NEX-7 vs dSLR...what would I give up?

[Akoni]

I've acquired a NEX-7 recently and while I haven't had the time to really get used to it, it seems like a fantastic camera. I'm on the verge of getting a housed D7000 (most likely candidate) but with this NEX-7...maybe I'll reconsider and just house the NEX. Where would I lose out to the D7000 with the NEX-7? Autofocus seems like the most obvious area. Lens selection obviously. In some areas the NEX7 clearly beats the 7000, such as video capability and overall package size. Thoughts?

The Nauticam housing looks great except for lack manual focus.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

The Nauticam housing for NEX-7 and other NEX cameras can do manual focus with no problem. Most people buying the housing are using the AF lenses and are not requesting focus gears. The same wheel that allows the you to zoom lenses like the 14-42 can be used in manual with a proper gear. Some times these things need to be requested or custom made but it can be done.

Phil Rudin

 

[Akoni]

I was referring more to the ability to manual focus and still be able to zoom. Other than that and the slower/less sure AF, I think the NEX7 has a great feature set though. The more I play with it, the more I like it.

 

[PatW]

I an not sure on the sensor size, but that is probably similar to the D7000. You have more megapixels than the D7000. But the D7000 is already pushing things with its sensor size with 16 mp. With the D7000, you lose resolution if you go over F8.

The NEX7 focuses through the view screen and not like the D7000 through a view finder. The camera will take some time to focus on something with the screen and that focus will probably not be really precise. I went from a Canon G11 to a D7000. With the G11, I was limited to the screen. That made my focusing slow and not very precise. On stationery objects or slow moving objects, I was OK. Small fast moving fish like Damsel Fish were virtually impossible.

The D7000 has a much faster focus. On the G11, I was doing well to focus on the outline of a fish. With the D7000, I can focus on the eyeball of the fish. Also one gets superior optics and a wider range of lenses with a DSLR.

If you are just going to do landscape shots, large fish and pretty much stationery macro. You should do fine with the NEX-7. Also the NEX-7 is probably considerably more compact a system than a DSLR. If you travel with a DSLR with your strobes, housing, lenses and ports along with your dive gear, you kind of become a sherpa in the airport.

It is really not a matter of which one is "better". It is a matter of which system will fit your needs better.

Since you are in FL, you might want to go down to Reef Photo in Ft Lauderdale. Reef Photo is one of about 3 major stores handling underwater photography equipment in the USA. They have pretty much all that kind of stuff in stock. That way you can see and handle the stuff before you make a decision.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

The NEX-7 has image quality at least as good if not better than the excellent D7000. They both use the same APS-C size image sensor and Nikons next round of APS-C cameras will likely use the same 24MP Sony sensor as in the NEX-7.

The NEX-7 also has a LARGE OLED viewfinder, bigger than the view into the D-7000 so to say that you can't get sharp focus (like on the eye of the subject) is just wrong, perhaps you should go to Reef and look at the camera as well.

The large down side the the NEX-system for underwater photography remains the limited number (7) and type of lenses that have have been released so far. M4/3 now has over thirty lenses many of which are ideal for U/W use.

You can also add a optional viewfinder to the Nauticam housing for the NEX-7 which will make the view into the OLED viewfinder even better. AF is also very good with this camera.

Check UWPmag.com current issue for more information on how well that works.

Phil Rudin

 

[Akoni]

Phil, have you tried Sony's 50mm f1.8 e-mount lens...is there any way to get it into macro territory?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

No, see my last post today in the olympus forum under Oly 45mm F/1.8 for UW and replace Oly 45 F1.8 and Panasonic 45 macro with Sony 50mm F1.8 and Sony 30mm macro (close as you can come to 50mm).

Phil Rudin

 

[deeper thoughts]

Great info

 

[Akoni]

Phil, one last ? for today...NEX-7 or E-M5, which do you take and why?

 

[mjh]

I think Phil hit it on the head, the biggest difference/advantage to the D7000 is the choices of lenses and advantage in autofocus. Also depending on the strobe you buy the ability to sync strobes at shutter speed of 320 which is great for shooting sunrays/sunballs. Of course size advantage goes to the Nex-7. In the long run lenses in the Nex line will catch up, probably.

Nex-7 vs. E-M5 One could argue Sony has the better sensor and Oly/Panasonic have the better lenses. Main issue is waiting for housings to show up. Both are so good the results are completely dependent on the photographer.