You know how we all sit and work with all the controls to get a feel for a camera? No? Well I do. Before I go shooting, I'll fiddle with everything. Find the features I like, re-program buttons to access them, test the flash, lens, everything. Usually late, after the boys have gone to bed, so I can concentrate. We put or Christmas tree up over the weekend, so there was this tree to focus on, test exposures, white balance, bounce flash, etc. 10' away, normally lit room, etc. All in all, not a bad test subject. Except that the NEX-6 with the 16-50 can't seem to handle focussing on the tree! Anything left or right is no problem, but it hunts for the tree and default-locks to some infinity setting or something. If I take that shot, it isn't sharp. Of course, focusing left or right to something alongside at the same distance works fine, but I'd think this new hybrid system could handle a lit tree! (The Sony HVL-F43AM on its adapter is awesome by the way!) My son's end of year football team party was yesterday. Cloudy day, under a pavilion. Multi-pattern metering hated it. Too much light outside of the pavilion, not enough inside. Center-weighted could handle it though. Seems like more shots lost due to subject movement than I'm used to. I sold off the 55-210 to help offset the 18-200 which arrives tomorrow. I'm not really connecting with the NEX gear yet. Reading the concept, my Nikon(-ish) D7000 sensor in a PEN-sized body seems PERFECT for me. Don't need/want a lot of lenses, and I've 90% solved the flash issue (for my needs). It just seems like it is more functionally cumbersome than the Oly system so far. If it settles into giving the files that rival my old Nikons, but is a little more work than the Oly, I'll be okay with that. I hope the 18-200 is a stellar performer in my flow. I never really liked the idea of power zoom lenses (16-50 is a PZ). Maybe the 30mm 1.8 will help as well. I just hate to get knee-deep into this if it isn't what I'd expected and hoped for. Anyone have a BLACK 18-55 they want to sell?
There was grumbling this time last year about the 5N having trouble obtaining focus on a Xmas tree, but that was in really low light. I couldn't replicate the problem myself, but others could. Not sure what the cause is, but for some it is an issue.
All AF systems have occasional quirks. Maybe for certain occasions, even though it's not your preference, try engaging MF or DMF?
When my 5N was new, my daughter and I were doing exactly this... using her christmas tree as target practice just to play around to get to know the camera. Didn't have any issues with the SEL18-55 at all.
I think I am going to grab a black 18-55 anyway. I don't think it is the lens so much, I just dislike PZ.
NEX AF seems to be perceived quite differently by various people. Personally, whether with the 5N or 6, I've found it err... inadequate. It's just both slow, and not particularly reliable. In word one, in MY experience, it sucks. Maybe I should stick with it, I dunno. I absolutely would not trust this camera with any sort of action, let alone children sports. I know some folks are happy with it and get satisfying results with AF. For me, I never questionned my choice of the NEX as my portrait camera, but I don't see it as an all-rounder capable to tackle everything.
The extent of my sports photos is and will be my young sons' football games. Even then, I'm more of a zoom in and get the hands on the ball, opposing helmets on the line shooter. The OM-D was easily fast enough, but I have until August now until the next season starts. Until then, it is products at work, and things I find interesting. The OM-D just went to the focus point. The NEX seems to have to quickly cycle through a range, then snap to a spot. Not sure it is a deal breaker though... yet.
There's no doubt about it that the NEX's achilles heel in some ways is its autofocus. Its simply not great in low light and is almost unusable if you're out doors doing night shots as I've been doing the past few days. It needs a fair amount of contrast to work. I'm surprised the RX1 seems to have the same issues. People have drawn the A99 up on the same problem. Autofocus is clearly something Sony have to work on across their entire range. Odd in some ways since Sony bought over Minolta and Minoltas autofocus was always highly regarded back in the day.
