Sony NEX Camera Updates

Following last month's popular post on the Sony NEX 7 camera here are some thoughts on the recent Sony NEX new products launch. Of course I haven't actually seen let alone used any of these products so these are only opinions.

For me the most exciting new product is the 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 pancake lens. In my NEX 7 review I said that I was looking forward to this as it covered the range I used most. I'm delighted to read that the weight is just 116 grams (the 18-55mm lens weighs 220 grams) and that it really is tiny. I shall definitely be ordering one as I think with the NEX 7 it will make a perfect lightweight combination for long walks and quality photography. My only complaint is that it seems it's not available until January.

Sony also announced a 10-18mm f4 wide angle zoom that is also lightweight at 225 grams, especially compared with my Canon-fit Tamron 11-18 lens at 397 grams. It's expensive though at £749 so I'll wait to see some reviews before deciding whether to buy it. I may well decide that the 12mm of the 16mm/Wide Angle Adapter combination I already have is all I need for shots wider than 16mm.

There's a new NEX 6 camera too, with the same viewfinder as the 7 but different controls and a 16.1mp sensor. It looks good. I'm glad though that it didn't come out before I bought the NEX 7 as I might have bought it instead and missed out on the big advantage of  the 7's 24mp, namely being able to crop images without much quality loss and thus greatly increasing the scope of a standard range zoom lens. As I have an NEX 5 as a back-up to the 7 I won't be getting the 6.

The details of the these and other new Sony products can be found on many photo and camera sites including PhotoClubAlpha (by picking up on my NEX 7 review this site boosted my readership and made me some new contacts that led to some interesting email exchanges including one with a photographer from Canada who shares my love for the works of Colin Fletcher and John Hillaby - such is the way the web works).