The new Sony "Lens-Style Camera" is a bold move, bringing high-end optics and sensors to smartphones everywhere. The new QX10 and QX100 strip away the camera body, consisting of just a lens, sensor, and rudimentary controls, and rely on an Android or iOS smartphone as a screen and sharing device. Update: Do not buy this! Read my hands-on review: Sony QX100 Lens Camera: Ruined … [Read more...] about Turn Your Smartphone Into A Serious Camera (For Real!)
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Sony SEL50F18 Review: A Brilliant 50 mm F/1.8 Prime Lens for NEX Cameras
Shortly before I received the brand new Sony NEX-7 camera (on my birthday, natch!), B&H Photo dropped another eagerly-anticipated item at my door: The new Sony SEL50F18 prime lens for E-mount cameras like the NEX-5 and -7. It's brilliant technically, easily the best affordable E-mount lens. But it wouldn't be my first purchase for a NEX owner. Different Lenses for … [Read more...] about Sony SEL50F18 Review: A Brilliant 50 mm F/1.8 Prime Lens for NEX Cameras
Sony NEX-7 Hands-On Review Part 2: 24.3 Million Surprising Shortcomings
The Sony NEX-7 is far from perfect. As noted in part 1, most of the new features are compromised in one way or another, but there's an even bigger elephant in the room: The excessively dense 24.3 megapixel sensor overwhelms most of the NEX system lenses. Too Many Pixels? I was wary of that pixel-dense sensor from the start, since I never felt that the 14.2 megapixel sensor of … [Read more...] about Sony NEX-7 Hands-On Review Part 2: 24.3 Million Surprising Shortcomings
Sony NEX-7 Hands-On Review Part 1: The New Super-Camera
It took over five months, but Sony finally delivered my NEX-7 kit on March 8 (my birthday, natch!). After using the camera for a few weeks, I can say it's exactly what I hoped it would be: A worthy upgrade over the NEX-5, and perhaps the best enthusiast camera on the market. But it's not without flaws, including some surprising shortcomings. Here's my hands-on review! Why Buy … [Read more...] about Sony NEX-7 Hands-On Review Part 1: The New Super-Camera
Sony 55-210 OSS Tele-Zoom Lens: Hands-On Review
My favorite NEX camera lens (apart from the special-purpose SLR Magic 35/1.7) is the kit 18-55 tele-zoom. But I often found myself wishing for a longer focal length when outside or at events. I tried a few old Minolta lenses with an adapter, but these were difficult to use since they lack stabilization and auto-focus. So I decided to pick up the Sony 55-210 tele-zoom for the … [Read more...] about Sony 55-210 OSS Tele-Zoom Lens: Hands-On Review