Sony NEX EVIL as an M8 alternative

[thrice]

It's on DPReview now.

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/sonynex5/

The flange is larger than M, and the register shorter. Adaptation should be a piece of cake.

 

[monza]

Is there any mention of menu option to shoot without lens, and what about magnifid focus assist?

 

[Vivek]

Three things are crucial for the effective use of manual focus lenses:

1. Shoot without lens.

2. Auto gain (EVF and LCD).

3. Zoom assist.

The registry distance of 18mm is excellent news!:thumbs:

Let us see if any of the other criteria are satisfied. If not, the m4/3rds would still be the Kings when it comes to using manual focus lenses.

 

[hsertic]

If, and it is a big question if, it can mount M lenses, then it could (if there is a proper way to magnify focus area, and of course, if it can shoot without a lens) replace M8 without a problem. It would be perfect to mount some old summilux (35 or 50).

Looking for the answers...

 

[Schmiddi]

Well, I'm pretty sure that there might be zoom assist for MF - as all old Alpha lenses (those without internal AF-drive) are MF only with the Sony adaptor. Without zooming that would be a very bad joke (on the other hand Sony wants us to buy the new E-lenses...). Shoot without lens is - less hope, as newer Alpha also don't have this option any more (or are full manual then).

Andreas - also hoping for an M-type adaptor...

 

[kweide]

Lens compatibility ???

".. A mount adapter will be available, giving the ability to use Sony and Minolta Alpha-mount lenses. The LA-EA1 adapter will have a motor to control the lens aperture but nothing to driving the autofocus (they can't currently focus SSM and SAM lenses with built-in focus motors either). We have no pricing for the adapter yet but suspect the additional mechanical complexity of providing aperture support may mean it's worth thinking very hard about how much it's really worth to retain compatibility..."

From dpreview first hands on !

So ALL lenses are without AF support. This can be a show stopper.

 

[douglasf13]

Three things are crucial for the effective use of manual focus lenses:

1. Shoot without lens.

2. Auto gain (EVF and LCD).

3. Zoom assist.

1) Check. Via Imaging Resource:

"Release w/o Lens
- Enable
- Disable
Enables or disables image capture without a lens attached. This could be useful when attaching the camera to a completely manual lens, or via an adapter with no electrical connectivity."

2) Check. Via Imaging Resource:

"As we note elsewhere, the LCD on the NEX-5 is superb, with great contrast and an extremely high resolution of 921.6K dots. It's also generously sized, with a 3.0" diagonal, and can automatically account for ambient lighting to adjust its brightness. Add in its double-hinged tilt mechanism for shots overhead or low to the ground, and the NEX-5 becomes a joy for precise manual focusing, from most any angle."


3) Check. Via imaging resource:

"Of course, the Sony NEX-5 also offers manual focusing - either as the sole focusing method, or for fine-tuning focus once AF is complete. In the manual focus modes, an option called MF assist optionally causes the camera to magnify the preview image by either 7x or 14x, whenever the focus ring is adjusted. The zoom level is adjusted by pressing a soft key, and MF assist preview is centered around either the user-selected focus point in Flexible Spot or Center modes, and around the AF point selected by the camera in Multi AF. (If more than one AF point is considered to be in focus, then the camera selects one of these points around which to base the preview, although we're not exactly sure what the criteria for choosing the center point is.) Given that Alpha (A-mount) lenses offer only manual focusing through the mount adaptor, MF Assist will prove doubly useful for owners of Alpha digital SLRs who want to share their glass between bodies. Of course, while the fly-by-wire E-mount lenses can tell the camera when focus is being adjusted, this isn't possible with A-mount glass, so the MF Assist function must be manually triggered when needed."


M lenses, ahoy!! :thumbup::thumbup::clap:

 

[monza]

Sweet.

Dpreview seems kinda pissed:

"Phil: Having spent a considerable amount of time producing previews of both cameras we were slightly surprised this morning to see full reviews of the NEX-5 on another sites who were apparently given production cameras (which we were promised but never received). We only received pre-production models and honored Sony's request not to publish images."

 

[Vivek]

Douglas, Thank you!

Robert, Yet another reason to celebrate Sony and NEX3/5. :clap::clap:

 

[ptomsu]

Sweet.

Dpreview seems kinda pissed:

"Phil: Having spent a considerable amount of time producing previews of both cameras we were slightly surprised this morning to see full reviews of the NEX-5 on another sites who were apparently given production cameras (which we were promised but never received). We only received pre-production models and honored Sony's request not to publish images."

Outch - what did Phil do wrong with Sony

 

[monza]

Yes indeed. Contax G lenses ahoy.

 

[charlesphoto]

Lets hope they're working on a 24mm f2 (36mm 35 equiv). That would really beat up the competition. Why they didn't do this in the first place makes me wonder if any of these companies actually talk to photographers....

 

[hsertic]

Maybe we are lucky - I have checked dpreview reviews of Panasonic G1 and previews of Sony Nex. According to the illustrations, mFT has mount diameter of 48mm and flange distance of 20mm, while e-mount has mount diameter of 47mm and flange distance of 18mm.

I really hope that there is a chance for M-mount adapters.

 

[douglasf13]

m4/3 has a mount diameter of ~38mm, not 48mm. NEX should be able to mount just about any 35mm lens in existence via adapter. I'm excited to try some M lenses in the 35mm focal length as my "standard" lens on NEX.


BTW, the Alpha mount has a mount diameter of 50mm, so the NEX's E-mount is nearly the same size!

 

[hsertic]

m4/3 has a mount diameter of ~38mm, not 48mm. NEX should be able to mount just about any 35mm lens in existence via adapter. I'm excited to try some M lenses in the 35mm focal length as my "standard" lens on NEX.

Sorry, I've misread the picture on dpreview - regular 4/3 has mount diameter of 48mm, m43 has diameter of 42mm.
It is really exciting if there really is possibility to mount M lenses on this body - there is a significant difference between 2x and 1,5x crop.

 

[thrice]

I've measured and adapted a 34 lux asph to the NEX-5 (in photoshop).

If you're on a 24" 1920x1200 monitor (or any monitor with 94.34 ppi) then this is life size as well.

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

put a nice little pancake on there and you're laughing!