Sony Alpha NEX-7: Now We’re Talkin’

Sony NEX-7 Mirrorless APS-C EVIL Camera

Something else for makers of MFT cameras to worry about…

When one camera company has the courage to make the right decisions, others follow suit. Isn’t competition wonderful? I credit Fujifilm for Starting this with their hybrid viewfinder Finepix X100. Sadly though, it has a fixed lens. Now Sony follows with the NEX-7, which goes on sale November 2011. Interchangeable lens and a viewfinder, just not an optical one. But a good one as EVFs go.

The great news is the NEX-7 looks more like s real camera. I would never have considered buying an earlier version NEX, but I would consider buying this. With a 2.4MP EVF, and greatly improved refresh rate, the viewfinder might actually be usable. And with a built-in flash and real (for Sony Alpha at least) hot shoe, this “enthusiast” level camera can now run with the big boys, even if Sony didn’t pack it with a 24MP sensor. But they did.

Rear view: looking much more like a real camera, including rangefinder-like viewfinder placement.

That sensor is hard to ignore. It remains to be seen how it stacks up to full-frame sensors in this world of diminishing returns. Can it truly outperform a less dense sensor with breathing room amongst it’s pixels? We’ll see. But even a small advantage is a step in the right direction.

No one seems to know exactly how the new interface stacks up, as the firmware on pre-production samples has yet to be finalize. But at least we know from the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 DSLR that the sensor and imaging engine aren’t duds.

This is really putting Sony on the map for me. I like actual camera companies making my cameras, but I’ve always respected Sony as a company. Sony as a camera company rising from the ashes of Minolta doesn’t hurt matters.

Now, Lumix aka Panasonic will have to follow suit and include a hires EVF on their MFT cameras. Olympus too. I say have to, because if they don’t, they’ll be jeopardizing the future of MFT. But, my money’s on Fujifilm, Sony and Samsung. It’s not that the MFT sensor can’t perform, it’s the crop factor. 2x is just too much to ask. The 1.5x APS-C just works too well with legacy lenses, or the new generation of “DX” lenses, to use Nikon’s appellation.

Looks like this form factor will be the new digital rangefinder. My prediction is that it will re-popularize the viewfinder and re-educate the public, making the cameras that include them the ones of choice.

Bravo, Sony!

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This answers the question posed in a previous post…