nex-5n handling

[nostatic]

yike, long time no post. Been slacking on the photo side of things due to the day job and doing a lot of music the past year + (www.nostatic.com/music if anyone is interested).

Anywho, I've been happily using my DLux4 for quick shots when I take them, and had ditched my m4/3 and Pentax for a 5Dmk2 and some good L glass. I find that I almost never take the Canon out unless it is for work. And if it is for work, then I'm going to make work buy the camera

What I'm finding that I want at the moment is really good low light (I never use flash) and decent video, mostly for music moments. My g/f happily shoots a G1 (and I just got her a G3 for her b-day but don't tell her) so I thought about getting back into m4/3 as I like my EP1 but the Sony seems like it might be a better fit vs GF3 or PL3.

I fiddled with all the suspect the other day and was struck by a) how small the font on the screens can be and/or b) how crappy my eyes have gotten. The Sony was the worst of the lot with one of the Olys a close second. I don't want to have to put on my reading glasses just to shoot a pic. I wasn't able to quickly find the option for large text on the NEX-5n but reviews claim it is there.

Anyone have the same issue and do the changes within the menus fix it? Also the Sony felt really small in my hands. I like that as I kinda just want to point and shoot instead of manipulate. I have mostly always shot that way. What can I say, I'm lazy

 

[nostatic]

Figured out part of my answer - there is a "big font" option, though it doesn't cover all of the aspects of the UI. I played a bit more with one today and have to admit that the touch screen actually was cooler than I thought it would be. Maybe it is all the smartphone/tablet time but it was fairly quick.

Right now you can bundle the 16mm for another $100 which I assume is a no-brainer?

 

[jonoslack]

Figured out part of my answer - there is a "big font" option, though it doesn't cover all of the aspects of the UI. I played a bit more with one today and have to admit that the touch screen actually was cooler than I thought it would be. Maybe it is all the smartphone/tablet time but it was fairly quick.

Right now you can bundle the 16mm for another $100 which I assume is a no-brainer?

HI There
I think the 16 is a no brainer (but you should understand that, although you can get an excellent deal for $100, it's not going to be a $1000 deal!) - the kit lens is surprisingly good - the Viewfinder . . . which I thought was a luxury accessory, is now on my camera all the time - it's excellent, and it also has a dioptre adjustment for us with less than perfect eyes.

I finally sold off all my m4/3 gear and have firmly committed to sony - IMHO the trick is to set it up so that a trip to the menus is a rare thing, and that's quite easy.

all the best

 

[Quentin_Bargate]

Nex 5n just ordered. Prompted by the untimely demise of my A900 in Yorkshire (or more accurately a fault where lenses are remaining stopped down on the body). Plus I have found I am using my current Nex-5 more than any other camera. My wife is waiting anxiously to be passed the excellent Nex-5 when the 5n arrives.

 

[dbogdan]

Quentin,
Check the aperture lever on the body. It should be in/about the 2 o'clock position. You can safely move it up by hand.
Happens when you don't totally engage the lens and attempt to lock it on.

db

 

[Quentin_Bargate]

Quentin,
Check the aperture lever on the body. It should be in/about the 2 o'clock position. You can safely move it up by hand.
Happens when you don't totally engage the lens and attempt to lock it on.

db

You talk wisely, DB san . working again now. Thanks for the tip

 

[dbogdan]

:thumbs:

davidbogdan

 

[Terry]

Glad your A900 got sorted. I was just about to point you to a thread that deals with the issue.

 

[Quentin_Bargate]

I'm usually so careful changing lenses the problem had not occured to me before- plus, sad to say, I rarely use the A900 these days. It gets caught between the Hassy H4d-50 and the Nex-5. I have too many cameras :toocool:

 

[jonoslack]

Nex 5n just ordered. Prompted by the untimely demise of my A900 in Yorkshire (or more accurately a fault where lenses are remaining stopped down on the body). Plus I have found I am using my current Nex-5 more than any other camera. My wife is waiting anxiously to be passed the excellent Nex-5 when the 5n arrives.

HI Quentin
Hope you're well . . . that fault with the A900 sounds familiar - and I'm sure there was an easy fix . . . .you might try a PM to Marc, I think it may have happened to him.

Get the finder with the 5n - you may not think you need it, but it's really grand . . and if you can't find one in the UK, get it from digitalrev - they posted mine at 8.45 one morning in Kowloon, and we got it in redgrave at 9.47 the next morning! (customer services is also fab)

love to the boss from us
all the best

 

[Quentin_Bargate]

HI Quentin
Hope you're well . . . that fault with the A900 sounds familiar - and I'm sure there was an easy fix . . . .you might try a PM to Marc, I think it may have happened to him.

Get the finder with the 5n - you may not think you need it, but it's really grand . . and if you can't find one in the UK, get it from digitalrev - they posted mine at 8.45 one morning in Kowloon, and we got it in redgrave at 9.47 the next morning! (customer services is also fab)

love to the boss from us
all the best

Hi Jono

A900 all sorted - David pointed out the issue, which I had not run accross before, with the aperture lever getting stuck ourt of position if a lens is not fully engaged.

I'm expecting the 5n from digitalrev possibly as early as today...In due course I am on a waiting list for the Nex-7 but the 5n looks a great camera in tis own right. Needless to say, my own "boss" is waiting to take over the well-used Nex-5 I currently use more than I thought I would

Got to love these small high perfomance Nex cameras, they are so very versatile. Sony seem on to be on a roll at the moment.

Smackies for Emma

Cheers

 

[jonoslack]

Hi Jono

A900 all sorted - David pointed out the issue, which I had not run accross before, with the aperture lever getting stuck ourt of position if a lens is not fully engaged.

I'm expecting the 5n from digitalrev possibly as early as today...In due course I am on a waiting list for the Nex-7 but the 5n looks a great camera in tis own right. Needless to say, my own "boss" is waiting to take over the well-used Nex-5 I currently use more than I thought I would

Got to love these small high perfomance Nex cameras, they are so very versatile. Sony seem on to be on a roll at the moment.

Smackies for Emma

Cheers

Smackies back -
I'm on a NEX7 list as well - I thought I'd sell the 5n, but it's so good, and the screw on viewfinder just feels like part of it - the kit lens is stupidly good for the price as well. . . . .

the trouble with these lovely little cameras is they tempt one into lens purchases one would not otherwise have considered . . . . . like a 28-90 f2.8/f4.5 Leica R :bugeyes:

 

[Quentin_Bargate]

Smackies back -
I'm on a NEX7 list as well - I thought I'd sell the 5n, but it's so good, and the screw on viewfinder just feels like part of it - the kit lens is stupidly good for the price as well. . . . .

the trouble with these lovely little cameras is they tempt one into lens purchases one would not otherwise have considered . . . . . like a 28-90 f2.8/f4.5 Leica R :bugeyes:

Wow - expensive lens! Anyway the wife advises that the 5n has arrived at home. Im looking forward to playing with it later this evening (too much work to go early, sadly.....).

 

[Paratom]

Smackies back -
I'm on a NEX7 list as well - I thought I'd sell the 5n, but it's so good, and the screw on viewfinder just feels like part of it - the kit lens is stupidly good for the price as well. . . . .

the trouble with these lovely little cameras is they tempt one into lens purchases one would not otherwise have considered . . . . . like a 28-90 f2.8/f4.5 Leica R :bugeyes:

Was the kit lens revised since the first samples?
I ask because I am also surprized how well it seems to work

 

[Terry]

When the 5n was coming out Sony said they tweaked the sensor to work better with legacy lenses and it also impacted the performance of the kit lens. I just assumed they did something with micro lenses to help out the corners a bit. I will try and find the reference but it was months ago.

The 5n is indeed better with wide rangefinder lenses and seems to be better with the kit lens than the NEX 5 which is great.

 

[jonoslack]

Wow - expensive lens! Anyway the wife advises that the 5n has arrived at home. Im looking forward to playing with it later this evening (too much work to go early, sadly.....).

I found the 28-90 at ffordes at a price less than anything anywhere on ebay or other sites - strange but true - it's a commission sale, so I guess they'd rather sell it cheap and quick - and of course it has a guarantee. If I don't like it on the NEX there is always the option of a Leitax chipped mount replacement to put it on the A900. It should arrive tomorrow!

@Tom
I don't know if they've changed the kit lens - still, the Sony kit lenses generally seem to be pretty good - the A mount 18-55 is no slouch either. . . . . . come to think of it, I guess it's the Minolta heritage, their zooms were always pretty good too.

When the 5n was coming out Sony said they tweaked the sensor to work better with legacy lenses and it also impacted the performance of the kit lens. I just assumed they did something with micro lenses to help out the corners a bit. I will try and find the reference but it was months ago.

The 5n is indeed better with wide rangefinder lenses and seems to be better with the kit lens than the NEX 5 which is great.

Hi Terry
you beat me to the punch . . . and with a much better reply as well!

 

[Paratom]

When the 5n was coming out Sony said they tweaked the sensor to work better with legacy lenses and it also impacted the performance of the kit lens. I just assumed they did something with micro lenses to help out the corners a bit. I will try and find the reference but it was months ago.

The 5n is indeed better with wide rangefinder lenses and seems to be better with the kit lens than the NEX 5 which is great.

Yes, I find that great as well because for me the kit lens range is really usefull for such kind of camera.

 

[nostatic]

After spending a week with this camera I have to say that I'm quite impressed and it has gotten me back into shooting a bit. I'm still figuring out some of the handling details though I have it mostly set up. I picked up the 55-210 and find that to be a very good lens for the price. The upcoming 50/1.8 with OSS is already on my buy list.

I sold the last of my Canon stuff and don't really miss it. While the 5D2 was functional for some of my work projects in the end it wasn't something that I wanted to lug around on a regular basis. My g/f shoots a G1 (well, now a G3) and she ended up taking the Canon to a few of my gigs to get better low light performance. And it gave that, but at a serious weight/size penalty. She hasn't shot the 5N yet but the low light stuff I've messed around with has impressed me a lot. I'm shooting jpg (hello, Apple?!?!) but don't really mind. 3200 looks great to my eye and in a pinch higher is fine as well.

Maybe I've drunk the koolaid, but the colors out of the box are great. I have looked at old photos from my past camera merry-go-round participants (5D2, K20d, EP1, D70 and a few others) and only the Pentax with the ltd primes comes close in color and rendering. And this with low priced zooms. I can only imagine what the Zeiss 24 will look like.

Only other downside is sometimes I end up hitting buttons or the touch panel by accident. But there is no free lunch - small means small. Now I'm just trying to figure out if I want to get the EVF as I can have a tough time reading the screen without reading glasses and I figure with the EVF I can use the diopter and avoid the specs.

All in all, probably the best $800 I've spent in awhile. It is fun to shoot and I like the results. Hard to argue with that.