Might switch from m4/3 to NEX. Tell me yea or nay.

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My present small-format and legacy-lens camera system is micro 4/3, specifically the Olympus E-P2, both pancakes, and an adapted Pen 60/1.5 (also, occasionally, M lenses). What I like about the Oly is its styling and in-body stabilization. What I don't like is the smaller sensor, poor low light performance, vexing menu system, lack of one-click magnification, and lack of built-in EVF. My assumption has been that Oly would be putting out a "pro" body sometime soon, something like, say, the GH2, except with look and feel that appeals more to me, and this would make the format satisfy me.

But Oly has been glacial in the pace of their innovation, and Sony suddenly seems appealing. The NEX-5 / 16mm package is pretty affordable now, and new bodies and lenses seem to be on the horizon. Plus, Sony makes the best sensors in the world, and the NEX is APS-C, making it more appealing as a backup body for M and other legacy lenses. I'm wondering if this system will appeal to me more in the long run than m4/3.

Has anyone made this switch? Has the menu system of the NEX-5 been improved from the original version? Can you magnify the display with one click? Is the legacy lens experience decent? Is the 16mm pancake any good? To be honest, the 20mm Panasonic pancake is the main thing keeping me with m4/3 right now...do any of the Sony lenses match it?
 
Hello:

I have not had a 4/3 camera but the nex is remarkable as a platform for legacy lenses. Focus and image quality is excellent. It is, nowever, more akin to TLR and direct view cameras than rangefinder cameras in gestalt and style of use.

yours
FPJ
 
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I am in no way attached to rangefinder-style focusing. An LCD can be a little hard to work with on a sunny day, but this is a minor issue for me.

How does the NEX do with, say, a 28mm or 35mm M lens? How are the corners?
 
I use the NES 5 with both ancient and modern 35mm lenses (Nikkor 3.5cm/1.8, Canon 35/2 and CV Nokoton 35/1.4) and find corner performance to be excellent, mininal distortion and no to very little vignetting (i am really impressed by the NEX sensor). I have not used any 28mm lenses on the NEX.

Plus, the APS-C sensor facilitates large aperture OOF more than a smaller sensor, if you are into that kinda thing.
 
I believe switching might not be worth it. The sensor size is negligibly larger. Not much to make a great difference. But then again, I think you are set on doing so!

🙂
 

I've tried GH1 and NEX-5, and while GH1 is a sturdy, nice feeling camera, NEX wins hands down for me.
Larger sensor = more versatility with legacy lenses (50mm would be unusable for me on 4/3)
Larger sensor = better ISO qulity (1600 was just fine on NEX, better than 4/3)
Larger sensor = shallow DOF, oh yeah.
Ergonomics = I must say when i first saw the pictures of NEX I had to laugh at seemingly unproportional design. But when I held it for the first time it blew me away - really comfortable to hold.
New ways of shooting = you know what, I don't even want a viewfinder on NEX. That's because after one evening with it I realised how differently I shoot, from different angles and possitions, thanks to articulated LCD.

I'd definitelly go for NEX (I don't own it yet) but I'm waiting a little longer to see what they'll do next 9after their recent announcement that they will take NEX positioning in several different directions and that it will happen "sooner than we think".
 
kbg32 said:
I believe switching might not be worth it. The sensor size is negligibly larger. Not much to make a great difference. But then again, I think you are set on doing so!

🙂
Click to expand...

I'm definitely not! I've been mulling it over for months--actually, ever since I got the new Pentax DSLR, with its amazing high-ISO performance, and started getting really frustrated with my casual indoor photography on m4/3--which is the main thing I use it for. It's true that I am leaning towards at least trying out the NEX, though.

The sensor is about 150% the size of m4/3--hardly full frame, but not negligible, I don't think.
 
As an owner of a NEX:
1. Sensor is awesome
2. Low light is an absolute piece of cake
3. The 16mm is ok at best. Soft and autofocus loses its way about 1 out of 8 shots.
4. M Mount and LTM mount lenses absolutely rock. The one button push is simple and dead accurate.
5. Firmware 1.3 makes menu go from a D- to a B+. And that's a lot, but still no substitute for external dials and buttons.
6. I am in very sunny south Florida and the LCD can be a bit of a challenge but it is quite doable.
7. Oh yeah, the tilt screen allows you to really be discreet in street shots.
8. Shutter noise is crappy loud, practice coughing.

Have fun.
 
kbg32 said:
I believe switching might not be worth it. The sensor size is negligibly larger. Not much to make a great difference.
Click to expand...

As an ex EP1 user I don't go along with this. I ditched the EP1 many months ago for use with legacy lenses as for me it didn't work out, I went without until I decided which way to go. The increased sensor size of the Nex makes a difference in several ways.

The 2x crop of the EP1 was simply a step too far, my CV35mm became a portrait lens and my CV50mm became a telephoto. Wide angle became a no-no my 15mm became 30 and results with it weren't up to scratch. With the Nex crop factor of 1.5 wide angle is still possible for me, the CV35 makes a good standard, the 50mm becomes a lovely portrait lens, the 25 makes a great streetshooter and the 15 stays a fairly wide angle.

The increased sensor size makes a noticeable improvement to dynamic range and ISO noise. I could not believe how good the Nex is at 1600 or 3200 compared with the EP1

A previous poster in this thread said the Nex is great with legacy lenses of over 35mm and is right - no problems with these. The CV25 gives some corner and edge vignetting and the CV15 is a little worse and with some colour bands top and sides. Cornerfix easily corrects this in the 15mm, but I seldom correct my pictures taken with the 25 as I often quite like a little vignetting.

I am really glad I gave the Nex a try after my disappointment with the EP1 - It certainly made a difference to me.
 
After trying both, the Nex won hands down for me, for all the reasons listed above. Especially when you concider that the rumor mill says an EVF is coming out at the same time as the next gen Nex body. It makes sense, the port is already there the only reason it didn't come out at time of release is that the Nex was pushed out ahead of schedule and the EVF wasn't ready yet according to some very reliable, but off the record comments by Sony employees.
 
Mablesound: like you I have an EP-2; I added a NEX-5 recently with the 16mm lens. I tested the lens briefly, but have left it in the box. I use the NEX exclusively with adapters and legacy glass (Leica M, R, Konica AR, Pentax SM, etc.). I would say that there is a difference in degree as to image quality as to the two cameras, but not like a jump to FF. I use the EP-2 with the EVF. I keep the screen on the "green square" setting, which allows EP-2 one-touch 7x magnification with the "OK" button. I found focusing on the NEX itself _very_ frustrating to my middle-aged eyes, and wound up attaching a Hoodman loupe semi-permanently with a giant red rubber band. It significantly improves NEX-5 focusing (which also has a one-touch mag feature) by turning the thing into more of an SLR. Since I don't plan on using any of the Sony lenses with the NEX, I ONLY care about focus ability with legacy glass. On the other hand, it does increase the form factor substantially and negates much of the NEX's size advantage over other kinds of cameras. If low-light is your thing, the switch might be worth it for you. If you want to try the camera out, send me a PM and I'd be happy to loan you the thing and an M-adapter for a week or so. You could make up your own mind risk free.

Ben Marks

Edit: the NEX and Oly essentially vie for 2nd camera in the bag next to a Leica. But the ability to use Leica M glass on them means that they work well for this. And despite the fact that I said once I had no interest in video . . . yeah, video happens. - Ben
 
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I've had good luck with wides on the NEX 5, with the CV 15, 21, Canon 28/2.8, and of course the kit 16, and longer MF lens.

I have seen color shifts with the CV 15 but very rarely, but not with my 21 and my nex (probably only ~200-300 shots so far with the CV 15 and 21s). However I have seen color (magenta) issues with other folks with their nex and their CV 21, so I am not sure if it is an exposure/scene/pp situation, or individual lens situation.

Having 1 or even 2 of the kit lens are nice, for the times when you want the camera to be P&S fast, or if they are still having those promos with bundled lenses, it would be pretty easy to sell off the unused kit lens.

The lack of an EVF is a big deal for some folks, so I would always recommend you try it out in a store first. Best Buy, Target and Costco all have them, I think. I'd go with the NEX 5, seems built better, and also fits the hand better, the battery orientation is like a grip, where it is rotated 90 deg. flat in the nex 3.

For me, the real value of the Nex, and this could probably apply to m43 as well, is the ability to precisely focus with 1 touch 7x and 2 touch 14x mag with legacy lens, and the ability to use great slr and M glass with a wide variety of adapters.
 
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Hey, Ben, thanks for the offer! I believe I read about your efforts with the NEX in another thread. I'll pass on the loan for now but you are a trusting soul, I appreciate it.

The thing that bugs me about the Oly "green square" mode is that you no longer have one-touch access to ISO and WB...those buttons now move the square around! The Pana implementation is superior, I think.

FPJohn, thanks for that link, very informative!
 
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