Which route Sony or Olympus

[John Walker]

I am thinking of adding the NEX-5N to my camera stable. I wanted some feedback. I have had Olympus since the OM-1 came out. I always felt they were innovative, built their cameras like tanks, and used wonderful lenses. I presently have a E-30 which I really like. The worse thing about it is its low light picture taking capabilities. In good light, there pictures are truly beautiful. I have heard the 5N has great capabilities in this area. I feel like this would be a great camera to fill the gap rather than replace the e-30. The other route I could go is to look at a NEX-7 to replace the E-30. I really like them both (from reading) but is this the kind of camera that could replace my E-30 as a studio camera. Your thought are greatly appreciated.

 

[serhan]

I think you have to look at as a system, eg which lenses you need to use. Sony is 2 yrs behind m43 as a system, but have better sensor. I have both and use m43 Oly more due to af lenses. Sony is used for more landscape shots with better dynamic range.

 

[JJJPhoto]

It depends on how you intend to use the 5n. Do you use your E-30 a bunch with a hot shoe flash? Do you plan to use the optional EVF with the 5n? If you answered yes to both then buy the NEX-7. You cannot use flash and the EVF at the same time on the 5n and that was a deal breaker for me.

PS, I also use Olympus DSLRs (E-3, E-1 and E-330) and Olympus micro 4/3 cameras. The NEX cameras do indeed perform better at high ISO and have better dynamic range. That said, the micro 4/3 system "currently" has a much better native lens selection than the NEX E-mount.

That said, I still pre-ordered the NEX-7.

 

[John Walker]

I guess I have become more of a casual shooter than in the past. The NEX line seems to fill that niche very well for me. I do not shoot as much with the shoe flash but I tend to remote the flash with a cord. I guess I am still unsure about the NEX-7 and its capabilities. I like the built in viewfinder and flash socket. I may have to wait till it comes out to get a better idea (or read what others might say). The Sony and Olympus are both nice. I guess I really did not consider the PEN line too much because of their low light shortcomings. I have always been impressed with Olympus and how they get so much out of their cameras. Tough call for me still. NEX-5N or NEX-7?

 

[RT_Panther]

It's a tough decision IF you don't have an IMMEDIATE desire for a large native lens stash. If you desire an immediate library of native lenses, the Olympus is the way to go.

 

[John Walker]

I have my older Olympus 35mm lenses which I enjoy using with my digital. I am swaying toward getting the NEX-5N and keeping the OLY E-30 also. The few reviews I have seen of the 5N really praise it.

 

[John Walker]

Got my hands on a NEX-5N. Slick little camera. Video is fantastic. Pictures run from excellent to pretty good. I tried to get used to no viewfinder. I kept bringing the camera to my face to look but "oops", no viewfinder (take some getting used to). I feel like I need to study the settings more. Auto mode is pretty good but not perfect. When the shot is good, it is very good. LCD is great and controls are generally very good. Decent little kit lens and size is scary small. These are my first impressions. I think I will do some testing against our work Canon T2i and my Olympus E-30 to get a feel where this camera is.

 

[Knikki]

I am also an Olympus user and still have and use a couple of OM cameras plus an E-20 and E-3 and I too was looking to get a mirrorless camera.

I did have my heart set on the Pen E-P3 but then decided I did not need all the features it has so decided on a EP-L3 BUT then I decided to get a Sony Nex C3 and the reasons are:

It was less money than the Olympus
As good as the Olympus is the, Sony has a larger sensor
The Sony felt better in the hands

Althought the Sony has a more limited lens range this does not bother me simpley because I like using only the one lens and these days hate carrying tones of gear around.

I didn't go for a Nex n5 as the added features again did not ,for me, warrent the extra cash.

 

[JJJPhoto]

The Sony felt better in the hands

That is the single biggest issue that people overlook when considering the new E-PL3 or E-PM1. The various aftermarket "stick-on" grips might help, but the E-PL3 and E-PM1 are just plain uncomfortable to hold in your shooting hand for an extended period of time.

I'm sure that if you just have the camera on a neck strap and only grip it when you take a shot it isn't bad, but after holding the E-PL3 for a while I actually developed a cramp in my right hand. I never had that issue with my E-PL1 or even my NEX-3 (which doesn't have a great grip).

 

[John Walker]

I used the NEX-5N with the lower half of the leather case (item LCS-EMB1A/B). It makes a nice steady grip for the camera (protects it also).

 

[stratokaster]

I think the main reason to buy into NEX is the quality of Sony sensors. However, there are serious concerns about lens selection and availability. For example, Sony's DSLR system is 5 years old and in my opinion it's still not a complete system (they still miss many lenses available in other mounts, like 35/2 or 35/2.8 etc). Sony's NEX lens roadmap is not exactly promising either. For example, 40mm f/2 lens? It will be ~60mm EFL -- not a terribly useful focal length, in my opinion.

 

[Travisennis]

I agree with Pavel. The lens selection for Sony is not there yet. I only shoot prime lenses and the only general purpose lens they have is $1000 Zeiss 24, which puts it out of my price range. If a wide selection of native auto-focus lenses is important to you then seriously consider the m4/3 system. If you are a user of adapted lenses then get a NEX because the sensor is second to none.

 

[John Walker]

I guess you are correct about the lens selection. I guess if you want to expand it somewhat you can get the adapter for the other Sony lenses. That would open up a bigger world (although it may be a bit bulky on the NEX bodies). I think for those in the NEX-5 and 3 series, what they have is fairly sufficient. I can see if you are a more avid photographer with greater needs of lenses, the NEX body lenses may be somewhat limiting. I can say for myself and the things I tend to shoot, they have (for now) covered the basics. That being said. I wanted to talk about the NEX-5N versus the Olympus E-30 and the Canon T2i. I can first say that all of them have things that I would combine into a "perfect camera" for me. Granted, these are not the top end cameras out there but for most consumers, I would think these are at the budget range that most would likely spend up to. My perfect camera would have the size, the video capabilities, the low light capabilities, and range of the NEX. I would take the build quality, image stabilization (in body), attention to detail, and image quality of the E-30. I would take the out-of-box quality of images (almost like a point and shoot on steroids) of the Canon. I know what the NEX-5N limitations are and I can live with them. The NEX-7 in my estimation would be a lights out winner if it was about 20% less money. I have my doubts if it can match the 5N in low light but that is my take on what I have read so far. To wrap up, the NEX-5N is almost perfect camera for those moving up from a point and shoot. Sony has hit the sweet spot here I believe. Olympus and Panasonic have great cameras also but their limitations would annoy most people, once they compare. Well, that is my take on the NEX-5n in comparison with some cameras that I have access to. Thanks.

 

[allofthelights]

This is stating the obvious, but as someone alluded to earlier, look at what lenses you want, and whether it is available for NEX or m43. For people only using the kit-lens, it doesn't really matter how many cute pancakes are available for Olympus. Similarly, if you currently need a wide-angle zoom, this won't be available for Sony until sometime next year, at unknown specifications, price and quality. This should certainly be an important factor in you decision.

 

[stakx]

Some nice points in this thread. One that hits close to home is comfort in the hand. I have a Canon Rebel XSi. The pics are nice, focus is good (though capturing kids is hard), and low-light could be better. The handgrip, though, is too small for me. I make do, but it's not like my old Canon 10QD (35mm film).

I'll have to borrow a PEN and NEX to see if either is more comfortable.

 

[Phoenix]

I tried to get used to no viewfinder. I kept bringing the camera to my face to look but "oops", no viewfinder (take some getting used to).

Hi John

You can invest in purchasing the EVF attachment for the 5N, it has had very good reviews so far and might be worth having a look at. But I know exactly how you feel, it also did take me a while to get used to using the LCD on the NEX coming from being so used to looking at a viewfinder, but once you get used to it, it does become second nature.

 

[ExNewt]

Be sure to look at details. Olympus micro 4/3 has image stabilization in the body, which sounds great until you read it reverts to software-based stabilization when shooting video.