Thats a good sign for sony

Alot of people here can only see this adapter being used on the current NEX-3/5/3C cameras. What people don’t realize is that I think Sony will have two tiers of NEX. Once entry level (NEX3/5/3C) and an enthusiast level (manual controls, two dials etc). This adapter will work best with the enthusiast level NEX. So there goes the ergonomics issue.

I don’t understand why people say they’d rather just get an a33/a55 level camera. It’s huge (in comparison to NEX) and you’re stuck with it. whereas with this concept, you can take off the a-mount adapter and stick an e-mount primes on it and you have a small compact mirrorless camera. What’s the point of buying a NEX and an a33/a55? Unless of course the adapter is MORE expensive than the a33/a55 body, which I doubt it would be.

Ergonomics: If you think that this adapter is designed to go with the current crop of NEX cameras, then you probably aren’t getting the point. First of all the EVF side of things, this is completely unrelated to this lens mount adapter, just because it has a mirror in it doesn’t mean that is where you get the image from in the EVF, they two are not linked physically or for operation. SLTs get their EVF image from the main sensor – just because the mirror is directing light to where the EVF is located on that particular design has nothing to do with it’s operation, they are in no way linked. It is also no possible (or at least likely) for their to be an OVF as part of this design, too little light would be shone through the OVF. Secondly you are assuming this is designed to mount to the current NEX cameras such as the 3,C3 and 5 – while it theoretically could be made to work (and I would love it if it did) it isn’t it’s purpose as such. This is for new models of camera that we have yet to see. The a55 for example has this already buit in to the body and I would exactly call that camera an ergonomic nightmare, sure it is small but there will be other examples. The fact is that section of the camera DOES NOT have to be moulded in to the plastic body of the camera and certainly doesn’t have to be to handle well. All they are doing is creating a disconnection point to detach the front section of the camera, one that not only enables you to remove the front section, but be able to attach different elements in it’s place. Thus creating a properly modular design. Imagine being able to buy an a22 with e-mount so that you have a compact camera for travel, family snaps etc. Then you add on the front section, add on an additional hand grip with control dials (to augment the ones on the back of the body), add on a high resolution EVF and you have yourself a proper SLT. Bolt that front end onto your FS100 or VG10 and you have PDAF on your video camera. Or being able to chuck on a PL mount, M-Mount or whatever you like to a fuller body than the NEX provides, want the EVF? Stick that on too… or leave it at home – the choice is yours.

Personally I would love this, I have an a55 that I recently bought but as I was chaging systems I bought a NEX3 as well for legacy glass. Now I always have to chose which camera I am going to take, or take both. I also have conundrums as to whether to buy more e-mount stuff as it comes out (when it comes out!) or buy a-mount glass instead, knowing that I will be limited in which cameras I can use it with, especially e-mount stuff. This way I wouldn’t have to choose, I would buy lenses based on which mode I will use that particular lens in more and feel much more at ease with buying e-mount glass. If I had the coice of having the pros of both cameras in the one design I would go that route any day of the week.

The current CDAF in the NEX is pretty decent, I and many others would say it is fairly similar to entry level DSLRs, the biggest problem is the a-Mount lenses aren’t exactly well sorted for CDAF, which means they are incredibly slow when on the current a-mount adapter, this will recitfy that. Making the AF system in camera faster will likely not help anywhere near what having PDAF in the adapter will be able to do. Further to this it might be possible in this design for the PDAF to augment the CDAF offing the speed of PD with the accuracy of CD.

As far as I am concerned, Sony are the only manufacturer making a proper ‘System’ of cameras. Panasonic are a close second, however they are missing the high end and will forever do so as their lenses and mount aren’t designed for Full Frame – Sony’s are. A camera that is fully compatible with both mounts, deisgned around using both mounts (not hard to do) and give you the best of both worlds sounds pretty revolutionary to me. But not just Sony mounts, Sony are embracing their users using all sorts of weird and wonderful glass on their cameras – why not extand that to their entire line of cameras?

Sony are bringing the best of mirrorless and SLR/T together and making it easy for you to choose – have both!

Why anyone would sook and stamp their feet about this rumor is absolutely beyond me!