Camera Labs

Funny to see nobody having any comments on Bjorn's post.

If the rumours are right about the pricing (but I think they'll be wrong), the 'little Alphas' will be cheaper than the Micro Four Thirds. If that's the case, it would provide me with a decent alternative to getting the Sony Carl Zeiss 24-70 in the end - and I wouldn't have to swap lenses all the time...but the usability of a DSLR is a major factor...and I don't see myself using a touchscreen, actually...

However, if Sony makes it extremely fast and easy to use, and at a fair price, I see myself getting one of these. But it would have to be nearly as fast as a DSLR, since I'm used to the speed of a DSLR. And that 24-70 is incredibly fast, so...

Hmm, tough choice

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Sony α77V/VG-C77AM/α350/18-70/70-400 G SSM/NEX-5/18-55 OSS/Lowepro Pro Trekker 600 AW/CompuTrekker AW/Nova 140 AW/Street & Field gear/Toploader Pro 75 AW. And a huge wishlist...

My photos on Flickr...

Courtesy of the named blogger, these two pictures of the NEX cameras supposedly spotted in an Asian pub, but which I suspect are intentional leaks considering that it shows not just one, but BOTH of the Sony NEX cameras. The larger plastic body is labeled NEX3, so that is clearly the NEX3 -- someone is holding open the flash/accessory panel on the top of the camera -- and the metal camera must therefore be the slightly more expensive NEX5.

You can see the fingernail-groove by the NEX3 logo to grip and tilt down the LCD screen. We cannot see if it also tilts in other directions.

There appears to be PLAY button on the NEX3 top which is not visible on the NEX5 top, but, it may just be out of sight.

Those who wished that at least one of these cameras would come in black got their wish.

The lens is only a couple fingers thick. Male fingers. People on other forums are over-reacting, saying it is huge.

The included flash appears to be powered by the camera. That's nice.

I just found this little TidBit on sonyalpharumors.com

"Just received a tip from a known source:

mirrorless camera’s price range in korea:
- (NEX3+lens) 600,000 (Korea won, $540)
- (NEX5+lens) 700,000 (korea won, $610)

the lens can be the 18-55mm or the 16mm lens (your choice!)

As I told you that’s cheaper than Micro Four Thirds cameras!"

If this is true, Sony will get a lot of interest in this segment. Specially with the street shooters who will love the 16/2.8 lens.

amazon.com have the e-pl1 with kit zoom at US$590 so if the rumoured NEX prices are right, there's not much in it. That's putting aside the differences in feature too.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

If those prices come through to the US unchanged, I'm getting the NEX5 with the 16mm.

But I have a feeling the won't base the price just on the exchange rate.

Glad to hear that Sony may be offering a mirrorless camera. Not sure what it will be like to hold and
shoot using a small camera body with a long lens though. (better be stablized)
Hopefully, there will be the option of turning off the shutter sound too.

Regarding the rumour that they won't include the in-body stablization ... hope that is not the case.
Sony has so many models with stablization, it's hard to be believe that they would stop now.
Have they been making any stablized lenses? In addition, they have all those Minolta lenses
that do not have stablization which they have been supporting. Sounds like they would loose
a good chunk of their market by not including it.

I don't think the people who still own Minolta lenses would consider an unstabilized mirrorless camera when there's a great line-up of DSLRs available too. For the NEXs, you'd have to use a converter to use DSLR lenses, all too much of a hassle IMHO. Sony won't lose market share because the new EVILs have no in-camera stabilization.

The most important thing for Sony to do is to get a decent amount of (stabilized) lenses out for this new system so people won't need to buy the converter to use DSLR lenses instead.

- Bjorn -

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Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

Looks like the camera will have very fast fps and features from Sony's HX5V model (sweep panorama. twilight mode, hdr), etc

http://sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-more-nex-leaks/

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I wish they'd pretend to be hip and include a "nightclub mode" or "dance club mode" which would be for taking pictures of people in a dark, but colorfully lit (albeit dimly lit) club environment where people are moving fast. I'd guess the closest thing to it would be the Night Portrait mode, but portrait implies a person who is standing still, not dancing around.

Also, thumbs down on the stock photos they bought for that guide. The kid with the grin on his face? I just want to smack him. And the sports shot is terrible. And the night portrait man looks like a jerk.

Olympus has in body stablization, but Panasonic does not, so it's a flip of a coin on whether or not Sony will have it stablized. Considering these models seem to be stripped down, ie optional viewfinder, optional flash, they seem a lot of money for what you get.

If a new set of lenses is required for the NEX, that would make it pricey for somone upgrading from a compact. Not sure it's worth the money, but we won't know until the announcement is made.

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Sony A37, Minolta 70-210 F4, Minolta 50 F1.7, Sigma 28-105 F2.8-4, Zenitar 16mm Fisheye 2.8, Sony 35mm 1.8, Tamron 18-200 and Sony 18-55 kit lens

It is almost certain a new range of lenses will be produced for these. The way lenses are designed for DSLRs means you can't simply put the same mount on a mirrorless body and expect it to work. It needs that spacing where the mirror would go, so if you left that in, you're no better off making a DSLR in the first place.

_________________
Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

Hey Popo,

forgot about that. thanks for pointing it out.

cheers.

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Sony A37, Minolta 70-210 F4, Minolta 50 F1.7, Sigma 28-105 F2.8-4, Zenitar 16mm Fisheye 2.8, Sony 35mm 1.8, Tamron 18-200 and Sony 18-55 kit lens

NEX5 specs are up, but not NEX3 yet:

http://sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-the-real-nex5-specs

Specs do not include dimensions or weight, just the imaging aspects.

Nothing new there? On a quick glance seems pretty much the same as previous rumours. Still like to know if their "11 point AF" is contrast or something more special...

_________________
Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

Judging from the way they implemented Live View (the way it is supposed to work, contrary to other manufacturers ) on their cameras, I'd say it'll be phase AF...

_________________
Sony α77V/VG-C77AM/α350/18-70/70-400 G SSM/NEX-5/18-55 OSS/Lowepro Pro Trekker 600 AW/CompuTrekker AW/Nova 140 AW/Street & Field gear/Toploader Pro 75 AW. And a huge wishlist...

My photos on Flickr...