Sony NEX-7 beats the Leica M9 (Luminous Landscape)! First NEX-7 in hands of a SAR reader.
The NEX-7 is shipping to our US readers 
Luminous Landscape (Click here) posted a new post within their NEX-7 rolling review. They compared the NEX with the expensive Leica M9 fullframe camera (Click here to check price on eBay). To compare the two camera image quality they used the same 50mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH lens on both cameras. Conclusion: “There is no question (to my eyes at least) that the Sony sensor out-resolves the Leica using the same lens.”
What do you think? Amazing or not? Imagine what a fullframe NEX-9 or A99 will do. Leica really has to invent something on their sensor strategy to keep up with Sony.
One more news: SonyAlphaRumors reader “Brad” just sent me these pictures showing the very first stock of NEX-7 that has been shipped via SonyStore USA. As you see he uses the super Minolta 50mm f/1.2 lens (here on eBay) on it! Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge the image.
P.S.: Sony NEX-7 preorder search(!) links Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay. You might don’t find NEX-7 preorder at all 
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Recent comments
Comment from Leonard: I think it is a joke. NEX-7 beat M9!!!!!...
Comment from MCP: Mr Hammon,
How exactly are you disagr...
Comment from William Kramer: Got my Nex-7 on Thursday and could not r...
Comment from Vlad: I don't see anybody saying that NEX-7 is...
Tofa
6 months ago |I can’t say im not jealous. I’m dying inside!
Blah
6 months ago |I’ve got an a77 waiting for me on Christmas Day, and I’m still a little bit jealous!
That’s a hell of a sexy camera!
jan123
6 months ago |Owning the same Minolta lens, can’t wait to see first samples!!
Yu
6 months ago |Looks like people who preordered NEX7 Body only got theirs. People like me who ordered NEX7 with Kit lens hasn’t gotten theirs yet. Anyone out there who preordered NEX7 W/ Kit lens received or confirmation on shipping dates?
T
6 months ago |I put my kit order in on day one via sonystore (08/26). Still got nothing. Tried to call and get more info but all got was a bunch of nothing.
Good news is my estimated ship date is 08/29/2011 *facepalm*
Hopeful news on the sony blog, there is a comment that says:
“[...]Some people who pre-ordered them in August will get them before Christmas though inventory is extremely limited. Hope this info is helpful”
Still holding out hope, but I think I know nothing is going to come. Sony would be really stand up if they recognized those that pre-ordered forever ago and waited it out with SWAG. Gives people something to wrap for X-MAS.
obican
6 months ago |Resolution isn’t enough to say that Nex-7 is better than Leica M9. Even when just comparing the sensors, I’d prefer the FF over APS-C any day. I love some of the legacy lenses I use on my NEX-5n for their character, but a cropped sensor sacrifices most of that character, as it crops the corners.
Vivek
6 months ago |I would take a liveview cam over an antique RF cam any day, even if it has a crop sensor and costs a whole lot more.
Vlad
6 months ago |I don’t see anybody saying that NEX-7 is better. Everywhere it is specified “resolution”.
Richard
6 months ago |Does anyone really care that much about a little resolution here or there? Once you’re looking at high quality 18MP with good technique, there is a very, very small percentage of people who genuinely need more than that.
Don Cox
6 months ago |I think it would be more accurate to say only a small percentage of _photographs_ need more than 18 Mpix.
Examples would be copying work (documents or photos on film or maps), architecture and landscape shots to be printed at large sizes, studio fashion shots. Mostly shots taken on a tripod or stand, not hand held.
Any photographer might do some of these, and therefore will need higher resolution on occasion.
One should remember that although 18 Mpix sounds like a big number, the resolution in the red channel is only 2606×1736 pixels, which is quite low.
oppel
6 months ago |Huh? Why’s that?
To my knowledge the MP count stands for full RGB pixels…
Don Cox
6 months ago |“To my knowledge the MP count stands for full RGB pixels…”
No, it is the total number of red+Blue+Green pixels.
Richard
6 months ago |Not being pedandic, but I didn’t say photographer – people. I was talking about general population, not professional photographers. But even then, I dont find the difference in simple pixel count important even when printing very large. If we’re looking at 18mp ccd vs 24 cmos, a tiny percentage of people are honestly going to see the difference – sure a photographer or photo-geek might look at things more critically, compare 100% crops and graphs, but when we’re looking at the output/final print I don’t believe such resolution differences are important.
Recent example: I had 850mm prints (long side) side by side at a display, three were 20-24mp, one was 4.5mp (upsized) – nobody could tell the difference.
Not saying higher resolution isn’t useful, far from it, but such small differences are hardly worth consideration from my experience.
TTT
6 months ago |I think it is logically strange…
2606×1736=4 524 016 red dots from 18 Mpix… then every red dot used in 4 different pixels…
I am new in photography but… I hope you misunderstand something…
Joey C
6 months ago |I’m looking forward to seeing some image samples as well. Even more, I’d like to see some video with it.
Steve Jones
6 months ago |The LL test is not a fair reflection of what the Leica can do at full-frame. By producing a common crop size for the two, it’s essentially comparing a cropped Leica with the NEX.
I also can’t understand for the life of me what is achieved by down-sizing the NEX image to 18MP. That’s still 18MP over an APS-C sized frame compared egainst the equivalent of an 8MP APS-C image. In other words, for any given crop giving a common FoV, the NEX will have 2.25 x the number of pixels (downsized ones in this case). Or, if you prefer, 3 x as many native pixels on the NEX. It’s not surprising then that the NEX-7 is out-resolving the M9 as the latter is using less than 45% of it’s available pixels.
Frankly, you cannot perform a proper test of two different lens format sizes without doing one of two things. If you insist on using the same prime lens, you have to move the small sensor camera further away to match the FoV of the larger sensor. This can’t be perfect as perspective will change, but for two-dimensional subjects (where the subject plan is parallel to the camera’s focal plane), or for subjects far enough away that the depth isn’t an issue, it allows for comparing resolution. Note that it is theoretically necessary to alter the aperture as well to equalise the DoF, but this introduces other lens issues – however, if resolution is compared at the common point of focus on both, then this is not an issue.
However, if you want a full comparison of the two different frames, you have to take two photos from the same place with two different lenses with focal lengths chosen to giving matching FoVs. Also, the aperture on the smaller sensor has to be wider to equalise the DoF. Of course, using two different lenses introduces another, major, variable, but it’s the only way of truly comparing two images taken with cameras of different sensor sizes with the same perspective.
I should add that if the purpose is to test the absolute resolution at the sensor, then it’s perfectly OK to use the common lens, common crop approach, but that just tells you about the resolution at the sensor, and not the resolution across the entire frame.
JonasM
6 months ago |Interesting points.
El Aura
6 months ago |Michael Reichmann obviously downsized the NEX 7 images to 8 (eight) MP, otherwise the crops he shows would not be the same size for both cameras. Just as always when it comes to basic math he has some trouble
I think it is a valid point to show that a 24 MP sensor with AA filter is sharper than a 8 MP sensor without AA filter (though not really surprising).
Steve Jones
6 months ago |What he actually explicitly says is that he downsized the NEX image to 18MP, not 8MP. However, I’d certainly agree that would lead to different sized images if the comparison crops are at 100%. Downloading the two images, they are very similarly scaled, so the original scaling must have been to 8MP or been subject to a further rescaling.
If the NEX image has been down-sized to an effective 8MP, then it will not be optimal for sharpness although DR, noise and other IQ properties would be enhanced.
Whatever has been done, it’s not optimal. It neither shows the full capability of the M9 or the ultimate resolution of the NEX-7.
Zonkie
6 months ago |Yes, exactly, it’s a silly test. Basically, it’s turning the 35mm 18MP sensor of the M9 into an APS-C 8MP sensor. And then saying than when you resize the 24MP from the NEX-7 to also 8MP, it has more resolving power. Did he really need to test that to get to such obvious conclusion??
He should do the same with the M9 vs. the GH2. He would be even more surprised at how much more detail the GH2 can have than the M9 when the M9 sensor is reduced to a 4.5MP 4/3 one and compared to the 16MP one of the GH2 (yes, the image of the GH2 would be reduced to 4.5MP also, but it will have much more detail than the 100% magnification of the M9 file when cropped).
David
6 months ago |So what. The Nex7 is new sensor not even fully out yet. The M9 is how old!
Handling of a camera is much more important then the differences here.
pancanikonpus
6 months ago |that why we need you admin
in 2012 sony FF spec list n price lol…
admin
6 months ago |emopunk
6 months ago |Biggest question I hope Andrea can answer soon is when we’re going to see real mirrorless A-mount ff.. Ah, that day!!
Don Cox
6 months ago |No point in using the A mount if there is no mirror. You end up with a camera the same thickness as a current A-series camera, containg lots of empty space, and not able to use Leitz rangefinder lenses.
If a camera from Sony is mirrorless, it can have an 18mm registration distance and use the E mount.
emopunk
6 months ago |So you’d expect Sony to create e-mount FF camera with a real size advantage? And what about lenses? There’s not even one FF lens in current NEX lineup except thir party lenses to be used via adapter. I really am interested in knowing your opinions about these points. Cheers!!
fh
6 months ago |There will not be any E-mount full-frame, at least not anytime soon and certainly not in 2012, if ever.
All the E-mount lenses only cover an APS-C image circle. That means a theoretical FF NEX, mounted with any of the current E-mount lenses, will have black corners/edges in all images. Sony would have to design another set of “full-frame E-mount” lenses, which would be even bigger than current E-mount lenses.
You could use A-mount lenses, but then you would have to use another lens adapter all the time (size disadvantage).
Or Sony could design a FF NEX using A-mount, but then it would have to be as thick as current Alpha SLTs (to match A-mount lenses’ 44.5mm sensor registration distance, unlike 18mm for E-mount). Again, size disadvantage.
There have been m4/3 users who have been vocal for years about a m4/3 camera with a larger sensor. I think the inability of Panasonic/Olympus to reinvent the system to utilize a larger sensor is a good indication that Sony would not be able to do the same with E-mount.
emopunk
6 months ago |+1
harvey_tbee
6 months ago |Shouldn’t be too hard, a FF-Nex with A-mount. Adapter for A-mount lenses would also be easy: an extension ring of the right size, 26.5 mm. Working with cheapo adapters already works great, so it would be the killer of nearly all brands, including L.! The superb digital back for all good lenses on the market and especially the ones in my drawers… OK, I’ll keep dreaming…
john42
6 months ago |hopes he enjoys all that carpet dust cloggin up his lovely new sensor
J Bradford Davis
6 months ago |See reply to “Red Light” below for my mea-culpa……..Yep the dust on the items was sloppy… Brad
jazzroy
6 months ago |I really don’t understand people defending M9.
Leica is a great producer of high quality mechanical stuff.
Incredible lenses prove it.
M9, being digital, has also electronics inside.
Electronics are not made by Leica, they are outsourced, and they choose not so wisely.
So we have a really poor sensor (yes, really poor, and not for this resolution comparison, but for ISO noise and dynamic range), we have a ridicuolus display (a cheap pocket camera now can easily have a better one), an old-styled, painfully slow interface and operating system.
All of this in a camera that costs thousands of bucks.
So I see no reason for defending it just for the brand, because, very simply, this camera without the lenses and without the brand printed on it would be a total commercial failure, with negative reviews and nobody buying it.
Vivek
6 months ago |I really did understand the point of that comparison- to promote the NEX-7. Well and good.
But a wrong choice.
What does a live view cam got to do with a mechanical RF?
Comparison with a similarly antique technology- HYBRID variety SLR with a digital sensor- would make more sense. Compare the D3s/D3x with the M9, for example. They are even similarly priced!
pancanikonpus
6 months ago |i have already cancel a77kit as seller was informed stock will arrive some time feb 2012. cannot imaging after > 1 year countdown until release of orange77 still not able to grab one. likely have to start another countdown for orange9 and 99
lol…
emopunk
6 months ago |As long as you enjoy countdowns, instead of being out there in the wild shooting!!
Jerry_R
6 months ago |Interesting test, but only when people are aware what they see.
I would be MORE INTERESTED with:
a) NEX + 35mm f/1.4 at 1.4
b) M9 + 50mm f/1.4 at f/2
(in order to get the same DOF)
(another words, you won’t get 50mm f/1.4 FF image on NEX, even with 35mm f/1.2)
First picture I would take with RangeFinder, 2nd with LV alligning the frame (as 35mm on APS-C is not exact 50mm at FF).
Right Light
6 months ago |If this NEX7 is brand new, just out of the box, then this guy has some serious dust/dandruff problem.
J Bradford Davis
6 months ago |Yeah, I almost shot again after a wipe-down. Thanks for your concern but, being as the world is full of dust, I do have an operating protocol, pointed toward protecting lenses and camera-innards from contamination internally. Haven’t hadn’t an internal dust problem in several decades of shooting.
The rug is up on a table in my office…….Probably some static-electicity from the un-wrapping.
Sloppy of me however…….must have been distracted by the new arrival…..I’ll try to do better next time.
Brad
Fiveform
6 months ago |Honestly, I have everything in my NEX-5N that the NEX-7 promises, aside from the higher MP count, integrated EVF and programable twin dials, AND phenomenally rich price. Not sure about everyone else, but I can wait until well into next year when production and distribution level off before considering one.
In the long run I certainly wouldn’t mind having both the NEX-5N AND the NEX-7. I also currently have the EVF for my NEX-5N, external mic and a few lenses, so I’ll be looking at just the NEX-7 body, maybe around next summer. Until then I have plent of equipment to shoot with (if shooting is the point here, rather than having a droolfest over new kit!)
GH
6 months ago |Yeah, I’m loving the 5N’s tilt EVF so much that I cancelled my 7 preorder. I’m also left eyed, which was another concern with the 7.
shamb
6 months ago |Never mind NEX. I want that carpet!
Dave Cox
6 months ago |+1
Mr. G
6 months ago |Does anyone think that the NEX7 can replace the 5DMKII for pro work? I shoot professionally with the MKII but only use three primes to to the majority of my work.
Reason I ask is because I have an Olympus Pen that I love but the image quality is not quite up to the standards that my clients are used to so I can only use in on personal shoots. I always thought it would be amazing to have a camera of similar size to the pen but to be able to shoot jobs with it and I think the NEX7 might be the case.
In looking at the Dpreview.com NEX7 review it looks like the NEX7 can easily keep up with the 5DMKII in noise up to ISO400 then it falls behind just a bit at ISO800 and 1600.
Thoughts?
Mark
6 months ago |I guess it depends on what type of photography you do. Remember for some kinds of photography (weddings, portraits, etc.), you have to LOOK like a photographer. I am not sure you will ‘look like a photographer’ with the 7. Also, maybe I am naive, but I don’t think the 7 is going to replace my 5DII anytime soon. If nothing else I have several $K invested in L glass that there just is not a duplicate for the 7. Sorry, I don’t consider legacy manual focused lenses on adapters as a professional solution for most of my kind of shooting. On the other hand, I am looking forward to the 7, because at times I DON’T want to look like a photographer. Street photography and event photography – when I put my 1Ds II or 5DII with an 85 L or 70-200 to my eye, people tend to look at me, which is not what I want them to do. I hope the more P&S look of the 7 will allow me to shoot a bit more un-noticed. I am also looking forward to having a camera that I can have on me almost all the time and not feel like I have a $5K 5 to 10 lbs boat anchor around my neck that says “Steal This”, but still gives me good quality images.
Mark
surflou
6 months ago |I have the same question in mind. For me, I am a fine art photographer and not a commercial one. So i’m thinking as long as the resolution backs up the image quality in large scale print, I think Nex 7 can replace 5d mark ii. I’m thinking of selling my 5d mark ii as a matter of fact.
dave
6 months ago |Any idea when the NEX7 was ordered. Also, was he notified that the camera was shipping?
J Bradford Davis
6 months ago |I ordered the NEX-7 pictured on Aug. 27th. I thought there would be a high demand…didn’t know the floods would come. I just got lucky having an early pre-order.
I found out it was shipping when I called Sony customer service the day before it shipped about another question on my order … Customer service rep. seemed as shocked as I. Status report that unit was preparing to ship was on my order # but an email wasn’t sent regarding this. I don’t believe Sony sends email until the money is drawn from the credit card and the unit actually ships. Hope this helps. I was told that the cameras were being chosen for shipment in the order of their pre-order dates. I’ve been curious how many actually shipped and what the cut-off date was.
Just glad I got lucky. Brad
James70094
6 months ago |Both are great cameras but this comparison is a bit of a joke. They compare a 2 year old camera and processing engine against the latest and best APS camera out. If it did not out perform the M9, then I would be surprised. If Leica dropped an M10 today, it blow everything out the water, including the current crop of FF available today.
GH
6 months ago |While I agree that this test is flawed, I wouldn’t say that the M10 would blow everything out of the water. The M9 didn’t exactly blow the current crop of FF cameras out of the water, and was only released 2 years ago. Leica is still building on relatively ancient CCD technology with the M8 and M9. Remove the AA filter from the next generation of FF Sony sensors and throw it in an M10, and then we’d be talking.
Steve Jones
6 months ago |I suspect Leica don’t use CMOS in order to minimise the corner effect caused by the high angle of incidence problems on legacy wide focal length lenses on M mount with symetrical designs. CCDs have a much higher fill-factor meaning that they can use much “looser” microlens designs as they don’t need to focus onto such a small photo-diode. In constrast, CMOS designs have a much smaller photo-diode and thus require a tighter focus. It makes it difficult to produce micro-lenses which work well at the edge with both short and long back-focal length lenses.
I’m sure if Leica wanted to use an FF Sony CMOS sensor there would be no commercial reason to block it. However, I think there are serious issues with the micro-lens designs.
Vivek
6 months ago |Leica just used what Kodak had to offer. I am sure Canon or Sony or someone else can offer Leica what they want in a CMOS sensor.
dave
6 months ago |I appreciate the response! Enjoy your camera! For the rest of us, at least we know they really exist! Dave
Aero
6 months ago |Not a fair test. Leica is cropped and Sony is resized.
Pedro Almeida
6 months ago |Nothing surprising about this comparison. Electronics keep evolving so a recent APS-C sensor beats a 2 year old full frame sensor (of average quality).
REVENGE
6 months ago |Waiting for an NEX-7 kit with the upcoming fast standard zoom. Hopefully it will be a tad cheaper than the current 24mm kit.
DaleNorth
6 months ago |Got mine today, too! Shooting away. Had a battery charged, waiting for FedEx
MCP
6 months ago |What’s up with the lens shadowing on the cardboard box “Brad”. I mean, c’mon …
Comparing the Leica is really comparing extremes, it sure got MM some hits though. Leica has average to above average IQ from the M9 sensor wise, and that’s fine enough for Leica users who are much more fixated on many more important aspects of image quality than pixel peeping.
There’s nothing like using an M, and shooting with that kind of lens/camera combo. I bet Leica users laugh at that comparison on average.
They could give a rats A$$ less about what a Sony does.
end of line.
Mark Hammon
6 months ago |Not ‘end of line’, but more like ‘end of your limited knowledge’.
Leica, no doubt makes exceptional camera equipment, but they are a specialty manufacture that has nearly priced itself out of relevance. In my thirty years of photography most Leica shooter I have met are either photo geeks that primarily use the camera to photography brick walls or newspapers to brag about how sharp their camera is or rich people that buy Leica because they want to by the best. But like all other items that fit into this category for every $1K you send you get less return, to the point that you spend an excessive amount of money for no real practical return (oh, yes you can pixel peep and such, but all that does not make good photography). In the field doing real work, Leica will not take better pictures then most cameras at less then half the price. I honestly have never met a pro that shoots Leica for their primary camera (although I am sure there are some, and I am sure I will hear about them), but most pros are in the business of making money and when you are running a business you have to look at return on investment. The Return on Investment is much better with Canon, Nikon, or even medium format cameras. The reality is that a $1500 camera is comparable to a $6000 Leica for most practical purposes, and for most practical people it is a better camera. And it really does not mater what Leica thinks or the people who buy Leica, they are buy the camera for something other then a practical, good quality photographic tool.
MCP
6 months ago |Mr Hammon,
How exactly are you disagreeing with my “limited knowledge”? Sounds like we agree. Leica could give a crap less what Sony does, and so does it’s customers.
Nice wayward rant though, if you are going to criticize someone personally (without even knowing them or apparently getting the point here), how about at least looking like you are trying to stay on topic or be clear about what “limited knowledge” one has, and why?
end of line.
Fred L Boyd
6 months ago |My Local Camera Store, Roberts Camera in Indianapolis, call me yesterday to let me know that they had the first NEX-7 Body only and I was at the top of the list to get it. I picked it up this evening and I LOVE it. I had picked up a Fuji x100 last month because I thought I was not going to get a NEX-7 this year, but I think I will keep that also. I brought the LA-EA2 Adapter from Amazon early this morning and received it today also. I have tried it with the Sigma 8-16mm and the Tamron 60mm macro. I will use it on Friday at a family photo shoot. I am blessed to get an a77, NEX-7 and Fuju X100 in the last 2 months because there all were hard to come by.
Brian
6 months ago |I could see myself going with a NEX7 if they get some better lenses. Especially in the super wide area. For now I’ll stick with the M9. Still waiting on a FF competitor. I’m hearing mixed reviews of the focus peaking. Some people say it’s not as good as the rangefinder. M9 looks like crap on paper but it’s so much fun.
Dirk
6 months ago |Wow, the new not avaiable Nex 7 out-resolves the M9 from 2009…. well, that is an interesting test *lol*
Nevertheless the Nex 7 is a beautiful camera and I can’t wait holding it in my hands…
Sahaja
6 months ago |IMO a more realistic test would have been to us a 35mm Leitz lens on the NEX7 and a 50mm one on the Leica ~ Then print out both images at the same size for comparison.
AVESTA
6 months ago |The video on this thing is awesome… You really do have all manual controls. Good luck video cameras!!!
William Kramer
6 months ago |Got my Nex-7 on Thursday and could not resist selling it today on Ebay for $2200. The profit was just too much for me to resist. Sold in about 15 minutes for the buy it now price. I can wait for a couple of months for $1000.
Leonard
6 months ago |I think it is a joke. NEX-7 beat M9!!!!!!!
If I have enough money, no any hesitation to choose M9!!!!
As to compare Toyota with Mercedes……
This is, for sure, Sony publicity.
Agreed with Mark Hammon, a little too much money for Leica. I think the real price is lower. For my money, a future Nikon D400 will be extremely interesting.