Sony Ongoing Sony NEX-7 adventures.

soundimageplus

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I'm running one of my rolling thoughts and experience series of posts on my blog under this link:-Soundimageplus: Sony NEX-7 User Experience

Since I'm in the fortunate position of having all the current NEX lenses plus 3 m-mount Voigtlanders and 4 a-mount lenses with the mirror adapter (Sony fanboy - me? - perish the thought!!) I'm structuring the whole thing by trying out each lens with the camera, reporting back on it and adding in my observations as I go along. (I should mention I've already included some raw files for download at ISO 100, ISO 800 and ISO 6400, if thats of interest. Here:- Sony NEX-7 - A few tests and samples)

As ever with these blog based pieces they are in reverse order. But if you enjoy reading about me making mistakes, getting things wrong, changing my mind on an almost hourly basis, yet stumbling slowly and painfully towards something that ressembles a (personal and subjective as ever) conclusion and an opinion on the cameras merits (or otherwise) you might find it entertaining.
 
David, just a quick than you for all the reviews on this and other kit you post on your site. It's tremendously helpful to have real world user reviews of this stuff alongside the more technical reviews. Since I'm contemplating indulging in a new camera sometime in the next six months and since I'm trying to decide between the A77 the NEX-7 and the GX-1 your site is particularly useful.

Of course in my ideal - lottery winning - world I'd have all three, but that's in my dreams only.
 
David, just a quick thank you for all the reviews on this and other kit you post on your site.....to have real world user reviews of this stuff alongside the more technical reviews.

Thanks. I'm glad its useful

decide between the A77 the NEX-7 and the GX-1 your site is particularly useful.....
Of course in my ideal - lottery winning - world I'd have all three, but that's in my dreams only.

I do have all three, which says a lot about my attitude to debt! However, I'm not sure how much longer the a77 and GX1 will be staying.
 
With the focus peaking, how quickly can one arrive at a decisive point with legacy lenses? Or even with the assist, are they still a bit too slow for dynamic concerts, where the subjects rapidly change distance?
 
With the focus peaking, how quickly can one arrive at a decisive point with legacy lenses? Or even with the assist, are they still a bit too slow for dynamic concerts, where the subjects rapidly change distance?

It shows very quickly on the screen, with a coloured highlighting function which shows the areas of "in focus". If say you are using a lens wide open, those areas are obviously smaller. Its then very easy to see when you are in focus or not. How quick it is, depends on where you were before, and how much you have to move the focus ring.

If desired, you can magnify the image for more precise focusing, but that for obvious reasons slows down the process. If you are operating within a predictable range then it can be very quick, if you don't use the magnification, and indeed probably as quick as AF if you practice a bit.

Its certainly easier and quicker than m4/3 and the Leica rangefinder system.

Like many modern camera functions, we can think that they are better and more useful, but often the opposite is true. It is perfectly possible to achieve a high success rate in a fast moving situation, but some experience of predicting movement and anticipation can be an advantage. Not that I'm particularly good at either!

However I would be reasonably confident of getting a reasonable success rate using focus peaking and a fast MF lens at something like a concert. I would expect the same success rate as AF, which can have a hard time in those situations.

Finally I would say the the positive, instant shutter release on the NEX-7 is a great advantage in those type of situation. None of that - take the picture - put up with the slight delay - missed it! situation that happens with m4/3 for example.
 
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