Luminous Landscape had the chance to play around with the tiny NEX-C3. But their article is by way the most interesting hands-on I found on the web (well done guys!). They wrote a couple of things I want to remark here. I want to hear your opinion on that!
This is the list of issues with the NEX-C3:
1) To make the C3 even smaller Sony has made a few design changes, not all of which I think are for the good. The SD card slot no longer shares the battery compartment, having its own bottom panel door. This is fine as far as it goes, but it does mean that if the camera is on a tripod or a mount accessory is attached, it will have to be removed.
2) The more cramped grip of the C3 as compared to the NEX-5 means that one is forced to hold the camera more tightly, and I constantly found myself accidentally pressing the bottom soft key with my palm, something that never happened with the NEX-5.
3) The NEX bodies are very small. But as already mentioned the lenses are still APS-C sized. To keep them within reason in terms of size they have modest maximum apertures. Even the pancake 16mm is just an f/2.8. So indoors, instead of ISO 400, for example, the C3 would have to shot at ISO1600 to ISO 3200, thus cutting its larger sensor advantage considerably. In my view the NEX series desperately needs faster lenses. But, to keep size down they should be primes.
4) Overall I find the NEX interface to be the least friendly and most unintuitive of any current camera. It neither aids the beginner not comforts the more advanced user.
5) When the NEX-5 was introduced I expressed my disappointment that an EVF was not available, but expected that one would be forthcoming. But a year later Sony has failed to satisfy this hope. The lack of an accessory EVF is to my mind a serious handycap for the NEX line thus far.
I recommend you to read the full artcile at Luminous Landscape (Click here). I think those are all valid point and I hope Sony will address them soon. The NEX-7 will maybe go in the right direction and solve some of those problems. And the Zeiss 24mm f/1.7 will be a welcome addition to the lens lineup. But we absolutely need more pancakes and a more professional camera as soon as possible! Thanks Luminous Landscape, and thanks Soy for listening ;)
