Where is all of this camera non-sense going ?
I say it is all about the lenses. But, more about that in a bit.
Sony is on a yearly hype cycle - Nex-5, and 5n last year, followed by the 7 -- and boom - Pop Photo Camera of the year - for what ever that is worth.
The body is great - but it was quickly criticized for the lenses. The whole system just fell apart optically. Compared to the what Olympus was putting out - Sony just couldn't compete. AF is slow - and optic selections are limited. The 18-55mm kit really needs to be worked - sometimes it is surprising and other times I convince myself I'll never use this again. And then I use it again. I have since moved to the Sigma 30mm f2.8 - whoa… I would almost venture to say, amazing - almost.
Before the Sigma 30mm -- this is the sharpest lens I had on the Nex - an adapted Canon 24mm FD SSC f2.8 - a $60 ebay buy - and probably close to 40 years old. Focusing drove me crazy though - there was something about it where I couldn't confirm critical.
This was shot this last summer -- the sharpness seems infinite.
Mid range - this lens is crazy sharp - longer range it falls apart and turns to mush.
Trey Ratclif is using the Nex-7 of which he discusses on his site.
This year -- the two cameras with all the buzz - the - RX100 and RX-1 -- and boom - some say the 1 will be the camera of the year. Hmmm… and the difference - full frame and a killer f2.0 Zeiss. But the lens is stuck to the body -- no other options. $2700. Steve Huff is raving about it, calls it his camera of the year and DDavidson happened to get one and seems to give a thumbs up.
I would totally have one - but 3k is too much right now - and I would feel limited by the 35mm lens - and that lens only. But -- I must say - that I always come back to JSturr's Law #1 - "One will always default to the sharpest lens, irregardless of its focal length."
I could make it work. I'm really intrigued by the Fuji XE-1. If they would get it together and off the SDK Raw codec to Adobe and the likes -- I think I would be sold. I'm loving just the JPG's - along with everyone else.
But I digress and that leads me to the next point -- what the hell has Leica been doing --- I should really have these marketing types on my staff, because they are geniuses'.
So where do I start - build a dog slow camera, dated sensor, no AF -- oh, and sell it for an insane price -- and Boom… winner. And why is this system so successful - the lenses. I'm leaving the Monochrome out of this -- but its the same deal. Only Mono.
So what is the take away -- no matter what you are shooting - get a great lens or a very, very good lens - and go take some pictures. When you open that new SLR in a few weeks - shelve the 18-55mm kit lens - and get a 30mm, 35mm, or 50mm f1.4, f1.8, or f2.0. Shoot it at the Max aperture - and you will be looked at like a photographic king. Save the kit lens for another day - for when you sell the camera.