Release of Sony NEX5 and 3 cameras 11 May 2010

[pakodominguez]

I sure would like to see some more official specs on those lenses... aperture blades? maximum magnification? The 18-200mm shows a close focus of 0.5m on the lens itself, but plenty of 200mm optics focus as close as that, and offer wildly different reproduction ratios.

check here:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/NEX5/NEX5A4.HTM
or SonyStyle:
Optics/Lens

* Aperture (Max.) : F3.5-F5.6
* Aperture (Min.) : F22-F34
* Blades : 7 blades (Circular aperture?
* Filter Diameter : 49mm
* Focal Length : 18mm-55mm (27mm-82.5mm) - (35mm equivalent)
* Lens Groups-Elements : 9 groups, 11 elements (4 aspheric surfaces)
* Lens Mount Type : Sony α E-mount
* Lens Type : SEL16F28 Interchangeable α E-mount 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
* Magnification : 0.25x (APS-C)
* Minimum Focus Distance : 0.25mm
* Non-rotating Focusing Ring : No rotation

Optics/Lens

* Aperture (Max.) : F2.8
* Aperture (Min.) : F22
* Blades : 7 blades (Circular aperture?
* Filter Diameter : 49mm
* Focal Length : 16mm (35mm equivalent)
* Lens Groups-Elements : 5 groups, 5 elements (1 aspheric surfaces)
* Lens Mount Type : Sony α E-mount
* Lens Type : SEL16F28 Interchangeable α E-mount 16mm F2.8
* Magnification : 0.073x (APS-C)
* Minimum Focus Distance : 0.24m
* Non-rotating Focusing Ring : No rotation

[alphaomega]

Interesting comments from David Kilpatrick. Not keen on the CA and the large lenses either. I think that my decision to purchase an A550 at just over £400 is a good one. Future DSLRs would appear to use the 14Mp sensor running from ISO200 to 12,800 so any improvement over the still image performance of the A550 will probably be marginal. I have my A700 for anything the A550 cannot do and will probably also keep my A350. I do not need VIDEO. I fundamentally would not splash out the money required for an NEX-E system when there is not even a good EVF and the lenses are so large and lacking in numbers and coverage. I cannot understand why Sony could not come up with something the size of Tamron's 18-200mm. It will be interesting to see how these cameras perform. I will not join Sony bashing because for me my current Sony cameras can do whatever I need them to do. New cameras do not reduce the capabilities of current ones. When a tool can do the job required there is no need to replace just because a new gadget has been made available. Just my point of view.

[Javelin]

Thanks so much! this is perfect. now I need a NEX lens to make an adaptor. I already have the program for the Sony side

will it release without the lens attached ?

Found it!

from this page: http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/NEX5/NEX5A5.HTM

[Javelin]

Ok now that we klnow this. and with 18mm of back space what other lenses are worth adapting. I'm thinking with such a short back space distance anything for any DSLR would work

[pakodominguez]

Ok now that we klnow this. and with 18mm of back space what other lenses are worth adapting. I'm thinking with such a short back space distance anything for any DSLR would work

I hope Sony will come with an adapter for MD/MC lenses (with the mechanical coupler, as the one for A-mount) -but I think they haven't discover that part of the "legacy" yet...

[alphaomega]

Well, WarehouseExpress here in UK did not hang about. Here are their NEX 5 and 3 offers:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/brand/? ... ner-_-Sony
NEX5 starts from £549 w/16mm and NEX3 from £449. Looks competitive to me compared with Micro 4/3 offerings. Perhaps Sony are going full ahead to try and get market share.

[David Kilpatrick]

For your info - it is uncertain whether the NEX will allow firing without a chipped, intelligent adaptor like the one made for the Alpha mount. It is possible no other lenses will ever be usable unless Sony decides to release information. There is not even manual focus confirmation on Alpha lenses; it is strictly magnified live visual focus, or guess.

The 18-200mm minimum focus actually covers a range from 0.3m to 05m depending on focal length setting, it is varifocal lens and can not be zoomed during filming as far as I am able to tell. That will not please the market.

The 16mm is incapable of close-ups, the 24cm focus can't even shoot an interesting plate of Sony sponsored food in more than half the frame width!

The sweep pan results I have are not promising. Stepped horizons, steps in the foreground (inevitable with the 16mm), shading between merges. But some work really well.

You can find some sample files here:

http://public.me.com/iconmags

I do not know much about how other people access this me.com public folder, I only set this up on Sunday before going. You may need to sign up to get unwanted info from Apple in order to get these files, which are my sample shots being sent to the British Journal with my report.

David

[pakodominguez]

You can find some sample files here:

http://public.me.com/iconmags

I do not know much about how other people access this me.com public folder, I only set this up on Sunday before going. You may need to sign up to get unwanted info from Apple in order to get these files, which are my sample shots being sent to the British Journal with my report.

David

works perfect -no need for open an account or what so ever
thanks for sharing

[bfitzgerald]

I see an option for "lens release lock" on/off on the IR review which shows the menu

[pakodominguez]

I see an option for "lens release lock" on/off on the IR review which shows the menu

Yes, but we don't know yet how it had been implemented (the E to A mount adapter they took to the presentation wasn't working)
That is why ain't clear if AF will work with SAM/SSM lenses -they put it that way on the specifications and then they took it out. DK's friend told him it won't work. Probably they are still looking for a solution...

[alphaomega]

David Kilpatrick wrote:

The 18-200mm minimum focus actually covers a range from 0.3m to 05m depending on focal length setting, it is varifocal lens and can not be zoomed during filming as far as I am able to tell. That will not please the market.

I used to have (many years ago) a Vivitar 28-105mm MD fit which was varifocal. Every time I changed the zoom position I had to re-focus if I was not using infinity. I can imagine that this 18-200 will be re-focusing everytime it is zoomed at shorter than infinity. That will be fun for the user. Theoretically a varifocal should be sharper at all settings compared with an equivalent zoom or at least that was what Vivitar claimed.
I think that anyone purchasing one of these NEX cameras before more reviews and user opinions have been published run a great risk, particularly since only a 16mm prime and 18-55 zoom are available at launch.

[David Kilpatrick]

See my first web report for the BJP - they got a quick file for the magazine on the day, and this one was written up on the flight back and sent from Heathrow tonighjt - they were pretty quick getting it on line:

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPa ... age=874550

David

[David Kilpatrick]

I see an option for "lens release lock" on/off on the IR review which shows the menu

Yes, but we don't know yet how it had been implemented (the E to A mount adapter they took to the presentation wasn't working)
That is why ain't clear if AF will work with SAM/SSM lenses -they put it that way on the specifications and then they took it out. DK's friend told him it won't work. Probably they are still looking for a solution...

Sony guys said they had tried and tried, but just could not make the Alpha lenses work with contrast detect focus - no matter what they did. They say SSM/SAM is the only possibility. Maybe, just maybe, they will release a firmware fix for it. The 3D panorama function is to be added by a firmware update in July or August. Maybe Alpha focus confirm or AF support may be done by then.

David

[WaltKnapp]

See my first web report for the BJP - they got a quick file for the magazine on the day, and this one was written up on the flight back and sent from Heathrow tonighjt - they were pretty quick getting it on line:

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPa ... age=874550

David

At the end of that you seem to be joining the folks saying that DSLR is done. Care to comment more on that. Considering what you have had to say about the current NEX, it does not seem you are saying we might as well dump all our DSLR gear today, but maybe tomorrow after the NEX 7 is out or something

Walt

[David Kilpatrick]

Sony is adamant that the current DSLR is not obsolete, they have further launches coming. I'm in two minds. They claimed that the 18-55mm would be fantastic quality lens on NEX, but actually it's only good in the centre. Of course I have plenty of sharp pictures, no problem, and there is very little difference between f/3.5 and f/11 centrally. But there are some pretty ugly things happening at the edges and corners unless you use f/11 or so.

Tell you what gets me. Anyone remember the Pentax 110 SLR, or the Minolta 110? The lenses for the Pentax were TINY, the 13 x 17mm format being more like 4/3rds, but they were also fast. If lenses for 15 x 23mm format were made in proportion, they would be a fraction of the size of those now being made for the NEX. Those Pentax lenses were very good as well, no matter how tiny.

David