Which Camera

[TBaker]

Sony NEX or Oly GF1

I'm now looking at getting one of these smaller cameras that can take lenses. Can any of these cameras take the older Canon FD/FL mount lenses or the older Minolta MD lenses? Or which one is more adaptable to the older MF lenses?

Right now I have the 5D MKII and would love to shoot with some of the older Canon/Minolta glass which I can't on the 5D.

[Attila]

GF1 is more adaptable it has smaller sensor and shorter register distance , it means you can mount C mount cine lenses and many of them above 25mm cover full image circle.

Both can adopt almost all SLR and RF lenses. Sony has bigger sensor and smaller crop factor and better ISO performance.

In case of you I select SONY.

[TBaker]

So the Sony can't take the cine lenses?

[cooltouch]

I'd go with the Sony too, but mostly for its larger sensor size. BTW, you can mount C-mount lenses to the NEX, but not all C-mount lenses will give you a wide enough image circle, which I believe is what Attila was suggesting. More info here:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1042&message=36011176

I too am really tempted by the NEX because I could then use my Canon FD and FL glass. But I sure wish somebody comes out with a full-frame sensor model someday soon, so my wide angles are wide angle.

[bogolisk]

[TBaker]

Sorry...you lost me with EVF and IBIS.

I had the Sony in hand the other night and while the body felt nice the lense they had on it felt light and cheap.

Thanks for all the replies guys this is really helpful.

[Minolfan]

Electronic ViewFinder, that one I know. But what is IBIS?

[TBaker]

In Body Image Stabilization?

[Attila]

[rbelyell]

with manual focus lenses, i have found the most difficult thing is focusing! on the small lcd cameras, even with 10x, i find it very difficult to focus with the lightness of the camera and smallness of the screen combining with shake to make it hard. thus i would not choose the sony, even though some say is has higher iso performance (though i have not seen evidence of this)

i had an ep1 which had no evf, just focusing on the lcd. it was very hard for me. i traded it in for an ep2 and an attachable evf and viola! no out of focus shots! the evf is amazing, especially in low light. plus it provides real life preview of all your adjustments, like white balance, contrast, saturation etc, so you know exactly what will be rendered. you can also adjust the angle of the evf, so you can turn it into a 90 degree 'waist level finder' which makes it easier to be inconspicuous when taking street shots.

since theyre i think the same price range, i would consider the ep2, which btw, can use almost any lens you can think of!

[ManualFocus-G]

A bit off topic, but it will be interesting to see where Sony goes with the E mount. The NEX cameras have good high ISO, as clean as the best Sony DSLRs (bar the full frame a850 and a900). That mount on a proper DSLR body with a decent viewfinder would be very interesting indeed!

[cooltouch]

[rbelyell]

michael i totally agree with you on the m4/3 2x lens conversion, but i use the olly as a complement to, not a replacement for, my 5d which is full frame, so i have the best of both worlds. also, i have a nice contax mt zenitar 16/2.8 which tunns into a great 32mm on my olly. i also am looking to get the olly 9-18mm zoom, but for now i can use my ultra wides as they are supposed to be on my 5d.

more to the main point i was making, the olly evf really the best vf ive ever used in low light--its like a military tool or something! it is absolutely bright in candlelight, i just love it. you should give it a whirl next to the nex in low light and let me know what you think.

t

[cooltouch]