Sony Buy the 5N or wait for the 7

Vincenzo Landino

New Member
Location
New Haven, CT
Good morning all! I just got rid of my entire DSLR setup... wasn't carrying it around, and Im looking to get away from studio work anyway.

I am torn.

I think I want the NEX line of cameras however, I want the 7. However, I keep hearing and seeing that the 16.2MP sensor on the 5N is better, which to me is more important that form factor and extra bells and whistles.

I remain torn.

I need anyones help. Do I just buy the NEX-5n with the Zeiss 24 1.8 or do I hold off in hopes to the NEX-7 coming out soon?
 
Welcome to SC Vincenzo. There are a number of sites comparing the image quality of the 5n vs 7. I believe what most of them said is that at lower ISO's, the 7's sensor outresolves the 5n. At higher ISO's, the 7 is noisier, but only looking at the images at or near 100% magnification. Downsample the image from 24 mp to 16, and the noise levels are more or less the same.

That being said, I think the most important thing is whether or not you need (or want) a new camera right now. You could wait for the 7 to become available to the masses. But will you be missing some priceless photo opportunities by waiting for however much longer?

I just put a deposit for the 7 at my local store. Unfortunately, there are 7 people ahead of me, and only 4 cameras coming in at the end of this month.

Just thought of a third option if you really want the 7! Get the Zeiss (which I personally haven't found anywhere either) and get something like a NEX3 now. Bodies can be found used for pretty cheap around the Internet and in closeouts at retailers. If and when you get the 7, you can sell the 3 at a minimal loss, or simply have a backup body. The 14 mp sensor on the 3/5 are also actually quite good. Meanwhile, you will be shooting away while waiting. Who knows you may love the 3 so much that you won't want the 7. And save yourself $1200! :)
 
I had the same dilemma and decided to buy the 5N. The better high ISO noise performance of the 5N and the fact that the 7 has a problem with wide angle rangefinder lenses (magenta color shift) made me choose the 5N. + the 5N was available.
I have not regretted my choice.
Just my 2 cents.
 
I also had the same dilemma and bought the 5N and a Sony/Zeiss 24mm lens. I figure I can always buy the 7 later and either keep the 5N, since they seem to have different strengths and weaknesses, or sell it and just use the 7, but I would have that great lens. Meanwhile I am enjoying the 5N and think the whole NEX system is first rate. If you get a 5N and begin getting along with the menus and that wonderful peaking feature you probably won't regret that. I usually figure that any camera I buy can later be sold, and the loss can be counted like it was a relatively cheap rental fee. Best wishes in your decision. Let us know what you do and how you like it.
 
Sorry for hijacking the thread for a little bit!

@Dan, how does that 5N + Zeiss compare to the X100 given that they are the same focal length? I haven't seen too many photos from the Zeiss yet.
 
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