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Should I buy an NEX

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Neil Jack

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I have been reading this forum for a while and I am still undecided.
My problem is this,

I have wanted a large sensor camera for long time but have never taken the plunge due to their size. The M4/3's have a smaller sensor and this has put me off because I want good subject separation and would need faster lenses.

Now we have the NEX and NX cameras and they seem to be what I have been waiting for, particularly the NEX5 but...

I love taking photos of my 2 year old daughter and I have read that the focus of the non DSLR cameras is no good for kids, is this true, does any one have any examples they could share?

I don't want to invest in a camera that I have dreamed about owning only to feel let down with the results.
Any help much appreciated.
 
Neil Jack said:
The M4/3's have a smaller sensor and this has put me off because I want good subject separation and would need faster lenses.
Click to expand...
That's technically true, but OTOH, there are no fast lenses for NEX, so it's a moot point in practice. (But a portrait lens is slated for 2011, and m43 still doesn't have a good portrait option). NEX has the 16/2.8 which isn't a good lens for shallow DOF; m43 has the 20/1.7 which is better (but still not great).
Neil Jack said:
I love taking photos of my 2 year old daughter and I have read that the focus of the non DSLR cameras is no good for kids, is this true, does any one have any examples they could share?
Click to expand...
It's far from "no good", but it's not a DSLR, either. Focus is reasonably quick, but if you're looking to capture moving subjects, you might want to use the tried & true p&s technique of prefocusing.
Neil Jack said:
I don't want to invest in a camera that I have dreamed about owning only to feel let down with the results.
Click to expand...
Good to think of that ahead of time. Consider ordering one from Crutchfield or Sonystyle - take good care of it for a week or two and try it out - you can return it w/no restocking fee.

If you want a camera that can do more, you might prefer the A33. AF is fast, the camera is smallish; you just have to watch the lenses ... a kit consisting of 35/1.8, 85/2.8 and the kit zoom (plus maybe a 55-200) is pretty compact & light.

I chose the NEX-5 over an A33, but I already have a DSLR kit that handles things the NEX won't.
  • Dennis
--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com
 
Should you buy a NEX?

Short answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!

:) But seriously, you won't have any trouble focussing for taking photos of children. More important is to ensure that you are using a sufficiently high shutterspeed. The good high-iso performance of the NEX makes that easy though.
 
you can capture fantastic kids portraits with nex 5
see my gallery.

--
http://www.supernovak.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogic

FED-S (my father's) > Canon AE1 (my brother's) > Minolta Maxxum 3xi (my first precious) > Minolta Dynax 400si (hello Canada) > Minolta Dimage 7i (darling) > Konica Minolta 5D (first DSLR) > Sony Alpha A100 (killer baby) > Sony Alpha A700 (serious tool) > Canon 5DMkII (weird computer with average lenses) > Back to A700 (reassured about the greatness) + A900 (depth of colours and pixels)
 
Thanks for the advice, but now I have seen the A33 I think it might be more suitable but more money!
Its always the one that’s more money that you want.
One day I will get the guts to actually buy a camera!
 
First: Nobody here can tell if you should buy the Nex, you are the only one who can!
Neil Jack said:
I have been reading this forum for a while and I am still undecided.
My problem is this,

I have wanted a large sensor camera for long time but have never taken the plunge due to their size. The M4/3's have a smaller sensor and this has put me off because I want good subject separation and would need faster lenses.

Now we have the NEX and NX cameras and they seem to be what I have been waiting for, particularly the NEX5 but...

I love taking photos of my 2 year old daughter and I have read that the focus of the non DSLR cameras is no good for kids, is this true, does any one have any examples they could share?
Click to expand...
This is just partly true. AF on the Nex cameras is slower then that on a DSLR, but it is not to slow for most situations. When you want the face of a running kid very sharp, well the AF may be to slow and you have to use other technics, like prefocussing. And you get great pictures... For all the rest the Nex is a great camera, easy to use, a lot of fun features (like panorama, HDR, anti motion blur etc) and it delivers very good pictures....
Neil Jack said:
I don't want to invest in a camera that I have dreamed about owning only to feel let down with the results.
Any help much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Well that is a good thinking and you could consider the Axx cameras, with fast AF, but bigger bodies. You could go for the Nex camera and start taking pictures or wait for the maybe better camera and don't take pictures. There is one thing to remember: Your technic will do more for the IQ of the final picture then the camera. What ever camera you buy there are limmitations, like focus speed, size, weight, some kind of heating problem, more lenses to chose from etc.

Go to a good shop, try some different cameras (of all brands and types) and go for the one that YOU find handling the best. I do think that good handoling is very important for a good IQ...
 
I think the a33/a55 would suit you more.

It's not easy taking indoor pictures of moving kids, with slow lenses and contrast detect focus.

I use a 40mm 1.4 Nokton on the NEX for my indoor/evening people shots. It's fun, but it could certainly be easier.

One technique I've come up with while trying to focus on a drunk friend bopping his head to the music, is: Focus quick and rough, then use speed priority to fire off 6-7 shots or so while moving the camera 5-10 cm forward. Usually one or two are sure to be in focus on the spot you wanted.
 
The A33 is only approximately £70 more but when you are at the top of your budget every penny counts, and like I say, I always want the camera just out of budget.
 
Denis,

I have just been reading through a thread you started with comparison shots, and now change my mind again!
I think a camera you have with you is better than a camera at home.

Neil
 
Every once in a while I have a tinge of regret ... when I wish I had a fast prime for shallow DOF (though the new of a portrait lens in 2011 helped my decision) ... when I wish the AF were a touch more responsive.

But I've been carrying this camera everywhere. Tomorrow I'm off to Photoplus where I'll check out bags from Tamrac & Lowepro & others and pick a nice, small bag to carry a light kit (NEX + zoom & pancake plus eventual portrait lens, spare battery & cards) ahead of a trip to Disney.

The camera is pretty unobtrusive and even the shutter sound that initially made me cringe has turned out to be a non-issue so far. I'm sure it would be noisy in a very quiet setting, but it really seems to disappear most of the time. The sound doesn't really "carry" very far.

Hope you enjoy it (or whatever you choose if you change your mind !)
  • Dennis
--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com
 
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