Sony How does the NEX stack up?

kevistopheles

Top Veteran
I have been shooting NEX cameras for a number of years and recently spent time shooting a Fuji XE-1. They are all quiet good and capable of outstanding results. What I find entrusting is how much talk there is about the Fuji and it's AMAZING JPEGs. My experience was that they were good but I didn't find myself wowed by them. In fact, I thought that they were a bit flat and soft SOOC (even using the much loved Fuji film simulations). Now RAW was a different story and I though the Fuji was capable of some of the best images I have ever seen on an APS-C camera.

That said, my "ancient" NEX 6 is capable of some nice results too. These are all MF using adapted lenses.

Konica Hexanon 40/1.8
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fallen angel
by kevin dixey, on Flickr

Canon FD 50/1.4 SSC
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loner color
by kevin dixey, on Flickr

This last one was a JPEG using the BW creative mode...

Konica Hexanon 40/1.8
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the model
by kevin dixey, on Flickr

This not a knock on the Fuji. They make great stuff. The cameras have a lot going for them and those lenses are certainly drool worthy. FWIW I'd love to have an X-Pro 1 and 35/2 to play with but the NEX (or Alpha) is also pretty good. I think in the excitement over new stuff sometimes we forget what the gear we have can do when asked.
 
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I think in the excitement over new stuff sometimes we forget what the gear we have can do when asked.

Absolutely. The speed at which Sony abandoned APSC in favour of FF seemed very quick, those NEX cameras wouldn't have become bad overnight. They blew the Canon EOS M camera out of the water when it came out and would still probably do that to the latest EOS M 3. The main reason I didn't invest in Speed Boosters and legacy lenses for my m43 cameras is that I know they'd surely perform better on a NEX camera. Having a FF 35mm lens produce images at 35mm on a cropped sensor with the Speed Booster is an advantage that the NEX cameras will always have over m43 cameras. So, I think getting a NEX at a knockdown price is a very valid proposition.

Also, it's refreshing to see you buck the trend and praise Fuji raw files. What software are you using to post process these files?
 
Absolutely. The speed at which Sony abandoned APSC in favour of FF seemed very quick, those NEX cameras wouldn't have become bad overnight. They blew the Canon EOS M camera out of the water when it came out and would still probably do that to the latest EOS M 3. The main reason I didn't invest in Speed Boosters and legacy lenses for my m43 cameras is that I know they'd surely perform better on a NEX camera. Having a FF 35mm lens produce images at 35mm on a cropped sensor with the Speed Booster is an advantage that the NEX cameras will always have over m43 cameras. So, I think getting a NEX at a knockdown price is a very valid proposition.

Also, it's refreshing to see you buck the trend and praise Fuji raw files. What software are you using to post process these files?

It's true that being on a tight budget is not a barrier to great images. You can pick up the diminutive Olympus E-PM2 for less that $150 used these days. My first APS-C camera was a NEX C3 that really was quite a camera. As I recall it even had a few MF features that were nicer than the 5n that was a good deal more spendy.

When I picked up the NEX 6 I was looking at the a6000 as well and even spent the weekend shooting with a friends but in the end I didn't see the advantage of it over the 6 (for my needs) which I picked up used for less than half the cost.

Fuji RAW files are nice. The only criticism I really have is that you need the right RAW converter to make them shine (and that's not Lightroom). I used Capture One Pro 8.
 
Pretty much, I think it's very hard to find a camera that can't produce nice images and even the distinction of sensor size is becoming of less and less importance.


It comes down to lens selection and how the camera feels to you.

I bought into the NEX early on, and am dedicated to the platform right now. I am quite satisfied with the A6000, and plan on using it for many years.
 
It comes down to lens selection and how the camera feels to you.

I bought into the NEX early on, and am dedicated to the platform right now. I am quite satisfied with the A6000, and plan on using it for many years.


Also what best suits your needs. I started with m43 and liked it quite a lot but then what I wanted to photograph and how I wanted to approach it changed and that took me in a different direction and I need up using Sony bodies.
 
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