Sony Kirk Tuck Dumps Micro Four Thirds for NEX-7

[Biro]

Austin, Texas, pro photographer Kirk Tuck, author of the Visual Science Lab blog, has just sold off his micro four-thirds kit and purchased a Sony NEX-7. He's not down on micro four thirds but has apparently realized what it was about the format/system that he really liked. And it brought him to the NEX-7. Interesting reading whether you agree with his decision or not.

The Visual Science Lab / Kirk Tuck: The strange saga of the Sony Nex 7...

 

[krugorg]

I saw that on his blog... did he actually say that he was selling his GX1 and G3? I would be surprised on that part, given how much he loved the m4/3 primes (and wouldn't necessarily overlap with the Nex offerings). I am impressed he was able to resist the OM-D!

 

[Biro]

You may be right... he specifically says he sold off his 12mp micro four-thirds gear - meaning all of his Olympus cameras.

 

[Luke]

IQ and all that kind of stuff is becoming so irrellevant (I used to be so much better at spelling) now with each successive camera generation that I think it gets to the point of choosing the camera that YOU interface with best. That varies from shooter to shooter. And even the variables change. For some, a specific way of holding the camera may make the difference. Sometimes it's even hard to quantify.

Looking at the Sony RX100 photos and those new Nokia phone photos (seriously...I'm the biggest cell phone photo hater...... but the photos are amazing) I wonder how much longer bigger cameras will matter enough in large enough numbers to justify so many companies making so many different lines of cameras.

 

[Andrewteee]

I'm beginning to wonder about the guy, but then again... I agree with Luke that most of today's cameras are really good, and it comes down to other factors. I think the A77 got his attention and it makes sense to have a smaller camera from the same system for him to use as a walk around (and he likes to walk around).

I recently rented a Sony A77 for a wedding weekend and I was very impressed. Sony may be doing something right. I have been relentlessly comparing my Ricoh GXR A12s to a new E-M5, and it has left me impressed with the rather outdated GXR. I'll keep the E-M5 because I can get long reach with it, but at this point I think I prefer the GXR. For one thing, they are sharp corner to corner and colors are accurate.

I have also come to believe that there are unacknowledged tradeoffs in smaller cameras. The ever shrinking camera and lens is not always in our best interest. I remember except for dynamic range not being all that impressed with the NEX.

 

[Biro]

IQ and all that kind of stuff is becoming so irrellevant (I used to be so much better at spelling) now with each successive camera generation that I think it gets to the point of choosing the camera that YOU interface with best. That varies from shooter to shooter. And even the variables change. For some, a specific way of holding the camera may make the difference. Sometimes it's even hard to quantify.

Looking at the Sony RX100 photos and those new Nokia phone photos (seriously...I'm the biggest cell phone photo hater...... but the photos are amazing) I wonder how much longer bigger cameras will matter enough in large enough numbers to justify so many companies making so many different lines of cameras.

Luke, I hear you. The new Nokia is another sign that the days of the traditional 3-4x zoom compact digicam are numbered. Many of us have realized this for a while. But big, heavy cameras may soon also be in trouble - at least in the consumer and enthusiast markets. And I think Kirk Tuck would agree with you about overall image quality in new cameras and the need to focus on what works specifically for you. In his case, the high-resolution EVF is what makes the difference.

 

[krugorg]

Pretty hard to argue with ya, Luke, on that - pick the camera you actually enjoy using.

The thing annoying for me on some of these blogs, is the quick turn over in systems (and I don't think Kirk is one of the big offenders here). I mean, they know considerably more than me on photography and gear, but they also seem to be a little schizophrenic in their gear decision process. One day it is Nex, then it is m4/3, then it is the latest mega-pickels full frame, and then it is back to m4/3, just before a full switch to the X-Pro, and then finally a switch to a RX100 and D800e. Obviously, if they just stuck with one system for three years, it probably wouldn't drive much traffic to their blog.

 

[Luke]

I think viewfinders should be the size of cameras and cameras should be the size of viewfinders.

 

[krugorg]

I think viewfinders should be the size of cameras and cameras should be the size of viewfinders.

Wait, are you advocating using the iPad as a camera?

 

[Luke]

I don't really follow along with these "writers" or "reviewers" or whatever they are. But I'm quite sure that all that switching and rave reviews for every new camera that comes about is turning into money in some way. I'm sure that's not "news" to anyone, but I'm sure that has a hand in it.

 

[Luke]

Wait, are you advocating using the iPad as a camera?

OK, you're right..that's crazy talk. But I do love abig, clear viewfinder.

 

[Pelao]

I'm glad he has found what works for him. In the past I've found his writings to be more about the gear, and the technical side of things, rather than what I would call the image making side. That's not a criticism, just an observation.

I'm not sure I entirely agree with Luke's assertion around image quality. I think it all depends on the preferred subject matter, and final output. Those that output primarily to the web certainly have a wider choice of cameras.

I admire the Nex 7. It has a lot going for it. I just don't like it. For me, it just didn't feel camera-like. It felt competent, and effective, but without any personality or presence.

The other thing I don't like about Nex is the glass (which is at least as important as the camera...). The Nex glass comes in for a lot of criticism around size. That didn't bother me too much, but the choice of focal lengths. Wow. Bizarre.

I note that he raises the X-Pro 1 focus 'issues', and it seems that since he personally experienced these issues, they must be true for everyone. For me, it doesn't have any focus issues. It won't meet everyone's needs, but that doesn't make it an issue. Nice slam at the Fuji handling of diopters (which does seem odd), but the camera he really wants, Leica, uses the same approach but doesn't get whacked.

Anyway, he's happy, and we have lots of choice. Cool.

 

[Luckypenguin]

Pretty hard to argue with ya, Luke, on that - pick the camera you actually enjoy using.

The thing annoying for me on some of these blogs, is the quick turn over in systems (and I don't think Kirk is one of the big offenders here). I mean, they know considerably more than me on photography and gear, but they also seem to be a little schizophrenic in their gear decision process. One day it is Nex, then it is m4/3, then it is the latest mega-pickels full frame, and then it is back to m4/3, just before a full switch to the X-Pro, and then finally a switch to a RX100 and D800e. Obviously, if they just stuck with one system for three years, it probably wouldn't drive much traffic to their blog.

It's all new material for Tuck of course and we are here talking about him, but this change may have been genuinely motivated. If he'd wanted maximum impact by switching to the NEX 7 he should've done it a while ago when the 7 was brand new. It doesn't take long for interest in a new camera to change from hot to warm.

 

[Landshark]

I still do not understand why anybody cares what any of these bloggers use or say they use, find the camera that works for you and be happy. Bloggers need something to write about but that does not what they have to say either matters or is significant

 

[pdh]

If we went into a newsagent and found thousands of self-published little magazines littering the shelves, how much notice would we take of them?

It's a very interesting (but totally off topic) social phenomenon that bloggers and blogs (which so often are, in essence someone's having had a series of thoughts and decided to write them down and publish them irrespective of content or interest or clarity) gain a spurious authority simply by dint of appearing ...

 

[Pelao]

I still do not understand why anybody cares what any of these bloggers use or say they use, find the camera that works for you and be happy. Bloggers need something to write about but that does not what they have to say either matters or is significant

Fair point. I generally find it easy to discern those that are blogging to be heard, and those that are sharing an experience and have something for me. It's like many things in life: sorting the wheat and chaff etc.

 

[Luke]

Bob, I definitely agree with your point. Still, we live busy lives and it's hard to handle every camera and learn what feels good or what works. As an example, I live in Milwaukee. A metropolitan area of nearly 1,000,000 people. None of the camera stores carry Pentax or Fuji. I was checking out a NEX in a Best Buy and had to deal with some kid who worked there trying to sell me one. I told him I just wanted to check out the menus and get a feel for the handling. He was just telling me how cool it was.....LOL. Like that was the best selling point.

The bloggers are not prophets and shouldn't have followers, but I usually get some useful information from their posts.

 

[pdh]

. He was just telling me how cool it was.....LOL. Like that was the best selling point..

You mean it isn't?
I've obviously been labouring under a misapprehension all these years

I think I need a blog to read so I can find out what the proper criteria are.

 

[Luke]

After handling one, I decided the main selling point was that it felt like a small, slippery bar of soap and that using one was not intuitive and now matter how cool they are, if you look like you're going to drop it and can't figure out to operate it, it will make you look decidedly UNcool.

 

[pdh]

I have to say every time I see somebody with a nex I think how ridiculous and unbalanced they look with disproportionately huge lenses on the tiny body ... nothing about them says "pick me up and take pictures with me" ... well, not to me anyway, but then again I'm the only person on the planet so far as I can tell who picked up an X100 and decided it wasn't very nice