[shoplink 8845 ebay][/shoplink]

Introduction:
Very soon the postman will ring on my door and deliver to me the just bought NEX-5n. But what I am missing in the current NEX lens lineup are pancakes! I’m googling around to find some nice pancakes I can use on my NEX and I thought it would be nice to share with you my findings!

The Konica Hexanon AR 40mm f/1.8:
Today I collected some news about the [shoplink 8845 ebay]Konica Hexanon AR 40mm f/1.8[/shoplink] lens. You can use it on your NEX via AR to NEX mount adapters ([shoplink 8844 ebay]Click here to find them on eBay[/shoplink]). The lens itself costs around $60 and you can find plenty of them (used) on [shoplink 8842 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. On your NEX this will become a 60mm f/1.8 lens. Almost a perfect lens for portraits! And it is really small for being that fast!

What I found:
A very nice set of image samples from “Panuraj” taken with the NEX-5 on Flickr (Click here).
Another set of image samples from “Flyingdate” taken with the NEX-5 on Flickr (Click here).
Test at dpreview forum: “Good news – the lens does not disappoint! Solid all-round performance. It is ever-so-slightly soft at full open aperture – more of that slightly ‘dreamy’ quality some of these older lenses tend to have (I can even see that being something that can be played with and used), but quickly gets extremely sharp at only 2 stops down or so.”

What do you think:

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Ebay links:
[shoplink 8845 ebay]Konica Hexanon AR 40mm f/1.8 (Click here)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 8844 ebay]AR to NEX mount adapter (Click here)[/shoplink]

Rob Skoetch from ThePictureDesk (Click here) has been the first person to post some image samples taken with the new Sony NEX-7 and the new 50mm f/1.8 OSS lens! Those are not full size pictures but he said he will soon add them on Flickr (Click here) where you can already find A77, A65 and NEX-5n full size image samples.

The NEX-7 is probably the most requested and preordered of all new Sony cameras. It will be start shipping from early November. This is a short list of stores I found where you can preorder the camera to be the first on list (otherwise your risk to get the camera in 2012 only):
Body only: Sonystore US, Amazon US, Adorama, Sonystore Canada and in Europe at Jessops and Computeruniverse.
With 18-55mm kit lens: Sonystore US, Amazon US, Adorama, Sonystore Canada and in Europe at Jessops.
I have seen that the most requested lens to put on your NEX-7 is the Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 which you can preorder here: Sonystore US, Amazon US, Adorama, Sonystore Canada.
The 50mm f/1.8 can be preordered: Sonystore US, Adorama.

As you see there is no preorder option I found in Europe (a part of the NEX-7 at Jessops and Computerunivers). Feel free to comment this post with links to shops accepting preorders! This will help other SAR reader to get thei NEX-7 and lenses as soon as possible!

A “Californian” NEX-5n preview by Wideopencamera.

EosHD (Click here) discovered that the Sunset picture profile of the NEX-5n eliminates most of the video quality problems: “Until now DSLR image processors and codecs have been incredibly poor at rendering a smooth gradation of shades over flat areas with little detail. We have tended to get banding and rough step-changes between different tones rather than a smooth gradient. We’ve had blockiness, poor colour rendition, plastic skin tones and blue skies that look like a huge hole in the ozone layer has just opened up. The 5N’s Sunset picture profile is designed to give smooth gradated tones to mimic the look of 10bit on an 8bit codec.”

Initial impressions and some test shots at Jaegraphy (Click here): “The dynamic range available is very impressive, I have an inkling it exceeds the D7000, a camera that I have shot a lot with. Even just in TIFF format, the files are very pliable with a lot of headroom for manipulation before showing any banding or other unwanted digital artifacts. Of the cameras that have used this 16mpx sensor family, which include the Pentax K5, Nikon D7000, and the Sony A580, it feels just as good if not better.”

K5 versus Sony NEX-5n at dpreview forum (Click here). Found via RiceHigh.

The NEX-5n is available at (Click on store names):
USA&Canada: Amazon (in Stock!), Sonystore US (in Stock!), Sonystore Canada (in Stock!) and [shoplink 8452 ebay]eBay (in Stock!)[/shoplink].
Europe: SonyStore DE (in Stock), SonyStore FR (in Stock), SonyStore IT (in Stock), Amazon DE (preorder), Amazon UK (preorder) and [shoplink 8452 ebay]eBay (in Stock!)[/shoplink].
Asia: Digitalrev (in Stock), [shoplink 8452 ebay]eBay (in Stock!)[/shoplink].

P.S.: Both the NEX-5n and NEX-7 are still within the Amazon top 20 rankings (Click here to see the full rankings).

There is a new A65 versus [shoplink 3032]A900[/shoplink] image comparison posted by the chinese Pchome wbesite (Click here to read the translation). Article found via RiceHigh. The tester used the Sony 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 lens on the A65, whilst the ZA24-70/2.8 was used on the A900. So we can failry say the A65 had a slightly disadvantage. As you see the A65 image quality is very good!

The A65 image is on the left, A900 on the right:
See ISO 100 and 200 image comparison: http://img.article.pchome.net/00/53/30/02/iso1.jpg
See ISO 400 and 800 image comparison: http://img.article.pchome.net/00/53/30/02/iso2.jpg
See ISO 1600 and 3200 image comparison: http://img.article.pchome.net/00/53/30/02/iso3jpg.jpg
See ISO 6400 and 12800 image comparison: http://img.article.pchome.net/00/53/30/02/iso4.jpg

Surprising or not? I cannot imagine how well the nex generation of Sony fullframe sensors will perform! The image quality will be stellar. Let’s hope Sony will not let us wait to much for tha A99 :)

ALL Preorder links:
Sony NEX-7 body only at Amazon, Adorama, Jessops UK and Sonystore.
Sony NEX-7 with 18-55mm lens at Amazon, BHphoto (notification only) and Sonystore.
Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 E-mount at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto (notification only) and Sonystore. Sony A77 with 16-50mm lens at Amazon, Adorama, Jessops UK and Sonystore.
Sony A77 body only at Amazon, Adorama, Jessops UK and Sonystore.
Sony A65 with 18-55mm lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto (notification only), Jessops UK and Sonystore.
Sony A65 body only at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto (notification only), Jessops UK and Sonystore.
Sony NEX-5N with 18-55mm lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, Jessops UK and Sonystore.
Sony NEX-5N at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, and Sonystore.
Sony 50mm f/1.8 at BHphoto (notification only), Adorama and Sonystore.
Sony 55-210mm E-mount at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto (notification only) and Sonystore.

Today we have many Sony NEX-5n news! Stev Huff (Click here) just posted the first full Sony NEX-5n review. And he says the NEX-5n is a monster and: “The bottom line is that Sony improved the 5 series and the 5n is an easy recommend as well as the best bang for the buck in the NEX line. At $699 with lens, I have to ask myself…For the money does it get any better than this? The answer to that is NO!”
Steve posted many image samples and comparisons with other mirrorless cameras (including the ultaexpensive Leica M9p).

All (p)reviews and image samples I saw around the web do confirm that this is a wonderful camera. Now let’s hope Sony will do it right and make some nice NEX pancakes and other high grade lenses like the Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 (Click here to preorder).

You can get the NEX-5n at:
Amazon (in Stock!), Sonystore US (in Stock!), Sonystore Canada (in Stock!), Digitalrev (in Stock), [shoplink 8452 ebay]eBay (in Stock!)[/shoplink], Amazon DE (preorder) and Amazon UK (preorder),

More NEX-5n reviews:
First user review at Amazon US (Click here).
Ascii.jp (google translated).

Sony NEX-5N Low Light ISO Test and Touch Screen Functionality

Now, is it possible that the $600 Sony NEX-5n image quality is much better (I repeat “much”) than the $1100 Nikon D7000? If you look at Dpreview forum (Click here) the answer is yes. Damn does the Sony ENX-5n look good! And look at that Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5N vs Olympus E-P3 comparison at pcpop (Click here). Easy to guess who is the winner!

Just a personal note. I am sooo tempted to buy the NEX-5n instead of the NEX-7 that I almost going crazy :) As I live in Europe I looked where to preorder the camera and I found two options:
Body only at Amazon DE (Click here).
with 18-55mm lens at Amazon DE (Click here) and Amazon UK (Click here).
double lens kit at Amazon DE (Click here) and Amazon UK (Click here).

I will probably go for the body only camera and use my [shoplink 8725 ebay]Nokton 35mm f/1.4 (See that lens on eBay)[/shoplink]. I need small and fast pancakes and that is probably the best lens I can use on the NEX-5n. Will write a review about that combination if I will find the courage to click on that damn “preorder” button! :)

EosHD (Click here) posted the video on top and a short NEX-5n review: “There is absolutely no doubt that Sony have produced a dark horse here, at this price and position in the range. It offers the biggest amount of bang per square inch and per dollar that I have ever seen. Due to it’s size and compatibility out of the box with PL mount lenses, it could also replace a director’s viewfinder with a digital equivalent.”

Video on top: Low Light and High ISO Sony NEX-5n Video Samples (Steve Huff).

Reminder: The NEX-5n is in Stock! Check here:
Silver NEX-5n + 18-55mm lens is in Stock at Amazon (Click here)
Black NEX-5n + 18-55mm lens is in Stock at Amazon (Click here)