Now that Olympus E-M5
Advantages towards Sony NEX-7
:
- Usable higher MP (23MP vs 16MP)
- Better DR at lower ISO (approx. 2 levels which is very significant)
- Better higher ISO performance (approx. 1 stop)
- Built-in flash
- Better EVF (just an educated guess)
- Focus peeking for MF lenses
Advantages towards Olympus E-M5
- Better selection of lenses – Nex only offers two fast primes at 24mm and 50mm. Although Zeiss 24mm offers high IQ, it is also very expensive, and both are quite bulky. In comparison, m43 system already offers 12mm, 20mm, 25mm, and 45mm (by both Olympus and Panasonic). In addition, 75mm f/1.8 will be released soon. More flexibility on the zoom side too, especially with Panasonic’s announcement on 12-35mm/f2.8 and 35-100mm/f1.8 lenses. There is no comparison between the two systems and this isn’t about to change anytime soon based on Sony’s recently revealed roadmap (lots of delays). M43′s 12/25/45 trio are considered amongst the best set of primes anywhere in terms of IQ.
- Will be smaller and lighter as a package, mainly because the lenses will be lighter and more compact
- Built-in IBIS, which offers image stabilization for all lenses, including prime lenses. Still remains to be seen but the new 5-axis IBIS sounds promising.
- Better JPG engine
- Weather sealed (although there is only one weather sealed lens available – 12-150mm. Soon, 60mm macro lens will be released which will also be weather sealed)
- Much faster auto-focus and potentially better subject tracking
- Better manual controls on the body
- Availability of a proper battery grip
In summary:
- If portability is important to you, get Olympus E-M5
- If high dynamic range at base ISO is important to you (i.e. you take high contrast shots frequently), then get Sony NEX-7
, ideally paired up with decent lenses like Zeiss 24mm. - If you are on a budget, neither are good for you. Consider either cheaper m43 body or Nex 5n.
- If you can live with Nex lens selection, then go for Sony Nex 7.
Source:
Better DR at lower ISO (approx. 2 levels which is very significant)
Better higher ISO performance (approx. 1 stop)
MAYBE NOT !
If Olympus use the sony sensor ( We don’t know yet ! ) Or something as good . The density of a 16mp m4/3 is just a little bit more then the 24mp aps-c. So maybe 1/2 level of DR less and 1/3 stop less in ISO performance. The eyes won’t tell the difference !
And one thing for sure is… except the Zeiss 24mm 1.8, there is no lens with sony that can resolve the 24 Mp Aps-C sensor. So the real resolution of both camera will be the same.
I agree.
In summary:
If portability is important to you, get Olympus E-M5
If high dynamic range at base ISO is important to you, learn to use fill flash to brighten shadows, or learn to use photoshop
If you are on a budget,(say about a dollar a day) get a cheaper m43 body and a kit lens, wait a year and add the 45mm 1.8 keep eyes open for a used 12mm f2.0 then upgrade the body to a used E-m5 when the E-m6 comes out.
If you can live with Nex lens selection, then go get a clue.
The Zeiss is the only native Nex lens that can match the sensor so lots of people rely on legacy glass and Sony’s excellent electronic focusing aid (peaking). But how many of you would buy the Nex-7 if it was manual focus (MF) only? The Zeiss is $ 1,200 which is $1,000 more than you need to spend for a good piece of legacy glass, so that is an extra $1,000 to be able to autofocus ONE lens on an otherwise MF only camera! To me the Nex-7 is a $2,200 MF only camera (albeit the best focusing MF camera) that happens to be able to do slow AF with one particular lens.
Technical image quality depends on much more than just the sensor and how many Nex-7 buyers will every print an image where there would be a visible difference in IQ between the Nex-7+Zeiss and a D5100 with 50mm 1.8D??
Not to mention the garbage Sony calls the camera’s firmware/interface… Or the horrendous ergonomics in portrait orientation… Or the lack of in body stabilization which is a key feature for having a compact SYSTEM!
Don’t get me wrong, the Nex-7 is cool and lust-worthy which is ultimately why most people buy it.