NEX-5-Anybody "lived with one" for a while yet?

[WilsonFlyer]

I confess. I'm a Canon guy. I have a T2i and love it. I also have had several other Rebels along the way and own a handful of Canon PnS's, but with no mirrorless solution from Canon even on the far horizon, the NEX-5 has really caught my eye as a "walk-around" camera almost exclusively for Disney.

I've wanted one since it was announced and admittedly, I'm probably just looking an excuse to pull the trigger, given I'm only 3 weeks from my WDW visit. LOL

I have to admit that one of my holdouts is that I'm pretty anti-Sony in general, but I was a hard-core Minolta guy in another life so I respect the technology that came over from the Minolta buyout.

Anyone here with DSLR experience have a NEX-3/5 and have lived with it in a park and have an opinion on it? There's a pretty good sale on the 2-lens bundle right now for the 3 and I'm hoping it slips up to the 5 very soon.

All I need is an excuse. Somebody wanna give me one?

 

[zackiedawg]

Your best bet is probably to visit the dedicated NEX forum on dpreview - you'll find the folks who have had them for the longest time and developed some opinions about it. Of course, take everything you read there with one degree of separation, since 75% of all dpreview threads are either fanboys or haters...you have to dig around for the truly honest reports!

I have heard that most of the criticisms that were initially leveed at the camera were resolved with the firmware update last month - and the NEX line seems to have a huge number of folks buying them for manual lens use with the myriad adapters that can be used with them from almost any mount ever made. I'm personally not in the market for that type of camera, but it does seem to be popular and selling well with a good enthusiast subset.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Perhaps AlbertZeroK will see this and chime in. I think he has the NEX 3 and seems to be very pleased with it.

I've looked and keep tossing around the idea of getting one. The sale price on the NEX 3 was tempting me again just last night.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Your best bet is probably to visit the dedicated NEX forum on dpreview - you'll find the folks who have had them for the longest time and developed some opinions about it. Of course, take everything you read there with one degree of separation, since 75% of all dpreview threads are either fanboys or haters...you have to dig around for the truly honest reports!

I have heard that most of the criticisms that were initially leveed at the camera were resolved with the firmware update last month - and the NEX line seems to have a huge number of folks buying them for manual lens use with the myriad adapters that can be used with them from almost any mount ever made. I'm personally not in the market for that type of camera, but it does seem to be popular and selling well with a good enthusiast subset.

Thanks, Justin. Yea, I've looked around over there in the past and my experience there is about the same as yours. There's a lot of talent over there but there's a lot of the fanboy type too and that's not really what I want to read. I can get that from the Sony propaganda. LOL

I really am interested in this guy as it relates to a walk-around at Disney so that's why I asked here.

Perhaps AlbertZeroK will see this and chime in. I think he has the NEX 3 and seems to be very pleased with it.

I've looked and keep tossing around the idea of getting one. The sale price on the NEX 3 was tempting me again just last night.

If that guy had 1080p, I'd have already bought one at the price it's at. It's my one hang-up for the 5. I want it as much for its video capabilities as for stills.

 

[edolyne]

I have had the NEX-5 for a number of months now since it was launched in July. I picked it up just prior to our last trip out to the world. I used it exclusively while we were on vacation with the pancake and 18-55 lenses and left my full kit back at the room. The only thing that I missed was being able to look through the viewfinder and the ease of manual on my a850. The image quality was great even in low light and the sensor seemed to out perform my a850. I have also used it as a third camera on my paid wedding assignments and always walked away with some really great images as well as video.

All in all it has been a great little camera and I am more than happy that I invested in it. Especially as I didn't need to visit a chiropractor after our 10 day trip to Disney.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

I love my next but wish I would have gotten the next because the next can not be controlled with an ir remote. Now I have had a t2i and now have a pair of 50d and a variant of pro glass. And I was impressed with the next. Mostly because of the size, raw format shooting and the articulating screen. I like my Sony so much, I have been looking at selling it for a gps equipped Sony a55! Well that and the live view capabilities of the a55.

Video focusing is far better on the nex than the t2i as well. But the favorite part of the nex is the articulating screen and focusing.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Thanks Albert. Yea. That's the other reason I have my heart set on the 5. The remote.

edolyne: Do you have the optional electronic viewfinder or has it even shipped yet? That's been one of my holdups too.

Looks like I'll juet keep watching B&H and see if the 3-like sale shows up on the 5. My bet is that it will show up either the day I leave or the week I'm down there. That's the way my luck runs. LOL

Oh well, there's always March 2011.

Thanks Everybody!

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Well... I've managed to put it off yet again but I've gotten the itch all over again.

Bumping to see if there are any new opinions or experiences.

 

[Revan]

I bought a NEX-5 (combo with the two lenses) for my trip in December and used it exclusively, left my Canon 7D home. It was a great, light touring camera that I felt was really hampered by the slow lenses. I got a lot of excellent shots outside, during the day. The camera does take decent low light photos - but you have to push the iso and get corresponding noise.

I'm really on the fence about keeping it, my problem is maintaining two different lens systems. Over at DPReview there have been a number of announcement about Zeiss and SIgma releasing lenses soon for the NEX. If it came with a 1.8 or 2.8 pancake - then it would be a more interesting system. For me spending $400-500 on a lens means I can't expand my Canon stable.

If you are moving from a P&S to a DLSR (which you aren't) - I would definitely consider it. Thinking that adding a second system would be better served with a bridge P&S with RAW capability and a really fast lens.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Thanks Revan.

I sucked it up yesterday afternoon and went to my local Wolf. They offered me the combo deal at Sony's price so I took it. What the heck! If I don't like it, I can just sell it on flea-Bay for a nominal loss.

So far, I'm impressed. The new A55 looks nice too. Wouldn't take much more than the wind blowing just right for me to throw out the baby with the bathwater and sell the T2i and everything that goes with it and start over again.

Don't get me wrong. I love my T2i but I'm sick and tired of Canon living 24-36 months behind all others when it comes to PnS features and even DSLRs if to a much lesser extent. I'm tired of waiting on a mirrorless design too; especially when there isn't even one from them on the radar screen as far as anyone can tell.

I love my DSLR but there are MANY times when I just don't want to lug it around. I want a nice PnS (I have a Canon 3500 right now and the HX5 or upcoming HX7 looks like a more than worthy competitor.) and a nice mirrorless (Sony NEX5 now in the stable). I don't like mixing loyalties. I'd rather have one neck to put my hands around and mixing manufacturers doesn't accomplish that.

In for a penny, in for a pound with Sony? Could be. If this NEX lives up to the hype and the A55 is as good as I think it will be, Canon just lost another loyal customer... Since the AE-1 (I still have it.) to the A-1 and on up the line. This could be the end of the line though. I hate it in a way and it will be a hard decision but I will make the right one in the end. Let's put it this way. If I decide to boot Canon, there will be a lot of people that will do it without thinking nearly as hard and long about it as I do. Could be a bigger deal because I can't believe I'm the only one that thinks this way.

Edit Add: Oh yea... Don't even get me started on Canon camcorders. They are a thorn in my side too. I've been ready to throw them out for a couple of years now. Sony and Pany are the deal in camcorders right now. Just one more reason...

 

[Revan]

If you're willing to move over to SOny's DSLR, then it would be a double win. I have too much invested in Canon glass to move (two L lens and 3 primes).

I really like the in camera panorama mode - it was a lot of fun trying to get pano's in Disney

 

[AlbertZeroK]

If you're willing to move over to SOny's DSLR, then it would be a double win. I have too much invested in Canon glass to move (two L lens and 3 primes).

I really like the in camera panorama mode - it was a lot of fun trying to get pano's in Disney

Me too. Not only do I have too much glass, I also have 2 EOS film bodies. I also don't think the sony glass is as good as the Canon Glass. Especially my 70-200 IS f/2.8 Mark II.

 

[DisneyChristmas]

I'm an admitted camera junkie.

I've had a NEX-5 (2 len 16mm and 18-55mm) since summer 2010.

The compact size is nice, and I've used it numerous times. But it's no replacement for my Nikon D40 with a variety of lens.

For low-light use without a tripod, the NEX-5 does a credible job due to being so light-weight.

As for the HD video, you need to be careful about the storage media. Some of the cards that will transfer still images to your computer will not transfer captured video. Check some reviews for a better explanation of this.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I'm an admitted camera junkie.

I've had a NEX-5 (2 len 16mm and 18-55mm) since summer 2010.

The compact size is nice, and I've used it numerous times. But it's no replacement for my Nikon D40 with a variety of lens.

For low-light use without a tripod, the NEX-5 does a credible job due to being so light-weight.

As for the HD video, you need to be careful about the storage media. Some of the cards that will transfer still images to your computer will not transfer captured video. Check some reviews for a better explanation of this.

Thanks. Yea. I had seen that problem on a couple of forums. Really strange.

I run Eye-Fi cards in everything I have now and they seem to transfer everything just fine, including full-res video clips. Haven't done any really long ones yet but I don't anticipate any problems based on what I've seen thus far.