NEX EOS Smart Adapter Review by Bryant N

Bryant N. posted his review of the Conurus EOS Smart Adapter for NEX cameras. He was impressed with the build quality, the lens release mechanism, complete control of EOS lenses by the NEX-FS100 Super 35 Camcorder, and EOS image stabilization powered by the NEX. He found a couple of bugs that were easily solved. The best part for us was the IS testing - it looks like Conurus has a winner on their hands.

Testing EOS Image Stabilization (IS) with the NEX-FS100 NXCAM

The button on the adapter is a Wide Open button to ease manual focusing. It's called the depth of field (DOF) preview button in the video.

See our previous post about the Conurus EOS smart NEX lens adapter for more info.

Thanks Bryant N.!

Sony NEX-5 with Celestron C8-SGT Telescope

Sony NEX-5 with Celestron C8 SGT Telescope

Several people asked about the setup that was used on our NEX Astrophotography post. razor2277 posted his setup which is a NEX-5 used on a Celestron C8 SGT Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope.

Here is what is needed to get beautiful photos of our universe and beyond...

• Celestron C8-SGT (Item # 11026-XLT) w/ dew shield (Item # 94009) and AC power supply (Item # 18778)
• Celestron Universal Piggyback Mount (for mounting camera on top with regular lenses) - Item # 93609
• Celestron T-Adapter, (C5, 6, 8, 9-1/4, 11, 14) - Item # 93633-A
• KiwiFotos T-Mount Adapter LMA-TM_EM For Sony aNEX Cameras
• Celestron f/6.3 Reducer/Corrector - Item # 94175

from razor2277:

so the T-Mount adapter is what attaches to the camera. The T-Adapter is what attaches to the telescope. The 2 adapters have threads to connect them togethe for prime focus. I also use a reducer which brings the aperture down to f/6.3 from f/10, and increases the FOV from 2000mm to 1280mm. So in the order from scope to camera, it is scope->reducer->T-adapter->T-mount->camera.

Sony NEX-5 with Celestron C8 SGT Telescope

Thanks razor2277!

Sony NEX-7 vs Olympus OM-D E-M5

Sony NEX-7 (front) vs Olympus OM-D E-M5

Olympus has announced the OM-D E-M5 and it has a lot of people excited. It has features that would be welcomed in a Sony NEX body - in-body image stabilization, dust proof, and splash proof body. It uses a 16mp micro 4/3 sensor versus the NEX-7's 24mp APS-C sensor. The LCD on the OM-D is touchscreen but it has less resolution than the NEX's. It is priced closely to the NEX-7. Let's see how the OM-D E-M5 compares to the Sony NEX-7.

Combatants	Sony Alpha NEX-7	Olympus OM-D E-M5
Number of effective pixels	24.3 million pixels	16.1 million pixels
CCD Sensor	APS-C CMOS Sensor 23.5 x 15.6 mm	Micro 4/3 Live MOS Sensor 17.3 x 13 mm
Crop Factor	1.5x 50mm lens = 75mm FOV	2x 50mm lens = 100mm FOV
ISO Range	100 - 16000	200-25600
Lens Mount	Sony NEX E-mount	Micro 4/3
Flange Focal Distance	18mm	20mm
Focusing	25 Point Contrast Detect AF and Manual Focus	35 Point Contrast Detect AF and Manual Focus
Image Stabilization	In Lens - OSS (Optical Steady Shot)	In Camera 5-axis Sensor Shift
Shutter Speed	30s to 1/4000 with Bulb Mode	60s to 1/4000 with Bulb Mode
Continuous Shooting Speed	10 frames per sec.	9 fps
LCD	Tiltable 3" Diagonal 921,600 Pixels	Touchscreen Tiltable 3" Diagonal 610,000 Pixels
Viewfinder	Electronic OLED 2.4M dot	Electronic Viewfinder 1.44M dot
Video Capability	1920 x 1080 / 60p-24p AVCHD and MPEG4	1920 x 1080 / 30p MOV and AVI
Dimensions	4.75 x 2.75 x 1.7 in. (119.9 x 66.9 x 42.8 mm)	4.8 x 3.5 x 1.69 in. (122 x 89 x 43 mm)
Weight	10.3 oz (291 g)	15 oz (425 g)
Battery Life (CIPA)	430 Shots per charge	Unknown
Price	$1349.99 with 18-55 OSS Lens	$1299 with 12-50mm Lens

Sony NEX-7 vs Olympus OM-D E-M5 (Top and Rear)

NEX with Zeiss Super 16mm T1.3 Lens Arri Mount

Sony NEX with Zeiss Super Speed 16mm f/1.2 Arri Bayonet Mount Lens

Here is an interesting lens we ran into on eBay. It is a Carl Zeiss 16mm f/1.2 lens made for the Arriflex Super 16mm cameras. Breguet Camera of Hong Kong is offering this lens and has modified it for the NEX E-mount. This Super 16 lens will not cover the NEX-5's APS-C sensor and will cause vignetting as seen in the sample pictures below. This may not be a problem if you crop the image or use it for videos. This lens will work with NEX cameras via an Arri to PL to E-mount lens adapter which is included with the auction.


Here is more information on the Carl Zeiss Super 16mm MKI lens from cinematechnic.com:

Super 16mm Mk. I Set

The 16mm set comprised of four Distagons: 9.5, 12, 16 and 25mm, f1.2, all with a photometric aperture of T1.3. These were the first 16mm prime lenses designed to cover Super 16mm format. The 9.5mm focal length covers the full S16 aperture, but is somewhat compromised in sharpness and illumination past the corners of N16. For this reason ARRI did not include the 9.5mm on their list of S16 compatible lenses. All the S16mm Mk.1 lenses were fitted with 6-blade hexagonal iris.

NEX-5 Sample Photos with Zeiss Distagon 16mm f/1.2 by Breguet Camera

Thanks Breguet Camera and Cinematechnic!

Sony NEX-5 Astrophotography by razor2277

NEX-5 with Celestron C8-SGT by razor2277

Here are some out of this world photos from the Sony NEX-5. razor2277 mounted his NEX on a Celestron C8 SGT telescope for some astrophotography. The images from the NEX are stacked / combined to produce what we are seeing. Contact razor2277 for more details.

Celestron C8 SGT (Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope)

Check out more astrophotography work by razor2277 here.

NEX-7 Flying in Bermuda with Quadrocopter

Sony NEX-7 on a Cinestar 6 Hexacopter UAV

Quadrocopter / GravityShots takes us around the island of Bermuda courtesy of the Sony NEX-7 mounted on a Cinestar 6 hexacopter. You can see what this rig looks like here. The video was captured using the 18-55mm OSS lens and is at 1080p and 60 frames per second.

Check out quadrocopter for more information.

Thanks GravityShots!

Sony Alpha NEX-7 Review by Engadget

Here's the cliff notes to Engadget's review of the Sony NEX-7:

• Access to DSLR features and performance in a small body.
• Provides DSLR quality images.
• Provides 10 frames per second shooting.
• Room for improvement on high-ISO capability, recommends ISO6400 max.
• To fully exploit the NEX-7's 24mp sensor, quality lenses like the Zeiss 24mm Sonnar ZA E will help.
• 18-55mm Kit Lens is capable and performs decently in low light.
• Focusing system accurate but not the fastest.
• No reason to hold back on ordering the NEX-7.

Read the full NEX-7 Review by Engadget here.

Thanks Engadget!

NEX with Minolta 45mm at Devils Hockey Game

Game Winning Shootout Goal - ISO200 1/320 f/4.0

We were lucky enough to get nice seats to the New Jersey Devils vs Anaheim Ducks. We brought the NEX-5 with a Minolta MD/SR to NEX/E-mount lens adapter the Minolta 45mm f/2 MD Rokkor-X. The combination easily fits into a jacket pocket.

The 45mm f/2 on the NEX gives an equivalent FOV of 67.5mm, which allowed us to shoot the width of the ice from our seats. Here are a few shots from the night. Most of these are cropped which shows the lens' and NEX sensor capability.

Minolta 45mm f/2 MD with Sony NEX

Drop The Gloves - ISO200 1/60 f/5.6

Face Off Win - ISO200 1/250 f/5.6

Brodeur Kick Save - ISO200 1/250 f/4.0
Premature Celebration, Goal Recalled - ISO200 1/125 f/4.0
Overtime Shootout - ISO200 1/200 f/4.0

Sony NEX-5 with Minolta SR/MD mount adapter and Gordy leather strap

Sony NEX-C3 USB Stick

Sony NEX-C3 USB Stick

Here is a nice USB stick from Sony. Unfortunately this is not available for purchase according to alsotyCheng. He was lucky enough to receive it as a gift.








Below is the real NEX-C3.


Thanks alsotycheng!

Sony NEX-7 Stripped at CP+2012

Sony NEX-7 Stripped at CP+ 2012 Photo by AkibaPhotography

Here is the Sony NEX-7 at Camera and Photo Imaging Show in Yokohama, Japan. The folks at Sony stripped down the NEX-7 to it's core components to highlight its strengths.

• 24.3 MP Exmor APS-C Sensor.
• Shutter lag of only 0.02 seconds.
• Tri-Navi manual control dials.
• 2359K dot OLED Tru-finder.

Please assemble this and send it to me.

Thanks Akiba Photography and makotomatic!

NEX with Kenko Tokina 400mm Mirror Lens

NEX-5N with Kenko Tokina 400mm Mirror Lens (600mm EFOV)

Here is the NEX-5N with an E-mount Kenko 400mm Mirror Lens shown at CP Plus in Yokohama, Japan. The lens has a constant f/8 aperture and is manual focus. This compact combination will get you an effective focal view of 600mm. The lens is 4.4" long by Ø3" max. The projected price of the Kenko Tokina 400mm lens is $250.

Kenko Tokina 400mm Mirror Lens Specs

Thanks impress.co.jp and kenko-tokina.co.jp!

How To Clean a Sony NEX Camera

We have not experienced any visible dust on our images yet. We always make sure that the camera is turned off before changing the lens. We also try to change it only when we are indoors. We've never used cleaning mode on the NEX so the video is quite helpful.

From Sony's website:

Clean the dust or debris on the image sensor by performing the automatic cleaning function of the camera. If dust remains, use a blower.

Sony cannot honor the warranty if the user cleans the image sensor surface with a commercial solution. We recommend only using the blower to remove dust particles.

If dust still remains even if you try the above, consult your Sony dealer or local authorized Sony service facility.

Sony NEX-5N Family

Sony NEX E-mount Lens Roadmap Updated

Eight New NEX Lenses Planned

Here is the new NEX E-mount lens roadmap by Sony. It shows that there are eight new lenses coming within two years. There will be four new E-mount lenses in 2012 and four more planned for 2013. The chart above describes each upcoming lens but does not get into specifics. Here is the description and our best guess on focal length and aperture combination based on current Sony Alpha lenses:

1. Sony G High Performance Standard Zoom - 16-50mm f/2.8?
2. High Magnification Zoom - 18-250mm?
3. Standard Zoom - 24-70mm?
4. Wide Angle Zoom - 11-18mm?
5. Large Aperture Standard Prime - 35mm f/1.8?
6. Medium Magnification Zoom - 70-300mm?
7. Medium Telephoto Prime - 85mm f/2.8?
8. Thin Prime - 28mm f/2.8?

Here is the complete Sony NEX lens roadmap which also shows the seven released Sony E-mount lenses.

Current Sony E-mount lenses available for use with the NEX-3, NEX-5. NEX-C3. NEX-5N, NEX-7, NEX-VG10, NEX-VG20, and NEX-FS100.

• 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Zoom Lens (SEL18200)
• 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens (SEL1855)
• 55-210mm Zoom Lens (SEL55210)
• 16mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens (SEL16F28)
• 30mm f/3.5 Macro Lens (SEL30M35)
• 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens (SEL50F18)
• Carl Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 Lens (SEL-24F18Z)

The Sony NEX Lens roadmap is always changing. We are expecting more lenses to be added to this roadmap. What lens would you want to see on the NEX system?

NEX-7 with 500mm F4 G SSM Lens

Here is Sony's newest super telephoto lens for the Alpha mount on the NEX-7. The 500mm f/4 G SSM Lens is attached via the LA-EA2 lens adapter for the E-mount. The equivalent field of view on the combination above is 750mm.

Key Features of the Sony 500mm Lens

• Longest-ever focal length G Lens from Sony
• Bright F4.0 aperture for superior light gathering
• Nano AR Coating on optical surfaces for flawless still images and HD video
• Compatible with SteadyShot INSIDE featured in all α cameras
• New SSM drive circuit for quick, accurate autofocus
• Rugged dust- and moisture-resistant design: ideal partner for SLT-A77
• Enhanced handling and operability

Here are the specs of the SAL500F40G lens.

Key Specifications	500mm F4 G SSM
Min. aperture	F32
No. of aperture blades	9 (Circular aperture)
Max. magnification ratio	0.135
Min. focus	4.0 m
Filter diameter	42 mm (Exclusive)
Dimensions (Diam. X L)	140 x 367.5 mm
Weight (approx.)	3460 g
Teleconverter compatibility	Yes (1.4x: AF and MF Mode, 2x: MF mode)
Dust and moisture resistance	Yes

Sony NEX-5N and Pentax K-01 Camera

Sony NEX-5N vs Pentax K-01 Front View

Here is the Sony NEX-5n with the Pentax K-01. They are only associated since they are mirrorless but that is where the relationship ends.

The Pentax K-01 by Marc Newson is not really a Sony NEX competitor. It's closely related to the Pentax K-5 but without a viewfinder (optical nor optional evf) and autofocus speed. The K-01 and the K-5 use the Pentax K mount and share the same lens system. The K-01 loses the mirror box of the K-5 which makes it less expensive at $899 with the 40mm lens (60mm equivalent FOV) compared to $1300 for the K-5 with an 18-55mm lens. The closes Sony product is the SLT-A65 which is $1050 with the 18-55mm lens.

Sony NEX-5N vs Pentax K-01 Top View

Sony NEX-5N vs Pentax K-01 Back View

NEX-FS100 vs Arri Alexa-Panasonic AF101-Canon 5d II

Sony NEX-FS100 vs by Niklan B.e.M.

Our German skills are based on Google Translate but if you are interested in filmmaking the video will be easy to translate. Niklas and his colleagues tested the Arri Alex, Canon EOS 5d Mark II, Panasonic AG-AF101 and the Sony NEX-FS100 in the following categories:

• Rolling Shutter
• Low Light Capability
• Dynamic Range
• Skin Tones

Here is what Google Translate gave us when we entered the summary from the video:

Panasonic AG-AF101 €5400

• Poor Compression
• Lacked Detail
• Unnatural Look

Canon EOS 5d Mark II €2500

• Poor Compression
• Balanced Picture
• Good Dynamic Range

Sony NEX-FS100 €5500

• Good Compression
• Natural Look
• Good Dynamic Range

Arri Alexa €50000

• Best Compression
• Best Look
• Best Dynamic Range
  

Thank you Niklas!

NEX-5N with Zeiss Contarex 115mm Tessar

Here is Brian T's Sony NEX-5N with a Carl Zeiss Contarex 115mm f/3.5 Tessar macro bellows lens. The lens was produced between 1962 and 1972 and only 1500 were made. A Contarex to NEX E-mount adapter was used.

from Brian:

Surprisingly, it's pretty easy to hand hold with the bellows attached, holding the bellows in the left hand, and the camera in the right. It's super easy to focus using the bellows adjustment or on the lens. The bellows also pretty much removes the need for a tripod, as you can just support it on anything available for stabilization.

NEX-5N with Zeiss Contarex 115mm f/3.5 Tessar

Thanks Brian!

Dolomites and Sony NEX-5N with Kit Lens

Here are some breathtaking photos from a Sony NEX-5N and the kit lens taken by photographer ApoJapo1. Beautiful light, great composition, and a very capable NEX-5N makes for excellent images.

Sony NEX-5N Photos by ApoJapo1

Check out more pictures from ApoJapo1.

Thanks ApoJapo1!