Sony NEX-7 versus NEX-5n image quality test at LL.
Luminous Landscape (Click here) updated their NEX-7 rolling review with a new image comparison: “the NEX-7 gives the photographer the choice of higher resolution and larger prints, or comparable resolution and comparable noise characteristics when compared to the NEX-5n, and both are presented at the same size. I should add parenthetically then in real-world photography, when shooting raw and doing a bit of NR in Lightroom, all ISOs up to and including 3200 are completely usable for most any purpose.”
And I agree withtheir lats editorial comment: “If you’ll allow, I’ll also make a small editorial comment on the whole question of high ISO noise. In my opinion too many people on brand discussion forums make too big a deal about high ISO noise. I suppose that it’s one of those things that lends itself to easy visual comparison, while topics such as dynamic range, colour gamut and fidelity are more complex, and less easily quantified outside of a lab.”
+1!!! 
P.S.: Here are the NEX shop links:
Sony NEX-7 Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay.
Sony NEX-5n Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay.
Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay.
Sony 50mm f/1.8 Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay.
Sony 55-210mm Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay.
NEX-5n viewfinder Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay.
ypocaramel
2 years ago |Is it just me, or has DXOMark updated their NEX-7 results? Right now the print version shows that after resizing to 8MP, the 5N and 7 are just about equal in SNR, including high ISO.
Just curious, I’m a bit of a night animal so I have some concerns.
Steve Jones
2 years ago |I hadn’t noticed that DXOmark had tested the NEX-7. Until recently, it was shown as preview. however, what it shows is rather what it expected. A bit better than the NEX-5n at base ISO with, at common output size, very similar noise, dynamic range etc. However, at 100% output, the NEX-5n is about half a stop lower noise, albeit (of course), at lower resolution.
The NEX-7 also ranks ahead of the A77 (due to the SLR mirror light loss).
usch
2 years ago |I don’t know when they put the NEX-7 test results up on DxO, but I didn’t see them until today, too. I was surprised because normally they would announce that in the news section; maybe there’s an in deep review coming along with the scores which just hasn’t been published yet.
I was also surprised that the NEX-7 performs even better than the NEX-5N (except for High ISO, but 1016 vs. 1079 makes a difference of just 0.09 EV, so that might actually be within the measuring tolerance). With an overall score of 81 it is on rank 8 of all cameras that have ever been tested by DxO, right next to the Nikon D3 and just one point behind the Pentax 645D.
doug
2 years ago |Like any test that only lists numbers and doesn’t include real world results, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Unless you’re planning to use non-emount lenses on an adapter, the differences between the two are trivial for the great majority of users. It then comes down to deciding on the basis of resolution and ergonomics.
usch
2 years ago |I had the chance to try out a NEX-7 in September and pre-ordered it the very next day, before there were any test results available anywhere. So I do have real world results, I was just waiting for some numbers to reassure myself.
Todoke
2 years ago |At high ISO, you shouldn’t just downsample. You should first run noise reduction and then downsample and compare that to the noise reduced 5n pics. Noise reduction works better at higher resolution.
Jason Hicks
2 years ago |+1 I’m excited to get my order filled so I can try it out!
Daemonius
2 years ago |Trouble is, that when you need to do some heavy PP (lets say for portraits/fine art etc), then you need per-pixel perfection and no noise. Try PPing Canon 18 mpix and you will see what I mean, that thing is bloated even at base ISO, which makes some color manipulation and pixel-level corrections near impossible..
A77 and NEX-7 are better but not that much. :/ (tho with good studio lightning I guess NEX-7 will be very good)
Vivek
2 years ago |I agree with that. Perhaps the NEX-7n (similar to the NEX-5 vs NEX5n) will show the difference clearly.
Solo
2 years ago |Love how you just made up a camera.
Vivek
2 years ago |The next iteration of the NEX-7 (either a 7n or a c7 or a 9) if that makes it any better…
Spoon
2 years ago |The reason the 7D has issues when you start doing PP, isn’t so much because of overall noise levels (which these measurements represent), aswell as the read noise at lower ISO’s (high) and specifically pattern noise (very high, including banding). That’s a specific Canon issue and much better handled by the latest generation of Sony sensors.
doug
2 years ago |Really pissed at Sony for not giving the NEX-7′s CMOS microlenses like they did for the 5N. I have no idea what they were thinking.
Jean-Michel
2 years ago |+10
Spoon
2 years ago |You can be sure of the fact that it has microlenses, just like every modern sensor found in these cameras. It *might* not have *offset* microlenses at the edges.
doug
2 years ago |They’re both APS-C sensors. It makes no sense for them not to have identical offsets.
usch
2 years ago |That’s a physical limitation caused by the higher resolution. The lens offset cannot be larger than the pixel pitch, or otherwise you would adversely affect the more important light rays with a steeper angle of incidence.
Vivek
2 years ago |+1
I am happy they added the EVF and a real hotshoe, in addition to physical switches, a bit of helft and a whole host of essential things missing in the earlier NEX’.
Mike
2 years ago |81 score at DXO Mark for the NEX-7 !!!
I never though it could have such a high score !
better than a D7000 and D3
THIS IS IT !! it will be my “nex” camera !
talking about iso with nex-7 / nex-5 is a sterile debate
i agree with luminous landscape
Mooboy
2 years ago |Better score than a D3? Umm, yeah… I was just two nights ago going through a batch of photos, some taken with a D700 (same sensor as D3), some with a NEX-5N.
Before applying any processing, I’d be taking the RAWs from the D700 any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Spoon
2 years ago |Push the (deep) shadows from both cameras at the lowest ISO’s a stop or 3 (or more). The 5N will be an order of a magnitude cleaner there for having much lower read noise.
TTT
2 years ago |It is like to say both sensors with same size cathe same amount of light… nex-7 pixel size 39mkm, nex-5n 47.6 mkm, if distance between pixels about 2 mkm then difference in light absorbtion is less then 2%…
Frosti7
2 years ago |I’m really happy about your enthusiasm towards NEX-7 sensor, but the fact is that nex-5N always looks sharper, cleaner and more vivid
the extra resolution dosnt add anything (because its more blurry)
Philipp
2 years ago |+1
Seems like everybody tries to find a Point pro-nex7 just to justify their preorder-choice.
happy nex-5n user who didn’t wait for the nex-7
Allan
2 years ago |No Philipp !!
what a sterile debate !
I don’t understand what makes you critisize other choice
are you frustrating ??
if you are happy with your nex-5n it’s ok, and if somenone else want an other camera it’s ok too !
so what is the point ??
Philipp
2 years ago |Wow, I didn’t expect so much emotion.
I would have bought a nex-7, it is a very nice camera. At the end I got a NEX-5n because I needed something for my Vacation in November.
But if I read the other articles redarding the NEX-7 in comparison to the NEX-5n, it seems that the author – who is going to get a NEX-7 once it is available – tries to find arguments, that – at the end – the imagequality from the NEX-7 is superior.
Hey, it is all Sony, both are nice cameras. The amateur NEX-5n might have a small edge in the picture-department, but the NEX-7 trumps it with it superior controls, built in EVF (I’d love to have that) and other goodies.
Peace!
Mike
2 years ago |that s OK Philipp
nex-5n and nex-7 are both good products
i wish you having good time with nex-5n ! I love this camera too
have a nice day
Yuri
2 years ago |+10 Allan
tired with those people always critisize everything !!
Killian
2 years ago |Philipp everyone is free to order or to predorder what he wants !! why someone should have to justify his choice !!
and you, do you need to justify that you got a nex-5n ???
so what the deal ??
i don’t need a nex-5n or nex-7 but i respect other choice !
Philipp
2 years ago |Ok, I give up. Seems like I couldn’t make myself understood.
Sorry for hurting your feelings. You are right, I was wrong. I regret having written the comment above.
Mike
2 years ago |I’m happy that you share my enthusiasm and i didn’t know that you are a camera expert but befinitively we have not seen the same picture comparison between nex-5n and nex-7, and “extra resolution” is not what DXO compares, but talking about color depth, tonal range, dynamic range …
I have a nex-5n and i’m happy with it, but Nex-7 will be my nex camera and sensor is not the only reason for this change !
so just let others be happy hearing good news !
Spoon
2 years ago |Except that your comments have no factual basis.
Tofa
2 years ago |Great points on the high ISO debate.
Tim
2 years ago |The ISO in discussion is so high that I may not be comfortable going that high while shooting, irrespective of the lighting condition. This may be applicable to some other people. One does a little bit better at high ISO. True, but the other is not far behind. Let’s talk about other attributes. The comments have been informative and useful nontheless.