First of all no camera is good for every use. There are different cameras for different uses. And actually making it good for one use, can make it bad for other uses. A Leica is a great camera, but not for everything. It is not for telephoto shots, for birds, for nature (unless it is landscapes), for sports, etc. You can use it for that, but we must recognize that there are better tools for a lot less for those tasks.
With video the same thing happens. There are many kind of video users. There are the ones that want to record their children play at school and want it to be quick to focus, and want it to last for an hour (that it lasts for the play). Others want to make the occasional video with friends. Others use it for documentaries (Have you seen the one of the Viennese coffee shops with the nex?) and then there is people that want to make a short artistic film. With focus changing from one subject to the other in very smooth ways, etc.
So, depending on what kind of video you want to shoot, there are different choices. But we can group them in two big classes. That needs AF or that needs precise manual focus. OF course you could ask for one that has both, but again we are trying to do everything and end up doing nothing right. So I would recommend those two groups.
For AF, the 18-200. It is the best. IT is the lens in the video cameras by sony. IT wont be that great with manual focus, but it is great with auto focus.
For manual focus, there are a lot of options. Get a good manual focus lens. A fast 50mm is great for close shots, or two people talking and changing focus from one to the other. Here there are a lot of tools and tips and tricks to make this easier. For instance, use a tripod, and mark the distances that you need to focus in the barrel (with something that you can erase of course). Then it is easier to change from one focus to the next, you can do it with your hand, and go to the next mark. There are other tricks like using a rubber band to get a more smooth change of focus, etc.
So basically, you need to know what you want to film and decide on the right lens for it. The nex5n and 7 are great for that because of the complete manual control (the old versions didn't have it), so I recommend you doing some investigation and also deciding exactly what is you need/want. And don't expect a 1 solution that fits all problems. That doesn't exist. Not even in the most expensive camera that you can buy.
Ti@go.
I bought the nex 5n not only as a more portable camera but also as a video camera (the DSLR I'm using is not capable of shooting video).
The lenses I currently have are 18-55, 16 2.8 and 30 3.5, and all of them have a very long focus ring travel, which makes it extremely difficult to produce 'defocus to focus' effects in videos
Maybe video was not taken into account when the lenses were designed?
