Took the plunge (Nex 5N)- questions

[Raenstoirm]

Just bought the Sony Nex 5N last night. Depressingly, it came with a completely dead battery, so I havent had the chance to play with it. I charged it up last night and did bring it to work this morning. Hoping my boss decides to go to a long lunch or something so I can play!


I do have a few questions....

What is the best case for it? I packed it into my old SLRs case for today, but that case is bulky, cumbersome and circa 1998. I technically want to buy two cases for the NEX a small "just the necessities" case and a larger one to hold all my future lenses and such (I bought the 18-55 and the 16 wide angle with it). Do you have any preferences?

Also how do you store the lens cap when in use? My old SLR has a tiny string on each cap so they can be clipped to the camera strap, but the NEX ones dont seem to have any such thing. I plan on wearing my NEX on our Disney trip next month and not bringing a bag at all since it is so small and light even with the 18-55 lens. How do I keep track of the lens cap? I am leery of putting it in my jeans pocket since it might fall out or get cruddy or something.

Do they sell some sort of extended battery? I havent looked, so a simple google search might give me that answer. I would prefer not to have to carry two batteries if possible (I like to be as light as possible). And what SD card to you prefer? I currently have a 8g sony SDHD in there -stolen from my current best point and shoot, but is there a "better" card (faster, less chance of failure, etc). I want to get a bigger size for this camera so I want to buy the "best."

And lastly I am composing my christmas list. I am thinking of asking for the Nex telephoto (not sure of the exact mm at the moment) and a few "clip on" lenses (such as the Precision Design 2x Telephoto & .45x Wide-Angle Digital Lenses). The Precision lenses are cheap so it is a good gift for my mother-in-law to buy me. I was also thinking about a few filters (again pretty cheap). And a good cleaning kit (what brand?) What else should I put on my list?
I am a very basic SLR girl at the moment so I dont need anything too fancy. I stopped using my old SLR 10 years ago (it is film based) and have been using point and shoots since, so I have a huge relearning curve ahead of me.

 

[photo_chick]

You can buy a leash to attach your lens cap. Most of them stick on to the cap and have a loop on the other end to put on your strap. It's not a standard feature on any lens right now that I'm aware of.

As far as bags... for a small camera like that check out the Crumpler Million Dollar homes, they might fit what you need. The smller ones would be about the right size.

 

[zackiedawg]

What is the best case for it? I packed it into my old SLRs case for today, but that case is bulky, cumbersome and circa 1998. I technically want to buy two cases for the NEX a small "just the necessities" case and a larger one to hold all my future lenses and such (I bought the 18-55 and the 16 wide angle with it). Do you have any preferences?

Congratulations on the new camera. Case-wise, I use two for my NEX - one is a small videocam bag by Tamrac - it perfectly fits the NEX and 18-55 attached, with a small pouch for another lens, holds a spare battery in the top zipped lid, and has a small front zippable pocket where I can throw my sunglasses or something else - it's a very small bag for me. I also use a larger shoulder bag when I'm bringing my NEX with 7-10 lenses - when I really want to have more of my kit with me.

Also how do you store the lens cap when in use?

I throw mine in a pocket - and often leave it off while I'm out shooting - only putting it back on if I'm stopping for lunch, or sitting for a while not photographing. My cap might remain off for several hours at a time. Though you can buy lens cap leashes at many places.

Do they sell some sort of extended battery? I havent looked, so a simple google search might give me that answer. I would prefer not to have to carry two batteries if possible (I like to be as light as possible).

No - only one battery size. Fortunately the battery is quite small so it's not too big of a deal to bring an extra. If you get a small bag for your NEX, then often they have a small zipped pocket or pouch on the lid or front where they can easily be stored.

And what SD card to you prefer? I currently have a 8g sony SDHD in there -stolen from my current best point and shoot, but is there a "better" card (faster, less chance of failure, etc). I want to get a bigger size for this camera so I want to buy the "best."

Well there are the very fastest class of SD card out there, with the UDMI...they're pricey but should help ensure you clear the buffer faster and can get back to shooting...and also keep up with HD video. You also might consider a Sony Memorystick Pro Duo HG-HX card - they're actually price-competitive with the standard Extreme III SD cards, but work significantly faster in Sony cameras in up-down loading speeds. It's one of the few times where the proprietary card has an advantage over standardized SD cards. I use a MS Pro Duo HG HX card in mine, and it performs significantly faster than the Extreme III Sandisk SD I tried from my DSLR. In my DSLR, there's no noticeable difference between SD and MS Duo, because the buffer is so large...but in the NEX, the smaller buffer means you more quickly hit the processing limits, and the faster you can offload to the card the better.

And lastly I am composing my christmas list. I am thinking of asking for the Nex telephoto

The 'big' tele is the 18-200mm, which is an all-in-one type lens...it's much more expensive and a larger barrel. The 55-210mm is an inexpensive and nice add-on telephoto option that picks up where the 18-55mm kit leaves off.

and a few "clip on" lenses (such as the Precision Design 2x Telephoto & .45x Wide-Angle Digital Lenses). The Precision lenses are cheap so it is a good gift for my mother-in-law to buy me.

Be a little wary of these - often they just don't work very well with large sensors - they often cause vignetting, can produce focusing errors, and often don't give very good image quality. They may work well enough for your needs, but just be wary!

I was also thinking about a few filters (again pretty cheap). And a good cleaning kit (what brand?) What else should I put on my list?

Cleaning kit is always a good idea with a large sensor - a good bulb blower is always a nice thing to have, such as a Giottos Rocket Blower. And you might consider a good sensor brush for more stubborn dust or residue.

 

[HPS3]

The 5n is a great camera. I had one about 2 weeks ago and returned it to BB(I don't really know why). Anyway Monday I ordered a white one from Sony and it should be here Friday.