Sony NEX-7 review

Sony introduced the NEX mirrorless range early in 2010 with the intention of attracting beginners stepping up from a compact. These customers, the company suggested, had little interest in the maker’s traditional DSLR range, and would prefer the smaller, lighter and easier to use NEX models instead. While that might well be the case, adopting the same APS-C sensors as their DSLRs and with a short 18mm flange back distance, allowing the use of practically any lens with an appropriate adaptor, it’s not much of a stretch to see how those cameras might benefit professional users. While Canon and Nikon continue to push the DSLR for professional use, with the introduction of this model, Sony appear to be hedging their bets between systems.

And, it’s not a bad strategy. Indeed, the NEX-7 shares many of the same features and therefore capabilities of the Alpha SLT-A77, including the 24-megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor with 1080/50p/50i/25p* video, incredible 10fps continuous shooting and remarkably detailed OLED electronic viewfinder. All of this Sony has achieved in a body reminiscent of a rangefinder, with the EVF installed in the top-plate to the far left without any unnecessary disruption to the body’s angular lines. Although it’s good, very good, it’s not the equal of an optical viewfinder, just yet. But, it has good contrast and colour while being ergonomically superior to using a loupe over a screen on a rival DSLR for video capture.

If the EVF is remarkable so to is the camera’s layout and ‘Tri-Navi’ controls consisting of two metal-alloy dials on the top plate and a third, more conventional direction-pad on the rear. While the two top-dials aren’t configurable, aperture values, shutter speeds and EV shift alternate with the shooting mode selected. They also alter other settings, for instance WB, AF modes, still/video image profiles, and more when used with a function button placed next to the shutter release. The direction pad is configurable, though likely best left to select sensitivity (useable up to ISO6,400 though offering a maximum of ISO160,000 in stills, ISO3,200 in video). Between them, the Tri-Navi dials are a triumph of simplicity, and vastly superior to the NEX-5n even though the three additional soft keys, primarily for the selection of the exposure modes and menu access are present on both.

While the exposure mode is selected by just a button push and a quick flick of any one of the Tri-Navi dials, the main menu isn’t particularly intuitive or, easy to navigate and selection requires multiple button pushes. Certain features aren’t grouped logically, adding to the problem of navigation generally. The NEX-5n is the same, but the touch sensitive panel of that model helps with selections. Oddly, the NEX-7 dispenses with that but retains the same highly detailed pull-out 16:9 aspect 3-inch LCD panel that’s essential for waist level stills and video capture. By default, movies occupy only a part of the screen, which seems an odd choice but at least there’s an option to utilize the whole of the screen’s real estate, even if it isn’t immediately apparent from the menu.

The large built-in handgrip is the best of the mirrorless models, including the Panasonic Lumix GH-2, the nearest rival in terms of stills and video capabilities. A dedicated video capture button perilously placed on the thumb-grip to the rear is easy to activate accidentally but doesn’t detract from the exceptional video capabilities and high quality capture. Like the GH-2, the NEX-7 has full manual control of Av, Tv and ISO during video capture. Combined with the optional Focus Magnifier as well as the outstanding live focus peaking option, critical manual focus is easy to achieve using either Sony lenses or third-party optics with a mount adaptor. Autofocus is possible during video, and there are several choices available over the expected centre and multi-point options including face detection and focus tracking but in low light levels, whether for stills or video, the contrast detection based system struggles. Faster lenses mitigate this but AF operation is slightly behind the current Olympus PENs and Nikon 1 bodies.

Be that as it may, operation is swift, and shutter lag, when pre-focused, is lower than the Nikon D3s. Stills image quality is excellent but you’ll need the very best in optical quality and focus accuracy to achieve the sensor’s potential. In camera JPEG processing reveals slightly aggressive noise reduction even at lower ISO’s, reducing small structure detail somewhat but that’s not an issue when shooting Raw. The NEX-7 is capable of delivering hugely detailed files unmatched by rivals using an APS-C sensor, though the standard kit lens isn’t a particularly strong performer. Sony desperately needs to widen the E-series range adding more high-quality primes such as the superb Sony Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 Sonnar T*. While that is neither small nor cheap, it’s a great match for what it is, arguably, Sony’s finest camera to date.



Samples





London skyline, Primrose Hill, London. Sony NEX-7 and Zeiss 1,8/24 T* (35mm equivalent).





Regent's Park Road, London. Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 at f/1.8 - some slight longitudinal CA is noticeable in the out-of focus highlights but the lens is otherwise an excellent performer.

*Please note the Sony NEX-7 is region specific, so you can't switch a PAL version to NTSC to access 1080/60p/60i/24p unfortunately. If you work with both standards you'll need to source two bodies - please use our links below.

Sales


If you found this review helpful and intend to remunerate us for this expensive and time-consuming work, please clear your browser's cache of cookies if visiting from a referring photo-site before clicking on our links, as we're unlikely to receive the commission from the retailer. Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Body only prices at:

Jessops (£999 inc VAT)

WEX UK (£995 in VAT)

Adorama ($1,119.99)

Amazon ($1,199)

B&H Photo $1,198 (Pre-order, released in limited quantity)

Sony Zeiss 24mm f/1.8T* (35mm-e):

Jessops (£849.95 inc VAT)

WEX £849 inc VAT

Adorama ($1,098)

B&H Photo ($1,098 back-ordered)



Related Posts


Sony 24mm f/1.8 Zeiss Sonnar T* sample images

Nikon 1 V1 review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 review

Fujifilm X100 concise review

Leica M9 concise review

Fuji X10 concise review

After the success of the fixed lens retro APS-C format X-100, Fuji has applied the same design criteria to a digital compact camera with a built-in zoom in a bid to rival the likes of the Canon G-12, Panasonic Lumix LX5 and Olympus XZ-1. It differs from those models by adopting a 2/3-inch type Fuji made EXR CMOS sensor, that’s at least 25-percent larger in surface area while still maintaining a compact size body and fast f/2.0-f2.8 zoom lens. The Fuji made Fujinon-branded metal barreled zoom is not quite as fast as the f/1.8 Zuiko on the XZ-1 but it’s the same 28-112mm equivalent range and is not a great deal larger overall. Surrounding the lens is an unusual inclusion, a nicely knurled manual zoom ring that doubles as a power-on switch. It’s an attractive feature, certainly in-keeping with the retro design, and an improvement over the usual powered zoom options found on rivals, but the mechanism doesn’t feel particularly durable.

Under the satin black magnesium top cover the inclusion of an optical viewfinder using glass elements and prisms as opposed to the more common plastic construction is another welcome feature. It lacks the sophistication of the hybrid LCD/optical viewfinder of the X100 but it’s more useable than that found on Canon’s G-series. As Fuji claims, the image is bright but what they don’t say is that the lens barrel obscures the lower right corner of the frame at the shorter focal lengths. With coverage at 85-percent very careful framing is required and as there’s no viewfinder information it’s tempting at times to use the rear fixed 420k pixel LCD. If you’re familiar with the X100, the info display is very similar.

Manual focusing is possible using the rear command dial, and the distance and depth-of-field scales are shown but it’s a fiddly arrangement. Autofocus, on the other hand, is generally very reliable, with few shots lost from inappropriate AF point selection. If greater reliability is required, however, a centre AF spot, aligned with the viewfinder’s cross hairs, is a comfort for more conservative users at up to 7fps (in Large Fine quality).

Layout of the X10 mimics that of its larger sibling, the X100. The easily dislodged exposure compensation dial of the earlier model has been replaced with a more highly tensioned unit, but the main dial on the top plate no longer shows shutter speeds but exposure modes instead. The X10 also loses the aperture ring from the lens and follows most rivals, the exception here being the XZ-1 (which has a very useful control ring surrounding the lens) but means shutter speeds and aperture values must be selected from the X10’s rear command dials, and checked using the rear LCD. This extra step means you can make reliable adjustments when using the viewfinder, and it’s the same when selecting sensitivity.

The X10 has a programmable Function (Fn) button close to the shutter release, so you can customize it to display ISO settings on the rear screen but it can only be used for one function at time. I would have preferred a scrolling feature with an option for several functions or even a dedicated ISO dial, perhaps in place of the EV compensation control. Fuji’s main menu system isn’t as logical or intuitive as the current best (from Canon and Olympus), indeed, it’s fairly troublesome to navigate; in part due to the structure but also because of the somewhat fiddly direction-pad. Of all the niggles, it’s perhaps the most perplexing, though you can pretty much avoid it once the camera has been set-up.

To be fair the X10 performed well. Like other Fuji cameras the Film emulation settings (Velvia, Provia, Astia as well as some B&W options) are attractive when looking for in-camera produced JPEGs. Fuji’s EXR sensor and Fujinon lens is capable of producing files with excellent tonality and sharpness, as well as a high degree of resolving power. Some slight fringing was noticeable on high contrast edges, and the lens can flare heavily but an optional lens hood is available. Images are usable up to ISO800 before noise and detail are at odds and the movie clips are surprisingly clean. Fuji’s decision to include recording times of up to 29-minutes at 1920x1080p betters many DSLRs while both the manual zoom and focus options become more relevant. Rivals with articulated screens, such as the Canon G-12, Nikon P7100 and the Olympus XZ-1 using an optional EVF may be the more user-friendly for video and cost less (the exception being the XZ-1 EVF combination) but they can’t compete with the X10’s graceful lines and only the Olympus comes close to matching the Fuji’s files in colour and imaging quality.





Fuji X10 set at 7.1mm (28mm equiv) f/4.0 at ISO100. Auto EXR mode.

To Buy


If you found this review helpful and intend to remunerate us for this expensive and time-consuming work, please clear your browser's cache of cookies if visiting from a referring photo-site, as we're unlikely to receive the commission from the retailer. Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Adorama $599.95
Amazon US $599.00
B&H Photo $599.00

Amazon UK £391.50
Jessops £406.00
Wex £399.00

Thank you for buying from this site's links.

Related Posts


Fuji X-Pro1 body and lenses available for pre-order
Fujifilm X100 concise review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 review

Launched two years ago ahead of collaborator and rival Olympus, the micro four-thirds format Lumix DMC-G1 was largely dismissed by imaging professionals. With a small body, a usable electronic viewfinder and interchangeable lenses the concept broke new ground, but the appeal wasn't understood until some months later when Olympus launched the Pen EP-1 to critical acclaim.

Since then, Sony and Samsung, the other 'big two' consumer electronics companies, have introduced their own iterations using a larger APS-C sensor. But while the camera bodies continue to shrink in size, the lenses aren't going to be any smaller than those already made for APS-C DSLRs.

In contrast, the smaller imaging circle required for the Panasonic Lumix G-series and Olympus Pens models means that lenses are genuinely small. Panasonic understood this from the beginning and has continued to expand the range with a couple of genuinely small and useful 'pancakes' and some very versatile zoom lenses.

But Panasonic wouldn't be one of the world's largest consumer electronics company without grasping the potential of these cameras for video. Oddly, this was missing from the original DMC-G1 but it has been a core feature of every model since, and the still current Lumix DMC-GH2 is widely acclaimed for its pro-level video capabilities.

The Lumix DMC-G3 is the first of a new generation to feature the company's latest advances in both hardware and software. Although it's not a true multi-aspect format imaging device like that used in GH2, it's the first to feature a new 16-megapixel sensor up from the 12-megapixel units that were first introduced with the G1.

Like the GH2's sensor the new Live MOS unit has readout speed of 120HZ, double that of the earlier G2 model and that brings with it a number of advantages. Auto-focus in these 'mirrorless' is achieved using a contrast detection system that's a part of the imager itself. The faster readout reduces the detection time, by half in this instance, doubling the drive speed.

Auto-focus operation isn't improved across all the lenses though, just the some of the more recent additions, including the versatile 14-140mm and bundled 14-42mm (28-84mm equivalent) zoom. The 14-42mm is near silent in operation and is fast to focus in stills mode, faster than current Olympus offerings* but, despite the claims, still not quite swift enough for following action and sports.

Autofocus is much slower during video, but G3 and kit lens allows the subject to be kept in focus in any part of the image right up to the edge. Distance adjustments are mostly smooth and, after experimentation with the various AF point options, the G3 is largely successful at keeping the subject in focus.

The faster readout also means the G3 acquires the finderless GF2's full HD 1080i video. That's captured at 30/25fps but output as 60/50i as per NTSC/PAL specifications, and up from the G2's 720p. Unfortunately, unlike the GH2, there's not much in the way of control.

You can set exposure compensation before video capture begins as well as choose between a few colour settings but that's about it. The 3-inch (460k dot) pressure sensitive screen, the same found on the earlier G2, allows you to change the point of focus during capture simply by dragging.

A 'defocus control' option is another useful option, using an on-screen slider, but would work better still if the screen was more sensitive. And, these features are redundant if you’re using the camera's built-in EVF. Panasonic hasn't changed the finder, it's the same 1.4m dot resolution screen found on the G2 but they're removed the proximity sensor to switch between that the rear vari-angle panel, which is a shortcoming.

As a component of the image-processing chip the G3 also inherits the Venus Engine FHD from the GH2. Not only is this responsible for JPEG processing including noise reduction, but also for tone curves and colour rendering in stills and video. In camera JPEGs and video are very clean, but noise reduction is being applied quite heavily when compared to RAW files. And Panasonic still has a way to go with colour rendition, it's not up to that of the rival Olympus Pens.

So far, Panasonic has innovated in market with its electronic viewfinder-based mirrorless cameras and advanced video options but the G3 isn't much more than a GF2 with an EVF and new sensor. It excels for occasional video and visual note taking but it's not the ultra-compact pro-video camera it could have been. Evidently, Panasonic don't want to cannibalize the sales of the outstanding Lumix GH2.

* Please note this article appeared in print before the introduction of the Olympus EP-3.



Contact

For more information please visit www.panasonic.co.uk, or www.panasonic.com.

Sales


Adorama Camera are selling at $639.00 c/w 14-42mm kit lens.

Jessops are selling the camera at £446.95 inc VAT (online special price) c/w 14-42mm kit zoom.

Wex Photographic (formerly Warehouse Express) is selling at £469.00 inc VAT c/w 14-42mm kit zoom.

Related posts


Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 intial impressions.

Olympus PEN E-P3 and 12mm f/2.0 samples.