Sony's NEX cameras

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Chris,

Do you have any information about the HDMI output?

I would like to learn if the HDMI output is available in "Live View".

Also, is the HDMI output high quality, or limited in quality like it is currently in other DSLR designs?

This camera is very interesting.

[Chris Hurd]

Hi Dan, I think it's probably too soon to tell for sure. The problem is that the "advance looks" that Sony and other manufacturers give out always go to photo-oriented review sites, which is a shame since they pay so very little attention to the video capabilities.

The only hint about HDMI that I have found so far comes from the specs listed at Sony Alpha NEX-5 Digital Camera - Full Review Data Sheet, Specifications and Information -- where it says N/A next to "Video Usable as Viewfinder" in the Connectivity section. Hmm, I suppose they're referring to live HD output over HDMI but who knows for sure? We don't -- yet -- but I'll work on making that happen.

[Manus Sweeney]

sorry if im missing something obvious but im confused..

is it going to be a camcorder or a stills camera (form)??

the pics are completely different cameras..

Sony NEX mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras previewed: Digital Photography Review
Sony Develops an Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder at DVInfo.net

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Chris,

Thank you.

We can always hope for a nice, clean, live HDMI output.

[Thomas Richter]

Just dug this one out of the specs at dpreview:

Sony NEX-5: AVCHD: 1920 x 1080i @ 17Mbps
Sony NEX-3: MP4:1280 x 720 p @ 9Mbps

I surely can see why people ask for live HDMI outputs.

[Paulo Teixeira]

Here's the Press conference:
YouTube - Sony Alpha NEX-5 & NEX-3 DSLR

[Paul Curtis]

Looking through some sample videos:

The NEX5 is being flagged as 1080i in a lot of places. The sample video i've seen shows 1080p at 60fps, it does look like p not i. There doesn't seem to be very much control over exposure/iso etc,. There's a beautiful video on youtube with landscapes but nothing in the video shows off the cameras - just the amazing landscape shots.

It doesn't seem that it is line skipping, however it's tough to tell through that god awful compression. I don't think it is and the moireing seen is more because the OLPF is not strong enough for video (fair enough it's a stills camera primarily)

I can see this as the beginning of something nice but i think Sony were very careful with the features of this camera and its audience.

The compression totally rules it out for anything other than family snaps. The lack of manual controls nail that coffin.

However it does bode well for their next efforts. Perhaps something in an alpha dSLR, the previewed handycam version and of course the cinema version they showed at NAB. Sony aren't stupid and so they'll be very careful with the features of each one. And the one we all want is the one shown at NAB

The decision for a new mount is odd but i'm sure they have their reasons.

I was kind of hoping this would be more and i'd drop canon and start down that road preparing for the bigger versions next year. However i don't think it's going to work well as a dSLR and the compression on the canons is better. I held off a 550D long enough, time to upgrade...

cheers
paul

[Min Lee]

http://www.dvinfo.net/news/sony-deve...camcorder.html

nex video camera, launch in fall. Finally, a replacement for my A1U! (Should this be it’s own topic?)

[Ethan Cooper]

The little interchangeable lens camcorder could be a hit, but please don't make me drop more $$ into Sony specific lenses. I know they probably will go that route since they're in business, and locking us into buying their lenses makes them more $$, but we've all got Nikon and Canon glass already, sure would be nice if it'll work on these cams.

[Paul Curtis]

I'm not sure about inter-changable camcorder. It really depends whether if offers pro quality because i really don't think consumers would want to change lenses. It could end up being a bit of a halfbreed. Time will tell.

I don't mind changing lens over. Lenses hold their value fairly well and a lot of the zeiss glass is very good on the sony side.

cheers
paul

[Ethan Cooper]

Paul - I fully agree with your misgivings about a consumer level interchangeable lens camcorder. If Sony thinks they're making this camera for consumers they're nuts. The general consumer wants a camera that is easy to control with very little fuss and very little thought involved and a large sensor, shallow DOF, interchangeable lens camera doesn't seem to fit that description to me.

There is a niche market of lower end professionals and high end hobbyists that would eat up a camera like this, but it needs a few things to be a hit and move lots of units.
- ability to adapt Nikon and Canon lenses fairly easily
- 30p and 24p (as well as it's native 60i)
- 24mbps (or more)
- full manual control
- dual card slots w/redundant recording (ok, this one is a reach)
- 1080 monitor out via HDMI
- ability to tweak picture profiles
- Mic input

[Don Miller]

It has an 'E' mount. Is that new?
Just looking at the camera it's designed to not allow SLR lenses. The flange distance is too short.

edit: It seems it will allow some dslr lenses

[Chris Hurd]

The "E" mount is indeed new. Supposedly "E" stands for Eighteen,
which is the flange focal distance in millimeters for this camera line.

[Chris McMahon]

Looks pretty unwieldy to me...

[Dave Blackhurst]

Did a little early morning reading on these...

The "E" lenses are new (3 announced so far), there's an adapter for the Alpha mount, but you lose the auto functions. And I suspect the IS is in the new lenses as opposed to the body (as in the Alpha DSLRs), so you likely lose IS too... my interest just dropped to slightly above "0"...

Supposedly one of the reasons for Sonys delay into the DSLR market was the challenge of autofocus and exposure - the E lenses are designed to be fast and quiet (so they can auto focus/expose quickly and also not show up in the audio).

I'll wait and see what they come up with in the actual DSLR format with the traditional A mount. These look interesting at first (and that interchangeable lens handycam is an interesting new development), but after reading more on them, they sound like a "solution" looking for a market.

I already have Sonys little P&S models with 1080i - not perfect, and not much adjustability, but they are OK in low light (not great, but not bad considering), and video is fairly good. For a casual camera that shoots HD video (stills, burst, panorama, etc.) and sticks in your pocket (at half the price of the NEX cams), these do the job. The HX5V has a 28-250 zoom lens... $350 list...

I don't see a camera that has a whole new lens line you need to buy into, yet has limited control because of the small size, being a sensible product. I understand the limitations of the SLR lenses - they are big, heavy, and sometimes noisy, yet that's just the way it is - doesn't seem to be triping up people shooting Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc.

I can't see bolting the majority of A series lenses I have onto this little thing (and anyone have any idea about the tripod mount on the oddly shaped NEX5? Couldn't find any pix of that area of the cam, but...).

The big sensor is about the most interesting thing in the whole pie, but aside from being "interesting", and offering Sony some competitive product for the 4/3rds cameras, I'm not seeing it. Depending on what Sony announces later in the DSLR lne, may end up picking up a T2i...