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!
review
Sony 55-210 OSS Tele-Zoom Lens: Hands-On Review
Although certainly not the fastest lens (optically or workflow-wise) the SEL55210 is a screaming bargain at $399. The lens is light and compact enough to bring along “just in caseâ€, something that can’t be said of many, SLR tele-zoom lenses. Once it finally focuses, image quality is excellent and the built-in Optical SteadyShot makes it usable even in low light conditions.
Hands-On Review: Verizon 4G LTE (and the Novatel MiFi 4510l)
I would not hesitate to recommend Verizon’s 4G LTE network. It’s head-and-shoulders above Clear/Sprint WiMAX and will likely stay that way for a while thanks to their use of the 700MHz band. Verizon’s rapid network expansion and broad 3G network are reassuring enough to entice me into a 2-year contract. And the Novatel MiFi 4510l is a fairly solid device, though not perfect.
Hands-On Review: The Eye-Fi Connect X2 Card
I simply cannot recommend any Eye-Fi card, even the fancy new X2 line, to average camera users. Even enthusiasts like me would be wise to curb their enthusiasm. Most features barely work in practice, and the device frequently failed to perform.
Hands-On Review: SLR Magic 35mm Sony NEX Lens
The Sony 18-55 mm tele-zoom remains my favorite NEX lens for its flexibility. Given this, I would definitely buy the SLR Magic 35mm lens before Sony’s overly wide 16mm pancake prime. But the SLR Magic would not be a good choice as the only lens on a trip. It’s a fun and fairly cheap toy, not a real photographic tool.
