Ultra-Wides On NEX 5N and NEX 7

[PhotoBabble]

Regarding the article on using ultra-wides on the NEX 5N and NEX 7, a quibble. The article only tests ultra-wides on the 5N. The 7 isn't tested. But given that you mention both cameras in the "What's New" page, the inference is that the results will be the same on the 7. BUT, from what I've seen on the web (specifically, Steve Huff's review of ultra-wides on both cameras), there is a world of difference between how ultra-wides perform on these two cameras. The 5N performs great. No color shifts. The 7, on the other hand, with the exact same lenses, exhibits massive magenta casts with a 15mm lens, significant casts with a 21mm (I think it was a 21), and moderate casts with a 24mm lens. Which is terribly disappointing, since I really like what I see in the NEX 7, but I wanted to use it with Leica glass, and given the 1.5x crop, that means being to use wides without a lot of fuss is almost mandatory (for me at least).

I'm just sayin....

[douglasf13]

  Yeah.  I own both the NEX-5 and NEX-5N, and with everything from my CV 15/4.5 to my ZM 35/2, the NEX-5N has less color shift, less vignetting and more resolution in the corners, which makes it tough to look at Photozone's NEX-5 results, now that I'm using the 5N exclusively.  I too am worried that the NEX-7 samples we've seen so far seem to be more in line with the NEX-5 in the corners, but I'm hoping that won't be the case.  The difference between the 5 and 5N is pretty striking.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

The color vignetting is caused by what used to be lens cast. It's mostly caused by the IR-filter. Leica M9 has software in camera that reads a bar code on the lens and corrects for lens cast.

Best regards
Erik

Regarding the article on using ultra-wides on the NEX 5N and NEX 7, a quibble. The article only tests ultra-wides on the 5N. The 7 isn't tested. But given that you mention both cameras in the "What's New" page, the inference is that the results will be the same on the 7. BUT, from what I've seen on the web (specifically, Steve Huff's review of ultra-wides on both cameras), there is a world of difference between how ultra-wides perform on these two cameras. The 5N performs great. No color shifts. The 7, on the other hand, with the exact same lenses, exhibits massive magenta casts with a 15mm lens, significant casts with a 21mm (I think it was a 21), and moderate casts with a 24mm lens. Which is terribly disappointing, since I really like what I see in the NEX 7, but I wanted to use it with Leica glass, and given the 1.5x crop, that means being to use wides without a lot of fuss is almost mandatory (for me at least).

I'm just sayin....

[michael]

My testing on the NEX-7 is limited at this point. The Sigma 8-16mm works just fine on the NEX-7. The Heliar may have issues.

I plan on a comprehensive comparison soon.

Michael

[douglasf13]

Thanks, Michael. There is a large group of potential nex-7 buyers that is dying to know whether the nex-7 deals with corners as well as the 5n with rangefinder lenses. Can't wait to see more from you.

[HSakols]

Hi,
I really like the idea behind the NEX series.  But if your going to the trouble to use it with a sigma lens why not instead just get say a Nikon 3100.  Would the NEX with the 8-16 lens really be that much smaller and lighter?  My wife says that next summer my camera gear needs to be lighter or else she will leave me.  What should I do??? 

www.yosemitecollection.com

[douglasf13]

Hi,
I really like the idea behind the NEX series.  But if your going to the trouble to use it with a sigma lens why not instead just get say a Nikon 3100.  Would the NEX with the 8-16 lens really be that much smaller and lighter?  My wife says that next summer my camera gear needs to be lighter or else she will leave me.  What should I do??? 

www.yosemitecollection.com

I generally agree, and that's why I use rangefinder lenses on the NEX-5N, but the NEX-5N is so small that it will still reduce the amount of space quite a bit.  It's nearly like packing your lenses without a camera body at all.

[michael]

I now have a production NEX-7 for long-tem use, and will be doing all of the testing that everyone is asking for.

Look for an announcement tomorrow.

Michel

[Jeff Kott]

Thanks Michael!

I've got a NEX 5N and a NEX 7 on pre-order, so I'm really looking forward to the results of your tests. I've actually held off on buying any M mount lenses wider than 35mm for now.

[douglasf13]

I now have a production NEX-7 for long-tem use, and will be doing all of the testing that everyone is asking for.

Look for an announcement tomorrow.

Michel

Thanks, Michael.  I expected the color shift differences moving from the 5 to the 5N, but I wasn't prepared for the corner resolution differences with the 5N and M lenses.  There is much less smearing with my new 5N.  I look forward to your report on the 7's corner performance. Thanks!

[adanac]

I look forward to your report on the 7's corner performance. Thanks!

Moi aussi! Michael, Merci beaucoup!

[Isaac]

I now have a production NEX-7 for long-tem use, and will be doing all of the testing that everyone is asking for.

Perhaps you could check whether the 2sec and 10sec self-timer can be used in combination with bracketing and HDR and multi-frame NR?

Unhappily that doesn't seem possible with the SLT-A35 - the practice of putting the camera on a tripod and using the self-timer to trigger a sequence of bracketed exposures seems to have been lost. (Even the Sony DSC-W300 point&shoot let me do that!)

Even more unhappily, with the SLT-A35, you have to keep the shutter button held down until the 3 bracketed exposures have been made - otherwise you'll only get 2 or just 1. (One click of the shutter button is enough to give the multiple exposures for HDR and multi-frame NR.)