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corposant
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p.6 #1 · NEX Discussion Thread

Interesting. This was less a philosophical debate on printing and general, and more trying to eliminate another FF vs crop data point.

Mar 18, 2012 at 08:39 PM

mco_970
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p.6 #2 · NEX Discussion Thread

corposant wrote:
Maybe this should be a poll, but how many NEX users ever print their images, vs just displaying them on the web?

I print. I keep albums of my landscape, family, and wildlife prints for family/friends to look through (not all have computers), I print a lot of gift photos, I print for display when I'm showing, and I sell a few photos here and there.

Only go up to 13x19 for home printing, though...

My walls at home are a good data point for me. My prints that I love most range from 1D2, 1D3, T3i, 7D, 5Dc, etc. The light, the composition, and the moment of opportunity all matter much more than the number of pixels and high end camera features. I really like working with FF files, but a great T3i image can make a great print, too.

Mar 18, 2012 at 08:47 PM

Jeff Kott
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p.6 #3 · NEX Discussion Thread

Makten wrote:
I just don't see the point of having images displayed on paper if they are not world class, which of course is not the case with mine or 99.999% of any other photographers work.

The point for me is that there is an art to printing and getting your vision on paper, which I enjoy as an integral part of my photography hobby. In other words, I enjoy taking photos, I enjoy processing photos and I enjoy making prints. I still prefer seeing real prints to photos on an LCD screen. But I can certainly understand that some people may enjoy taking photos, but not enjoy processing them (jpeg shooters) and some people may have no interest in printing.

So, to answer your poll, I print photos every week.

Mar 19, 2012 at 01:50 AM

douglasf13
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p.6 #4 · NEX Discussion Thread

corposant wrote:
Interesting. This was less a philosophical debate on printing and general, and more trying to eliminate another FF vs crop data point.

To be honest, keeping in mind my 13x19 or smaller general print size, none of my prints jump out at me as being either from my NEX or A900. Maybe it would be more obvious if I shot the exact same scene with both cameras on a tripod and compared things side by side, but I've started to practically forget which prints are from which cameras.

I agree with Jeff that printing is part of the whole process, to me. I rarely even output any jpegs at all out of my raw converter, except for family stuff to send my wife for Facebook or whatever. I'm a tech geek, but I just prefer seeing prints on paper, whether in a book, an album or on a wall.

Mar 19, 2012 at 03:20 AM

freaklikeme
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p.6 #5 · NEX Discussion Thread

If you don't shoot WA RF lenses, the NEX-7 is a brilliant, brilliant little camera. Not perfect, but brilliant none the less.

So long, NEX-5N. It's been fun.

Mar 22, 2012 at 01:33 AM

douglasf13
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p.6 #6 · NEX Discussion Thread

I've seen enough from the CV 15 and ZM 35/2 that leads me to believe that they might be ok with a little CornerFix, so I've given in to temptation and ordered a Nex-7 to see for myself.

Mar 22, 2012 at 01:56 AM

legaltrouble
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p.6 #7 · NEX Discussion Thread

The cv 35/1.2 has no problems.

Mar 22, 2012 at 02:11 AM

freaklikeme
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p.6 #8 · NEX Discussion Thread

Keep us updated, Douglas. I'll be curious to hear about your experience. I tried left eye shooting with it (not my dominant eye, but I was curious) and if you don't mind putting your face all over the screen, it's probably the most stable way to shoot hand-held.

Jeff, I've seen a lot of good samples with that lens, but I'm curious about something. How pleasing do you find the colors? To me, it the pallet seems punchy and contrasty but not terribly desirable. Do you like it or do you feel it takes a certain touch in post to bring out the magic?

On the original 5, I shot with the Nikkor 35/1.8, the Elmarit-M 28/2.8 (third version), and Elmarit-M 24/2.8 ASPH. Neither the 35 or the 28 showed any problems (the Nikkor heavily favored greens and yellows, but no corner problems as reported with other RFs). The 24 wasn't problematic except when you were close-focused, and then it was so minor it was barely worth correcting. Focused to infinity, I never noticed color shift in the corners. There was a bit of smearing, but it was so good otherwise, it was easy to forgive it. I don't regret giving up much of the gear with which I've parted, but I was an idiot to sell that one. I got it at such a great price, one that, now that it's discontinued, I doubt I'll ever see again.

Mar 22, 2012 at 04:05 AM

douglasf13
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p.6 #9 · NEX Discussion Thread

Will do. I actually managed to switch back to right eye shooting over the last couple of weeks at home, so I should be fine. I had switched to left eye a few years back, because my left eye was a little better, and it was easier for me to manual focus DSLRs. I've since had laser eye surgery, so, while my left eye is still slightly better, they're both very good now, and these Nex-7 posts inspired me to try and switch back

Mar 22, 2012 at 04:27 AM

legaltrouble
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p.6 #10 · NEX Discussion Thread

freaklikeme wrote:
Keep us updated, Douglas. I'll be curious to hear about your experience. I tried left eye shooting with it (not my dominant eye, but I was curious) and if you don't mind putting your face all over the screen, it's probably the most stable way to shoot hand-held.

Jeff, I've seen a lot of good samples with that lens, but I'm curious about something. How pleasing do you find the colors? To me, it the pallet seems punchy and contrasty but not terribly desirable. Do you like it or do you feel it takes a certain touch in post to bring out the magic?

On the original 5, I shot with the Nikkor 35/1.8, the Elmarit-M 28/2.8 (third version), and Elmarit-M 24/2.8 ASPH. Neither the 35 or the 28 showed any problems (the Nikkor heavily favored greens and yellows, but no corner problems as reported with other RFs). The 24 wasn't problematic except when you were close-focused, and then it was so minor it was barely worth correcting. Focused to infinity, I never noticed color shift in the corners. There was a bit of smearing, but it was so good otherwise, it was easy to forgive it. I don't regret giving up much of the gear with which I've parted, but I was an idiot to sell that one. I got it at such a great price, one that, now that it's discontinued, I doubt I'll ever see again.

If you're inquiring about the CV 35/1.2, I'd have to say it's a matter of taste. I like it. Along with the G 45/2 it's become my favorite lens.--However, I'd have to say that I favor sharpness over palette...

Mar 22, 2012 at 05:14 AM

douglasf13
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p.6 #11 · NEX Discussion Thread

The 35/1.2 looks great to me. I've just stayed away from it because of size. Even the ZM 35/2's size bugs me a little, and it is considerably smaller.

Mar 22, 2012 at 05:38 AM

legaltrouble
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p.6 #12 · NEX Discussion Thread

douglasf13 wrote:
The 35/1.2 looks great to me. I've just stayed away from it because of size. Even the ZM 35/2's size bugs me a little, and it is considerably smaller.

it doesn't feel that big on the 7....

Mar 22, 2012 at 05:41 AM

philber
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p.6 #13 · NEX Discussion Thread

douglasf13 wrote:
I've seen enough from the CV 15 and ZM 35/2 that leads me to believe that they might be ok with a little CornerFix, so I've given in to temptation and ordered a Nex-7 to see for myself.

Douglas, I see no problems with my ZM 35 f:2.0, but we already know that your expectations are more demanding than mine. That should at least mean that issues will be limited. But I have been unable to get really sharp corners wide open, either with my NEX 5 or with my NEX 7, even though I am hardly a sharpness ayatollah. I need to try another adapter, as there is a faint possibility that I am not quite reaching infinity, but I rather fear not. If that is the case, and you want to shoot wide open quite a bit, which is not my case, the CV might be a better idea...

Mar 22, 2012 at 05:59 AM

douglasf13
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p.6 #14 · NEX Discussion Thread

Hi. In not too worried about corner sharpness at f2. It was the f2.8-4 range that I was most curious about. Even in the worst tests I've seen, the corners at f4 seem ok, and that'll probably be fine for me. I don't really have any interest in the CV 35/1.2. Way too big for me. My 5N with the half case is practically identical in size to the 7, so I have a pretty good idea about how it handles, and the ZM 35/2 is already the biggest of my 4 35mm lenses, which bugs me a little.

Speaking of small 35s, any more news on those Contax G conversions?

Mar 22, 2012 at 06:10 AM

douglasf13
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p.6 #15 · NEX Discussion Thread

Hi. I just received my NEX-7 a couple of hours ago, and, for those 5N users that are interested, here are my initial thoughts:

- The camera is nearly identical in size as my 5N with the Ciesta leather half grip attached, so they feel very similar in the hand (without the 5N EVF attached, of course.) I almost want to say I prefer the 5N's grip slightly, since the leather of my half grip is worn in to fit my hand, but it's probably just because the 7 is new to me. The grip of the 7 is nice and rubbery, and I could always get a leather case for the 7, too.

- Build quality isn't as different as I expected between the two cameras. They're both pretty solid.

- The extra dials and customizability of the 7 seem very handy, and once I get the hang of the new interface, I think it'll be a worthy step up.

- As many reviews mention, I've already inadvertently recorded a couple of videos. Sony should force you to hold the video button down for a second or two before it records.

- Not sure if I'll use it, but the flash is a cool mechanism, and a hotshoe is nice to have, should I decide to breakout the old studio strobes.

- As much as I like the 7's more "professional" strap lugs, the 5N's lugs make sense in pointing the camera down, because sleep mode is essentially useless on the 7 when the camera is around my neck, since my body trips the eye sensor. I usually turn my camera off, anyways, so it may not matter much to me.

Now, the two biggies:

- The EVF. One of the main draws of the NEX-7 to me is the integrated EVF. The 5N's EVF does add considerable bulk to the camera, and it gets caught on things from time to time. The NEX-7 feels so much better in this regard, but it isn't a perfect substitute. Not only is the tilt function and on/off button very handy on the 5N EVF, but, with the eye cup attached, I can get a tighter seal around my eye that seals light completely out, because the tilt feature allows the right angle. With the NEX-7, leaving the eye cup off actually gets a better seal, but it isn't perfect, because the camera body still gets in the way a bit. If Sony had made the EVF of the 7 protrude a few more millimeters, I think it would be much better.

- The image quality. I haven't had a chance to really test it much, and, with a new baby boy, I likely won't be doing any major comparison postings anytime soon. I did go outside for a lot of shooting and chimping, and my initial thoughts are that, with my CV 15 and ZM 35/2, the corners seem good enough for me stopped down a stop or two, from what I can tell so far. I will say that the difference between the 5n and 7 in both color shift and vignetting seems striking with these two lenses. Even my ZM 50/1.5 looks like it could maybe use some slight CornerFix on the 7, although I never tested that on my 5N to compare. Oddly, I don't mind the vignetting that much. It's easily fixable (although fixing introduces noise,) and the extra vignetting almost gives the lenses a bit more of a "fullframe" vibe.

I use CornerFix with these lenses on the 5N, anyways, so it isn't adding any more work to my workflow.

The integrated EVF, better interface and higher resolution were my main reasons to buy the NEX-7, and I'm pretty sure that'll be enough to force me to switch from the 5N, but it isn't a home run for me, yet. I need to shoot with it more before I decide which camera I'll keep...unless I keep both.

Mar 22, 2012 at 10:12 PM

twelveish
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p.6 #16 · NEX Discussion Thread

Thanks for that Douglas, I'm about to pull the trigger on a 7 too. Perhaps it's different coming straight from the modest Nex-3 but for me the 7 impressed a lot, when I finally got a chance to actually hold one earlier this week. I also got a chance to check out an X-Pro1 which actually felt less solid in hand compared to what I had expected. A lot lighter than I would have thought too. And hard (for me) to hold comfortably. I usually cup my left hand under body and lens and the fact that the lens (the 35/1.4 was attached) sits some distance from all edges of the camera, including the bottom of it, meant that I couldn't comfortably hold it like I do all other cameras. But I digress. The Nex-7 is a go. It definitely cleared those very important first and often subjective impressions.

Mar 23, 2012 at 12:09 AM

taemo
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p.6 #17 · NEX Discussion Thread

hi all,

can anyone recommend a good inexpensive 24, 28 or 35mm lens for the NEX7?
has to be less than $200 and may be able to go as high as $300.
already have a voigtlander 40mm 1.4 but I find the FL a litttle long

Mar 23, 2012 at 12:29 AM

JimBuchanan
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p.6 #18 · NEX Discussion Thread

douglasf13 wrote:
I just received my NEX-7 a couple of hours ago...

- The camera is nearly identical in size as my 5N with the Ciesta leather half grip attached, so they feel very similar in the hand (without the 5N EVF attached, of course.) I almost want to say I prefer the 5N's grip slightly, since the leather of my half grip is worn in to fit my hand, but it's probably just because the 7 is new to me. The grip of the 7 is nice and rubbery, and I could always get a leather case for the 7, too.

- The extra dials and customizability of the 7 seem very handy, and once I get the hang of the new interface, I think it'll be a worthy step up.

I look forward to your comparison of 7 vs 5N operation. Without benefit of 5N use, I am trying to develop operational efficiencies with the NEX7. I think a common button mapping for MF lenses is MF assist to the AF/MF button. Then, instead of using the L and R wheel for moving the magnified target rectangle, I use the 4 directions of the control wheel. I wish there was a position reset method for homing the magnified target rectangle back to center frame.

I also noticed that optimal right hand position, for controling the upper buttons and wheels is up in the hand so only the middle finger really grasps the hand grip. The lower 4th and 5th fingers don't really provide any hold or support, for me. I have designed a NEX7 handgrip that adds 1/2 inch height to the camera and gives a grip that allows the 4th finger to grasp the grip and underside of the camera for increased hold and better positioning of the hand to control the operation of the camera. For example, the first joint of the thumb is placed over the control wheel and controls the 4 direction/softkey C array, while the thumb tip is in position over the AF/MF button.

The grip is of aluminum and provides space to open the battery door without unscrewing the grip from the tripod socket. It includes a Arca Swiss compatible dovetail and threaded 1/4-20 hole. It also provides clearance for the rear LCD screen to tilt down at full tilt, and a robust tripod mount whether using a quick release clamp or tripod threaded stud, relieving the stress of the thin bottom build of the camera. I will post a photo, hopefully next week.

Edited on Mar 23, 2012 at 12:37 AM · View previous versions

Mar 23, 2012 at 12:32 AM

plasticmotif
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p.6 #19 · NEX Discussion Thread

I'll just speak from limited experience on both - the 5N is everything I need. I won't be moving from it until a new full frame camera that's enticing is announced. I really, really like the touch screen.

Mar 23, 2012 at 12:34 AM

douglasf13
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p.6 #20 · NEX Discussion Thread

JimBuchanan wrote:
I wish there was a position reset method for homing the magnified target rectangle back to center frame.

Yeah, that's something that I was just noticing. On the 5N, pressing the C button resets the magnification, which is really handy.

As mentioned above, the touchscreen is pretty handy on the 5N in regards to manual focusing and image review on the LCD.

Mar 23, 2012 at 12:51 AM

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