Luminous Landscapes tested the NEX-5 (and didn’t like it)
If you need to know why the NEX-5 can’t overshadow MicroFourThirds cameras read the preview on Luminous Landscape. They are very satisfied with the cameras image quality but: “Sony’s engineers and marketing people had a mandate when it came to the design of the NEX-5, and unfortunately the needs of the more advanced photographer were not part of that brief.”
Read more: Luminous Landscape
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Recent comments
Comment from aaa: Oh, yes, now I see....
Comment from El Aura: @ aaa:
"You can always add an empty pip...
Comment from roger j porter: He gets hung up on the fact that you hav...
Comment from Eric: Like others have said, as an advanced ph...
N
2 years ago |Having read the article I don’t think it’s fair to say they “don’t liked it”. He had problems with the menu but was pretty happy with image quality and build. Like most reviews it’s never black and white (as you have presented it).
napalm
2 years ago |hmm… read the review it didnt seem to be on the negative. they found some issues with it but they like the concept and the image quality.
Archer
2 years ago |Indeed. There are good features, but it sounds like its h-e-double-toothpicks to actually use. And too much was sacrificed for the title of “smallest EVIL camera.” I have my doubts about its prospects, but then again, I’m usually wrong
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Yikes!
2 years ago |The samples from this lens are atrocious! How can they say this has good image quality?
JaccoW
2 years ago |What he said was more or less what we already knew. The output is excellent, better than most comparable cameras, but for those who want more direct control this is not the camera.
It is pretty much software related. He did however see a lot of potential for this system and will await further, more advanced models.
p.s. (and didn’t like it)
Norway Photos
2 years ago |That is really disappointing! I was seriously considering buying this camera, but I think I would get very annoyed using such a menu system..
YouDidntDidYou
2 years ago |just confirms my earlier thoughts, will sell well due to the Sony name and marketing expertise ( the NEX-5 was already mentioned a few times yesterday on the BBC, billed as a revolution *cough, cough* with barely a passing mention to micro four thirds), but will ultimately leave ANY user of this camera quickly frustrated…
btw I own Sony video cameras and video editing software.
Miroslav
2 years ago |These two first NEX cameras are made for p&s crowd, not p&s converters. They are for people used to just want one camera with one lens and who want high quality images out of the box. That’s why advanced controls are hard to reach. In that manner, they are a complement, not competition to m4/3.
But if http://primetimecrew.wordpress.com/ and http://eoshd.com/content.php/183-Sony-NEX7-to-rival-GH2-in-September are right and Sony releases 30mm f1.8 E lens and a NEX 7 with IBIS and 1080p video, than m4/3 are in serious trouble. This may be copying of m4/3 ( nothing new in electronic industry ) and strong-arm tactics ( pouring large amount of cash into R&D) by Sony, but Panasonic and ( especially ) Olympus didn’t make the most of their two year advantage and could regret it soon …
In the end, we, the customers, the photographers, will be the winners. We’ll have a better choice – higher quality lower-priced products.
CR102
2 years ago |A rather positive review with a large pinch of salt. I’m concerned with other things than the user interface, such as the too-short register distance which will make any decent lens bigger than it could be, and small lenses damaging to IQ. This problem is built in the E mount, so any future NEX model will suffer. Photography is about functionality and fun much more than IQ. That said, the NEX 3 and 5 will no doubt be a huge commercial success.
aaa
2 years ago |“too-short register distance which will make any decent lens bigger than it could be” – there is no such thing as “too-short register distance”. You can always add an empty pipe at the end of the lens if the register is too short for your lens design. Just look how adapters work – they just make the register distance larger so you could use lens designed for it to be larger.
Eric
2 years ago |Like others have said, as an advanced photographer the reviewer didn’t like it (I don’t like the E-PL1 for most of the same reasons), but it’s clear to me those cameras aren’t aimed it me. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a NEX-3 to my mother or sister knowing full well the camera would never leave auto-everything mode. That is who these cameras are designed for. Not those of us that read camera rumor sites and review sites. Just like I have with Panasonic and Olympus I just have to keep on shooting film until someone finally makes a pro-grade model. However, based on the larger sensor (ans shallower DOF that comes with it) I have to admit I’m more interested in the NEX system at the moment.
roger j porter
2 years ago |He gets hung up on the fact that you have to click 25 times to format your card… when was the last time you were in a blazing hurry in the field to format your card??? seriously. I lost respect for this guy after some lame comments he made a few years ago and this review isn’t winning me back. Sony cameras are to me (i have 2 point and shoots, a low end and a high end) have always had really high quality prints and are a piece of cake to navigate once you get the hang of them (uh, like any camera).
El Aura
2 years ago |@ aaa:
“You can always add an empty pipe at the end of the lens if the register is too short for your lens design.”
Yes, but if you carry three lenses with you, you carry three empty pipes with you. It would save space in your pocket if you could unscrew the empty pipe and put on it on the camera, then you only would need to carry one empty pipe with you.
That is the downside of the very short registration distance. The upside is naturally that can have a very compact complete setup with certain lenses (plus possibly some weight saving).
aaa
2 years ago |Oh, yes, now I see.