Camera & Photo

A little background to give you perspective on the review. I'm an advanced amateur shooting for about 10 years. I also own a Canon 5D Mark II with some L Zoom lenses (24-70 F2.8 and the 70-200 F2.8) and the very good 50mm 1.8 prime and a Fuji X100.

I spent a lot of time (probably over 40 hours) researching this camera, reading reviews etc. before buying it on Amazon from a third party seller. I've had it about a week now and shooting with with the Sony 18-200 Zoom Lens (SEL18200). Below are my observations:

Good:
1. Very small camera body, smaller than my X100 and feels a lot like my old S90 compact in terms of size (this is of course without the lens). With the 18-200 lens its no longer pocketable but still small and very manageable compared to a SLR.
2. Great build quality, tough body, I like the styling and I love the handgrip. Just the right size.
3. Probably the fastest shutter I have ever used, very little shutter lag.
4. Easy... Read more

I managed to get my hands on one of these in Jan 2012, and believe me it was difficult.

The body weighs very little without the battery or lens, which is as it should be. Put the weight into a great set of lenses. Place one of those great lenses on this camera, and I've tried the 18-55, 55-210 and zeiss 24, and the results are wonderful. Yes you can argue that at not so low iso ratings the 24 MP is noisy, but dial down the noise in post image processing (I shoot in raw format) and the results are superb.

I find the viewfinder to be remarkably good, better than optical viewfinders as I really see what I will get, and every time I look through it I am stunned at the fidelity. After a great shot the result can look almost 3d, if you have preview one. No dancing dots have crossed my eye's path.

I upgraded from the 5n, which lacked the viewfinder in particular. The difference in ergonomics and quality is worthwhile. Also worthwhile is the expensive Zeiss... Read more

Update: I recently got hold of a Minolta 3600HS(D) flash for dirt cheap ($50 shipped) and it works wonderfully with the NEX-7. Metering TTL is perfect and my indoor photos look great with bounce flash. Of course, it's a bit big and will add some weight to your camera, but well worth it.

An average review from an average Joe using a not-so-average camera.

HARDWARE:

The build is sexy. It screams quality. Magnesium alloy body makes it heavier and bigger than the previous NEXes, as expected, but it's a welcomed extra weight. I don't have small hands and always thought the NEX-5/5N, as nice as the form is, felt a little bit like a toy. So I definitely appreciate the NEX-7's new size and weight, something I can really wrap my fingers around.

I think Sony have a pretty perfect layout, or at least one that really works. I'm sure you've heard all about the latest-and-greatest Electronic Viewfinder with its amazing high resolution, and the intuitive... Read more