digitalshooter
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to the Olympus Pen?
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So is NEX Sonys answer
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Lyle From Canada
Senior Member
I'd say its a huge step past the PEN.
Sony a500 - Sony 50/1.8 - Zeiss 16-80 - Sony 70-300G - extension tubes - Kenko teleplus300 1.4TC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lylegenykphotography/
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Sony a500 - Sony 50/1.8 - Zeiss 16-80 - Sony 70-300G - extension tubes - Kenko teleplus300 1.4TC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lylegenykphotography/
WaltKnapp
Forum Pro
Yes, I'd say so, though they are still behind in the functionality their intended market is likely to want. Especially flash possibilities. NEX is pretty immature at this point.
Walt.
Huge step ? It looks like a step up thanks to better high iso and movie, but that's more-less expected to come with time, it was nearly year ago PEN was introduced.
It is for sure answer to m43 formats and sony saw the opportunity for more sales.
Other companies will do as well, Canon, nikon, they all seems not concerned while hard working on their own mirorless slr formats.
What you say is something I will think about. Especially the last sentence of your post.
The other perspective is what a Sony manager said in an interview. They tried to avoid redundancies beeween DSLR's and NEX as much as possible. The NEX shall be a product for people who don't want these many DSLR features, switches and knobs. That's the market that Sony addresses with the NEX, the intended market.
If you segment a whole market into different target markets you can do this by user needs, user behaviour etc.
I think that they know their cybershot customers very well. The current high-end cybershot product with the most functions is the HX5. I don't see many HX5 functionality that the NEX doesn't have. Maybe GPS and a compass.
Therefore I think that the NEX is a very plausible defined product for step-up buyers.
But I understand that there is another market segment that isn't as well addressed at least with the current NEX cameras. These are the people who want more knobs and switches on a small camera because they want to continue the shooting style they are used to from DSLR's. Possibly that would have been the intended market of the NEX if you had made this decision holding a position at Sony. Sony just choosed another target market in the first round. I think the bigger one.
justchuck
Well-known member
I think the Nex is a great response from Sony. They have created a new market segment for themselves while giving the cybershooters something to move up to. At the same time they have shown what their engineering is capable of. For its size, the Nex has some great features and it'll be interesting to see some of those features make it to the a7xx replacement. I agree with Walt that the Nex 3-5 may be a little immature for the advanced users, however there are already rumors of the Nex 7 which may tempt those advanced shooters.
Wirralpix
Forum Enthusiast
The NEX reminds me greatly of the class of camera that Sony excelled in, the F series bridge camera.
It's back to the future. Back to the bridge camera but forward in technology.
Sony sold the F707, 717 and 828 in huge numbers as they proved very popular. I owned the F717 and moved to DSLR for a longer focal length than x5 and a wider angle but the F717 had full manual control, an excellent macro mode and a tilting screen. I always wished that the F717 had interchangeable lenses like a DSLR.
I learnt photography on the F717 and I can see many moving from P&S to NEX and maybe onto higher end DSLR.
The NEX is a brilliant move for Sony IMO.
George
http://www.wirralpix.smugmug.com
It's back to the future. Back to the bridge camera but forward in technology.
Sony sold the F707, 717 and 828 in huge numbers as they proved very popular. I owned the F717 and moved to DSLR for a longer focal length than x5 and a wider angle but the F717 had full manual control, an excellent macro mode and a tilting screen. I always wished that the F717 had interchangeable lenses like a DSLR.
I learnt photography on the F717 and I can see many moving from P&S to NEX and maybe onto higher end DSLR.
The NEX is a brilliant move for Sony IMO.
George
http://www.wirralpix.smugmug.com
digitalshooter
Forum Pro
have seen numerous commercials for it today alone, for the first time.
Wonder who Sony will get to pitch the Nex in commercials?
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Digitalshooter
Wonder who Sony will get to pitch the Nex in commercials?
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Digitalshooter
Kal-El33
Forum Enthusiast
I think it's a great move by Sony but the target market is different than the F-series cameras. They had easy control over aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual, which the NEX does not have. These are not for the people that want to learn about photography. They are a steroid induced compact point and shoot, which should hit quite a big market and I'll love it for people that don't want to learn about photography actually have an option, instead of whining about their DSLRs.
winedarksea
Senior Member
Yes, NEX3 & Nex5 are Sony's first shots in response to the micro4/3, both PEN and Panasonic G. But I expect that we'll see a steady tattoo of shots that Sony will be firing this year & next in both the mirroress and the dslr battles. I think Sony is primed and ready to go--"about to do so much," as a high-ranking rep said in December.
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Dulaney
A700; SAL 50 f1.4; SAL 18-250; CZ 85 f1.4
While I like my HX5 for it's innovative and usefull features I feel the only thing it is lacking is more manual/fine control. At least allow users adjust the output JPEG's NR and sharpening etc.
I feel the same goes for the NEX, you could have simple items hidden in a menu the average consumer doesn't need/want to use, but is there for other's that will. Or they could add an "Advanced" menu mode, the NEX they could easily incorporate manual controls by having a "Quick Mode" button that displays all relevant parameters, click the one you want to change and go. That, or since they are releasing 3 variants, put additional hard-buttons, dials, and manual features as you go up the scale. I would be really interested in purchasing a NEX-5 if it had more manual controls, however I would not make the jump to the reportedly larger (more DSLR like) NEX-7, it would defeat the purpose of the slim and small FF.
Ultimately we will see, I know I am not the average user and not it's target audience. I feel the camera will do well with it's dumb-downed interface and features, though I can;t understand why they did not make the body on at least the NEX-5 a bit bigger to fit the SSS imaging module. Sony's Digital Imaging sales were down 21% last year, largely attributable to the shrinking compact camera market, so branching out into other territories and creating a new market seems to be the logical move.
What I don't get are claims that these are for people who want a higher IQ P&S and not the hassle of DSLR. An while I think this segment will expand and maybe become a "netbook like fad" I don't see how this segment will really take off unless these camera's are fast (shutter lag and AF), can properly substitute a common video camera, and the IQ stays close on the heals of DSLR. Otherwise it may die the Compact Superzoom death.
Anyhow the more competition in this market the better. Panny and Oly m4/3 systems have finally dropped to more reasonable levels, and we now have competition in the IQ department to really force them to up there game.
VisualFX
Senior Member
Maybe in styling it is, but the IQ has a way to go. Look at the images on I-R and compare the NEX to the E-PL1. I see a lot of fringing and chromatic aberration in some of the NEX images. The resolution chart also favors the PEN. Let's face it...the kit lens on the NEX may be nicely made shiny metal, but the images say another thing. Sony is marketing the NEX as an all-in-one device, but the kit lens is of mediocre quality. Until they get some better glass, the m4/3 still have the advantage. It really is no excuse not to include a decent sharp kit lens.
winedarksea
Senior Member
mmm--not what i've been hearing about the iq, VisualFX
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Dulaney
A700; SAL 50 f1.4; SAL 18-250; CZ 85 f1.4
Kal-El33
Forum Enthusiast
The one thing you can't deny is that Oly, in their DSLRs, have the highest quality glass in a kit lens and it probably transitioned over to the Pens. I can't see Sony, or any other APS-C manufacturer, using the quality of lens in a kit that matches the Oly kits.
WaltKnapp
Forum Pro
I think this is one of the things that has happened in the last several years. There was this flood of popularity of relatively cheap beginner DSLRs and a lot of P&S users jumped into it without thinking it through and looking at the differences in the details of using the different camera types. And they found themselves with a camera that was not what they were used to and they were not into learning this new system. So they did a whole bunch of whining wanting DSLRs to be converted into their P&S for their comfort. A rather dangerous thing for DSLRs.
This option may clear up a lot of this. Sure some new to DSLR people will leave DSLR, but one can question if they ever belonged in DSLR, even if they owned one. They will be happy, DSLR will be restored to being DSLRs instead of ending up being P&S. Good for everyone.
Walt
WaltKnapp
Forum Pro
Note how Olympus is shooting those commercials with the Pen. And making a point of it on the commercial.
I've seen one commercial so far, not on TV but in Utube. It was a bunch of teen folks doing the old commercial that Canon used to promote their bayonet mount over pentax thread mount. Can't remember which tennis player right off. The Sony ad looked like the same script pretty much. Lots of interchanging lenses and running around snapping shots without composing or even stopping. I noticed they were carrying the lenses loose in their pockets with neither front or rear lens caps. If that catches on Sony will have a big market in replacement lenses too
Quick careless shooting seemed to be the message. It worked for Canon, got the Rebel going....Walt
Anastigmat
Forum Pro
It is a step that the Oly Pen cannot answer. The Oly Pen has maxed out on sensor size. The NEX mount is big enough for a full frame. It is a stupid mistake on Oly's part. They had a chance to break free of the 4/3 prison, but chose not to.
I wonder what these other guys will do. Will they restrict the size of the sensor in the mirrorless cameras, or would they follow Sony's footsteps. Further, the mirrorless concept is also a good idea for any company to get into medium format. Canon and Nikon can conceivably release medium format mirrorless cameras to compete with the Leica S2.
007peter
Forum Pro
Agree fully. NEX is the right move on sony's part. Taking advantage of its expertise in making electronic. It does remind me alot of the F-series, but its innovation approach is no less revolutionary than the venerable Sony R1 in its times.
Anastigmat
Forum Pro
I have heard the same claim made by Pentax users. You get what you pay for. The kit lens is usually made as cheaply as possible so that it can be packaged in an attractive deal for new users. Most experienced users will look for something better to got with their new body eventually. The kit lens is not going to make or break a camera. You can change the lens easily, but you cannot change the sensor. The Sony sensor is a huge improvement over the Oly and Pana cameras, and there is room for a full frame sensor. When Sony comes out with a full frame autofocus E mount camera (backed up by Carl Zeiss optics) to compete with the Leica M9, then nobody will be comparing it to the Olympus or Panasonic cameras.
Anastigmat
Forum Pro
That would be a mistake, as it would turn off those people who do want the DSLR features in a smaller package.
That is a marketing mistake. It is often not possible to predict what users need or want, especially for a relatively new product with no marketing history.
But it would be a disappointment for the DSLR user wanting an additional camera for when they cannot carry a DSLR.
Precisely!
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