sony nex series v.s. canon 550d (t2i)

[pmiguel]

Hi,

This is my first post here, i do not know if i should introduce myself or something but i don't want to bother anyone with a 3 page first post so I am going to be straight forward.

I'm planning buying a new camera next month and i had my mind set to buy the 550d mainly for its price and its video capabilities, but last week i saw the the sony nex-5, witch is very compact, has removable lenses and shoots video as well.

So my question is: is the nex-5 alot worse than the 550d? will i regret buying it for not having a lot of manual options or something like that? note that the main reason i am considering the nex-5 is the size of the thing.

 

[Dao]

I believe you can do more with the 550D than the NEX. i.e. more lenses available for the 550D than the NEX.

 

[pmiguel]

To be honest i don't need a lot of lenses, my interest in photography is limited to street photography, portraits and architectural. so all i really need is a wide angle and maybe a kit zoom lens.
but i share your point Dao, the nex-5 is a bit limited.
But is worth it compromising features in favor of portability? thats what i wanted to know from more experienced photographers than me. (witch you are for shure Dao, i am not being "clever").

 

[AlexL]

First NEX doesn't have a viewfinder. You'll understand how good a viewfinder is when you have one!

And when you use Canon, you'll have the choice of a lot of lens This can be dangerous too!

 

[pmiguel]

I cant believe i didn't notice the lack of a viewfinder, that alone is a no go!! O_O

550d for me then =D

thanks for the replies!

 

[Sw1tchFX]

the NEX has just as much manual control as a rebel does. and to tell you the truth, IQ is pretty darn close to identical when you use the 18-55's.

The reason to buy the NEX over a DSLR or point and shoot is because P&S IQ sucks and DSLR's are too bulky.

m4/3ds/NX/NEX exists for those who are in between. honestly if you want something small, but with a wide angle, get an olympus PEN and their 9-18mm. It's the size of a P100.

 

[pmiguel]

Thank you switch, my research is in such a early stage that i didn't even knew the olympus pen.
But i made my mind. I definitely can't have it all so i'll buy the 550D first for video and then, later, the olympus pen with an external viewfinder and a wideangle for photography on the move.
The video quality and accessories possibilities on the 4/3 cameras are not enough for my intents.

once again thank you all for the replies.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

well, for video, the Panasonic GH1 (again, m4/3rds), does an awesome job, It's got a eyepiece viewfinder you can use for video, the focusing is a focus by wire so it's silent, the lenses have stepless apertures, so when the aperture changes it's smooth, it doesn't click like the Canons, the camera will have totally silent autofocus with video, again something the Canons don't have, and the flip out screen helps for angles.

And its' still smaller.

There's also a ton of hacks online where it brings up the bitrate of the video to rates like 100mbit/s, and becuase the lens mount is so small and the register is so close to the sensor, you can mount literally any lens you want on it. Nikon, Canon, Leica M, even CCTV lenses for security cameras!

just leave you're options open.

 

[hoboahoy]

I cant believe i didn't notice the lack of a viewfinder, that alone is a no go!! O_O

550d for me then =D

thanks for the replies!

Why don't you use the optional optical view finder? There is one if you look at the available accessories for NEX-5?

I'm a lay person. Could you explain why a regular optical view finder is such as big deal? I mean if you can just look through the LCD with the most (say 90%+) of what the photo would appear to be on the pic, the LCD viewing without an optical real view finder doesn't seem that bad to me (again I'm a normal lay citizen). Maybe hardcore people or pro photograhers don't feel that way for some specific reason? I just don't get it.

 

[inTempus]

The biggest complaint I have against the NEX camera is the lack of a proper hotshoe mount for flash and radio triggers. Even in street photography you may want a flash (more capable than the little toyish one that comes with the camera).

Aside from that, it's a very capable camera with a sensor roughly the same size as the sensor in the 550D. You can also mount E-mount lenses to the camera now and they will auto-focus. It's pretty snazzy.

 

[soylentgreen]

Since I just picked up the NEX-3, I am more than impressed with it's quality. I did not splurge for the NEX-5 because the 3 was a bit more ergonomic for me to use. The DSLR and mirrorless systems all have certain advantages and disadvantages; but the Sony NEX offers a lot of cool features. Mainly the APS-C size sensor. Larger than the 2X crop of the micro 4/3. Image quality on the NEX is pretty good. Sony sensors are quite impressive. I believe they use the same one from their Alpha line of crop sensors. AF is pretty decent too. I enjoy taking candid shots when going out with friends, and as much as I love the 5D MkII, it's too bulky. The Olympus EP-1 is okay, but the ergonomics and layout of it did not suit me. Your best bet is to try and test these models out at a local store.