The USA readers are having the biggest difficulty to find a NEX-7 in Stock. So it will may help you to know that at the NEX-7 body with 18-55mm lens is in Stock for the normal price at Amazon (Click here) and the body only at Cameta (Click here). In Europe you can find plenty of cameras at Amazon Germany (Click here), Amazon France (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Jessops (Click here), Amazon Italy (Click here), Redcoon Poland (Click here) and Redcoon Spain (Click here). In Asia at Amazon Japan (Click here) and Digitalrev (Click here).
But now let’s go back to the NEX-7 theme of the moment. Photozone (Click here) now published the 55-210mm NEX lens test and once again it proves that the NEX-7 demands top lenses to get superb results. Anyway, the lens isn’t as bad as the other NEX lenses: “The lens is surely not remotely capable of exploiting the potential of this sensor but the results are generally decent – at least from a real world perspective.”
Kurt Munger (Click here) tested the 30mm macro lens on the NEX-C3: “Unfortunately, Sony’s hot streak has come to an abrupt end with the new 30mm F/3.5 macro lens. It’s not that it’s a bad lens, it just isn’t very impressive.”
In Short, if you like me want the best quality on the NEX-7 than go for the superb Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 (Here at [shopcountry 8450]) or the cheap and still good 50mm f/1.8 (preorder at [shopcountry 8448]).
28 Responses
I have no idea why people waste their time and others’ by testing a macro lens for things it is not intended for!
Waste of time!!
Making proclamations based on such “tests” is simply ridiculous.
I agree with you, he tests a macro lens shooting landscapes! lol!
Wait a minute… Sony lenses labeled as Macro are *only* supposed to be used for macros? Granted I’m fairly new to Sony, but I’ve never heard that. Canon and Nikon make great regular use lenses with macro capability (like the Micro-Nikkor AF-S 105mm). Sony can’t do the same?
Since you mentioned Micro Nikkor, let me point out the old 55mm Micro Nikkors. They were (the first 3 generations or so) optimized for close range (1/10X to be exact) and were quite bad near infinity.
Yes, Sony can and should make lenses that can do at least moderately well near infinity. Check out what the testers did near the macro range. Seriously, there is no evidence that they know what they are doing. That speaks volumes than the lens or its performance.
How does one light up a flat subject like a stamp or a coin for near 1X captures? There are many books available. 🙂
Thanks, I guess its important to understand if you buy this brand new 2012 lens than some think its below par for anything other than macro. 😉
Many know that the Canon 100mm macro is a fantastic portrait lens and the Zeiss 100mm macro has been known for years as a great landscape lens. 🙂
I forgot to point out that in the review he states that it’s a true macro lens. and its clear that it should not be confused with other macros that can be used for other purposesto, and his review shows this.
How do people come up with this nonsense? Almost all lens tests with numerical results use test charts with a limited physical size (maybe 1 m x 1.5 m), only those using more expensive optical benches can test lens performance with numerical value near infinity.
There are also test targets available for macro lenses/magnifications. None of the testers seem to be doing anything with such. 😉
Nonsense, indeed. 🙂
Have anyone tested if Leica or Zeiss M-mount lenses can full resolve that sensor?
Administrator, please ignore Photozone in future. These guys dont’t seem to be fully sane somehow.
Fanboys against one of the best lens reviewers – that’s really funny, especially since he missed the fact that this time Kurt Munger is complaining, while Klaus Schroiff for photozone.de sees respectable results even when using a NEX-7. What’ll be left to talk about seriously, when the fanboys will have banned the most advanced reviewers from being noticed?
NEXfive: Life goes on. Photography does not die if these testers do not exist. 😉
Of course not, but reducing one’s identity to stupid fanboyism and bashing them to oblivion is totally insane, especially since many people really like these reviews – including myself.
Well this IS sonyalpharumors, not sure why you’re so surprised, the “stupid fanboyism” is rather predictable and expected…
At the moment I really think it’s better to ignore tests and technical forums.
Real photography does not happen in the lab and pixel peeping spoils the pleasure of taking photographs.
This topic of lenses not resolving enough to match these 24MP sensors is an old one.
We had these debates last year as soon as the A77 and NEX7 were announced.
I own allot of alpha glass but don’t own any single lens over $1,200.
Even on a NEX VG20 (16mp) I can spot the limitations on the glass edges and also at wide open apertures.
If I can spot the down-sides of the glass performance at 16mp, it’s just going to be that much less useful at 24 mp.
I’m not sure why many have completely disagreed in the past that this problem actually exists.
I think Kurt is wording things a bit weird here, even though I generally respect his tests a lot.
For example, even his own tests show that this consumer grade 55-210 on a Nex 7 performs similar or quite a bit better (center) than a higher end Sony 70-210 G on a Sony A700 at almost all overlapping focal lengths and apertures. Ofcourse a better lens can deliver much better results on the NEX 7 still, no argument there. But back into the above context (similar or better resolution than “great” from a higher end lens on a lower MP body), is still pretty good and certainly not worse than using the same lens with a lower MP sensor, as some seem to conclude from his words.
Interesting. Amazon is showing the NEX-7 body only at almost $1500, and Cameta is saying it has a touchscreen!
I wrote Cameta Camera some months ago and asked them to please change the wrong mentioning of a touch screen on the NEX-7 (Probably it was a copy paste error from NEX-5N description). Obviously they just ignore such communication…
cameta is so smart!!! list nex7, but description of nex5n! so they can just sell you the nex5n at nex7 pricing!!!
To Joe:
http://www.fotomaf.com/blog/09/02/2012/adaptador-helicoidal-de-leica-m-a-sony-nex-y-focus-peaking/
Redfern I saw the amazon price when I clicked the link and laughed….. No wonder they have 4 left
I think this is a classical moment when the camera guys got ahead of the lens guys at Sony.
Even on the 5n, I was somewhat disappointed with the camera using my 16mm, 18-55mm glass, until I bought 24mm Zeiss. It brought the camera to a new level of quality & capability.
Having said this, I still enjoy all of my lenses knowing their limitation.
Old truth in photography are still valid, it is the lenses that make the difference.
As far as Photozone is concerned, you may disagree with them, but I found them very reliable and they have not shown any bias against Sony.
It is very clear that the NEX-7 sensor has an off-axis problem. All lenses tested on different resolution sensors (eg, on the Nikon D200 and D7000) produce a higher resolution for all apertures and position in the image. The NEX-7 is the exception in that it does so only in center and does the worst wide-open in the corners where the light rays come in the most off-axis.
Sony bait and switch crap. Don’t believe the availability of any of the folks that show it in. I called Ritz Camera directly after seeing the “In Stock. Available for Shipping” and they did NOT have it in stock and only hope to have some next week. I placed a order last week on the Sony website when it said “Available 3/20” and it never shipped and still says it was supposed to ship this past Friday. Yes, I feel sorry for them and I know these are hard to come by, but lying about inventory status to get an order is dishonest.
The Sigma 19mm and 30mm also look very promising. Will be great to see some tests on a NEX-7. I’m really thinking about picking up one of the 30mm Sigmas, especially given the low price.
I bought one and am happy with it (30mm). This also seems to be the only all glass lens (besides the 24/1.8) in E mount. 🙂
I was getting pretty nervous about placing an order with Cameta yesterday since they still list the NEX-7 in stock while everyone else sells out in minutes, especially after the user above mentioned Ritz is still pulling this crap. But mine just shipped and arrives Friday, so since they’re still listed in stock don’t hesitate to order from Cameta instead of wasting time trying to snipe one on Amazon, Adorama, etc.