't have to be that way, though. This is the natural evolution of technology. Once Canon and Nikon perfect on-sensor PDAF, I expect them to release mirrorless bodies as well.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2012 06:48

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Ghumbs posted:

Could you post a picture? I just want to see how far the lens sticks out.

To follow up on the link that HPL posted - yes, a NEX with the 16mm pancake is easily pocketable. Every time I pack my bag with my NEX gear, I always wonder if I'm really going to use it, then realize it doesn't matter because it's really that tiny and lightweight. A NEX with the 16mm pancake will easily fit in a coat pocket, loose jeans pocket, or a small purse (if you're the sort who carries such things).

While we're on the subject of Sony lenses, I picked up the 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 lens for my upcoming trip to Hawaii. While the aperture is nothing to write home about, it's tiny, images are sharp, and the in-lens stabilization works really well. Here is a very boring photo of a pigeon which I shot at full extension, handheld, with a shutter speed of 1/80th of a second.

DSC00020 by Kelly_Davis, on Flickr

If you look at the full-sized original, there's a fantastic level of detail captured in the feathers. I'm happy to have it in my bag.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2012 04:53

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

I'm really exited by the XPro1, though not for the typical reason - I hope it gives Sony the kick in the rear end it needs to get some small, fast NEX lenses on the market. Competition is a good thing.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2012 03:04

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

It's also the same EVF as the a65 and a77, so assuming you can find one of those, you're set.

Bob Socko fucked around with this message at 08:16 on Jan 11, 2012

# ¿ Jan 11, 2012 08:13

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Skam posted:

has anyone bought a spare battery for there nex?

i got this from amazon and its terrible, it drops by 1-2% charge every time i take a photo

I need a second battery but cant really afford (and dont want to spend) �50 on the sony battery

does anyone have any specific battery recommendations?
will this one be ok?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ex-Pro-Sony-NP-FW50-NPFW50-Power/dp/B0042AFV8A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326295466&sr=8-2

Sounds like you may have a defective battery - cheap knockoff or not, I can't imagine they'd release a battery that's only good for 50-100 shots.

I have a Power2000 battery for my NEX. While I haven't done any sort of side-by-side testing, it seems to have a pretty similar life to the Sony battery. I'm having trouble finding it online, but this is definitely NOT it. The one I have has a blue Power2000 label, and the recycle/CE/garbage symbols are arranged vertically along the side.

# ¿ Jan 11, 2012 21:16

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Seattle was just hit by a large winter storm. Luckily, my Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 showed up on a UPS truck literally as the snow started falling, so it gave me a chance to test it out today - it's not like I could make it in to work.

DSC00127 by Kelly_Davis, on Flickr

Here is a link to the full-sized original. The lens is picking up a tremendous amount of fine detail in the snow itself. It's a nice little lens.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2012 01:00

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

So, who wants to place any bets that the NEX-7 I ordered direct from Sony ~6 weeks ago ships tomorrow? When I first ordered it, I was quoted a ship date of the 23rd. Given Sony's luck with the NEX-7, I expect a meteor to hit the UPS truck as it pulls up to my house.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2012 06:54

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Maybe Sony would do with Olympus what Konica did with Minolta - there, Konica bought out Minolta for its printer division, then sold the photography interest to Sony. Here, I could see Sony buy Olympus for the endoscope business, then offload the 4/3 system to Panasonic. Add in a clause where Panasonic is forced to use Sony-manufactured sensors, and Sony will be golden.

# ¿ Jan 24, 2012 06:54

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

After giving it some deep thought for the past couple of weeks, I'm backing out of the NEX system for now. I really like the idea of NEX and I see great promise in the future, but for now, at this very second, it just doesn't meet my needs. I don't do a lot of professional work, but when I do, I really need things like a proper hotshoe, or multiple control dials to shoot in full-manual mode. I know the NEX-7 has both of those, but I've been waiting literally for months to score one, with multiple preorders with multiple vendors. I give up. Maybe I'll try again in a year or two when supply issues have worked themselves out, and there's a more robust ecosystem of native lenses.

Keep an eye on the camera buy/sell thread, I'll be posting my NEX-5N, the kit zoom, the 16mm pancake, and the 55-210 lens in there sometime in the next few days. Luckily, the Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 is still within the return window, so I should be able to just ship that back to Adorama without jumping through any extra hoops.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2012 03:23

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Jeepers. Looks like it should be hung on a fridge next to some macaroni art. Babby's first industrial design project.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2012 19:46

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

If anyone is interested, I posted my NEX gear in the buy-sell thread. Enjoy!

# ¿ Feb 3, 2012 08:25

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Nah, Sony's been all over in-camera HDR for a couple of years now. It was actually a pretty mild, reasonable implementation at first, but now I can do all sorts of cartoon-looking stuff at the drop of a hat.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2012 08:42

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

ease posted:

Can I pay you in Trident Layers?

I wish someone would pay me in gum. *sulks awkwardly*

Beastruction posted:

They should make a 29 f/1.2 or something for the kit lens, go classic style all the way.

I wish someone would release a modern f/1.2 lens, I'm curious if the technology has come far enough along to make it reasonably sharp wide open. I know Sony recently released a patent for a new 50mm f/1.2 design, who knows if it will ever make it to production.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2012 08:07

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

keyframe posted:

O-MD is hideous imo. Especially with that battery grip.

Now now, let's be fair - at least it doesn't look like the K-01. It looks like one of those cameras which may be ugly but really functional, like Sony's a850/a900. Time will tell.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2012 20:00

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

RustedChrome posted:

God, they even screwed up the little things. Why put a flash symbol next to the flash button, then label the flash button UP? Why not just put the flash symbol on the button itself? This is stupid, everything about it is stupid.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2012 05:02

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

moonduck posted:

Still, Sony is going to have to produce a lot more in the lens department. You can't release a camera like the NEX-7 and then have one lens (that costs almost as much as the camera) that can really take advantage of it. A Zeiss (or G, whatever that is) zoom lens will be nice, but I imagine it will also be quite big for what is thought of as a compact system and Sony's other efforts have been mediocre at best so far.

G lenses are the Sony/Minolta designation for pro-quality, non-Zeiss lenses. Think of it as the Sony equivalent of Canon's L glass.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2012 04:17

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Agreed - this isn't a question of you not liking it, it's a question of a bad camera making it out of the factory. It's not your fault or the store's fault, it's Fuji's fault and Fuji's responsibility to fix.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2012 06:11

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Frankenstein Flash, I like it. What's under the duct tape, and how does that interface with the accessory port on the top of the camera?

# ¿ Feb 25, 2012 07:37

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Sad that there aren't enough pancake lenses for the NEX system? Take matters into your own hands and just strip away the lens housing of whatever you're adapting. Backstory - as a hobby, this guy tears down and restores old Minolta AF lenses. His next project is to turn a Minolta 50mm f/1.7 lens into a pancake. He could easily do the same thing to a 50mm f/1.4, a 24mm/28mm f/2.8, or a 135mm f/2.8.

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Bob Socko fucked around with this message at 05:31 on Mar 27, 2012

# ¿ Mar 27, 2012 05:25

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Whoa there, no one's talking about modding the back of the lens to change its register difference. And yes, an adapter will add size. The point of me posting this photo is that someone was clever/crazy enough to shave about 1/3rd off the length of a lens to the point where it could arguably be called a pancake. Assuming it's a viable mod for other brands with shorter register distances, it adds to the pocketability of a NEX camera.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2012 15:29

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Bob Socko posted:

Assuming it's a viable mod for other brands with shorter register distances, it adds to the pocketability of a NEX camera.

It's a proof of concept which makes me wonder if there are Konica AR or Leica M lenses which could see similar size savings to the point where they could arguably be called a pancake, even with an adapter.

Also, it's a silly picture.

Bob Socko fucked around with this message at 16:14 on Mar 27, 2012

# ¿ Mar 27, 2012 16:11

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

You're no fun at all. Fine then, no adapted pancakes. I still think its an interesting idea for saving space.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2012 16:29

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

I know Sigma has 19mm and 30mm f/2.8 NEX lenses coming out very soon, assuming they aren't already available. I saw some sample images from the 30mm f/2.8 and it looked really nice.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2012 05:30

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

One nice upgrade for the NEX-F3 over the C3 - looks like it will support the optical viewfinder accessory. Nice to see Sony make that change, it seemed like a needless feature to strip out - don't you want as many customers as possible to buy accessories?

# ¿ Apr 30, 2012 20:20

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

I did mean EVF, sorry guys.

# ¿ May 1, 2012 00:54

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

LiquidRain posted:

Sony Alpha Rumours is reporting that the standard zoom G lens for the NEX is going to be.....

17-50 f/3.5-f/5.6 OSS.

If true, there are simply no words.

I would have been happy to see an f/4 G if it kept the lens tiny, and image quality was good at f/4. But this? This is stupid.

# ¿ May 24, 2012 18:47

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

Two for two, nicely done.

I'm starting to consider a NEX-7 again. Question for those of you who have used them - could you envision using it for events (weddings, fundraisers) with a full-sized flash and adapted Alpha/Minolta lens? I know that both will fit, I just don't know how practical they would be in practice.

# ¿ May 27, 2012 03:30

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 02:22

Bob Socko: Feb 20, 2001

I'm not too worried about the light loss - my main camera these days is the Sony a77, which uses the exact same sensor & SLT mirror. The reason I'm asking about practical use is that the NEX-7 would replace my backup camera, so I need to be sure it's usable with both a flash and an Alpha adapter. I had the LA-EA1 when I had the NEX-5n; I agree it's the best option in terms of light loss, but the autofocus was so slow as to be unusable. For both the grip and practical use, the LA-EA2 is the best option.

For daily use, I'd probably just get the Sigma 30mm f/2.8, and eventually add the Sigma 19mm f/2.8 and the Sony 50mm f/1.8. No sense in recreating the wheel,

# ¿ May 27, 2012 06:50

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