Tag: Sony NEX-7

Macro with the Sony NEX-7

I just recently acquired the Sony NEX-7 and I am loving the camera! Even more recently, I got the Sony 30mm f/3.5 Macro lens to go with it. This is the E-mount lens and is relatively small and light (just under 5 oz.) so it fits nicely with the NEX-7.
After only a few shots, I am very pleased with the lens. It is very sharp with great color and contrast as you can see in the image of pins above, and the detail is truly amazing! These pins are of course very small to begin with, but in this image, you are able to pick out the tiny imperfections in the shafts of these pins.
Naturally, at 30mm, you must get very close to your subject in order to achieve the maximum 1:1 magnification … something less than an inch from the front of the lens. So it follows that it is not an ideal lens for live insects, plus you must be very careful of lighting since you can easily cast a shadow on your subject.
Build quality is excellent and the focus ring operates very smoothly. Focusing is very quiet and it also allows for Direct Manual Focus, which can be very helpful when shooting macro.
Overall, an excellent lens for a reasonable price at $250 (retail).

NEX-7 + Sony 18-200mm = Ridiculous!

First, let me say that, as an NEX-7 owner, I disagree with that. However, in various forums around the “web”, I’ve seen that claim being made so I thought I would address it.

Some of those statements have ranged from, “ridiculous” to “goofy looking” to “totally out of scale”. Well, it certainly isn’t any more out of scale than say a 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikon lens on a D90. Or, how about the other direction…the 35mm f/1.8 on a Nikon D3.

The bottom line is, I don’t care how it looks as long as I have a great lens/camera combination, which this is. One other consideration is that I can still put the 16mm pancake on the NEX-7 and stick it in my coat pocket…that ain’t gonna happen with a DSLR.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I love DSLRs and I’m not knocking them in any way. I’ve had many and they are awesome cameras. But, if I could get a great camera the size of a postage stamp and stick it to a big zoom, I’d do it.

I know – I know, there are some huge technical and practical difficulties with making that a reality like: battery, viewfinder, controls, screen, lens mount, etc. However, technically it could be done. The iPhone 4s has an 8Mp camera, so throw away the phone, antennas, and gps and you could end up with a very tiny stand alone camera. Wouldn’t that be cool!

So, are you ready – mentally – for the coming 54 Megapixel camera that you can wear on your wrist like a watch? It could be sooner than you think! 🙂

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The Megapixel Race – Perspective

Numbers have always fascinated me, but sometimes they can be a bit misleading, even though accurate. In the stock market for instance, if you lose 50% ($1,000 down to $500), it then takes a 100% gain to get back to even at $1,000.
A similar thing is happening in the “megapixel race” to bigger and bigger sensors in our digital cameras.
The new Nikon D800 boasts a 36 Mp sensor, which is huge(*see note) when compared to other currently available sensors. But just how much bigger is it? The image above show a comparison between three different sized sensors.
While the D800 sensor is significantly larger, at 50% more pixels than say the Sony NEX-7, that difference doesn’t translate into print sizes. In other words, at 300ppi, the 36 Mp image can print 24.5″ x 16.4″…the 24 Mp image can print 20″ x 13.3″. That’s only about 23% larger (dimensionally). The 16 Mp print would be 16.4″ x 10.9″, which means that the 36 Mp image only prints about 50% larger in spite of having well over twice as many pixels.
I don’t say any of this to detract from the D800…I would give my eye teeth to have one…however, I just find the numbers interesting in how they all fit together in different ways. It’s also interesting to note that, as sensors continue to increase in size, the jump in the number of megapixels will also have to get bigger to have a significant impact on print sizes. In order to get a print 50% than the 24 Mp NEX-7, the sensor would have to be 9,000 x 6,000, or 54 Megapixels!
So, start saving your money now for that next “super” computer you’ll need to be able to work with these huge files. $$$$

*NOTE: When talking about size, I’m strictly talking about resolution. The actual size of the Nikon D800 sensor is a normal “full frame” at 24mm x 35.9mm, while the Sony NEX-7 is an APS-C sized at 23.5mm x 15.6mm.

NEX-7…I’m Loving It!

 I’ve only had the Sony NEX-7 for a couple of days, but I’m liking every part of it. I’ve read a lot of “rave” reviews and, mostly in forums, a lot of negative comments. But, from my perspective, it is a terrific camera!
It has 24 Megapixels with excellent higher ISO capability, 10 frames-per-second, lots of in-camera processing features (my favorite is the auto hdr), and size…it is so small and light! With the 16mm pancake lens it will fit in my pocket.

Some naysayers say that with the larger lenses like the 18-200mm, the size is no longer a factor, but it’s still much smaller and lighter than a normal DSLR with an 18-200 zoom on it, so I can live with that.
Sure, there is a shortage of E-mount lenses available (for now) but there are several adapters that allow you to use many amazing lenses made by other manufacturers. In fact, the Sony alpha-mount adapter even adds phase-detection focusing to the mix!
The other thing is the “Tri-Navi” control system. You pretty much have to try it to appreciate it, but it gives you very quick access to most of the settings you would use while shooting, like:
  • program shift, exposure compensation, and ISO
  • Image quality and auto-HDR settings
  • focus and metering
  • white balance
  • and more
All without ever having to take your eye from the viewfinder…very nice!
And, speaking of the viewfinder, this new EVF (Electronic ViewFinder) is truly amazing. I know, it’s not on a par with a good optical viewfinder in all situations, like bright contrasty light or in low light situations. However, it gives you something that not even the best optical finders can provide – WYSIWYG. In general, what you see in the viewfinder is what the image will look like on your computer. Adjust the exposure or white balance and, instantly, you see how that image will look with those settings. In my opinion, that is very important! Some say, “Pro photographers don’t need that”. Well, maybe not, but I bet even the pros will get more and more enthusiastic about this capability as it is improved and more cameras have it.
These images are from Sedalia, Colorado. They were shot, using the auto-HDR feature of the NEX-7 with a total of 6 EV spacing in 3 images. Then most of the processing was done with Lightroom 4 (beta) and the Spicify preset in Topaz Adjust.
These were with the new 18-200mm E-mount Sony lens and I’m very happy with it – great color and sharpness.
Thinking of switching cameras? I don’t think the NEX-7 would disappoint you! 🙂

Finally!

Sony NEX-7 w/16mm f/2.8 lens
I started trying to find the Sony NEX-7 in mid December. Oh, I could find it back then, but it was on Craigslist for about $1,000 over retail…no thanks!
So, finally, about two weeks ago, I read that B&HPhoto was accepting orders and placed mine right away. At the time, the estimate was for delivery in late Feb. or early Mar.
Then, today it came!
The battery is still charging, so haven’t had a chance to put it through its paces yet, but I’m looking forward to that.
I’ve read many positive things and excellent reviews about this camera, but one of the deciding factors was how well the sensor image quality did on DxOMark.com. There, it rated 8th overall, and that was against some very serious competition including the Nikon D3X and some Phase One cameras.
The other main factor for me was size. After owning the Sony NEX-5N for awhile, I fell in love with the compact form factor and could hardly keep my hands off that camera. 🙂 So, now it’s the NEX-7 for me and, hopefully, the end of my semi-compulsive camera switching…well, for a while anyway.