Equipment

Current Equipment

This is a list of my currently and recently used photographic gear with a few comments on each. I'll be expanding the list as necessary with new equipment and links to articles covering the particular camera, lens or accessory.

Sony NEX-7
Primary camera. The NEX-7 is the camera I take the vast majority of my photos with. I've chosen it because it offers excellent image quality in a compact, magnesium alloy body featuring a sophisticated user interface with 3 control wheels, a tilting screen and an integrated high resolution viewfinder. The user interface could still be tweaked a little and autofocus performance lags behind what I'm used to from my Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras. Sony's lens selection also needs to be expanded further. Specifically, I'd like to see an ultra wide angle lens of around 10 to 12mm and a stabilized F2 medium telephoto of around 90mm. Still, overall the NEX-7 is a better answer to my specific needs than my previous camera, a Panasonic GH2 was. The NEX-7 is a significant step forward in terms of image quality and the advanced viewfinder it offers.

Sony NEX-5N
Update July 2012: SOLD
Since I need to continue to be able to use the Lumix 7-14, I decided to hang onto the Panasonic GF2 instead of the NEX-5N. The NEX-5N is a great camera though and I would highly recommend it for those who don't need the integrated EVF or the multiple control dials of the NEX-7.

Sony E 16mm F2.8
Update July 2012: SOLD
Interim wide angle lens. The images produced by this lens are nothing special. I had intended to use the 16mm pancake as an interim solution, until a better and wider E-mount lens becomes available. But in my opinion, the lens isn't even good enough as a temporary solution; mounting such a mediocre lens in front of a great sensor is counterproductive.

Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA
Wide normal prime. If I could only have one lens for the NEX-7, this would be it. It's 36mm FF equivalent focal length and bright aperture make it a good general purpose lens. With a minimum focusing distance of only 16cm, it can also capture detailed close-ups. The Zeiss Sonnar delivers good sharpness and contrast from wide open and from edge to edge. Like the Zeiss Biogon, photos taken with this lens “sparkle” in a way that's quite different from the dullness I associate with Sony's kit lenses.

Carl Zeiss Biogon T* 35mm F2.0 ZM.
Update July 2012: SOLD.
I found myself using the Biogon less and less due to its focal length being too close to my most used lenses, the Sony Zeiss 24mm F1.8 and the Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm F1.5.Normal prime.
The Zeiss Biogon 35/2.0 was probably the sharpest lens I've ever owned and easily able to take advantage of the NEX-7's high resolution sensor. The Biogon's high level of detail and excellent contrast make it easier to see when your subject is in focus: areas that are in focus pop out more and the focus peaking function has enough contrast to latch onto. This lens also renders images beautifully with a warm glow and saturated colors. It's only minus point is the magenta color cast and softness the lens produces in the corners of the images taken with NEX-7 (the issue is much less pronounced on the NEX-5N). The magenta cast is easy enough to remove using the free program CornerFix, but it is an additional step in your work flow.

Carl Zeiss C Sonnar T* 50mm F1.5 ZM
Short telephoto, manual focus prime. This Zeiss prime draws in a very unique and expressive manner. Wide open the lens features outstanding bokeh (out-of-focus areas), excellent contrast and a soft glow. The Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5 complements my Sony 50/1.8 OSS which has a more neutral look.

Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS
Short telephoto and portrait prime. The Sony 50/1.8 OSS lens is one of the very few bright primes that features image stabilization. Integrated into slow zooms, optical image stabilization isn't of much use to me since it's only function is to compensate for the lens' limited ability to gather light. I can achieve better results by using a fast prime. But this Sony E 50mm is both fast and stabilized. As such it extends the options I have shooting hand held in low light.

Panasonic Lumix GF2
Interim camera body. The GF2 serves an inexpensive camera body to use my Lumix 7-14 ultra wide angle lens with until an acceptable alternative is available for the NEX system.

Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14mm F4 ASPH
Ultra wide angle lens. I'll keep this excellent Micro Four Thirds lens until an equally good ultra wide is available for the NEX system, if that ever happens. A lens of this caliber is important for my architectural photography and I will keep one Micro Four Thirds camera to shoot it with for as long as necessary. Photos in Lightroom catalog since July 2009: 7733

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH
Kit lens. I haven't taken many photos with this pancake lens, preferring to use the Lumix 7-14mm wide angle zoom instead. I'll sell it with the GF2 when that day comes.

Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH
Most used lens to to date. I'll probably keep it for a while longer as a companion lens on days when I'm shooting with the Lumix 7-14mm. Photos in Lightroom catalog since October 2009: 8288

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