Leica and Iphone users will love the Nex 5n and here is why

[Jim Evidon]

I have a 7 on order (Who knows when that will arrive), and I have a 5n on order which is expected to arrive Friday. Thanks for listing your custom setup. I was thinking about how best to arrange this. You have the same list of items I expect to use most often:

1. MF assist
2. AEL
3. ISO
4. Metering mode

I wasn't' sure whether to put ISO on the right key or leave it as Custom-1. Which I use more often between AEL and ISO, will probably decide.

Too bad so many of the buttons (A, up, left, down) are fixed functions (Menu, Display, Drive, and Exposure). And C can only be shoot mode, or custom menu. I can see why the Tri-Navi on the NEX-7 appeals to many people.

I know focus peaking remains on during MF assist. Does anyone know if the EVF zooms as well during MF assist?

Yes it does indeed.

 

[RObert Budding]

I'm so put off by the interface that I'd never get through 10 minutes. Sony needs to hire engineers who actually know how to design cameras. Instead they chose to recycle the Betamax engineers.

 

[gavinlg]

Yeah I played with a friends nex-5 for half an hour and in that time I could not figure out how to make the adjustments I needed to take photos with it. Personally, I think I'm really good with digital menu systems, and I generally don't struggle with electronics being 24 years old. However, I could't figure out the system for the nex-5.

 

[vidgamer]

The Nex-5 isn't that hard, but settings are split among a few sub-menus, and it's not always obvious which sub-menu something is in. It's "different" than other cameras I've had, but I can't say it's really easier or harder than the P&S cameras. My DSLR is only slightly easier, and certainly different, but not different enough for me to get worked up over. It could use an extra custom button, but being able to customize the existing buttons was a great upgrade. From the sounds of it, the Nex-7 with the extra "tri-navi" controls is a huge jump in usability. My only huge beef with the Nex-5 menu system is that some things are in one sub menu when a similar feature is in another, and it just doesn't make sense to me; if I try not to be OCD about it, it's OK, it just seems a bit inconsistent. It has its quirks, but I don't think it's so horrible.

I read that they used the designers from the Sony Erickson phones to do the UI?

As for not needing the iPhone, I think it's great having the internet anywhere. Not only for the social networking aspects (upload photos and status updates whereever you want), but you can look up information. I can look up a phone number if I'm lost, or realize I want to call a local business -- maybe we want to do take-out, and I can have it ready to go when I get there, but I wasn't at home when I called. Seems simple, like small improvements, but they are improvements nonetheless. It's not just a phone, it's a computer connected to the internet. So, no, you don't *need* it, but it is useful.

You probably don't *need* a new camera either. ;-) Maybe you don't need more than an iPhone for a camera. ;-) (It's actually a decent camera...)