I know, I know. I said I wouldn't talk about gear. And I'm not really going to. And I know that none of you like Sony cameras because.....I really don't know why. But I've been saying to anyone who will listen that the Sony Nex-7 is a tremendous picture taker to anyone who will listen to me. An additive camera. But now I don't have to say it anymore because I found someone that everyone will trust to make the case for me.
Here, with no particular introduction is Trey Ratliff and his tale on why his Sony Nex-7 is taking the place of his Nikon D800....
http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2013/05/09/the-china-experiment-dumping-nikon-for-sony/
I thought it was a fun read. Maybe because it helps confirm my seat-of-the-pants camera analysis.
If you don't ever want to read about gear ever again then just ignore this one and don't click that link.
Please use our Amazon links to buy your camera gear (and anything else you like at Amazon). We'll get a small commission which helps defray my time and cost while costing you zero extra.
Thank you very much.
Here, with no particular introduction is Trey Ratliff and his tale on why his Sony Nex-7 is taking the place of his Nikon D800....
http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2013/05/09/the-china-experiment-dumping-nikon-for-sony/
I thought it was a fun read. Maybe because it helps confirm my seat-of-the-pants camera analysis.
If you don't ever want to read about gear ever again then just ignore this one and don't click that link.
Please use our Amazon links to buy your camera gear (and anything else you like at Amazon). We'll get a small commission which helps defray my time and cost while costing you zero extra.
Thank you very much.
It was a tough call for me between the Nex-7 and the EM-5. I ended up with the Olympus, but not out of any displeasure with the Sony.
ReplyDeleteI've read Trey's reviews of the Sony Nex-7, have to agree with him (& your good self Kirk) the ned-7 is truly amazing.
ReplyDeleteAfter years of being stuck in the 'classic' SLR world I realised that for the type of shooting I do (graphic designer obsessed with making images - and impressed with the always-with-me-iphone) I needed a system far more portable than a rucksack full of heavy kit. I tried a few smaller cameras, of note was the Panasonic GF1 (still love it!) and then I got my mitts on the Nex-7.
It just sang to me! Finally a camera company that actually gets the idea of a serious, and modern, compact system. The menu systems are a little cryptic, but the amount of control from the plethora of physical controls, especially Tri-Navi, makes it a joy to shoot with.
The quality from this sensor lives up to the hype too, it's amazing and is really on form when paired with decent glass. BTW, those two dirt-cheap Sigma 2.8's - wow!
I'm mostly a casual shooter, so the camera & three lenses are in a tiny Billingham bag that goes with me almost everywhere, I absolutely love that I can capture stunning high quality images with this tiny system everywhere I go. Perfect travel kit too.
Would love to add some LED lights to this system, but for now I'm waiting on delivery of a couple of (very cheap) YongNou speedlights & radio triggers. I don't make my main income from photography (though it helps) so I invest miserly sums, learn as much as I can and wring all I can from the gear.
I guess a lot of the disinterest in Sony for 'serious' work is due to lack of knowledge and/or inertia in the groove of a system already committed to.
I'm with you Kirk, Sony are really knocking it out of the park with their recent camera designs.
Apart from Trey's reviews, here's an excellent one from renowned shooter David J. Nightingale ( http://www.chromasia.com ).
Note how skeptical he was, even about considering testing this camera, sound familiar?
http://www.chromasia.com/blog/archive/1211141737.php
Read 'em & Tweet! ツ
Don't know why I'm showing up as 'Unknown' - signed in with Google.
DeleteAnyway, previous comment from me: @davymac on teh Twitters.
Looks like you are wondering about Sony users....I'm enjoying both Sony/Minolta A and Olympus/Panasonic M43. Nearly bought the NEX7 but they were not readily available and ended up with the OMD - very happy and love the small lenses. Very happy with the A55/A99 and love the large lenses (considered moving to Canon or Nikon just before the A55 was released). The only limitation with these systems is me.
ReplyDeleteAs a still image capturing device, the NEX-7 is my favorite——especially with the Metabones Speed Booster.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the NEX-7 video is a major weakness. And lets face it, video is the new photography.
Joseph. What are your main complaints about the Nex-7 video? Just curious. I've stuck to doing video with the DSLT cameras...
DeleteThe lack of detail.
DeleteThe NEX-7 (or maybe 6) is on my list of equipment acquisitions. The main (make that only) complaint I have read is that SONY's lens quality doesn't match their sensor quality. OTOH I've seen a lot of good photos made with their lenses. I think too many photographers (gear heads) are too caught up in bench test results. Who takes photos under those conditions anyway? I don't.
ReplyDeleteI itch for something different sometimes, but when I list pro and cons of all my camera options, the Nex 7 is tough to beat. A near-perfect blend of size, performance, and flexibility. And I'm completely with the author on the surprising value of the flip screen. It certainly adds a new dimension to street photography. Thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteJohn
Here is another endorsement of the move to mirrorless:
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2013/05/chasejarvistech-packing-your-gear-for-a-60-mile-hike-up-kilimanjaro/
cool. Seems great minds think alike and everyone else sticks with what's safe...
DeleteI hit the pre order button again
DeleteAfter ten years of serial camera switching, and to my dismay, the NEX 7 has tamed me into one faithful photographer. Don't ask me how that happened. I just bonded with it.
ReplyDeletehis hdr style of shooting doesn't really push a camera... i'm surprised he needed a d800... who was it that called hdr technicolor vomit?
ReplyDeleteI love the NEX 6 and NEX 7. But I haven't bought either because I'm already heaviliy invested in micro four thirds - I was an early adopter of mirrorless. But I can still see myself picking oneup on closeout once their replacements are announced. An NEX 6 with 16-50 power zoom and the Sigma 19 and 30mm primes would be a cheap way to get into a great little NEX system.
ReplyDeleteI also like Sony's SLT system. I haven't bought into that because of my investment in Pentax's K-mount. But I'm using my Pentax gear less and less these days and something is likely to happen before long. If I was starting from scratch right now and wanted/needed a DSLR-class camera, I would probably go with Sony.
Kirk, I love reading about your NEX-7 Kirk. And I approve of the "brief gear side tracks". Keep 'em comin' hehe. I use the NEX-6 and just added the 5r which I purchased with kit lens for $328 (available for just a few hours on Amazon last week). I put the pancake 16-50 on the 5r and it will now be my "compact" camera equivalent!
ReplyDeleteI'll be adding Trey's website to my feeds! Thanks for the link.
Peter F.