Features
Roderick Scott 0

They say the best tool you have is the one you have on you.  So the best tool I keep on me for all of the visuals for the site + social media is the Sony NEX-7.  Even though I also own the Samsung NX30.  Now you might ask, why in the hell are you still using this old-ass camera?  And its not a money issue BTW.  Before I get into the answer, let's start from the beginning at the top of the list.  

Prior to my purchase around this time last year, I was coming from a Canon point-and-shoot which did a marvelous job. I was looking to get better-looking photos + sharper video for the site but didn't want the bulk of a DSLR along w/ additional lenses + gear.   Enter the Sony NEX-7: my personal + compact, solution for the site's visuals.  



The NEX-7 this is one of Sony's biggest, game-changing camera in photography in the recent years.  Back in 2009, Olympus and others were trying to get the Micro Four-Thirds movement by using a smaller sensor w/ the same aspect ratio of its name at 4:3.  Sony was hard at work w/ something new supporting the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.  Offering smaller sensors w/o a mirror to reflect an image to an optical viewfinder - why many of mirrorless shooters have electronic viewfinders.  In 2011, they unveiled the NEX-7 but didn't go on sale until early 2012 due to floods in Thailand (where they were manufactured).  Now that we got that out of the way, back to business. 

1) The iAuto or Intelligent Auto is still really good.  

 
Coming from a point-and-shoot, it takes a gradual process before getting to know the different modes.  Before getting comfortable w/ manual mode and others, the 1st stop of getting familiar w/ this shooter is Intelligent Auto.  This makes sure to do a pretty good job utilizing the aperture, ISO, & white balance for photos + videos. It utilizes scene recognition, face detection, and optical image stabilization.  Enough to hold you down until you get familiar w/ the Aperture, Shutter Priority, and then Manual settings.   This is a really good stepping stone in my journey to mastering this Sony shooter.  

NEX-7

2) The manual dials are a Godsend - once you get used to them.

Now there were mixed feelings about the manual dials from the experts but I will have a hard time going to another camera setup.  Sony calls it their Tri-Navi Manual Control as it hasn't been used again in another Sony camera.  At first your like, what in the hell are these for?  But once I got a handle of the Manual setting and then the dials, I never looked back.  I usually have the 2 dials set for aperture (right), shutter speed (left) + ISO (bottom) for quick adjusting for photos + video on the fly.  You can even lock the settings so you won't accidentally go up or down within your adjustments.  

NEX-7

3) A 24.3MP sensor never gets outdated.  

While the auto-focus speed is showing is age a bit, that APS-C sensor still shines bright.  The power of that 24.3MP cropped sensor flourishes years later w/ great detail + resolution in photos and in video when enough light is present.  Also, god color reproduction + accuracy as well.  But results depend on the kind of glass you're using.  I am currently armed w/ the f/3.5-5.6 18-55mm kit + f/2.8 28mm pancake lenses. I'm seeking to grab a Zeiss or a vintage lens to get even better results.

NEX-7

4) That pop-up flash though.

Having a built-in flash on a camera isn't anything new.  But Sony made sure to put a pop-up flash on the NEX-7.  While this isn't ground-breaking by itself.  What is pretty cool is the fact that it can tilt back.  This allows you to bounce the light off of your subject rather than hitting them w/ the harshness of a direct flash.  To pull this off, you'll have to get used to holding the flash back manually but the results you get are truly worth it.  

NEX-7

After a few years it is still a great mesh of superb photo + video in small, lightweight body.

While everything isn't perfect w/ it as the auto-focus speeds is now slow by today's standards along w/ having to buy adapters for hot shoe accessories + non-Sony E-Mount lenses.  It is perfect for me + my needs.  Even though this shooter is 3 years old, Sony has an array of mirrorless shooters for you to choose from as they have dropped the NEX name and moved to alpha or A name followed by numbers (ex. a6000).  At this point, the only thing that might persuade me to switch is whenever the hell the actual NEX-7 successor comes out.  There has already been some light rumblings about it as it may see the light of day sometime this year.

For those of you seeking to get into the latest + greatest Sony Alpha mirrorless shooters, we got you covered.  For those seeking the cropped sensor, we would recommend the a6000.  It touts the best of the NEX-6 and the NEX-7.  It sports a 24.3MP sensor, ISOs up to 25,600, Sony's latest BIONZ X image processor, Wi-Fi support, and their latest 179-point auto-focus system touted as the fastest AF in the biz.   For those of you seeking a bit more power, we would suggest the A7 II.  This has a 24.3MP full-frame sensor, a 5-axis image stabilization, faster auto-focus, and a weather sealed body.  If you require something that records video in 4K, we would recommend the A7S.

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Categories: Features Optics

Author: Roderick Scott

Father. Husband. Creative. Mild foodie. Batman in my dreams.