I love my NEX-5N. I shoot mostly indoors (kids and friends) and certainly was not initially excited by the whole mirrorless system (loved my DSLR); however I had my camera stolen so I needed a new one quick. I love the compact size and take of the whole NEX system * this years stuff not the old ones. Although I only have the NEX-5N, it does a nice job (on par with the d7000) re: iso noise. NEX-7 even better, but u certainly pay more for it. It depends on what you want, if the compact system is your only system then pay more to get the 7; otherwise (if you've like me) get the NEX-5n and use the cash for d800 (like me). =)
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Back to square one - please provide some buying advice
- Thread starter maflynn
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Side note: I picked up the NEX-5n and spent the weekend in Chicago with my wife. This camera is killer. The low light shots are awesome. Lots of no-flash pics of dinosaur bones at the Field Museum, turned out great. Took over 250 pics total and I'm very pleased. I really enjoyed using the tap-to-focus feature. The AF time that was mentioned only seemed to affect very close up macro pics, but I was using the 18-55 lens, so that's acceptable to me. Very happy with my purchase, and it's not a monster to lug around. I would like to add the OLED viewfinder, maybe for christmas. The only pics that didn't really turn out well were the ones where other people took pictures of us. Some people just don't know how to frame a picture, let alone make sure the right things are in focus before they snap a pic. Amateurs...
I was interested in the N7 but ultimately went with the E-P3 because of price. The wasn't out at the time and a hotshoe was essential, so I couldn't justify the purchase of the N5 without having a way to trigger an off camera strobe without having to try and rely on an optical slave.
The Sony N series have some neat features with the peaking and the larger sensor. I did pre-order an OM-D and I'm waiting for that to arrive. So far, the IQ looks good and the high(er) ISO performance looks much better than the E-P3, which is one of my complaints. The OM-D is providing exactly what I wanted in an EVIL camera with a viewfinder and a hotshoe, where as the E-P3 couldn't use the optional viewfinder at the same time as any other optional hotshoe accessory.
If it weren't for purchasing two Oly lenses, I just very well have switched for the larger sensor and the peaking options. I'm not very fond of the form factor though where the lenses are larger in diameter than the body is tall, at least some that I've seen.
I will say that after ditching the kit lens and switching to the Olympus 45 f/1.8 and the Lumix 20 f/1.7, the camera has become a lot more useful than it was and I actually enjoy shooting with it. The only thing that's a let down right now is the high ISO performance since I use it mainly for food and restaurant reviews and have to shoot in normally unideal lighting situations. My Canon 5D MKII is much, much better in those situations, but carrying a large DSLR with lens into a restaurant is not exactly fun.
The Sony N series have some neat features with the peaking and the larger sensor. I did pre-order an OM-D and I'm waiting for that to arrive. So far, the IQ looks good and the high(er) ISO performance looks much better than the E-P3, which is one of my complaints. The OM-D is providing exactly what I wanted in an EVIL camera with a viewfinder and a hotshoe, where as the E-P3 couldn't use the optional viewfinder at the same time as any other optional hotshoe accessory.
If it weren't for purchasing two Oly lenses, I just very well have switched for the larger sensor and the peaking options. I'm not very fond of the form factor though where the lenses are larger in diameter than the body is tall, at least some that I've seen.
I will say that after ditching the kit lens and switching to the Olympus 45 f/1.8 and the Lumix 20 f/1.7, the camera has become a lot more useful than it was and I actually enjoy shooting with it. The only thing that's a let down right now is the high ISO performance since I use it mainly for food and restaurant reviews and have to shoot in normally unideal lighting situations. My Canon 5D MKII is much, much better in those situations, but carrying a large DSLR with lens into a restaurant is not exactly fun.
To button things up (I already started another thread) I opted for the OMD, the lens selection, in body stabilization and other features really convinced me that this camera was the best one for me.
I'm quite happy with my choice, IQ is excellent, noise in the upper ISO ranges is decent. I'm shooting primarily JPEG+RAW currently because LR needs to be updated for the new RAW file. That being the case, the camera has done a good job at noise clean up on the JPEGs. I'll review the the RAWs when I can.
I appreciate all the help and advice and there's no wrong camera. Every camera has its own strengths and weaknesses. For my needs the OMD is really a good fit
I'm quite happy with my choice, IQ is excellent, noise in the upper ISO ranges is decent. I'm shooting primarily JPEG+RAW currently because LR needs to be updated for the new RAW file. That being the case, the camera has done a good job at noise clean up on the JPEGs. I'll review the the RAWs when I can.
I appreciate all the help and advice and there's no wrong camera. Every camera has its own strengths and weaknesses. For my needs the OMD is really a good fit