The NEX-7 features a brand new 24.3 Megapixel sensor, an ultra high resolution OLED electronic viewfinder and support for Full HD 1080p video with full manual control over exposures and progressive frame rates up to 60fps. Throw in a popup flash, articulated screen and fast continuous shooting at up to 10fps in a magnesium alloy body and the NEX-7 becomes by far the most powerful mirror-less ILC to date.
The original NEX-5 was one of my favourite cameras of 2010, so I was particularly excited when rumours of a pro model began emerging some time ago. In this preview I'll take a closer look at the new features of Sony's flagship ILC. Note I've decided to start using the term ILC to describe this type of camera from here forward, as Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens, or EVIL for short, just wasn't sounding right. Should the industry come up with a standardised term though I will of course switch to it.
I'll start with the headline 24.3 Megapixel resolution which, shared by the SLT-A77, is the highest pixel count offered by an APS-C sized sensor to date; the previous highest resolution APS-C sensor belonged to Canon and found itself deployed on the company's most recent DSLRs including the EOS 600D / T3i and EOS 7D.
The NEX-7 delivers images with 6000x4000 pixels, compared to 5184x3456 pixels on the 18 Megapixel Canons, and the relatively modest-sounding 4592x3056 pixels of the earlier 14 Megapixel NEX-5. Numerically it's certainly impressive, but of course the question remains whether image quality, in particular dynamic range and noise levels at high sensitivities, is compromised as a result. There's also concerns whether the NEX E-mount lenses have sufficient resolution to exploit the fine pixel-pitch of this new sensor. Ultimately I can't comment until I test a final production sample, but at least Sony has various image stacking modes at its disposal which can reduce noise on static compositions.
The new sensor offers more than just extra high resolution still photos though: it can capture Full HD video at progressive frame rates of 50 or 60fps depending on region. That's double the progressive frame rate of Full HD modes on any video-equipped DSLR to date. The reason this is important is for slow motion work, where 60fps footage can be slowed down by 2.5 times for use in a 24fps project, but until now, all video equipped DSLRs could only offer 60fps for 720p video; now Sony offers it for 1080p too. I'm confirming whether NEX-7's sold in PAL and NTSC regions can offer all the frame rates, or whether PAL models only support 25 and 50fps compared to 24 and 60fps for NTSC.
To support 1080p encoding at 50 or 60fps, the NEX-7 employs AVCHD version 2, with the additional benefit of higher data rates: 28Mbit/s for the 1080p / 50 / 60 modes, and 24Mbit/s for the 1080p / 24 / 25 modes.
Those who were frustrated by the automatic nature of the previous NEX-5 will be delighted to learn the NEX-7 now supports PASM modes for video, allowing full manual control over exposure, and while there's still no standard microphone input, Sony says you can still connect the optional ECM-SST1 microphone accessory.
An additional benefit of the new sensor is support for an electronic first shutter curtain, which improves response times as the shutter no longer needs to close before opening again to start the exposure; indeed Sony quotes a shutter lag of just 0.02 seconds, which should make the NEX-7 much more responsive than the NEX-5.
Physically the NEX-7 is Sony's largest ILC to date, measuring 120x70x42.6mm, dipping to 25.3mm at its thinnest point. This is larger in every dimension than the NEX-5, which measured 111x59x38mm, although closer to the cheaper NEX-3 which measured 117x63x33mm. Don't get me wrong, it's still tiny compared to a traditional DSLR, but it is by far the chunkiest NEX to date, especially in height and length. Sony's kept the weight down though, and while it is heavier than the models preceding it, you're only looking at 350g including battery and card compared to 297g and 287g for the NEX-3 and NEX-5 respectively.
Sony has however packed the slightly chunkier body with three capabilities sorely lacking on the original NEX models: a popup flash, an accessory hotshoe and an electronic viewfinder. For many enthusiasts, these will be worth the cost of entry alone, way beyond the draw of the high resolution sensor.
Unsurprisingly the popup flash is pretty tiny and weak with a guide number of just 6 at 100 ISO; that's fractionally less than the GN 7 of the clip-on flash accessory on the original NEX cameras, but it's still sufficient for a basic fill or close-range illumination in a darkened room.
Had this been the only flash option for the NEX-7, enthusiasts would have been understandably disappointed, but thankfully Sony has also implemented a fully-functional hotshoe for Alpha accessories. This is a major selling point for the NEX-7 especially as companies like Panasonic gradually dumb-down their GF series ILC. Sony says the accessory shoe is compatible with the HVL-F58AM, F43AM and F20AM flashes, along with the HVL-MT24AM Macro Twin Flash Kit and the CLM-V55 Clip-on LCD Monitor.
Arguably best of all though is the presence of a new electronic viewfinder packed into the corner. The absence of a viewfinder has always held back compact ILCs for many enthusiasts who often prefer to frame at eye-level for stability not to mention clarity in bright light. Some ILCs have offered viewfinders as an optional accessory - and indeed so does Sony for the new NEX 5N - but having one built-into a compact body is an undoubted advantage.
This alone would be enough to impress many buyers, but Sony hasn't just fitted any old electronic viewfinder to the NEX-7. It's developed the highest resolution OLED viewfinder display seen on any consumer camera to date, sporting nothing less than XGA resolution with over 2 million dots. Better still, the OLED technology should eliminate the rainbow tearing effect which often plagued previous field-sequential viewfinder displays. It's a big view too, which coupled with the high resolution should see many converts of optical viewfinders on all but the priciest DSLRs.
As an electronic viewfinder there are of course still some downsides, such as limited tonal dynamic range, potential noise and slower refresh rates in dim light, not to mention response that's obviously slower than the speed of light on an optical viewfinder, but again the sheer size of the NEX-7 viewfinder along with the ability to overlay colour graphics like a live histogram will be sufficient consolation for many.
The screen appears unchanged from the NEX-5, but measuring 3in with 921k dots, it's perfectly good for the job, and like the earlier model can be tilted up by 90 degrees and down by 45 for composition at unusual angles. Probably the only surprise here is it's not touch-sensitive, unlike the new NEX-5N.
After much criticism over the limited controls on the previous NEX cameras, Sony's responded with three customisable dials on the NEX-7 including two on the top surface.
Completing an impressive package is 10fps continuous shooting, albeit for a ten frame burst. A slower 3fps option is also available.
Sony's also addressed another concern of the NEX system in general by introducing three news E-mount lenses to complement the existing 16mm, 18-55mm and 18-200mm models. The three new models bring two much-needed primes and a telephoto zoom: there's a Carl Zeiss 24mm f1.8, an optically stabilised 50mm f1.8 and an optically stabilised 55-210mm f4.5-6.3, which make the NEX system feel much more mature.
And it wouldn't be a Sony announcement without one pretty unusual accessory you weren't expecting: in this case it's the new LA-EA2 adapter for mounting full-sized Alpha A-mount lenses. Adapting these lenses to the NEX body is nothing new, but most adapters for ILCs are little more than extension tubes. With the LA-EA2, Sony has squeezed-in the semi-transparent mirror and phase-detection AF system of its SLT cameras, equipping the NEX-7 with a fast alternative AF system for stills and video. Indeed it essentially turns a NEX into an SLT. This concept will either have you scratching your head or leaping with joy, but almost all would agree it's a pretty unique idea.
I'll add some feature comparisons with rival models soon, but for now would love to hear what you think of the new NEX-7 in the Cameralabs forums. Is it the ILC you've been waiting for, or does the larger size and higher cost miss the point of the this type of camera? Personally speaking I can't wait to test one, along with the new SLT-A77 which it was launched alongside. As Canon and Nikon continue to avoid the increasingly popular and lucrative ILC market, Sony is taking the bull by the horns and giving the Micro Four Thirds camp serious food for thought.
Check back soon for comparisons and my SLT-A77 preview! Now let's have a chat about the Sony Alpha NEX 7!
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