Sony NEX-5 zoom lenses

[janjon]

Hello,
Sold my Nikon D300 and 70-300 mm zoom lens as my wife was always complaining about everyone else having compact camera's whilst I trawled around my Slingshot bag. so I decided to sell my Nikon kit and go for a Sony NEX-5 with an 18-55mm lens,nice and small and reasonable reviews in the photo mags
I have just looked at the 18-200mm lens for this camera and it costs around £350.00.
i have read where you can get adapters so other lenses can be used (but they will not autofocus) How easy is it to manual focus as I have always had AF lenses. Are there any particular good lenses (zoom up to at least 300mm) at a reasonable price and can adapters be purchased for most makes of lenses.
Hope someone can give me some advice,
Janjon

[doctorjames]

On the NEX-5, manual focusing will be a nightmare.

E-mount lenses fit the NEX

Sony do an adaptor to fit A-mount lenses (for the sony alpha dSLR, and older AF Konica/Minolta lenses). They actually do two adaptors that do slightly different things, but are expensive. These do allow autofocus.

There is currently no third party adaptor to my knowledge that will allow AF on the NEX range. you also have the problem of needing to control the aperture.

I would quit all the hassle and go for the E-mount 18-200 you have been looking at. Manual focusing on an LCD screen wont be fun at all.

[Skoropada]

Originally Posted by doctorjames

On the NEX-5, manual focusing will be a nightmare.

Doesn't the NEXes have a focus peaking function in the menu?

[doctorjames]

Originally Posted by Skoropada

Doesn't the NEXes have a focus peaking function in the menu?

Yes it does, but from the brief time I had with the camera it wasnt particularly easy to use while continuing to have some 'creative' control over the camera. It had the kit lens on it at the time, so I didnt try it with a manual focus lens only.

The other issue is that you pretty much have to hold the lens to hold the camera, making manual focus a bit of a physical faff.

I looked at the NEX-5 to have as a 'point and shoot' for my 365 but realised that it wasnt really small enough for what I wanted. I gave it a pretty good work over in the shop though. In the end I 'borrowed' one of my dads lumix.

[Skoropada]

I did a 365 last year and I also wanted a compact camera to carry with me, but I skipped the NEX line because they are either not flexible in focal lenght while being compact (i.e. 16mm pancake) or flexible in focal lenght but not compact (i.e. 18-200mm)

I got a Canon G12 to fill that place.

[doctorjames]

Yeah thats exactly the issue I had...

I couldnt work out what it wanted to be. Im not sure Sony could either to be honest.

It didnt have the flexibility (easily anyway) of an SLR/SLT, but with the kit lens on wasnt much smaller than the a35 SLT. You certainly cant slip it into your pocket.

anyway, enough of that, dont want to de-rail the thread

[inkista]

I'm an eccentric, but plenty of folks use the NEX-5 with adapted manual lenses, and have no difficulty manually focusing. But, as I said, eccentrics.

Old manual focus lenses were made for manual focusing in ways that contemporary autofocus lenses are not.

Try the fredmiranda alt. gear forum for information on using a NEX with adapters and manual focus lenses. There are tons of examples of using manual focus lenses on them.

[Nicole]

I've just picked up an adapter for my Nikon lenses to use on my NEX-3. So far I've actually found manual focusing pretty easy because of the fact that it zooms in. That said, I wouldn't want to use it on anything fast moving (I'm not that good yet), but if you mostly shoot stuff that stays still, an adapter with other lenses and using manual focus isn't too bad.

[jdepould]

The focus peaking makes manual focus really easy. I've got an FS100 for work (and we just ordered a NEX 5N). I'm really looking forward to getting some M mount primes, and my Nikon glass is great to use with the Novoflex ring (stopless aperture FTW!). Obviously, SLR lenses on a small body don't make sense, but I'm super stoked about the RF gear.

[fayf]

Tamron just came out with lenses that fit the NEX line, and they're getting great reviews - good quality and more affordable.
I also found more info on this subject on the Sony Camera Forum.