Cruising with the NEX-7

[pierces]

Sailing on the Mariner out of Galveston with my daughter's family was a wonderful week's vacation. I took the A77 and both NEX bodies because I had the idea of keeping the Lensbaby on the 5 for ease of access and use the other two as the situation demanded. The A77 didn't even come out of the case! After a week with the NEX 7 in a target-rich environment, my new motto is "DSLR for fast or far". I will be taking the DSLR on our Alaska trip next year for wildlife and other long shots, but the NEX is my new, best travel camera friend. I have the superb Sony 16-50 f/2.8 and Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 zooms for the A77 and will be adding (renting?) the new 70-400 f/4-f/5.6 G lens for Alaska but for everything else, I will probably be investing in E-mount or adapted lenses for the NEX.

 

Photos here from the trip: http://galleries.pptphoto.com/mariner2012 (while in a gallery, use the slideshow option for best view)

 

Very pleased with the handling and controls on the NEX 7 and the in-camera 3-shot HDR is really quite useful:

 

Without:

 

With:

 

In the words of DPReview.com, "Highly Recommended!"

 

Cameras are so good now that it really boils down to personal choice. This post isn't intended as a commercial for the NEX series but if asked for a recommendation regarding a travel camera, I would be remiss in not sharing my extremely positive experience with them.

 

Even if you don't give a rat's rump about equipment, enjoy the pictures...we had a great time!

 

Happy shooting!

 

Dave

[TheRoff]

Those are great pictures in your album. Nice camera, better eye.

 

Larry

[wmjivey]

As usual Dave your photos are great, I do love your eye, I enjoy studying how the greats approach their shots and then with trial and error try to duplicate them. I am gathering alot of ideas for our Alaskian cruise and am looking foreward in meeting you and your misses.

 

John

[tommui987]

 

Cameras are so good now that it really boils down to personal choice. This post isn't intended as a commercial for the NEX series but if asked for a recommendation regarding a travel camera, I would be remiss in not sharing my extremely positive experience with them.

 

Dave

 

Dave: I'm just guessing, but many of your shots seem to be using the stock kit lens and the 30mm Sigma. Did use you any other lens?

 

Looking slowly at your shots and trying to learn from them.

 

Happy New Year tgo you and yours!

Tom

[pierces]

Dave: I'm just guessing, but many of your shots seem to be using the stock kit lens and the 30mm Sigma. Did use you any other lens?

 

Looking slowly at your shots and trying to learn from them.

 

Happy New Year tgo you and yours!

Tom

 

Sorry you had to guess...it looks like the Lightroom 4.3 update set the default metadata export to "Copyright Only"!

 

The mix of the 1,414 final photos was:

 

18-55 Kit: 1104

30mm Sigma: 42

19mm Sigma 174

 

The Lensbaby lived on the NEX-5 while on the ship.

 

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the 18-55 did in most situations. I did find it to be occasionally soft in the extreme corners wide open but I also find that putting the subject of a photograph in the extreme corners is bad technique.:)

 

The complaints about the new 16-50 compact zoom being "not that much better" than the kit lens now makes me want one!

 

May your New Year be prosperous and photogenic!

 

Dave

[cruisemom42]

Thanks for posting this. I'm considering a NEX as a move up camera (never had anything more than a "deluxe" point-and-shoot). Almost all of the real-person reviews I read are pretty positive. Count me as another that thinks the new 16-50 compact zoom sounds good.

[pierces]

Thanks for posting this. I'm considering a NEX as a move up camera (never had anything more than a "deluxe" point-and-shoot). Almost all of the real-person reviews I read are pretty positive. Count me as another that thinks the new 16-50 compact zoom sounds good.

 

Here are links to my reviews of the NEX-5 and NEX-7:

 

http://pptphoto.com/articles/nex5.html

 

http://pptphoto.com/articles/nex7.html

 

Spoiler alert...I liked them!

 

Dave

[cruisemom42]

Here are links to my reviews of the NEX-5 and NEX-7:

 

http://pptphoto.com/articles/nex5.html

 

http://pptphoto.com/articles/nex7.html

 

Spoiler alert...I liked them!

 

Dave

 

Thanks for these. The images you included are very nice indeed. I'm getting more convinced a NEX is in my future. The only thing that makes me cranky is not having a viewfinder, but perhaps I will just have to adapt.

[tommui987]

The only thing that makes me cranky is not having a viewfinder, but perhaps I will just have to adapt.

 

The NEX7 has a viewfinder as does the new NEX6. You can always get the add-on viewfinder for the NEX5N - which is a terrific viewfinder. The viewfinder on the NEX7 is also terrific. See Dave Pierce's review on it.

 

I don't believe that the new NEX3 has a viewfinder

[pierces]

Thanks for these. The images you included are very nice indeed. I'm getting more convinced a NEX is in my future. The only thing that makes me cranky is not having a viewfinder, but perhaps I will just have to adapt.

 

As Tom said, the NEX-6 & 7 have a viewfinder built in and it is pretty incredible. It is the same as the one on my A77 and that is good enough that I have had DSLR users play with my camera for several minutes, comment on the big bright viewfinder never realizing that it was electronic. The accessory viewfinder for the NEX-5 uses the same terrific display with the only downside being that you can't use the viewfinder and the flash at the same time.

 

I will also add that composing with the articulated LCD is surprisingly easy to get used to.

 

Dave

[cruisemom42]

As Tom said, the NEX-6 & 7 have a viewfinder built in and it is pretty incredible. It is the same as the one on my A77 and that is good enough that I have had DSLR users play with my camera for several minutes, comment on the big bright viewfinder never realizing that it was electronic. The accessory viewfinder for the NEX-5 uses the same terrific display with the only downside being that you can't use the viewfinder and the flash at the same time.

 

I will also add that composing with the articulated LCD is surprisingly easy to get used to.

 

Dave

 

thanks, I was looking at the NEX-5; glad to hear the accessory viewfinder is good; I'd use it far more than the flash.

[cruisemom42]

After much reading (and a couple of visits to local stores), I'm thinking of the NEX-6. I like the viewfinder, and the fact that most packages include the new zoom, making it more attractive to me for travel -- which is mostly when I take photos.

 

Any thoughts? I know the lens is pretty new; it's hard to find many reviews on it. Is it as good as the until-now standard kit 18-55 lens?

 

One big box store has a bundle with the NEX-6, the new 16-50mm zoom and the 16mm pancake wide angle lense for about $998.

 

If I am mainly interested in shooting ancient ruins and in shooting sculpture, etc. in museums, would these two lenses cover my needs to start?

 

P.S. After reading so many reviews, I now realize Dave is indeed quite the expert -- hope you don't mind dispensing some more advice!

[pierces]

After much reading (and a couple of visits to local stores), I'm thinking of the NEX-6. I like the viewfinder, and the fact that most packages include the new zoom, making it more attractive to me for travel -- which is mostly when I take photos.

 

Any thoughts? I know the lens is pretty new; it's hard to find many reviews on it. Is it as good as the until-now standard kit 18-55 lens?

 

One big box store has a bundle with the NEX-6, the new 16-50mm zoom and the 16mm pancake wide angle lense for about $998.

 

If I am mainly interested in shooting ancient ruins and in shooting sculpture, etc. in museums, would these two lenses cover my needs to start?

 

P.S. After reading so many reviews, I now realize Dave is indeed quite the expert -- hope you don't mind dispensing some more advice!

 

The 16-50 is a good standard lens. Though it is only marginally better than the 18-55, that is actually quite good.

 

The NEX 6 is also a great choice. It has the same viewfinder as my 7 and a few features I wish the 7 had, like a mode dial and such.

 

The 16mm pancake is completely superfluous with the 16-50. The 16-50 has the same maximum field of view and better image quality. The pancake is smaller, but offers no other advantage. If you want a fixed wide angle, the Sigma 19mm f/2.8 is inexpensive and has superb image quality. If you can find a kit with the 55-210, you will get more bang for the buck than a bundle with the pancake.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Dave

[cruisemom42]

The 16mm pancake is completely superfluous with the 16-50. The 16-50 has the same maximum field of view and better image quality. The pancake is smaller, but offers no other advantage. If you want a fixed wide angle, the Sigma 19mm f/2.8 is inexpensive and has superb image quality. If you can find a kit with the 55-210, you will get more bang for the buck than a bundle with the pancake.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Dave

 

Yes, I was wondering about that. I will see what I can find that might include the 55-210.

[tommui987]

 

If I am mainly interested in shooting ancient ruins and in shooting sculpture, etc. in museums, would these two lenses cover my needs to start?

 

 

The wide-angle of the 16-50mm stock lens is in terms of a 35mm film camera about 24mm while the Sigma 19mm would be about 28mm. Those 4mm can make a difference.

 

Dave is right about looking for a package that has the 70-200mm zoom. Great for details in your ruins/sculpture shots.

 

Having the 16-50mm zoom makes getting the stock 16mm really a duplication in effort!

[zackiedawg]

I'd also recommend not bothering with the 16mm pancake if you're already looking at the 16-50mm as it's mostly redundant...though the 16mm F2.8 would be 1/2 stop faster at the 16mm end, it doesn't have stabilization whereas the 16-50mm does...so it likely as not will balance out. The 55-210mm on the other hand can come in handy when you need more reach - and pairing it with the 16-50mm as your 'kit' lens will give you a pretty good focal range in a compact total package. If you were to add anything more to your NEX kit, about the only other thing that you might find worth adding would be one faster prime lens, to use in low light scenarios - either the 50mm F1.8 or the 35mm F1.8 (both stabilized). Which is better for you is up to you, but many would agree the wider 35mm lens is overall a little more versatile - but also more expensive. With that, you'd have a pretty full kit - wide to standard kit, standard to telephoto, and a fast prime.

[cruisemom42]

Thanks to all of you and I appreciate the very clear summary of the various lenses. I feel like I'm on a real learning curve here.....

 

I ordered the NEX-6 with the 16-50 zoom and the 55-210. Can't wait to get them and start taking pics. Then I'll start thinking about acquiring the prime lens. :D

[BillyBuff]

I just got the NEX-5R last week from a friend that works at Sony (discounts yay!). He threw in the 16mm f/2.8 and 18-55mm lenses for free so no complaints here. I might get the external microphone though because the internal mic faces upwards and picks up every ambient noise including wind.

 

Here's a clip of tonight's test (yes it's snowing in NYC)