p.18 #4 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
Yes it does The 35 Lux ASPH is very good at f/5.6, but the ZM 35/2 is a notch better. It's the only 35mm lens that (when stopped down) I consider to be an equal in quality to the likes of the 21 Distagon.
p.18 #6 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
Yeah, the Contax G 35 bokeh gets pretty wirey up close wide open, too. My ZM 35/2.8 seems better in this regard, but I'd probably use the ZM 50/1.5 for that type of thing.
p.18 #8 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
I dunno..I am having a really hard time with the nex on several fronts, not the least of which is using full frame regularly.
I see your shots here and they are very good, many many of them...but the results I am obtaining wiTh the nex are leaving me dead cold...from sharpness, contrast, noise. There has to be something I am doing fundamentally wrong, but I just did another comparison with the 5d2 and it's night and day...maybe one just gets used to full frame...but..otoh, I was actually quite happy with the x100 results. And the x1 was very good too, I just wish it was faster (operation and glass)
I'd love to figure out what I'm doing wrong with the nex but I can't..the exposure is on...framing is the same as 5d2 roughly..but I personally can't seem to get the best out of it like many here.
p.18 #10 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
denoir wrote:
Yes it does The 35 Lux ASPH is very good at f/5.6, but the ZM 35/2 is a notch better. It's the only 35mm lens that (when stopped down) I consider to be an equal in quality to the likes of the 21 Distagon.
this is at landscape distances, correct? what about portraitish distances at f/5.6?
p.18 #11 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
Hmm, that's a good question. To be honest, when I use it stopped down at closer distances it's usually when I want a high contrast rendering of the stuff in the plane of focus and want a relatively large DOF. Stuff like this:
That's very high performance in the plane of focus, although the 35 Lux ASPH would not have been worse. The OOF rendering is pretty nondescript as is rather common for most lenses at that aperture.
p.18 #13 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
h00ligan wrote:
Using raw and converting with the latest Lightroom.
I use three different converters: ACR, Capture NX and Capture One Six. I've found some converters work better with some cameras raw files than others.
When I first got my NEX 5N, I used ACR (same converter as Lightroom) and liked the results OK, but not blown away. When C1 6 provided support for the 5N, I was immediately blown away by how nice conversions at default settings looked.
So, as a suggestion, you might download a free trial of C1 6 and see if that works better for you with your NEX.
p.18 #14 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
h00ligan wrote:
Using raw and converting with the latest Lightroom.
That's all i use too--in fact I seldom spend much time on PP---though I'm ready to learn more, esp on B&W
what glass are you using?
also check to see your WB is auto--I find its pretty good most of the time. Obviously you can change that anyway you want later.
p.18 #15 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
Hooligan, I use Lightroom, so, if you feel my pictures do not fall into the same category of "lifeless" shots that you lament yours being in, then maybe it is not a LR matter, though I have heard many very good things about C1 for NEX RAW.
I can tell you of two "threats" to my own pictures.
One is that, coming from a DSLR, the way to get real stabilty (and thus sharpness) took me quite a while; So my pictures looked OK, but just OK, not really good. It was only once when I shot with a tripod that I realised that they weren't that crisp. And I focused on getting them really sharp when handheld. And I still fail at it from time to time. For some reason, the 5N seems to be more discriminating than my 5D II against less-than-perfect-focus or steadiness... and when this fails just a little bit, the shots don't look obviously misfocused or shaky, just lifeless. So, try a tripod once and compare...
The other issue is PP. As earlier reported by denoir, NEX pictures can fall apart form PP much sooner than a 5DII or M9 shot would. I have experienced that as well, using LR like you. Touch the clarity slider and detail evaporates. Push the blacks too much only at your peril...
The theory that I have formed from this is that, because 5N pixels are much smaller than 5DII pixels, the "grain" of information is finer at the sensor level. Thus, when all is well, amazing detail, wonderful transitions, strong "3D". But also a greater susceptibility to even minor imperfections... If that is correct, then the NEX 7 should be even more that way...
Hope this helps, and that you do not take this as a sign that I think you are a less-than-competent noob, please.
p.18 #16 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
I appreciate the feedback. Maybe I am processing them too much like a 5d2 file...a camera I am quite comfortable with and know well at this point (well except strobes, lol)
p.18 #18 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
Another thought on the nex.
Flash.
A) the built in is not good, even for casual party snaps..it's just....bad
B) flash sync speed is very low, this really limits its usefulness for fill IMO. Maybe it's because I live in a place that's so bright but outdoors..it's slow. I suppose an nd filter would fix it, but really it would have to be 4-5 stop minimum.
I wonder if the Aden flash is any better for a party setting.
The sensor seems good...and the contax g 45 is a really nice lens. I find the 28 just leaves me in no mans land...it's not fast enough on crop to be good for people shots IMO, and it's a bit too long for my preference on a walk around...I dunno.
p.18 #19 · Giving up 5D II for NEX? My experience in Japan
My experience with RAW converters and Sony files is that LR does a decent job but C1 does better. I normally work with LR due to the easier workflow, only moving to C1 if I can't get what I want from LR. Usually I find that C1 produces better colour and most especially better colour gradation.
@h00ligan: The 5N's got a pretty much bog standard 1/160 sync speed, pretty average for a consumer body (and pretty much identical to all other Sony consumer bodies, Alpha or NEX) I can't really call that much of an issue, you'd have only 2/3rds of a stop more headroom with a pro-level body before you're stuck relying on HSS.
The 35 Lux ASPH is very good at f/5.6, but the ZM 35/2 is a notch better. It's the only 35mm lens that (when stopped down) I consider to be an equal in quality to the likes of the 21 Distagon.
nice one 