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Oh, I was wrong!

XDCAM isn’t a format, but a bunch of video formats!

http://www.sony.es/biz/view/ShowProduct.action?product=Cinemon-OMV1&site=biz_es_ES&pageType=Overview&category=XDCAMCamcorders

I certainly hope they have a NEX 7 on the way. Although I really really hope that rumor is off on the form factor. If I wanted a camera that looked like an A5XX I’d just get an A5XX or A7XX (or any one of the dozens of other DSLR’s on the market). Surely someone in a marketing department at either Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, or Olympus has to be aware that the overwhelming number of enthusiast (at least in online forums) want a rangefinder-like camera, just with an EVF instead of traditional rangefinder VF. We’ve now had 3 cameras from Olympus, 2 from Sony, 1 from Samsung and 5 from Panasonic and not a single one has had a rangefinder form-factor with a built in EVF. If it doesn’t happen soon I may blow a gasket.

There are two things stopping me from buying a NEX-5 or 3.
1) the ergonomics, I want a camera with dials and wheels, like the Canon G11, so I don’t have to go to the screen menu every time I wanna make the slightest changes.
2) the lens. 16/2.8 is great, but I need more pancake choices. the zooms are useless to me, if I’m gonna carry a huge lens, I might as well just grab my dslr. If they come out with something like the 24mm f/2 with some macro capabilities and a reasonable price tag, then I’ll be sold.
One more thing, the EVF. Do u believe how much Sony is charging us for their crappy viewfinder that’ll only be usable with the 16mm? 250 USD. that’s outrageous! If u are gonna charge me that much for a viewfinder, at least make it a real EVF!
With all that said, the NEX cameras are still a great product, I might buy one, but I’m not dying to get one yet.

O yeah..let’s the WAITING begin….in more exciting expectations…

Looks to me like the NEX5 is for step-uppers from compacts, but I am also considering it as a viable secondary unit for those quick shots. For that purpose, focus would be on size (perfect with the pancake) as well as image quality (on par with, if not better than the A500), as opposed to more technically oriented features. The point however, is that the NEX5 and NEX3 in no way replace DSLRs for serious shoots.

The NEX7 will be one to look out for as a DSLR-replacement, at least in the low-medium range, but I think size-wise it will be comparable to the GH1. For existing Alpha DSLR users, however, the HD capable DSLRs rumoured to come before the NEX7 will be the ones to look out for (if not for an upgrade then as an indication of what’s on the cards for future Alpha DSLRs), unless the NEX7 somehow includes adaptor technology with AF for existing Sony/Minolta lenses.

Can the NEX-7 be the camcorder?? LOL =p I wonder

@ Eric and everyone, I couldn’t agree more with you!!

Many of us writing here have access to bigger cameras to shoot stills and film with, but what we are looking for is a very compact camera for all those times when we don’t have access to the big ones for multiple reasons. And at the same time not to have to massively compromise on function.

It seems the options are either micro compacts aimed at those advancing from point-n-shoot cameras or alternatively bigger cameras for those wanting most of the functions and appearance of a dslr, but with only slightly smaller sizes.

I really wish the manufacturers could see that there is a very keen, and it must be fairly big, demographic of people who want the tiny size, but with more professional functions. We don’t need everything, just reasonable ways to manually control still and moving images, and very importantly to monitor them properly.

And here is the bizzare bit, it is not like a lot of these functions need to be added at great cost and research. For many it would just take simple alterations, or simply just not removing those functions in the first place. For example during filming the camera is able to control the aperture, shutter speed and iso independently of each other in the nex-3 and 5, because that is what it is doing with it’s onboard processor at the moment. It would not take much to make that accessible to the user, as the cheapest pen camera does that. If they think that this is distracting for the entry level user, well then it is easy to only have this accessible at the manual point on the dial, and not in the many auto options.

It would be possible to keep the help button on the nex cameras for the huge group of learner shooters, and in that help menu tell them to ignore the other buttons for shutter speed and aperture for example. In this way they have taken an even bigger market share from competitors and created a massive media buzz for a camera that is attractive to many more users.

The group of people who are looking for this secondary compact camera to join their existing camera are not going to buy the larger cameras, even if the specs are higher, because they are looking for a small camera.

@Sam
You are right that many people want tiny size camera with more professional functions, but people are always greedy. What they really want are extremely high picture quality in a compact body, with tons of advanced features and high response rate, but paying for a limited amount on money on the camera body (however they actually pay a lot on lenses and accessories) because everyone just get what one thinks of the best combination.

The problem is that no manufacturer will ever satisfy the needs of the majority, because users usually are looking on a single product, however, the manufacturers are looking at all their product lines together. I always say the manufacturers like Sony, Canon and Panasonic have to take care about the market of their camcorders, because they actually have done a lot of R&D (and made a lot of investment) on their video department. Are you expecting the companies to put all the functions from a camcorder to a still camera that only sell you for $600? In addition, it is always true that they will never make the best camera in the world, because they still have to sell the next newer model, and other products as well.

The truth is that all companies tends to market small cameras at low price, because the market will be very small if the price tag is as the same as the mid-range DSLR or high-end consumer camcorder, or even pro-camcorder. From the marketing point-of-view, the products that will sell in high volume are very extreme, either the low-price or the high-end market.

The conclusion is that all companies want long-term earnings rather than making money on a single product only.

@Sam
Of course we are not the insider of the industry. However, we know that Canon is a company that keeps up with the constant quality and feature sets that satisfies professional users happy, although someone may still think Canon can be more aggressive with more advanced features to compete with Nikon, and I think the quality of Canon’s DCs are indeed getting worse over the past year.

Panasonic and Olympus, depending how to visualize things, people from 43rumors are still not very happy. Panasonic still relies too much technologies inspired from their DC, from the body design to ways of operation. Users from Panasonic still looks for a “rangefinder-like” design of the cameras. Olympus is too slow to put the features of E-PL1 after their E-P1, which leads to the odd E-P2 which is quite expensive, while having slower AF than E-PL1 and still having no built-in flash.

However, I have a little doubt… Although Sony may stimulate the competition between Canon, Panasonic, Olympus or other brands for more low-price products, the low-price tag of Sony may destroy the future of EVIL/ILC development as well. No one knows about the future, but manufacturer will doubt whether a product with truly advanced feature sets with the price tag of $1000-1200 can ever sell well, from the marketing point-of-view, when the companies have to maintain certain level of product margin.

really hope they do an FF one in a RF body style down the road and get some zeiss glass for it. A NEX9 with a 24mp FF sensor, high quality EVF and zeiss ZM equivalent lenses are just a wet dream… for me they could keep the video…dont care as much for it… oh, the IBIS on a NEX9 would be fantastic… probably could live with that as my only camera… have a feeling A LOT of people that are more serious would get it… perhaps not as SLR replacements but as that street or travel camera that everyone sometimes wants…. adapting A-mount glass with AF would be great too though some native e-mount, small, high quality zeiss glass would be amazing (and some better sony glass to,,,, maybe G-series quality?)…

@at
Thanks for your thoughts. I think that EVIL/ILC development will continue. Perhaps not at super speed, but continue nontheless. Once the initial R & D costs are paid for then the profit margins would not need to be so tight, and so there is greater potential for cheaper bodies, volume of sales, and income.