NEX-7 - man, I miss DOF scales on lenses!

[Ken Ford]

The thing that struck me the most about my first day shooting with the new NEX-7 and kit lens is how much my preferred RF shooting style revolves around prefocusing and controlled DOF. (With my SLRs I shoot action which requires follow focus, not an issue when I shoot RF.) Some pics I should have nailed yesterday have DOF and plane of focus issues due to operator error even though I was using the kit lens in MF mode with back button focusing.

My lens adapters can't get here fast enough! I ordered them for OM and Nikon F mounts, they shipped yesterday and should be here some time this week. If I end up liking using legacy glass on the NEX I would consider replacing the cheap adapters with ones of higher quality later on.

I'll give it some more time, but this is making me rethink my plans to pick up a Sigma 30/2.8 DN! I might do better to stick with legacy glass... unless Mr. K can be talked into developing a line of manual focus native NEX lenses.

 

[willie_901]

Does the NEX have an in-display focus/DOF indicator you can turn on?

 

[Disaster_Area]

I know what you mean... DOF scales seem to be rapidly becoming a thing of the past, even when they are included, they're so small, they're barely accurate at f8, let alone any larger aperture.

Like I said in a previous post on the topic though, I highly doubt we'll see any CV lenses with native E mount. It kind of made sense for them to make a m43 mount lens as a trial, the sensor is small enough they could make a significantly smaller lens than they could with full frame.

But if you think about it, most people who want to adapt lenses to their NEX already have some manual focus system to adapt from, like Leica M... I don't think CV will make an APSC lens that's only slightly smaller than full frame when they could just keep making Leica M mount lenses and leave it to us to adapt them. I'd much rather spend money on a lens that can work with both my M and NEX systems than drop $1K on a lens that can only work with my Sony. If they could offer electronic contacts that transmit EXIF data it might be different, but if it's just a manual focus lens with a built in adapter to E Mount, I won't bother.

I think CV has learnt its lesson when it comes to supporting emerging or niche systems, they dropped the Nikon S mount lenses and we haven't seen any new m43 lenses yet... the 25mm 0.95 was just testing the waters, the fact that we haven't seen any more might tell you something. People who want manual focus lenses but don't care if the lens will work on their existing manual focus system is a pretty small market 🙂

 

[d__b]

I think CV has learnt its lesson when it comes to supporting emerging or niche systems, they dropped the Nikon S mount lenses and we haven't seen any new m43 lenses yet... the 25mm 0.95 was just testing the waters, the fact that we haven't seen any more might tell you something. People who want manual focus lenses but don't care if the lens will work on their existing manual focus system is a pretty small market 🙂

They did announced this lens for m43:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/02/08/Cosina_Voigtlander_17p5mm_F0p95

I think that 25mm actually sold quite well...

 

[Ken Ford]

Does the NEX have an in-display focus/DOF indicator you can turn on?

Not that I've found. Really a shocking omission if you ask me!

I know what you mean... DOF scales seem to be rapidly becoming a thing of the past, even when they are included, they're so small, they're barely accurate at f8, let alone any larger aperture.

Like I said in a previous post on the topic though, I highly doubt we'll see any CV lenses with native E mount. It kind of made sense for them to make a m43 mount lens as a trial, the sensor is small enough they could make a significantly smaller lens than they could with full frame.

But if you think about it, most people who want to adapt lenses to their NEX already have some manual focus system to adapt from, like Leica M... I don't think CV will make an APSC lens that's only slightly smaller than full frame when they could just keep making Leica M mount lenses and leave it to us to adapt them. I'd much rather spend money on a lens that can work with both my M and NEX systems than drop $1K on a lens that can only work with my Sony. If they could offer electronic contacts that transmit EXIF data it might be different, but if it's just a manual focus lens with a built in adapter to E Mount, I won't bother.

I think CV has learnt its lesson when it comes to supporting emerging or niche systems, they dropped the Nikon S mount lenses and we haven't seen any new m43 lenses yet... the 25mm 0.95 was just testing the waters, the fact that we haven't seen any more might tell you something. People who want manual focus lenses but don't care if the lens will work on their existing manual focus system is a pretty small market 🙂

Ye of little faith... you just have to click your heels together and BELIEVE! 😀

Seriously, though - the NEX-7 seems to be attracting much the same demographic as the high end m4/3 gear. I wonder what the image circle is like on the CV 25/0.95? If it's large enough, that would be a great lens to repackage for E mount as a trial balloon. NEX-7 with a CV 25/0.95 would *kill* for a street shooter, especially if they could figure out how to enable the NEX MF aid when the lens focus collar is turned. (Should be a simple exercise involving a rotary encoder and a few contacts on the lens mount.)

 

[EthanFrank]

the 25mm 0.95 was just testing the waters, the fact that we haven't seen any more might tell you something. People who want manual focus lenses but don't care if the lens will work on their existing manual focus system is a pretty small market 🙂

They've announced a 17mm f/0.95 as well.

 

[Disaster_Area]

They've announced a 17mm f/0.95 as well.

🙂 OK, I stand corrected!

I still think Sony will have to prove itself a bit more before we'll see E mount CV's. At least with M43's if either Panasonic or Olympus get out of the mount, there's someone left to sell lenses to. If Sony decided to discontinue, or change the mount to full frame it could leave CV in the lurch with no one to sell the lenses to. Sony seems to be a company that's very hard to predict... I don't think many saw their move completely away from SLR to SLT for all they're mirrored cameras. I bought into the NEX system purely for bodies to go along with my M lenses... I'm not investing heavily in E-Mount lenses until there's a clearer picture of what Sony's going to do in the future.

Only time will tell though, and this is just one mans opinion 🙂

 

[Ken Ford]

Even if Sony builds out their E mount lens line, I'll still have the fundamental issue of no DOF scale.

I think I'm going to start a movement to ring Sony's bell over two NEX-7 characteristics that I find to be lacking - the lack of an in-VF focus and DOF scale and also the inability to remap and/or disable the video record button.

 

[elmer3.5]

Hi, on the leica x1 there is a dof scale on the screen, i wonder if the nex 7 has something alike, at least my plain nex 5 doesn´t...
It was a nice thing on the x1, i used to set the viewfinder, f5.6 at 10 feet, auto iso, AE very fast!

I think on the nex you can do so!

 

[Ken Ford]

Elmer, I haven't found this ability in my NEX-7 - I was very surprised to see it was missing!

 

[Bimjo]

While it is pretty rudimentary, focus peaking can provide at least some idea of what the DOF will be. Whether or not it works well enough is up to you.

 

[michel v]

I wonder what the image circle is like on the CV 25/0.95? If it's large enough, that would be a great lens to repackage for E mount as a trial balloon.

Alas, the image circle is not large enough.
I have the lens (used to shoot M4/3), and tried it on my Nex with an adapter, only to be disappointed.
It also didn't help that there is no good adapter for M4/3 to Nex, but that's another topic…

 

[Ken Ford]

That's unfortunate. Hopefully Mr. K can be inspired to cook up something else tasty in Sony E mount.

 

[flyalf]

So right you are! I think all the camera makers are doing very poor design with new lenses in terms of usability for photographing. Perhaps they have learned from Apple; style beats functionality for all those not really interested in trying to learn even rudimentary skills 🙂.

 

[douglasf13]

🙂 OK, I stand corrected!

I still think Sony will have to prove itself a bit more before we'll see E mount CV's. At least with M43's if either Panasonic or Olympus get out of the mount, there's someone left to sell lenses to. If Sony decided to discontinue, or change the mount to full frame it could leave CV in the lurch with no one to sell the lenses to. Sony seems to be a company that's very hard to predict... I don't think many saw their move completely away from SLR to SLT for all they're mirrored cameras. I bought into the NEX system purely for bodies to go along with my M lenses... I'm not investing heavily in E-Mount lenses until there's a clearer picture of what Sony's going to do in the future.

Only time will tell though, and this is just one mans opinion 🙂

Cosina has already publicly supported Sony's decision to open the e-mount. I'd expect Voigtlander lenses for e-mount, at some point:
http://presscentre.sony.eu/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=6489&NewsAreaId=2

FWIW, since most M mount adapter focus past infinity, you can't really rely on DOF scales with M lenses on NEX, either. You've gotta get out a tape measure and recalibrate, usually.