Autumn – Getting Cinematic with the Sony NEX-5N from Manuel A. Calle on Vimeo.
I promise, soon I will show you my first professional work done with my [shoplink 8452]NEX-5n[/shoplink] and amazing tiny and sexy [shoplink 9725 ebay]Voigtlaender Nokton 35mm f/1.4 lens (Click here to see them on eBay)[/shoplink]. Meanwhile I collected some news and tests I found on the web (Thanks to all readers for sending me links!).
The probably most interesting of all new reviews has been made by Dearsusans (Click here). The articles name is “Slow food review” and contains plenty of amazing photos. He compared the NEX-5n with his Mamiya 7 which is an amazing camera. I know that because I own one ([shoplink 10414 ebay]Click here to see it on eBay)[/shoplink]. Really worthy to be seen!
If you liked the video I posted on top of the article TheDigitalVisual explains you how to get this cinematic look on the NEX-5n!
Also the big newspaper do like the Sony camera: Sony’s NEX-5N versus Nikon’s J1 at The Wall Street Journal. Guess who wins 😉
Than a short summary of other links: Full review at SonyAlphaLab. Sony NEX-5n vs Nikon D700 High ISO comparison at kimletkeman. Aquatica Announces Housing for Sony NEX-5n (divephotoguide). Thai NEX-5n review at Pantip.
And last but not least….Pocket Lint (Click here) voted the NEX-5n as camera of the year!
Shopping note: You will not see any price drop soon even for Christmas time. Sony has not enough stock reserve because of the production stop in Thailand. But even the current price-quality balance of the Sony NEX-5n really beats the rest of the mirrorless world (and probably most of the DSLR world). So it gets certainly highly recommended by me!
Click here to check the NEX-5n price and availability: [shoplink 8452]
15 Responses
“iPhone tags pictures and iphone can wirelessly upload them -> conclusion: The iPhone has the lead in the field!!” hopefully WSJ readers get the irony 😉
Link to TheDigitalVisual does not work. Only works from Vimeo. church
If I didn’t already have the D7000, I would be tempted to pick up the NEX 5N. The sensor is pretty impressive. While the high ISO can’t match the FF D700, the base ISO seems to have much more dynamic range, which is where I usually use the D7000. It’s a shame the NEX only has 2 good lenses, the Zeiss and the 50mm.
Maybe you can safely count the 30mm macro too.
I have a bunch of 30-year old Nikon lenses that I use with my 5N and the results are impressive. But I can’t wait to get my hands on the Zeiss 24mm and the Sony 50mm.
I use manual lenses on my NEX, too. However great that may work though, you lose OSS. That’s unfortunate for photos and a real problem for video. I wish the NEX had sensor-shift, then the camera would probably be perfect. And an FF sensor. And A-GPS. And … oh well, one thing at a time. 🙂
The Slow-food review brings it nicely to the point.
“…In that post, I described how digital photography, for me, had become the picture making equivalent of fast food: convenient and fun occasionally, but often tasteless and ultimately very bad for you. I intend to use the little Sony as a therapy against the speed shooter syndrome and let deliberate photograph making take center point once again.”
This is exactly what is shooting for me and what also sets me apart from all the me too pro photographer crowd. They just snap away tasteless pictures, with always using one zoom lens and just doing rapapapam at weddings etc.
I call that chimpanzee photography. They always get offended, but shut up, when I ask them, if they don’t agree, that a chimp with their camera, switched-on in his hands wouldn’t be able to take the same photo as they do.
Gosh, how I hate these diletants.
NEX & Manual focus photography rules!
It brings the SOUL in shots again.
Here is a little video I put together with the 5n and the Voigtlander 35mm Nokton f/1.4:
http://vimeo.com/32957248
I own a Canon 7D, many lenses, pro-level sony video cameras, etc. Since I got the 5n and this lens, those cameras have stayed in their bags. I am loving how such a small package can create such amazing visuals.
Don’t get me wrong, the Nokton 35mm does have it’s limitations (Minimum focus distance), but when it works for the situation, it works darn well.
-Matt
I think you really need a helicoid adapter.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-M-L-M-SONY-NEX-E-mount-MACRO-TUBE-HELICOID-/320802908398?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab157e8ee#ht_1639wt_1139
It just restocked after couple of weeks. It’s expensive, but a lot more useful than those metabones. Every leica-came-nex shooters have it.
Dear NEX fans,
I was just posted this by a friend of mine:
http://vimeo.com/32238183
I know, it has nothing to do with SONY, however the video is beautiful, great, marvelous… Just something I wanted to share with you.
And a really powerful motivation as well as inspiration for me, as I am toying with the idea to do some time-lapse stuff… At least to try it…
ENJOY!
Hi ! Thanks so much for sharing a link to my “Slow Food” review of that wonderful little camera.
The Susan S in the dearsusans.wordpress.com URL, by the way, is Susan Sontag, who wrote strong words against the role of photography in society (“On Photography”). I think she might have liked the slow food approach 😉
Anyway, thanks again for the link and also for pointing out that camera to me. My mind was bent on the NEX-7, which is probably an amazing camera, but one I couldn’t wait for and which doesn’t seem to enjoy photons directed from non Sony lenses as much as the NEX-5N.
A happy camper 🙂
What a strange conclusion from WSJ hahaha… I like the (photo) result from my HTC phone that it kicks my old Lumix FX-100 pocket camera away from me. But comparing the result from my A55 (and NEX-5N) with the result from my phone is like comparing a knife with an AK-47.
Here’s the TheDigitalVisual link:
http://thedigitalvisual.com/getting-cinematic-with-the-sony-nex-5n-the-digital-visual-style
Awesome camera and thanks for sharing my link as well 😉 I still think it’s worth waiting for the Nex-7 though 😉 The sensor is just plan awesome!!! Bit depth is incredible high and best in class at ~24bits. Dynamic range is incredible high and best in class at 13.2 Evs. Killer for landscapes street photography, portraits and more. The OLED Viewfinder is a “must have” and is worth the upgrade from the Nex-5N just for that in my opinion. Even though the same exact OLED viewfinder is available as an accessory for the Nex-5N, it is just to expensive at ~$350. The Nex-7 is also incredible well built from what I’ve read so far, and the extra resolution is a nice perk for what I will use the camera for.
Sar, Really looking forward to seeing some of your work!! Are you planning on sharing any pics on google+?? Hint hint
Best,
Jay
Been following this site since i heard bout the nex-5. and holding out for the 5n, but skeptical about purchasing a new camera and having to send it instantly back for repair. defeats the purpose of purchasing a new product in my mind.
Futureshop up in canada has it on sale right now for 639 (black and silver models with the 18-55 lens). In Vancouver, BC i checked out a couple of their floor models at 2 different stores and neither clicked. At a best buy up here i checked too and it was really loud. So still a bit apprehensive, and all the forums there’s no definitive answer as to if all click or not. So decided to take the plunge. So far so good. no clicking and thats with quick direction changes, walking, tilting up and down etc. The mic is super sensitive so just zooming you can here it, and click any button you can hear that too in a silent room.
So not sure if there’s just some batches that don’t click or not, but seems futureshop up here has some.
Just wanted to post back and let people know since i check these forums all the time for info.