NEX3 & NEX5 Announced...

[OldClicker]

The NEX3 & NEX5 were officially announced today.

NEX3 starts at $550, NEX5 at $650.

Incredibly small for an APS-C. The main part of the camera body would fit between the lens and sensor on an APS-C DSLR.

The Alpha adapter will NOT auto-focus - maybe later. There is a plastic covered hole where the screw drive should be???

No IBIS.

Shoots RAW and has full Manual controls, though may not be the best interface.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...s#/nex5Section

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/sonynex5/

TF

[Canuck935]

The NEX appears to be just what I was waiting for.. An APS-C size sensor in the body of a compact camera. A 2:3 competitor to the micro 4:3 camera's. I would be all over these except for the lack of a-Mount AF compatibility. Ok, ok... I know the NEX camera's don't have an in-body motor. I don't expect them to work with screw-drive lenses. But... What about SSM a-mount lenses?? At least give us that.

[Canuck935]

From photoclubalpha: "...despite all efforts, the plan to make SSM and SAM lenses work on the Alpha adapto LA-EA1 with AF confirmation had not been possible."

Doh. I dunno, I may pick one up anyway. What about everybody else? Anyone plan on getting a NEX 3 or NEX 5??

[Photo-John]

I missed the boat on the announcement but I worked hard all day on this article:

New Sony NEX Digital Cameras - Compact Interchangable Lens Alpha >>

[OldClicker]

I missed the boat on the announcement but I worked hard all day on this article:

New Sony NEX Digital Cameras - Compact Interchangable Lens Alpha >>

Good summary - thanks. - TF

[OldClicker]

This appears to be a major impetus for the new e-mount lens. - TF





http://blog.discover.sonystyle.com/s...in-development

TF

[Canuck935]

I just noticed the LA-EA1 adapter is $200. Gah!!! I'm beginning to think that NEX is not the right choice for me..

[Anbesol]

Well its premise isn't exactly one that lends itself well to using with a-mount lens. The point is the size, but a-mount lens are big, and the adapter makes em bigger. The lacking AF motor to boot. If I ended up getting one, it would be with and for e-mount lens.

SDo far, is it only the 3 announced? 16 f/2.8 as a flat little prime is a pretty cool combo though. The sony style web site says both "offering a wide selection of e-mount lens' but only says anything about the 16 and the 18-55. The 18-55 looks a bit big, would have rather it been shorter range to offer smaller size, like a 24-50 or something.

[Canuck935]

So far it's the 16mm pancake, a fisheye add-on lens for the 16mm, the 18-55, and an 18-200. Preliminary reviews on the 18-55 are not great due to a lot of distortion. If I could slap my Zeiss 16-80 on a small camera like the NEX it would be pure bliss. I also think the 30mm macro would be a nice match as well.

I don't really mind not having AF with the adapter. I just wish it were about $150 cheaper and I wish it would work with SAM/SSM for AF at least, but it seems it just wasn't possible.

[Anbesol]

But what benefit is there to a small body if it has a huge lens slapped on? even the 50mm seems like it would be cumbersome with the adapter. At that point, its not a whole lot different than their standard alphas. I'd like to see a decent range of primes on this e-mount system before I'd invest in it, or, a small range zoom like a 25-50 ~ f/2.8 (or ~ 3.2 or whatever it takes to make it really small). As of now though, the 18-55/200 are not of any interest to me at all, from a size/performance ratio. And the 16mm, while enticing as can be, is not worth the system investment alone.

I could, however, imagine a huge benefit to A-mount on a dedicated video cam like TF posted, if only AF could work.

[Canuck935]

The e-mount lenses I think are smaller than they look.. in that video above they looked really tiny in that guys hands. I wouldn't mind the NEX bodies being a little bigger than they are. They would still smaller than DSLR's just for the fact that the mirror assembly and prism are eliminated.

For me the point of "big" (I don't think a lot of them are that big at all) a-mount lenses on the small body would be so I don't have to invest all that money again into yet another line of lenses. Overall it's still going to be a lot smaller and lighter than a big ol DSLR.

[Canuck935]

Well I've pretty much decided I'm not going to go with NEX just yet. Sounds like there may be more a3xx's this summer and possibly NEX-7 in the fall..

[LightBright]

Well I've pretty much decided I'm not going to go with NEX just yet. Sounds like there may be more a3xx's this summer and possibly NEX-7 in the fall..

That little camera is amazing. But I do think its to small. I hope Sony comes out with something along the size of a leica m9.

I played around with google sketch up. I know there not great but I hope the NEX -7 would look something like this (theirs more if you click on the rendering).

[NoKnees]

I wouldn't give up on the A-Mount adapter yet.... Seems some folks with some prototypes from Sony have tested it with SSM and SAM lenses. I've also seen a prototype posted somewhere (DPReivew?) with the screwmount showing as well. Word was that it focused slower than on an a700 or a900, but it was okay, allowing pretty much any A-mount lense to focus...

Anyway, I'm thinking they haven't given up on this yet...

Additionally, expect cheaper adapters for other mounts to show up pretty quickly... Most notable would be an M42 adapter... Not sure if they will have one to control aperture as well, but if someone wanted, they could, as this is managed by the A-Mount adapter just fine...

I guess time will tell, but it seems possible...

[OldClicker]

It is my understanding that Sony has adapters that AF SSM and SAM lenses, but that they put in 'blocking' firmware because the AF wasn't good enough. (The NEX presentation in South Africa had one that worked.) We will have to wait and see how good the AF is with the final firmware. - TF

[Ballen Photo]

I just bought the NEX-5. Still learning about it, but so far I really like it.
Also, I plan on using adapted M42 manual lenses with it too.
-Bruce

[Greg McCary]

I just bought the NEX-5. Still learning about it, but so far I really like it.
Also, I plan on using adapted M42 manual lenses with it too.
-Bruce

Focus peaking sure makes manual shooting easier.

[Ballen Photo]

Focus peaking sure makes manual shooting easier.

Thanks Greg. I just upgraded my firmware from 3 to 5 so I have that now.
-Bruce

[NoKnees]

I'll second the vote for Focus Peaking... I just picked up an a77 to borrow for the holidays and had to check that feature out on it as well... Love it! Now to actually put a good manual lens on it to take it for a proper test drive..

In the meantime, enjoy the Nex-5n... It really does seem like the best mid-sized interchangeable lens camera out there right now... Love the IQ it is capable of... Quite impressive....

[BravoGolfTango]

Thanks Greg. I just upgraded my firmware from 3 to 5 so I have that now.
-Bruce

I'd really like some intel on updating the firmware, how it's done, what I have (where to find that in settings I guess) and where to go/how to update it, if anyone wants to help.

Just picked up a Sony 55-210mm lens from BestBuy for free, had a ton of Award Zone points from getting my wife a stainless fridge, ss gas stove and ss microwave. I like it, but I'm already wanting more zoom, freaking knew that was going to happen with me. So I'm doing some searching for something along the lines of a 70-300 in whatever brand has an afordable adapter with the AF bus.