Sony today announced two NEX cameras, the NEX-7 and the NEX-5N. The Sony NEX-7 is the new flagship of the Sony NEX line and has a feature list which incorporates nearly every desire I have seen expressed by the enthusiasts who frequent photography forums: Integrated electronic viewfinder without the "DSLR hump" 2.4M dot OLED EVF with eye sensor Three control wheels for extensive tactile control over camera operations New 24MP sensor for class leading resolution with ISO range 100-16,000 Flip-style (90 degrees up/45 degrees down) 922K-dot 3-inch rear LCD display Shutter lag reduced to just 0.02 seconds using optional electronic first curtain 10 frames per second burst mode for up to 13 consecutive frames in RAW mode Integrated flash and hot shoe Progressive 1080p60 HD movie recording with built-in stereo mic and full manual exposure control The only features thing I can think of which is missing from the NEX-7 is a touch-responsive rear LCD, which interestingly has been incorporated into the new NEX-5N but not the flagship NEX-7. According to early reports, the NEX-7 will be priced ~$1200 body only or $1350-1400 with 18-55mm kit lens (a black version of which will only be available with the NEX-7). No other kit options (eg, Zeiss 24/1.8) have been announced. The second new camera announced today, pictured above, is the NEX-5N, which price-wise will occupy the middle position in the NEX range. The NEX-5N is an update to the existing NEX-5 and as mentioned above adds a touch-response rear LCD while increasing the sensor resolution to 16MP with an ISO range of up to 25,600 equivalent. Like the NEX-7, the NEX-5N offers a 0.02s shutter lag, improved autofocus speed compared to the prior NEX-5 model, burst mode of 10FPS, and full 1920X1080 HD video at 24P or 60P using AVCHD with manual control over exposure. The NEX-5N will cost ~$600 body only or $700 for 18-55mm lens kit. There will be an optional EVF for the NEX-5N which will feature the same 2.4MP OLED specification as the integrated EVF in the NEX-7 and priced at ~$350-399 based. Full coverage of all the new Sony announcements and more at 1001 Noisy Cameras.
Again, as much as I love the current NEX and love the new design of the NEX-7, I just can not see spending $1200. If you are willing to spend that much, there are some great full to mid sized DSLR's available. This puts this camera out of the range of most point and shoot owners looking for a bit more. Part of the appeal of the original NEX was the pricing. For just a little bit more, you could step up from the point and shot world. That is what first interested me. I was originally looking at a point and shoot that was $300ish, when I saw the NEX display. For $550.00 it was a bit more than what I had planned, but still within a reasonable budget. The $1200.00 price puts this new camera clearly out of the range of all of those looking for a bit more. I am happy to see more lenses come out, who would buy a camera system for $1200.00 with only three lenses available. Even though I am not going to buy one at this point, (see what they cost on EBAY in a year or so), I am anxious to see the reviews and hear what this camera can do. Hopefully this camera will be stunning.
It would be nice if Nex-7 is package with the Zeiss 24mm or at least the 50mm f1.8 instead of the dated SEL1855 which everybody has. 1200 for body alone is pretty steep as well. 1000 would be ok, 800 would be better....LOL
After seeing the new NEX-5n, and the new OLED viewfinder, that has changed my mind about getting the NEX-C3. It's not as nice looking as the C3 but it does have other things going for it, lower ISO, the viewfinder, better grip, touch screen (although that's not a deal breaker) and a few other things. But an extra £100 over the C3; ouch! Oh well, think I'll need to trade in my DSLR to afford it. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I'd probably go for the body only and continue using 3rd party lenses. Sony glass just isnt for me, I'll wait for a couple of months for the general consensus on the Zeiss, but even then I'd still probably stick to the lenses I already have. Well..unless I win the lottery....
The 7 seems close to perfect. I've never had much interest in Sony cameras but this one has really got my attention. I wish it had a jack for stereo sound, a pc terminal and the proprietary hot shoe was a shock to me. But the high quality evf, tilting display, control buttons, and 24mp sensor are calling to me. Lenses - well more are certainly to come and some of those from manufacturers other than Sony. In the meantime I have lots of legacy glass to try.
When it comes to high ISO, a comparison of NEX-5N to A77 Sony Alpha NEX-5N Compact System Camera - Hands-On Preview Sony Alpha SLT-A77 Camera - Hands-On Preview Looks like 5N is the winner. lol.
Ross, I agree. The NEX-5N is surely impressive. I'm surprised to see that it does better than the NEX-C3 as I was under the impression they both had the same sensor.
Truly impressive, and here's the ISO comparison to Nikon, Canon, Panasonic best DSLR cameras. The best is 5N. Image quality at ISO 12,800 goes like this: 1. Sony NEX 5N 2. Canon 5D Mark II 3. Canon 60D / 7D / 600D 4. Sony A77 / NEX 7 5. Panasonic GH2. Which is best for low light? Sony NEX 5N or NEX 7 and A77? | EOSHD.com
As far as I know, the C3 and 5N use the same sensor, so if the 5N is high ISO king, then so is the C3 .
