NEX-5n with 12mm Heliar

[squirrel$$$bandit]

This combination is ridiculously tiny. Indeed, I have an order in on the NEX-7 and will probably use that for my M-body backup and general autofocus/lens experimentation camera--this thing is hard to hold. Great screen, though, amazing at high ISO, and the corners are not bad at all.

Focus peaking is extraordinary on a fast lens--you can watch the plane of focus creep across the scene. REALLY handy way of manually focusing--I will use it all the time.

The sample shots are minimally adjusted for exposure and contrast in LR. They were in-camera jpegs...no RAW in LR yet for the NEX-5n. They are not supposed to be "good pictures," just tests.


NEX-5n with 12mm Heliar by mabel.sound, on Flickr


12mm Heliar on NEX-5n test-10 by mabel.sound, on Flickr


12mm Heliar on NEX-5n test-8 by mabel.sound, on Flickr


12mm Heliar on NEX-5n test-7 by mabel.sound, on Flickr


12mm Heliar on NEX-5n test-3 by mabel.sound, on Flickr

 

[kzphoto]

No cyan / magenta drift? Crazy! I always thought you'd have some when using a lens this wide.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I'm not good at detecting that (a bit color-blind), but you tell me! There's no way for the camera to know it's got a wide lens on it, so it can't be applied by that calculus...and I didn't do anything to the corners in Lightroom.

I really think they have cracked that nut with good sensor design and sophisticated software. Really impressive I think.

 

[Paddy C]

I thought Sony was using micro-lenses in these Nex sensors. Or is that just with the 7? Or am I imagining things?

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I think you're right, they're using them in all the new NEX cameras.

 

[kzphoto]

I thought Sony was using micro-lenses in these Nex sensors. Or is that just with the 7? Or am I imagining things?

Would that eliminate the color drifting?

 

[Matthieu]

I believe the colour shift is still present, but it's hard to tell from these photos, since they have so much going on. We'd need something of uniform colour, like a white wall or the sky.

 

[eleskin]

Incredible! Sony did it! Watch out Leica!!!!

Incredible! Sony did it! Watch out Leica!!!!

This is incredible! I was a little worried the micro lenses would not be up to the wide angle shots and only the Ricoh GRX M module would be adequate. These photos put my fears to rest! I am sure the NEX-7 will be even more impressive! And (YYYYEEEHHHH!!!! YIPPPIEEE !! pardon my excitement) finally we have decent high ISO that can be used with Leica M mount lenses, and all of this for a fraction of the price of an M9!

Sony dropped the bomb, the big one, etc,,, no doubt about it. The NEX-7 in particular is the high tech interpretation of the classic rangefinder with all of the 21st Century photo goodies the M9 lacks terribly. I have heard rumors of a NEX 9 full frame in the works.

My Noctilux f1.0, 35mm Nokton, 28mm Elmarit and 15mm Super Wide Heliar cant wait to mount themselves on this camera! How exciting this is, and for such great prices!!!!

 

[gavinlg]

Wow... very impressive...

 

[raid]

What exactly is so special here?
I don't mean to offend anyone, but where is the WOW effect?
I must be missing the big picture.
If the NEX is the new replacement for an M-9, then that would be great indeed. I cannot afford an M9.

 

[Matthieu]

What exactly is so special here?
I don't mean to offend anyone, but where is the WOW effect?
I must be missing the big picture.
If the NEX is the new replacement for an M-9, then that would be great indeed. I cannot afford an M9.

You have the widest rangefinder lens on a 1.5x crop sensor, with little to no smearing and colour shifts in the corners, without having to use software correction.

It's one of the WA and UWA lens that Ken Rockwell describes thus:

Although wonderful on film, this lens sucks on the M9 because its rear nodal point is too close for the sensor. The left and right sides take on weird color shifts.

 

[Pablito]

There seems to be quite a bit of vignetting even with the crop factor. But I am crazy about the image quality of my NEX 5 with Leica or CV lenses, really rich and subtle color. Have pre-ordered the NEX 7 - never pre-ordered anything in my life. Too bad the Sony lenses are so lousy.

 

[Pablito]

You have the widest rangefinder lens on a 1.5x crop sensor, with little to no smearing and colour shifts in the corners, without having to use software correction.

Yes, that IS impressive, but a lot of vignetting unless it's the subject itself that was darker in the corners. Or does the lens do this on film too? I don't have one so I don't know.

 

[ampguy]

wow, hard to tell, maybe white wall photos would show any color shifts or vignetting.

Seems like the 5N with Nikon (well Sony) D7000/D5100 sensor works pretty well with wides.

 

[fotomeow]

I wish somebody else besides The Red Dot could put out a FF RF, and hopefully
the Sony Nex series will do just that. But thats just 1/2 of the equation for me,
I would really need it to have a RF analog use-ability about it, not just computer menu
interfaces. I have a Nex 7 on order, but I will really need to get it in my hands to see if
I am going to keep it or not. I guess the three dial user interface will be the hump I will need to get over. If its not great, a Nex 10 could have some positive changes in terms of
more analog controls. But I get ahead of myself: a Nex 7 first!! would be great!!

 

[Jamie Pillers]

I wish somebody else besides The Red Dot could put out a FF RF, and hopefully
the Sony Nex series will do just that. But thats just 1/2 of the equation for me,
I would really need it to have a RF analog use-ability about it, not just computer menu
interfaces. I have a Nex 7 on order, but I will really need to get it in my hands to see if
I am going to keep it or not. I guess the three dial user interface will be the hump I will need to get over. If its not great, a Nex 10 could have some positive changes in terms of
more analog controls. But I get ahead of myself: a Nex 7 first!! would be great!!

I'm in agreement with your point about "analog use-ability". I've found, and I expect to find this in most if not all future camera innovations, that one must set these cameras up to be analog-like. Initially I know I'm going to have to wade through menus to understand the camera's capabilities, but then I try to find ways to 'teach' the camera to do the basics with the fewest button pushes. I now almost never look at the X100 menus, and its become a wonderful analog-ish experience.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

What exactly is so special here?
I don't mean to offend anyone, but where is the WOW effect?
I must be missing the big picture.
If the NEX is the new replacement for an M-9, then that would be great indeed. I cannot afford an M9.

Same as the WOW effects of the M9? In my opinion, neither is all that special... OR they are both incredible machines in their own right. 🙂

 

[paulcurtis]

I've have the CV12 on the old NEX 5, i never really saw much colour shift, yes it's there in some cases but for the most part i've never done anything about it - it's never warranted cornerfix for me.

It's a wonderful lens really, 18mm on a NEX and i find it renders skin tones really nicely too.

The new NEXs do have offsets to their lenses so corner performance and colour is supposed to be better.

I'm deciding whether to get a NEX 5N or 7, perhaps both.

These NEXes are brilliant cameras, they're cheap, very good quality (beats my canon gear imho), great video, focusing with peaking is really innovative on stills cameras.

I would take one over a M8 any day. M9 not so sure, i'd love a FF sensor in a nex though

cheers
paul

 

[dct]

What exactly is so special here?
I don't mean to offend anyone, but where is the WOW effect?
I must be missing the big picture.
If the NEX is the new replacement for an M-9, then that would be great indeed. I cannot afford an M9.

I would like to do the comparison between apples and apples. For me, the NEX-7 seems to be a valable new and modern interpretation of an M8 or R-D1. And to that point I'm very excited to test it hands on in the next months. I hope then to see the WOW effect, which could be the resolution, the peaking focus function (which I could accept instead of the RF patch) and all the additional digital functions that I don't need for every day shooting. But if my "new M-mount digital RF" can also be used for some video projects? Of course better than the actual digital RF APS-C options. Not to forget the possibility to use many other lens mounts, not only LTM/M. It is definitly a big step forward in my opinion. And all of this in a probably "analog usable" body, by means of controls.

If you want to compare oranges against oranges: let us wait for the NEX-9 rumors which anticipate a FF sensor Sony NEX. This is the one you might compare the Leica M9 with.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

To be honest, I missed having a crop-sensor camera for RF lenses. I think the new NEXes will be excellent companions to the M9 and film M's.