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NEX versus GH1 image quality

M

meilicke

Guest
Curious80, I apologize for hijacking your thread! I'll stop now...

-Scott
 

douglasf13

New member
Douglass, can you comment on how exactly you hold your nex plus lens, and manually focus? I am having a hard time trying to imagine using a waist level finder and:

1. photographing people
2. manually focusing, considering how small the body is.

Thanks!

-Scott
I've manually focused 16mm, 20mm, 35mm, 50mm, 135mm primes and a 70-200 zoom with the NEX-5, and I find it relatively easy. Of course, "waist-level" is a bit of an overstatement. It's more like slightly-below-sternum level. I flip the screen up and press it against my (or slightly below the) sternum area. I primarily shoot the 35mm, and I have a decent hit rate at around f2 or smaller without focus zooming. However, for when I need very quick shots on the street, I keep the 35mm zone focused to either 5 or 10 ft. at f5.6.

Have you used a waist-level finder camera before? IMO, it's ideal for people photography. Platon uses them to great affect, because he relates to the subject well by not having a big piece machinery in front of his face.

That being said, and EVF would be a great addition.

p.s. i should mention that i had Lasik at the beginning of the year, so my vision is pretty good now.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
In the second picture, assuming that is you in the reflection to the right, it looks like you are holding the camera at waist level.

That would be the same as the nex, right?
When you put it in words, it may appear similar (definitely NOT the same). :)

Where you would hold the NEX and keep the fingers on the focus ring and the picture clicker button is big mystery to me. The swivel LCD (this has been discussed a lot when the G1 came out) actually extends as an addition support and would rest in your palm and wrist in portrait orientation. In landscape also, similar holding patterns- sort of cradling a baby- comes into play.

One of my early shots (that sample still had the LUMIX logo, etc since it was brand new- I killed that sample trying to modify it, etc, etc) of the cam itself with my (then) newly made m4/3rds to Leica M adapter:


Untitled by Vivek Iyer, on Flickr


When Sony actually think thing through, perhaps in a NEX7 or 11, I hope to see something useful. Not just firmware upgrades to make the use of a NEX less complicated and less frustrating but actually useful.
 

douglasf13

New member
While some do wish for more buttons on the camera, most that I hear from find the camera a joy to use, outside of software issues that will be largely fixed soon.
 
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V

Vivek

Guest
While some do wish for more buttons on the camera, most that I hear from find the camera a joy to use, outside of software issues that will be largely fixed soon.
I hope to see lots of photos after the software issue fixes that will reflect this overheard "joy to use". :)
 

douglasf13

New member
I hope to see lots of photos after the software issue fixes that will reflect this overheard "joy to use". :)
Tom, I use the Voigtlander 35/1.4. I'd love that Summicron, though.

Vivek, I'm not sure I've shot anything with the NEX worth showing anyone, yet.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Vivek;250128 When Sony actually think thing through said:
I don't know how you define 'useful', but the A33 is certainly a joyful thing to use, with all the options in the right place.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
I don't know how you define 'useful', but the A33 is certainly a joyful thing to use, with all the options in the right place.
Good to know that, Jono, especially you being one of the ex-Nex owners.
 

douglasf13

New member
Ah, don't be so modest. Nice shot! :)

The truth is, I just adopted a new dog, and I refuse to bore people with all of the puppy shots I've been taking. lol.
 

Jim DE

New member
Douglas, I agree with you ....... the NEX with legacy lenses has brought the fun back into photography for me. I also have the a33 and still use my NEX for 80-90% of my shots. Not that the a33 is bad because it isn't it's a good camera and it is doing exactly what I wanted it to do (be on my side with a long zoom mounted to it with minimal weight and excellent IQ)

I am not a street/wedding or sport photographer so I rarely need formula 1 speed out of my cameras to get a shot. I am more of a "one shot one kill" kind of photographer. The NEX is perfect for that held waist level and shot from the tilt screen. I almost never use continuous exposure modes and have found I like the tilt screen much better than either optical or electronic view finders.

There are numerous types of photographers doing an infinite number of different things with cameras that is why there isn't just one format or camera for everyone to use thankfully. Some love large format, some medium format, others like dSLR's or whatever. Some have stuck with film others went to digital .... there are no definitive right or wrong choices in this game just use what fits you the best and makes one happy and that is the right choice. For me it is the NEX and legacy lenses for my portable rig of choice and will be for many years (though the past couple months appear to say different ;) I avoid chasing technology and I am now done buying for the next 3-6 years if history proves itself again as I have just retired my Minolta 7D) with the a33 and a long zoom on my other shoulder when needed.

I could not be happier ........
 
M

meilicke

Guest
Vivek, Douglass, Jim, everyone :), thanks for the comments on usability. I think I need to reacquire the G1 and then a NEX to compare. Surely my wife will agree to preserve my mind?::D Or maybe not...:scry:

-Scott
 

Jim DE

New member
mellicke, I have no comment on how the NEX does in comparison to the G1. I never owned or handled one so please don't base my preference due to a comparison of these two. I can only state what I have used and liked and with that premise I can say without question I enjoy almost every aspect of the NEX5 for the type photography I enjoy. I like the fact that with adapters the NEX allows me to use every lens I own and essentially is a very small universal digital lightbox with IMO excellent IQ. It's only weak spot is flash photography and using long zooms without in lens stabilization. That is why I bought the a33 to use in conjunction with the NEX5 for those rare times I need either of these aspects in my photography.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
mellicke, I have no comment on how the NEX does in comparison to the G1. I never owned or handled one so please don't base my preference due to a comparison of these two. I can only state what I have used and liked and with that premise I can say without question I enjoy almost every aspect of the NEX5 for the type photography I enjoy.
Fair comment, Jim.:)

I can say that IME (again) that the G1 rocks and the NEX is unusable for me for street and such genre.

(The NEX sensor does not suck at all. In fact, it rocks when time is of not essence.)
 

roweraay

New member
Where did your A55 come from? I didn't think they were out yet.
Bought it from our local premium Camera store, here in Minnesota (National Camera Exchange - natcam.com). They typically get brand-new and hard-to-find Sony gear before even sonystyle or B&H gets it.

Even the 35mm f/1.8 is listed as being on "pre-order" on Sonystyle, while these guys had at least a few of them on hand.
 
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