DSLRUsers.com

This morning we went along to a media event from Sony, to showcase their newest cameras.

I think it's fair to say that, for a travel and take-anywhere camera, we all want something more than the typical PHD, but not the full DSLR Monty. In that realm, Olympus and a few others have travelled down the micro four thirds track, with quite some degree of success. Sony have taken a different path, and today revealed their entres into this realm, the Alphas NEX-3 and NEX-5.

These are your typical EVIL style bodies, but they're using the APS-C sensor from their bigger brethren. And the bodies are smaller and thinner than their competition, with a 3" LCD on the rear.

First impressions are quite good: the bodies, and the lenses, feel very solid. And I mean very solid: there's metal in them thar parts!

Specs are nice too: 14MP, built-in IS, 7fps(!), built in pano mode and 3D mode (coming), 720P and 1080P video (model dependent), can take Sony Alpha glass with an adaptor (which for me means good old Minolta glass) ...

Two lenses initially, a 16mm f/2.8 pancake, and a 18-55 f/3.5-5.6, and a 18-200 to follow.

I'm wanting to give these a good test: I want to see how easy they are to use in bright sunshine - that was not possible this morning - and also to see how the sensor stacks up and the images that it can produce, in the field, as this has always been a bit of an issue with the Alpha cameras.

I've been waiting on the release of this, to compare against the SAMSUNG NX10.

As much as I hate to say it, Sony have really REALLY upped the game this past few months.. the TX5 and HX5 are incredible cameras.. and as a natural hate towards Sony.. theyre really good =) I want a compact APS-C =(

I am also looking more and more at these smaller cameras. That Sony looks good , but as "It is a Sony"... It would be a hard sale .

glamy wrote: but as "It is a Sony"... It would be a hard sale .

Gerard,

Everyone knows how I feel about Sony cameras .... but I do try to keep a somewhat open mind about things.

What I can say is that the build quality was impressive, as was the stated feature list. The design concept of an APS-C sensor in a compact body with interchangeable glass is something that I've been wanting for a very long time, and so that also impresses me.

But yes, the proof will be in the playing, and as soon as I can get my grubby little mitts on one, I'll let you know.

Gary,
I reckon Sony has come up with very good value camera systems. I just do not like their proprietary designs incompatible with others... For someone building a kit Sony sure is a good option .

glamy wrote:I just do not like their proprietary designs incompatible with others

Memory stick comes to mind.

But then Canon or Nikon are not really compatible with 'others'. It's just that people like Sigma WANT to reverse engineer the big contenders.

Ive found this camera to be interesting with all the hype and using a touchscreen.
There's a review of it here: http://digital-photography-school.com/sony-nex-3-review

Wondering if Nikon will ever make something like this, a digital rangefinder with a APS-C sensor ahaha.

gstark wrote:Specs are nice too: 14MP, built-in IS, 7fps

Are you SURE? From reading the Sony press release my understanding was that the 18-55mm and 18-200mm lenses had stabilisation in the lens, but not the 16mm prime.
The body doesn't have stabilisation, which is a slight hiccup when you attach Alpha lenses via the adaptor: none of them have stabilisation as the bodies that they normally go on do!

On a body that thin I can't imagine how they would fit the stabilising mechanism in, which presumably was their primary reason for putting it in the lenses instead.

DaveB wrote: gstark wrote:Specs are nice too: 14MP, built-in IS, 7fps
Are you SURE? From reading the Sony press release my understanding was that the 18-55mm and 18-200mm lenses had stabilisation in the lens, but not the 16mm prime.

Yep. There is NO in camera stabilisation according to DPREVIEW.


These look really lens heavy with 18-55 attached. The only practical way would be to use these with small fast primes. Otherwise it would be awkward with the lens being too big and body too small.

Pricing was just released, I found it agreeable.


via:http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/05/sonys-nex-3-and-nex-5-pricing-in-australia/

I've gotta say that pricing is might tempting ... if the ergonomics are ok we might have a decent travel kit here.

I am going to have to wait til I see one in the plastic/metal. From the pictures they look awkward....but we'll see.

These remind me of the early lens heavy Cyber shots (4MP) PS cameras. Those were pretty good back then.

surenj wrote:

These look really lens heavy with 18-55 attached. The only practical way would be to use these with small fast primes. Otherwise it would be awkward with the lens being too big and body too small.

agreed. thats pretty much the case with all of them though. the oly is the best of them cos of the collapsable zoom, bu teven then, i wouldnt use it with anything other than a small prime. no in body IS is quite interesting from sony. certianly not something i would have expected them to do.

surenj wrote:These remind me of the early lens heavy Cyber shots (4MP) PS cameras. Those were pretty good back then.

My 2002 Sony DSC F707 was maybe my favourite all time camera (ok, second only to the 5D Mkii) with a sensational f2 Carl Zeiss lens. Those were the days.

I was at the retail launch for these a while back...and have now got them in store as well. Simply unimpressed. Interface is silly and ergonomics are off. Promising image quality though....

ozimax wrote:My 2002 Sony DSC F707 was maybe my favourite all time camera

Thanks. These were the ones I meant! My friend had one of these and I was constantly impressed by the AF speed, movie quality and a 5Xzoom with very very fast lens. Was premium priced back then.

surenj wrote:

ozimax wrote:My 2002 Sony DSC F707 was maybe my favourite all time camera

Thanks. These were the ones I meant! My friend had one of these and I was constantly impressed by the AF speed, movie quality and a 5Xzoom with very very fast lens. Was premium priced back then.

When I left Oz to live in the USA in 2002, I purchased one of these suckers on the way, $3000 in total which was a small fortune for me at the time, but what a camera! Built like a Sherman and exquisite optics. Sony went downhill from there. The 717 was never quite as good as the 707 and so on.