Sony NEX good first camera for Disney?

[ElenaJane]

I am dipping my toe in the fancy camera pool! I am interested in high quality photos, but NOT interested in lugging around a large camera and multiple lenses. We used Kingdom Camera rentals for a Nikon D600 on one of our last WDW trips. Great photos (great company to rent from) but the camera was so cumbersome!

Anyone a fan of the Sony NEX? Any examples (pictures from around the parks) would be bonus points!

 

[fractal]

ElenaJane,

On my last trip in August I had with me my NEX-7. I think it is a terrific camera for Disney; light, small and takes great photos. The following I took with the kit lens...

Next I'll post some shots with the 50mm 1.8

 

[ElenaJane]

Oh my! Those are fantastic! I was hoping to get away with the NEX 5 as it is definitely cheaper, but those are amazing! Thanks for posting. Would love to see the other lens also.

 

[fractal]

50mm is a bit long for WDW but you also get a different perspective. Here are some shots with the NEX-7 and the Sony E 50mm 1.8...

Here's a picture with my kids - to give you an idea on the size of the camera. It was nothing to carry it around all day, in fact it felt weird if I didn't have it around my neck. It was also very easy to carry around an extra lens or two.

I just started a blog about my experiences with my NEX-3 and NEX-7, including how I used them in Disney World. I'm by no means an "expert photographer" or blogger but it may be helpful to you.

www.sonynexcapades.com

I also used a fisheye on the trip - let me know if you have any other questions - right now Sony is launching the new "NEX" cameras ( under new names ) so you should be able to get a good deal on the 2013 ones.

 

[ElenaJane]

I love them! And I love Disboards. In less than an hour I find someone who has a blog about the NEX and takes pictures in Disney?! Can't wait to check out your blog. Thanks for your time!

 

[fractal]

Oh my! Those are fantastic! I was hoping to get away with the NEX 5 as it is definitely cheaper, but those are amazing! Thanks for posting. Would love to see the other lens also.

There are a few differences between the NEX-5 and NEX-7.

The sensor on the 5 is 16mp vs. 24 for the sensor. the 7 is higher resolution but some prefer the 5 because there is less "noise" in low light environments. I started with the NEX-3 a few years ago and loved that camera ( still have it as a backup).

The NEX-7 has a viewfinder vs. the NEX-5 which only has the display on the back of the camera.

I believe the 5 has a touchscreen which has gotten great reviews, especially when used for focusing. The NEX-7 does not.

The 5 also has wi-fi which my 7 does not.

The 7 is a bit bigger and styled differently with different controls.

Bottomline - it's hard to find a better camera that combines small sized, light weight, great image quality, interchangable lenses and competitive price. The weakness of the NEX system is the offering of native lenses, but this has improved much over the last year. With an adapter you can use almost any lens on the camera - the sensor on the NEX-5 is also more forgiving vs the NEX-7 when using non native lenses.

Trey Ratcliff from "www.stuckincustoms.com" switched from his NIKON D800 to the NEX-7 last year - now uses the full frame Sony A7r. I personally know several pros that have started using this system for pro work.

Goodluck and again, let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[SplashMo]

You might also consider the NEX-6 as it has a view finder. Another though is the SONY RX100. It is much smaller and takes wonderful photos.

 

[zackiedawg]

I shoot very frequently in Disney with a NEX-5N - I use a variety of lenses, though the kit lens gets plenty of use as well. There are lots of Disney photos in my NEX gallery, if you check out the thumbnails page, about every 10-15 rows or so you'll come upon a bunch of Disney photos...feel free to have a look through:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/sony_nex5n&page=all

Just scroll down through all the bird photos - I go to Disney World about every 3 months, so I've got shots from December 2013, September 2013, June 2013, etc...in between I tend to have lots of bird and wildlife photos, and once a year there are some cruise photos.

I shoot with both my NEX and a DSLR...so I split photo duties between the two camera systems. But more and more, I find the NEX super convenient for Disney, because I can bring the camera and 3-4 lenses in the same space that fits just my DSLR and one lens!

 

[havoc315]

The Nex 7 is due to be replaced in the next couple of weeks. Therefore, I expect to see good clearance pricing soon.

 

[ElenaJane]

There are a few differences between the NEX-5 and NEX-7.

The sensor on the 5 is 16mp vs. 24 for the sensor. the 7 is higher resolution but some prefer the 5 because there is less "noise" in low light environments. I started with the NEX-3 a few years ago and loved that camera ( still have it as a backup).

The NEX-7 has a viewfinder vs. the NEX-5 which only has the display on the back of the camera.

I believe the 5 has a touchscreen which has gotten great reviews, especially when used for focusing. The NEX-7 does not.

The 5 also has wi-fi which my 7 does not.

The 7 is a bit bigger and styled differently with different controls.

Bottomline - it's hard to find a better camera that combines small sized, light weight, great image quality, interchangable lenses and competitive price. The weakness of the NEX system is the offering of native lenses, but this has improved much over the last year. With an adapter you can use almost any lens on the camera - the sensor on the NEX-5 is also more forgiving vs the NEX-7 when using non native lenses.

Trey Ratcliff from "www.stuckincustoms.com" switched from his NIKON D800 to the NEX-7 last year - now uses the full frame Sony A7r. I personally know several pros that have started using this system for pro work.

Goodluck and again, let me know if you have any more questions.

I was trying to find a website that explained some of of the differences between 5 and 7, and you just answered my questions! Thanks again!

 

[ElenaJane]

You might also consider the NEX-6 as it has a view finder. Another though is the SONY RX100. It is much smaller and takes wonderful photos.

This shows how much I know...I did not even know there was a 6! I will also check out the RX100. Thanks!

 

[ElenaJane]

I shoot very frequently in Disney with a NEX-5N - I use a variety of lenses, though the kit lens gets plenty of use as well. There are lots of Disney photos in my NEX gallery, if you check out the thumbnails page, about every 10-15 rows or so you'll come upon a bunch of Disney photos...feel free to have a look through:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/sony_nex5n&page=all

Just scroll down through all the bird photos - I go to Disney World about every 3 months, so I've got shots from December 2013, September 2013, June 2013, etc...in between I tend to have lots of bird and wildlife photos, and once a year there are some cruise photos.

I shoot with both my NEX and a DSLR...so I split photo duties between the two camera systems. But more and more, I find the NEX super convenient for Disney, because I can bring the camera and 3-4 lenses in the same space that fits just my DSLR and one lens!

Thanks so much for sharing your gallery! As much as I love Disney, I actually found your wildlife pictures fascinating! Even birds in motion were perfectly sharp. Thanks again!

 

[ElenaJane]

The Nex 7 is due to be replaced in the next couple of weeks. Therefore, I expect to see good clearance pricing soon.

Sweet!! Deals! Save money for extra Dole whips.

 

[fractal]

I shoot very frequently in Disney with a NEX-5N - I use a variety of lenses, though the kit lens gets plenty of use as well. There are lots of Disney photos in my NEX gallery, if you check out the thumbnails page, about every 10-15 rows or so you'll come upon a bunch of Disney photos...feel free to have a look through:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/sony_nex5n&page=all

Just scroll down through all the bird photos - I go to Disney World about every 3 months, so I've got shots from December 2013, September 2013, June 2013, etc...in between I tend to have lots of bird and wildlife photos, and once a year there are some cruise photos.

I shoot with both my NEX and a DSLR...so I split photo duties between the two camera systems. But more and more, I find the NEX super convenient for Disney, because I can bring the camera and 3-4 lenses in the same space that fits just my DSLR and one lens!

Beautiful photos Justin!

 

[HPS3]

I can recommend any of the Nex cameras. I personally used the Nex 6 and 7. Both are fantastic but if I had to choose just one, it would be the Nex 6. You get the best of both worlds. The awesome viewfinder and the 16mp sensor which shows less noise. The Nex 6 also has the faster autofocus. I have moved to a mirrorless setup myself because I hate juggling the DSLR and larger lenses while trying to chase 2 little girls around.

Here are some Nex 7 photos.


Late Night in the Magic Kingdom by Harry Shields, on Flickr


Port Orleans Riverside by Harry Shields, on Flickr


WDW Christmas Shop, Magic Kingdom by Harry Shields, on Flickr


Italy Pavilion by Harry Shields, on Flickr


MuppetVision3D by Harry Shields, on Flickr


My Princess Kitty by Harry Shields, on Flickr


DUDE!!!! by Harry Shields, on Flickr


Triceratop Spin by Harry Shields, on Flickr

Non Disney Photos


A Day At The Park by Harry Shields, on Flickr


Up Close and Personal by Harry Shields, on Flickr


Building a Castle of Dreams by Harry Shields, on Flickr


Sunset on the Lake by Harry Shields, on Flickr


Dragonfly by Harry Shields, on Flickr


Nex 6 and Nikon Series E 100 @ 2.8 by Harry Shields, on Flickr

Sorry for all the photos but as you can see, it's a fantastic camera for everyday.

 

[ElenaJane]

I can recommend any of the Nex cameras. I personally used the Nex 6 and 7. Both are fantastic but if I had to choose just one, it would be the Nex 6. You get the best of both worlds. The awesome viewfinder and the 16mp sensor which shows less noise. The Nex 6 also has the faster autofocus. I have moved to a mirrorless setup myself because I hate juggling the DSLR and larger lenses while trying to chase 2 little girls around.

Here are some Nex 7 photos.

Sorry for all the photos but as you can see, it's a fantastic camera for everyday.

Don't apologize for all those pictures! The tire swing one looks like it could be in an ad for the NEX camera! I think I will wait and see how things shake out when the NEX 8 is released in February and see how much discount I can get off the older models.

 

[HPS3]

Don't apologize for all those pictures! The tire swing one looks like it could be in an ad for the NEX camera! I think I will wait and see how things shake out when the NEX 8 is released in February and see how much discount I can get off the older models.

Thank you!

I would say get a model with the viewfinder because it gets hard to see the lcd in bright sunlight sometimes. You can also review photos in the viewfinder.

 

[zackiedawg]

BTW - just a heads-up too, so you don't get too confused in the future...Sony is phasing out the NEX name. NOT the cameras, just the name - so future models of Sony's mirrorless cameras will have an alphanumeric name to put them more in line with their larger SLT/Alpha line. They will still be NEX cameras, just under a different name - the first renaming version recently debuted as the Alpha A5000, which is for all intents and purposes a new NEX-3. Future NEX-5, NEX-6, and NEX-7 replacements will likely be under similar naming schemes, such as A6000, A7000, and so on.

 

[fractal]

tough to beat this deal!

Today’s Amazon Deal of the day is the Sony NEX-3n with 16-50mm lens which sells for $289 at Amazon (vs. $499 regular).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1711809842&pf_rd_i=761198

 

[ElenaJane]

That is a good deal! It is all kind of confusing still though. I think I will keep researching. Too many choices! And it seems with cameras, the prices just keep going down.