a good zoom lens for your NEX - the SEL55210

If you are looking for a zoom lens for your NEX camera that is a native e-mount, you only have 4 options at the moment;

1. Sony SEL 18-200
2. Sony SEL 18-200 (LE)
3. Tamron 18-200
4. Sony SEL 55-210

I got mine as part of a dual lens kit for the NEX-6.

I won't waste your time in reading the technical specs as they are all over the internet. Just go to any Sony website and you can even do a comparison between the 3 Sony branded lenses.

The NEX SEL55-210 zoom lens is an underrated lens in my opinion.  The image quality I am getting from this lens is superb.  This is not a FAST LENS so when you want to use it in lowlight you have to bump up the ISO, which is not a problem with the NEX-7 and the newer and better High-ISO capable camera the NEX-6.

The weight of the SEL55-210 is perfect for the NEX camera compared to the 1st-generation SEL18-200.  Another advantage of the lens is the filter size which is 49mm, same as the SEL24F18 and the 18-55 Kit lens.  I have this lens on my camera instead of the 18-55!  

The SEL55-210 also has a OSS (Optical Steady Shot) which is great for both photo and video.  

Most of the photos taken were from the recent family holiday we had at Singapore and Hong Kong.  The only post processing done on the photos were to remove the sharpening in LR 4 and cropped.

Photos taken with the NEX-7:

Photos taken from NEX-6:

If you are in the market for a NEX Zoom lens and your budget is around $400-$500 USD, this lens comes highly recommended!  This is the ONLY ZOOM lens I have for my NEX system, the only thing that can replace this on my bag will be if Sony comes out with a G-lens for the NEX System!

SLRMagic and NEX .. what's next?

While in Hong Kong, I managed to get in touch with SLRMagic's Product Manager, Andrew Chan. He hand delivered my new SLRMagic 35 T 1.4 lens!  The lens is packaged beautifully and initial impression is quite positive. I've been in contact with Andrew before through email but meeting him in person was great.  He's a lovely person to talk to during coffee and I was also able to find a little bit more about the company and their plans for the NEX mount. 

A brief history on what SLRMagic lens lineup so far for the NEX system:

1. SLRMagic 35/1.7
2. SLRMagic 28mm Bokehmorphic
3. SLRMagic 35mm T 1.4
4. SLRMagic Hyperprime 50mm 0.95

Their next release will be the SLRMagic 23mm f/1.7 lens.  Not having seen and use this lens myself, I am assuming that this will be a cheaper alternative to the Sigma 30mm and the Sony Zeiss 24/1.8 that is currently available.  I have heard of this lens before but SLRMagic has gone back to the drawing board to re-design the lens as initial reviews weren't favorable.  I commend them from doing this as instead of releasing a 'so-so' lens, they instead went back and fix whatever issues were reported.  This shows that the company really wants to be taken serious by NEX users.

SLRMagic will be concentrating on CINE lenses as other brand (e.g Zeiss CP.2, Angieux, etc) are out of reach for most people, price-wise.

As a treat, here's a sample video I took of the SLRMagic 35 T 1.4 lens with the NEX-7 @ 1.4.  It shows very good bokeh and colours!

Test Video : NEX-6 and SLRMagic 35 T 1.4 from Cris Gruba on Vimeo.

Sony's UWA (SEL1018)

 Before I went on my overseas holiday trip, I took these shots of the festive decorations around Melbourne City Square. I only had the NEX-7 and SEL10-18 and my Sony RX1.   I know that the SEL1018 and NEX-7 is not the BEST combination as with any other wide angle lenses on the NEX-7.  

Out of Focus SEL10-18 @ f/4.0 

More photos of the NEX-7 and SEL1018 all at f/4.0

SEL 10-18 @ 10mm

SEL 10-18 @ 12mm

SEL 10-18 @ 14mm

SEL 10-18 @ 16mm

I am bringing this lens with me on my holiday and will post more photos when I get back.  From memory, at f/8 the issue seems to have disappear.  And also, I have tried using a more greenish-color temp/filter as my WB instead of AWB and this seems to do a better job on the sides for my liking.  Maybe its just me but I am happy with this lens and the NEX-7 combination. 

The SEL1018 works flawlessly with the NEX-6 (which I also have).

NEX-7 and the SEL1018

I currently used the NEX-7 with the 16mm/2.8 + Fisheye converter with my NEX-7 so when Sony announced the SEL10-18/4 lens, I pre-ordered it.

I must say that when I took the first couple of shot, I was disappointed with the magenta cast.  At least there's no smearing of details or colour-shifting problem.

Here is the first photo I took with my NEX-7 + SEL10-18/4.  Sorry its just a quick snap outside as weather hasn't been really good here in Melbourne, Australia (and it should be summer!).

1/1600 @ f/4 - 10mm ISO 100

As you can see from the photo, there is some magenta casting but not that much and post processing (ugh!) will be able to minimise this issue.

Now to find a way to minimise this magenta cast;  first suspect was the AWB of the NEX-7. Why the white balance? I've noticed that when I converted the files to DNG in Adobe LR4.3 the Temp is around 5450 and the Tint always has a +3 towards the magenta side.

I went into the NEX-7 White Balance setting and instead of shooting AWB, changed it to Colour Temp/Filter, and dialled in the following setting;

• Temp: 5400 
• Filter : A-B:B1 and G-M:G1

1/4000 @ f/4.0 - 10mm ISO 100

You can still see some slight magenta cast but its not as 'bad' as the first one.

This is NOT a SCIENTIFIC test as I still am trying to find the best setting to at least reduce the magenta cast.  

This however highlights another 'weakness' of the NEX-7, the ability to save your setting :(  Come on Sony, at least give us one memory option to store our setting.

Using the lens indoors; the magenta cast is a non-factor.  Here is a quick snap sample (sorry as the photo is not that interesting).  

1/15 @ f/4/.0 - 10mm ISO1600

All I can say personally is that I can work with the NEX-7 + SEL10-18 combo.

I will be doing more testing on the SEL10-18 NEX-7 combo during the holiday period.   For now, I will be keeping my NEX-7 and the NEX-6 and decide which one to keep after the Christmas season.

Keep shooting! :)

My Sony RX1 - Rolling Review

Before I begin, let me tell you why I chose the RX1 over the A99. I have been a long time a-mount user and slowly gotten rid of it when the NEX cameras were announced.  And since I don't shoot professionally, the A99 will be too much (money and feature-wise) for an enthusiast who just loves taking photos and getting the best image quality.

When Sony first announced the RX1, the internet is abuzz with people that is for it and against it. The main reason is the price! People wanted more functionalities for that price tag.  For the same price, you can get the Sony FF SLT, the A99.

The main concerns of photo enthusiasts it that it should have a built-in EVF and an interchangeable lens.  Another lens mount?? We already have the A-mount and E-mount on the Sony lineup.  And the other thing that concerns other people is the branding, this camera is not under the Sony Alpha family but under the CYBERSHOT RX-series family.

Is the RX1 worth its price tag of almost AU$ 2999 ?? Personally, the answer is a resounding YES.

Here is a comparison of the NEX-7 with the Zeiss 35/2 Distagon and the RX1 with Zeiss 35/2

The lens used in the RX1 is specifically made for the RX1 sensor. Reports are that the rear lens element is just millimetres away from the actual sensor.  Now that is a technological feat on Sony's engineers.

Here is my first shot with the RX1; the rendering of the out-of-focus area is simply Zeiss :)   The sharpness / colours are spot-on.  I haven't gotten into customising the camera for my personal taste/preference so this is what it produced straight-out-of-camera.

Since it's almost Christmas, Melbourne City Christmas Tree;

I also took a photo of a family friend's daughter; again wide open and some cropping.

On the next part of this review, I will show some of the things that I don't like about the RX1 (mostly on the menu system). But it still is the BEST CAMERA I've ever own, bar none.

a Busy weekend and week ahead - STAY TUNED

Hello everyone.  Sorry I haven't been updating this blog as much as I want to. 

But that is all about to change.

Yesterday my NEX SEL10-18 and the Sony RX1 :) was waiting for me on the front door.  Can't contain my excitement to be honest and there's more on the way..

I am still waiting for the NEX-6 from Sony Australia and hopefully it will get here by Friday (fingers crossed) as I have two Christmas parties to attend to on the weekend.

I will keep this short for now but here are the things that I will be testing (not scientific testing but more for what I need/want from a camera).

1. NEX-7 with SEL10-18
2. NEX-6 with SEL10-18
3. Sony RX1

But before I go, I want to say a big thank you to Sony Australia. Appreciate everything and getting the RX1 to me a week ahead and the other things ;)

And now, here's a side-by-side pic of the Sony RX1 and its little brother, the RX100.

Finally together!

Sony's New Shoe and Micro USB

Besides the new hotshoe that Sony will be incorporating on its new line of NEX and SLT's. 

The hotshoe according to the specs has 20-pin and uses Sony Intelligent signals and IS mechanically compatible with competitors accessory.  Does this mean we can use Canon/Nikon speedlites? If this is true, then this will be good news for Sony Alpha strobist.

Another technology included is a Micro USB Port, 15-pin and uses Sony Intelligent Signals and mechanically and functionally compatible with other manufacturers Micro USB accessory which are 5-pins.

What the Sony Intelligent Signal means are a bit vague at the moment, this might be them doing some translation of the signals from other manufacturers into Sony's own interpretation.

Whatever it is, it is a good time to be a Sony NEX / SLT user. No one has done more ground-breaking technology in the photography world than Sony.

Rumored NEX bodies

Just thought I'd share this news from Sony Alpha Rumors.  Sony will be launching two new NEX bodies; NEX-5R, an update of the NEX-5N and NEX-6, a more affordable NEX-7.

NEX-5R

Like the NEX-5N, the successor still doesn't have any hotshoe.  This will probably have the same sensor used on the NEX-7 albeit smaller megapixel count.

NEX-6

The NEX-6 has an EVF, if this is as good as the NEX-7 then this will definitely sell, there is also a dial selection on top compared to the previous NEX where the Mode is selected using the MENU on the back of the camera.

This one have the new hotshoe that Sony will be introducing on the NEX and future SLT cameras.  Will this be the 'death' of the Minolta hotshoe? I think so and it's about time as Sony got 'stuck' on that old technology.

The movie record button has also been moved to avoid it being press accidentally. Personally, I prefer the Canon implementation where you have to switch the on/off to dedicated movie mode.

One thing that I like about the new NEX camera's is that they now have the Fn button next to the Shutter.  This feature comes from the NEX-7 and was well received because of the quick access it gives you.

September seems a long time but it's only a few more weeks and then we'll see what this cameras can deliver and more importantly, the PRICE!

RX100 Video Samples

I really am enjoying this point-and-shoot camera from Sony. It has so far exceeded my expectation when it comes to Image Quality and Video Quality.  There are some minor issues that I wish can be addressed by a firmware but it is for me, the best pocketable camera.

Here are some sample videos (full HD @ 50mbps), no editing, just downloaded the mts file straight into hard drive and uploaded to Vimeo.

NEX-7 Precision Digital Zoom Test

Playing aroung with the NEX-7 Precision Digital Image Zoom.  This is not the same as on the newer Cybershots / SLT / NEX's cameras which Sony called Clear Image Zoom.

Here are some sample shots and I must say that it will do especially if you don't have a lens >100mm focal length.

Lens used is the Minolta AF 100/2 attached to the LA-EA2 adapter. Camera was set to AutoWB, Neutral and STD-JPG, f/8.0 and 1/125 shutter speed.

No Precision Digital Image Zoom

Zoom set to 5x

Zoom set to 10x

With a bit of sharpening in Photoshop (or editing software of your choice), you can definitely sharpen the images and bring out more details.

Personally, I won't hesitate using the Precision Digital Zoom if needed.

TV, Reborn!

Hi,

I know this is not camera related but just wanted to share the good news to everyone in Australia.

Sony's Google TV has arrived!

Powered by Google Chrome browser, you can access optimised Android app for Google TV, Play Store and Sony's Entertainment Network (Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited).

Here's a video of some lucky Sony X'ers trying out the Google TV.

Let me know what you think.

Sony RX100 - More Sample Photos

Here are more photos taken with the Sony RX100. So far I am very impressed with this tiny camera.  All the photos are straight out of camera JPG.

Nice Colours

Flare Control is great!

Taken using the Clear Image Zoom and Digital Zoom

ISO2000 shot, very clean.  I have the High ISO NR set to LOW

Original Scene

Using HDR with 6.0EV brings out the details in the shadow

RX100 Sweep Panorama

Sony RX100 - Part 3 (Sample Photos - Portrait)

Photos are taken using JPG as Lightroom 4.1 still cannot read the RX100 RAW files.  Creative Style set to "Standard" and Aperture Priority-Mode.
No enhancement done except cropping and watermarked.

The RX100's shallow DOF allows you to take great portrait pictures and apply effects on it.  Most cameras would only allow you to do this with Mirrorless Interchangeable Lenses or a DSLR.

1/30 @ f/1.8, ISO800

The RX100 allows you to edit your photos in-camera.  At the moment there are only two options available, Watercolor and Illustration (Low,Mid,High).  I wish future firmware updates would add a B&W option.

The Watercolor Effect, the RX100 does a superb job on applying this effect especially that there is a face involved.  I can't wait to try this on a Landscape photo with plenty of colours.

Watercolor Effect

100% crop

The Illustration Effect, you actually have 3 options when applying this effect.  The highest option shows good constraint on the RX100 side as it didn't turn the whole photo into a comic-like drawing.

1/30 @ f/1.8, ISO640

Illustration Effect : High

Minolta 58 vs Voigtlander 58

I recently got a Voigtlander SLII 58/1.4 Nikon mount but converted to A-Mount using Leitax adapters. The Voigtlander lens retails around $499.00 USD (Nikon Mount) and instead of modifying the mount, you can just buy a direct Nikon-to-NEX adapter.  The only reason I went with a chipped mount was so that the aperture value will be recorded on the EXIF but it doesn't on the LA-EA2 adapter.

Here's what it looks like on the NEX-7 with the LA-EA2 adapter

Both are manual focus lenses and require an  adapter.  The MD-NEX adapter were used on the Minolta MD 58/1.4 and the LA-EA2 adapter on the Voigtlander 58/1.4.  Photos were lighted using 2 x 125W on both sides.  No post processing was done except cropping.

And since I already have a Minolta 58/1.4, might as well see how this two lens compare.

Camera settings used were JPG - Standard, Neutral Picture Style, ISO100.

DISCLAIMER:

1. This is not a scientific test and is purely based on what I personally look for in a lens. The other reason I am doing this test is to see which one has to go.
2. And since its been cold and wet the past few weeks, the shots were taken indoors. Will be doing an outside shoot for comparison
3. The reason for different field of view is because both lenses are focus using their MFD (Minimum Focusing Distance)

Minolta MD 58 @ f1.4

Voigtlander 58 @ f1.4

Minolta MD 58 @ f2.8

Voigtlander 58 @ f2.8

The bokeh is clearly 'creamier' on the Voigtlander. The Minolta MD 58/1.4 can still hold its own despite the fact that its a 20+ year old lens with no special coating that are used on newer lenses.

Overall I am happy with the Voigtlander output but I will soon change it back to it's native mount and use a Nikon-to-NEX adapter instead as the LA-EA2 adapter makes it a bulky combination.  How I wish I didn't sell my LA-EA1 adapter.

Using the NEX-7 with either lens really shows the resolving power of the 24mp CMOS sensor that Sony incorporated on the camera.

If you are looking for a f/1.4 lens, I would recommend the Voigtlander if you are after the creamier bokeh, the price is a bit on the high-end. If you already own a Minolta 50/1.4 AF or the Sony 50/1.4 then these two lenses would be more useful with the LA-EA2 as they both auto-focuses and render almost similar bokeh.