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NEX vs GF1; which to bring on my upcoming trip?

T

tom in mpls

Active member
I own both bodies right now. Both NEX lenses, and the Panny 20. I find myself stymied right now with lens selections. My wife and I have on short notice committed to a big trip to Turkey next month and I don't know what to take. I have moved away from DSLR's for the smaller size of these cams, but neither body has the AF lenses that I need for this trip. I would like to take the NEX but really wanted a better lens than the NEX zoom to go with the 16mm. Maybe I'm better off with the GF1 and the one lens. I think the NEX has better files but the lens options leave me in a quandry. I find the current lack of small lenses to be a frustration.

Would you go with what I have, or should I add a single smallish AF prime or zoom to one of them? :talk028: I've done lots of traveling with the DSLR kit; this time I want a more minimalist approach. Maybe just the Panny/20 as I do prefer a fast lens.
 
aleksanderpolo

aleksanderpolo

New member
Have you considered getting a 9-18 to go with your trip? It could add something you cannot do with the normal slowish zoom.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Tom, Don't you own an M9? That plus a couple of fast lenses would do, I would reckon.
 
Terry

Terry

New member
What do you think you will be shooting? and I assume you want to take no camera bag at all...
For me I would probably take (others hate zooms):
GF1 + 20 and 14-140
NEX + Contax G 35mm + 18-55 (or 18-200 but I haven't tried it on the NEX yet).

If it was really just going to be a one lens keep it tiny
GF1 + 20 mm is more versatile than NEX + 16
 
T

tom in mpls

Active member
Terry, I will be shooting streets, buildings, indoors, people, and some landscape type. I will take a camera bag if I need a second lens.

Thanks for your suggestions. The currently limited lens selections don't make it easy.
 
W

wjlapier

Member
Tom, I don't have the NEX, but I do have the GF1 and 20, 7-14, and 14-140. IMO, this is about as good as it gets for a compact kit.
 
T

tom in mpls

Active member
NEX AF options would be NEX zoom plus 16mm, or alpha lenses with adapter and new software.

I have just located this reference for all the FT and mFT lenses.

I am leaning towards the very minimalist GF1 plus 20mm.
 
aleksanderpolo

aleksanderpolo

New member
I think the 14-45 kit zoom is pretty decent in day light, give you some more range than the 20 (I use mainly indoor lowlight). Also, there is a 9-18 for sale in the marketplace. Both of them are quite small if you want to travel light. I usually put a GF1 + 20 + 14-45 in one holster bag.
 
C

curious80

Guest
wjlapier said:
Tom, I don't have the NEX, but I do have the GF1 and 20, 7-14, and 14-140. IMO, this is about as good as it gets for a compact kit.
Click to expand...
Nice setup - though I would go for 45-200mm instead of 14-140mm - it is lighter, cheaper and has more reach.

With such a setup I would keep the 20mm lens on most of the time and will not want to switch lenses unless I want to go really wide or really long. The 14-45mm range will basically be covered by 20mm and foot zoom. Thats why for me it makes more sense to pair the 20mm with 7-14mm/9-18mm and 45-200mm.

Now if only I could find money to pair my lonely 20mm with these other two guys! :)
 
M

monza

Active member
I am a big fan of the Sony kit zoom. Bokeh is excellent. It does have some distortion but that only is visible in certain situations and is easily fixed if it bothers..

I'd take the NEX with kit zoom, the 16, and a fast adapted lens of some sort. The sweep pano feature is great for a travel cam.
 
T

tom in mpls

Active member
New idea. Bring the Nex/16 and the GF1/20. No changing lenses. Effectively 24mm and 40mm. The new pardigm: a body for each lens.:toocool:
 
Cindy Flood

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
tom in mpls said:
New idea. Bring the Nex/16 and the GF1/20. No changing lenses. Effectively 24mm and 40mm. The new pardigm: a body for each lens.:toocool:
Click to expand...
I like this idea because then you have a backup, too. I would never go on such an important trip with just one body. I'd tuck that Contax 35 in there, too.
If you go back to the idea of only one body, I'd make it the NEX. Monza is right about the pano feature being very worthwhile for travel.
Downside of this idea is 2 sets of batteries/chargers to deal with.
 
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V

Vivek

Guest
tom in mpls said:
New idea. Bring the Nex/16 and the GF1/20. No changing lenses. Effectively 24mm and 40mm. The new pardigm: a body for each lens.:toocool:
Click to expand...
Indeed. That is why the Fuji 100X resonates well among many.

None (m4/3rds or the fledgling NEX) are (old type) real system type imagers.
 
Godfrey

Godfrey

Well-known member
tom in mpls said:
...
I am leaning towards the very minimalist GF1 plus 20mm.
Click to expand...
That would be what I brought given what you have. I don't know the NEX cameras or lenses at all. Maybe if I felt strongly about it, add portrait tele, but overall the one-lens kit will push you to see and create rather than consider lens changing.

Of course, some opportunities will be missed. Such it is.

My trip to NY recently had me with the E-1 body, 11-22 and 35 Macro. It was a great kit. Biggest percentage of my favorite picks were at 22mm or 35mm.
 
jonoslack

jonoslack

Active member
Hi Tom
Just back from a 3 week trip to Crete (bright light, lots of opportunities - not so different from your trip to Turkey).

All this doctrinaire stuff - I've just been going through our shots (A900 / M9 / X1 / D-lux4 / V-lux 20).

I don't know if you're after technical or artistic integrity, or good memories (or possibly a mixture), but in the daylight the pictures from the V-lux20 (Panasonic TZ10) have been splendid - both of us fought over it, set to -1/3 exposure, -2 noise reduction, -1 sharpening. P mode.

Choose your NEX / GF1 1 or two lens kit by all means (and I actually agree with Monza that the NEX zoom is a fine lens). However, a TZ10 fits in your shorts pocket and with a 24-240 zoom you won't be missing too many shots (in bright light as I said). It'll shoot bugs at an inch or so, and people several hundred yards away. Printing at 17" will be fine for most purposes.
 
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