Sony NEX-7 Discussion

[Godfrey]

I agree Jono, but if the camera cannot do a certain function while in RAW mode Sony has two choices:

EASY CHOICE: Hide that which does not apply to RAW mode.

TOUGH CHOICE: Make the feature work in RAW mode.

There are many gee-whiz features that can never work while also producing a raw output file as they imply lots of image processing. No matter what else you call it, that data is no longer "raw".

And it's not as if the camera cannot do a particular function. It's that image processing functions in the camera are irrelevant to the USE of raw image files. They're still needed to create the JPEG previews and for when JPEG + raw output is desired.

It becomes a complex endeavor. Best to leave the the cruft out of the camera entirely. ;-)

 

[etrigan63]

Godfrey,
apparently you and I are singing a duet of "A Hole in the Bucket". We are back at the beginning again. If they make a camera with zero gee-whiz features, it will have limited market appeal and a smaller market share. We (the clowns who would buy such a camera) are a very tiny minority in the sea of humanity.

 

[Vivek]

I have no qualms with the NEX-7 or whatever else coming with "features" that I may never use. I do not see such criticism regarding a Nikon D3sx or a Canon 1D something.

 

[Terry]

Look I don't quite get it. If you want plain features on the camera you have them.

So on the NEX 7 my understanding is that
Tri Navi -
Aperture, shutter speed, ISO
EV within easy reach
White balance within easy reach

You can set the camera up so that is all you use in RAW mode and the you are done. No need to dive into menus. No need to use any extra extraneous modes.

I will say I've completely stopped reading llyod's site when he reviewed one of the micro 4/3 cameras and had factual errors. I sent him an email and the response I got back was "I know what you are saying and you are correct but I was trying to make a point. He never changed the part that was wrong and I stopped subscribing.

 

[etrigan63]

I think Lloyd suffers from the same mental problem my mother has.

"There's her opinion and there's wrong opinions."

Not much you can do for people like that.

 

[Vivek]

To me, all these review business is utterly irrelevant as far as photography is concerned. I do not buy anything based on any X,Y or Z has to say.

Let me add here that I find the rumor sites more useful.:thumbs:

 

[weinschela]

I have no qualms with the NEX-7 or whatever else coming with "features" that I may never use. I do not see such criticism regarding a Nikon D3sx or a Canon 1D something.

Agree 100%. I have a Nex-7 and I am also a confirmed Leica lunatic. I don't expect the Nex-7 to be a Leica and I don't expect the M9 to be a Nex-7. After I set up the Nex-7, drilling through menus is mostly unnecessary. I set up for aperture preferred and having one dial for f/stop, one for exposure comp and one for ISO is pretty simple. Oh, and one button for manual focus assist for when I am using M lenses. I'll bet Lloyd objected when the M7 came out with an "A" mode, and that he was opposed to pushbutton phones too ("the rotary dial works just fine and all those buttons are confusing").

 

[kuau]

+1 Terry, I also cancelled my subscription. Though I from time to time look at his blog.
If you subscribe to what Lloyd believes, then all of the current DSLR's and MF equipment basically all have problems in one form or another.
One other thing, Lloyd may know how to read MTF charts but I think his own photography is lacking, just my opinion of course.

I am still awaiting my nex-7 which I ordered from amazon months ago. Still no news :-(

 

[Godfrey]

Godfrey,
apparently you and I are singing a duet of "A Hole in the Bucket". We are back at the beginning again. If they make a camera with zero gee-whiz features, it will have limited market appeal and a smaller market share. We (the clowns who would buy such a camera) are a very tiny minority in the sea of humanity.

Oh, I'm well aware of that. I make do as best I can.

 

[jonoslack]

Godfrey, Carlos, Vivek, Terry, Alan, Steven
Seems we all agree that we don't want this stuff . . the only bone of contention seems to be whether others should be allowed to have it or not

Personally I don't give a damn - but I wouldn't mind not having to spend half an hour scrambling each new camera into the way I want to work!

Aperture
Shutter Speed
ISO

RAW

PASM

It's not rocket science, and it would seem to be pretty easy for each camera manufacturer to have a 'boring old fart' mode. Which did all this - and then gave you the option to delve if you really wanted it.

 

[Godfrey]

I think Lloyd suffers from the same mental problem my mother has.
"There's her opinion and there's wrong opinions."
Not much you can do for people like that.

I've never read Lloyd's site before. I see nothing wrong with his expressing his opinions, however strong or contrary they might be. I'm not known for keeping my mouth shut when I have an opinion about something either—and I really don't care much if anyone disagrees with me. ] That's the basis of our pleasant discourse: strong opinions informed by our individual experiences.

My father had two favorite sayings, the second most frequently voice was, "There's a wrong way, a right way, and my way. In my house, we do things my way." Sounds like your mom ... or Lloyd. Dad was most often quite right...

 

[kuau]

+1

Aperture
Shutter Speed
ISO

RAW

PASM

It's not rocket science, and it would seem to be pretty easy for each camera manufacturer to have a 'boring old fart' mode. Which did all this - and then gave you the option to delve if you really wanted it.

 

[glenerrolrd]

I don t have to agree with a reviews conclusions to benefit from reading it. When I see differences they are often because we shoot different subjects and have developed different styles . And of course none of the reviews are without some level of testing error and bias.

Lloyd shoots lots of landscape and his frame of reference is Nikon D3S/D3X and plenty of Zeiss glass. You can t read his reviews and not get that he works hard at it. He points out that he enjoys shooting a lot at dawn and dusk ..and here the issue of noise is critical . If you used a D3X as a standard .....800 is as high as I can go and get high IQ and I work hard to stay at 400 and use down to 100 for maximum IQ. If his tests show the NEX 7 can not meet that benchmark .....we can debate forever the potential to use a NEX 7 at 3200 ISO ...and it would not be relevant to my requirements .

I like Sean Reid s tests better because he does a lot of street shooting...so his requirements are similar to what I am looking for. But it takes a few minutes to consider a POV and helps me focus my own tests . So the more tests the better.

 

[Godfrey]

...You put it so much better than he does Godfrey!

Thanks for the compliment, Jono.

I'm in happy mode. The little black Skopar 28/3.5 arrived and is just pristine perfect, brand-new like. A perfect fit for the GXR-M. The Ultron 28/2 feels large and clumsy by comparison.

I must go out and make some snaps with it now.

 

[Quentin_Bargate]

We seem always to complain about what the camera can't do, instead of praising what it can. We all have our agendas; let's accept even Sony can't please everyone all the time. I have been waiting for a camera like this for 10 years. The 5 and 5n were and are excellent, but 20mp+ is a game changer for me, as it takes files sizes well beyond 50mp at 8 bit which is the sweet spot for stock photography.

 

[jonoslack]

We seem always to complain about what the camera can't do, instead of praising what it can. We all have our agendas; let's accept even Sony can't please everyone all the time. I have been waiting for a camera like this for 10 years. The 5 and 5n were and are excellent, but 20mp+ is a game changer for me, as it takes files sizes well beyond 50mp at 8 bit which is the sweet spot for stock photography.

Quite right Q.
I think it really is a game changer - I was already aware of it with the A77, but the remarkable thing is how well even more moderate lenses seem to work on the higher resolution sensor. Of course, as always, better glass is better, but even the humble 18-55 is producing good results.

all the best

 

[etrigan63]

Totally agree with the both of you. As this is my first Sony, I am still getting things sorted out. I am going to need a hotshoe adapter for my radio trigger, I managed to shoot some pet portraits today by optically triggering my studio strobes.

 

[philip_pj]

"the remarkable thing is how well even more moderate lenses seem to work on the higher resolution sensor."

Nice to see this acknowledged, perhaps for the first time, apart from Zeiss!

Final IQ = lens MTF multiplied by sensor MTF.

 

[jimbosimbo43]

Best - using Zoom H1, records on microSDHC, price < $ 99

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I love this solution.

What do I search to find that attachment(s)?

Much appreciated.

 

[88GA]

Thank you for your message, and Sony is indeed very good