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Any Sony NEX-5N users here?

Last week I bought the NEX-7 and so am new to the Sony family..... I wanted the NEX-7 as opposed to the NEX-5 because I definitely prefer a viewfinder and also because I like the control I can have with the Tri Navi in setting up things. I also am coming from DSLR cameras, which I still have, but wanted something small, lightweight and yet capable of good image quality. The NEX series of cameras, with the APS-C sensor, fits the bill! I purchased three E-mount lenses initially (18-200mm, 30mm, 50mm) but also will eventually get an adapter so that I can use some of my favorite Nikon lenses on the camera as well.
 
I am a NEX 5n owner and I love my camera! Of course I moved up from P&S so I am still learning a lot about taking better pictures, but the Sony is a great camera. I wanted something that would take better pictures then a P&S, but I didn't want a big bulky DSLR so the 5n is perfect for me. So far I have really been able to shoot some great pictures and for a lot of settings the auto mode seems to work very well.
 
New to the NEX-5N here. I'm planning on using the camera with legacy/rangefinder lenses for a while. There's actually no E-mount lens that I want at the moment. Focus peaking was definitely the feature that pushed me toward the NEX as opposed to micro four thirds.

I haven't had the camera very long. But here are some samples with the Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 Nokton if anyone is interested.


2012.05.23 - NEX-5N w/ Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic by FA43LTD, on Flickr
 
I hat a nex 5, bought it mainly for Video.

It is great for Photos, but it SUCKS for Video. The Reason is the really terrible overheating issue. It does not Take 28 Minutes, sometimes less than 10. It ist NOT usable as a Video Camera by all means. Exept if you live in Alaska or something.
Get the nex7 oder the Panasonic GH2.
 
Here's another cool NEX-5n pic from a pub in Chicago.
DSC00325.jpg
 
Do most people here with NEX use E mount lenses or do you like to use vintage/other lenses with an adapter? I only have the 18-55 kit lens, waiting for the new "snap" pancake to be announced.
 
Just got back from Paris & London with my NEX-5N. I've also learned how to clean the sensor as these mirror less have no mirror to keep the dust off when changing lenses and are a real pollen magnet.
 
Tea-Aholic said:
Do most people here with NEX use E mount lenses or do you like to use vintage/other lenses with an adapter? I only have the 18-55 kit lens, waiting for the new "snap" pancake to be announced.
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I haven't used my kit zoom at all. Not really a zoom guy anyway. Currently using a Voigtlander 35mm (see above post). Just ordered a helicoid adapter for closer minimum focusing distance.
 
Tea-Aholic said:
Do most people here with NEX use E mount lenses or do you like to use vintage/other lenses with an adapter? I only have the 18-55 kit lens, waiting for the new "snap" pancake to be announced.
Click to expand...

I've generally split time with the 18-55 kit and my nikon primes (35mm/1.8 and 50mm/1.8) on a cheap adapter I picked up ($40 or so). I love the size of the camera, but need to practice more with manual focusing with the primes to make it a quick and natural way to use the camera. I don't doubt that I'll get there, the focus peaking is a real enabling technology in that regard. I'm having fun doing it, but definitely find that, for the ways that I would tend to use this camera (small camera to bring along for more casual shooting of friends and such), the availability of the primes makes me less receptive to the lower quality of the images from the kit lens, but needing to use the primes in full manual mode means that I'm getting a lower hit rate on fully sharp photos in casual shooting situations, and am missing more moments than I typically would with my full DSLR around. I'm enjoying the challenge, and I absolutely love the camera and what it enables, but I haven't fully reached the stage where I'm familiar enough with it that the camera just becomes an extension of me as I capture what I want to -- I'm still working my way up the learning curve.

I'm tempted by the EVF, as I think this would probably help. I'm also tempted by the e-mount 50mm/1.8, and am curious if people feel it's on par with bigger 50 mm lenses like the nikon that I'm shooting with.

And finally, I'm curious what the optimal video settings are that people are using. I still find a surprising amount of rolling shutter, and that it's very distracting. At the same time, I've seen some people in this forum that are making full on videos with it that don't seem to have rolling shutter or any kind of jerkiness, even in situations where I know that my own results have shown quite a bit of it. I know that people are using expensive equipment to stabilize the camera as they shoot, but I've even seen a lot of jerkiness when I've been panning very slowly on a tripod. So... if anyone has advice for what the ideal settings would be in terms of shutter speed, aperture, IS, etc. to get better video, I'd love to hear it. I've tried shooting at 60p,i, and 24p, with a whole host of combinations, and nothing has really been all that amazing to me.
 
I have decided to stick with the e-mount lenses on my NEX-7 rather than doing the adapter thing with my Nikon lenses. I'll continue to use my Nikon lenses on my Nikon cameras and the e-mount lenses on my Sony.... One of my primary reasons for purchasing the NEX-7 in the first place was its size and to me it just doesn't make a lot of sense to stick some of my long and heavy Nikon lenses on it when I have Nikon cameras which will do the job. Another reason for choosing the NEX-7 over the NEX-5 was the EVF. I am definitely a viewfinder fan as opposed to holding a camera out at arm's length in order to see what I'm shooting. I like the EVF and it makes composing and shooting significantly quicker and more accurate.

On the day I bought the NEX-7 (body-only) one of the lenses I chose was the 50mm f/1.8 e-mount and I like this lens very much. I used it for shooting at a recent wedding rehearsal and wedding (candids, mostly, I wasn't the designated photographer, thank goodness). I have a couple of fast Nikon 50mm lenses (f/1.2, f/1.4) but don't have the f/1.8 or I could run a comparison test. I have been very pleased with the 50mm f/1.8.

Can't answer questions about the video, as I've never done it (at least, intentionally. There have been a few times I've hit the "rec" button when I didn't want to do so!). Its video capabilities were not my primary interest when thinking about buying this camera.
 
Right now I'm just using the 18-55 kit lens. One investment at a time. I'd love the monster 18-200 lens, but it cost a hell of a lot of money. Coming from a kodak POS (exactly what you think it stands for), the NEX-5n with 18-55 is plenty for me to learn with. I'll keep throwing up some cool pics in this thread, you guys should do the same.
 
Clix Pix said:
One of my primary reasons for purchasing the NEX-7 in the first place was its size and to me it just doesn't make a lot of sense to stick some of my long and heavy Nikon lenses on it when I have Nikon cameras which will do the job.
Click to expand...

That makes sense with your Nikon lenses. If you're interested in legacy/rf lenses though, you can get some rangefinder lenses that are smaller than Sony E-mount lenses (except for the 16mm pancake).
 
If budget permits at some point I wouldn't mind going with a few classic Leica lenses and the appropriate adapter.....

My next purchase will be the 24mm f/1.8, and of course I will be watching to see what other goodies Sony (or others) eventually can bring us with the e-mount......
 
Clix Pix said:
If budget permits at some point I wouldn't mind going with a few classic Leica lenses and the appropriate adapter.....

My next purchase will be the 24mm f/1.8, and of course I will be watching to see what other goodies Sony (or others) eventually can bring us with the e-mount......
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Yeah, I have the poor man's Leica. The Voigtlander is performing quite well, actually. I might look into another.

I'm looking at the 24mm as well. Otherwise, there are no native e-mount lens that I particularly want. And even then, I've yet to see convincing examples that justifies its price tag. It seems to be out of stock pretty much everywhere in Canada. That makes the decision for me for the time being.
 
I'm gonna pick up the Nex-7. I have a Nikon D5000, but am looking for something in a smaller form factor with DSLR photo quality...
 
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I ended up ordering the nex-5n. Cost was a determining factor as well as the over quality of the nex-5n compares to the 7 in terms of bang for the buck. The nex-5n will give me exactly what I'm looking for and money left over to upgrade lenses.
 
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How big of a deal is the lack of a built in flash and EVF on the nex-5n? Is the nex-7 really worth double the price? I've been having a bit of second guessing my decision for not buying the new-7. I just didn't see the extra $700 was really worth it, but now I'm not so sure. It appears the nex-5n is still an excellent camera.
 
SaleenS351 said:
How big of a deal is the lack of a built in flash and EVF on the nex-5n? Is the nex-7 really worth double the price? I've been having a bit of second guessing my decision for not buying the new-7. I just didn't see the extra $700 was really worth it, but now I'm not so sure. It appears the nex-5n is still an excellent camera.
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Built-in EVF and better grip would have been nice. But I couldn't justify the price difference. It would be more enticing if NEX-7 had the NEX-5N sensor and touch screen control. I don't use the touch screen a ton. But it's useful when trying to magnify into a focus point while using manual focus lenses. So in some ways I prefer the 5N.

Also, I recently got the EVF. I got a decent deal from a seller on Craigslist due to some scratches on the finder. I highly recommend it if you plan on shooting in very bright places.
 
I have used DSLRs for a very long time and therefore have become quite accustomed to a viewfinder. Cameras without them simply did not appeal to me. When a friend came over to my house one day with both the NEX-5 and the NEX-7 in his bag, I knew very little about either camera, had never handled either of them. He handed me the NEX-5. I tinkered with the touch-screen surface on the LCD for a moment, experimented with trying to shoot without a viewfinder, then gently set the camera down on the table, murmuring, "very nice....." Then he handed me the NEX-7. That camera immediately felt comfortable to me, although I'd never used a Sony anything before, and although the EVF was a bit different than the optical VF to which I've long been accustomed, I liked seeing a lot of necessary shooting information in there, including the histogram, and being able to easily adjust my setting without taking my eye from the EVF.....I played with that NEX-7 for several minutes and reluctantly surrendered it only so that he could show me some of the features and functions. My friend went home, his bag intact with the two cameras and the lenses he had, but that NEX-7 had immediately imprinted itself on my consciousness and wouldn't let me alone until I finally succumbed and bought my own a few days after that.

For me the EVF was critically important -- the built-in flash not so much so, but yes, it does come in handy every now and then. I haven't yet gotten around to purchasing one of Sony's more powerful flash units for the camera.
The touch-screen thingy: not important to me at all since it is not something I had ever used previously on a camera and since the NEX-7 has the excellent Tri-Navi system, which suited me to a "tee." It did take me a few days of tinkering with the settings and the menu to get my NEX-7 set up the way I want, but now that I have done so, I am more than happy with this camera and it has more than satisfied my shooting needs. It is not a DSLR but comes darned close and it certainly does far, far more than any P&S. The small physical size of the body is great and DOES make a difference in situations where one wants to go light and small.....
 
I bought this camera for casual picture taking. I am never going to be a pro but at the same time I wanted something that was a step up from a point and shoot.. and this camera hits that sweet spot perfectly. i have the 35MM pancake lens and the 18-55 zoom lens and alternate between the 2. I love this little thing and take it every where..

Here is a pic I took on a recent trip to Miami... Thats where all the cruise ships pass through on their way out.
 

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Well I got the 5n today and took some pictures with it and I have to say it is amazing. The picture quality is fantastic. I just don't know whether the EVF is worth it to go for the 7 and whether the picture quality is going to be that much better. I know I can attach an EVF to the 5n, but it's $350. Decisions, decisions. I bought it through amazon so I have some time to return it if I decide to upgrade to the 7. We'll see.
 
bigjnyc - that pic looks awesome (quality AND location...). Did you do any editing to it, or is it straight out of the camera? So far I've just been shooting in jpeg since I don't know how to use RAW editing software yet. Still trying to learn.

I think I'm going to get the EVF sometime here. I use the focus peaking a lot since it's hard to determine exact focus points without a viewfinder, but even that's a little difficult with direct sunlight on the screen (i assume you all have iPhones, you know what I mean). Probably wait for christmas unless I find a sweet ebay deal. I've only used the included flash once while at a dinner where we were shooting food indoors (ingrestaurant.com), and it's too hot to be used when close to anything. The big sensor is pretty cabaple for me except for the darkest of situations. And NEX-5n + EVF < NEX-7, so that works for me.
 
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