Sony A7000

[GreggLonewolf]

Back in 2010 Sony launched the NEX-5 : the first of their mirrorless cameras, designed to be a smaller lighter alternative to the SLR market. I jumped on board and was impressed with what I saw, but felt let down by some of the features (or lack thereof) of the new system.

Firstly, the number and quality of the native Sony lenses was limited, but one of the beauties of the mirrorless system was the ability to attach any and almost all other manufacturers lenses via an appropriate adaptor. Over the next year I'd collect adaptors and lenses for Nikon, Canon, PL and Leica lenses, and even an adaptor to mount my NEX on a telescope (or a Meade 1250mm F 5.6 telephoto lens, as I often referred to it).

Another bug bear was the lack of full manual control when shooting video. Sony kept rolling out firmware updates and I was quite vocal in adding my firmware wishlist to the official (and not so official) online forums, telling Sony that this is what I would like to see.

To their credit, Sony listened, but rather than adding these functions into a firmware update they rolled the changes out in a new camera body – the Sony NEX-5N.

This was a crafty move by the consumer product manufacturer, as it guaranteed good sales for their replacement model and even I, rather begrudgingly, jumped on the upgrade bandwagon.

That said, I do love the NEX-5N and even now, four years later, I am still using it, having resisted the lures of the NEX-6, A5000, A6000 and even the A7 (r,s or mkII).

But now, there are rumours of a new kid on the block, tentatively called the A7000.

Rumours suggest a new 24MP sensor, in-camera stabilisation, OLED viewfinder, all encased in a smaller body than previous models. We should get some concrete details in the coming months.

This all sounds great to me, and it may be the model that makes me jump back on the upgrade path.

Here's what I would be looking for in the new model to make me take the leap :

FULL FRAME or APS-C

I know people love full frame, with it's extra shallow depth of field, but I'd be happy with an APS-C sized sensor. I learnt my craft on commercials and feature films and the APS-C format is fairly close to Super 35mm, so I'm happy with that format (I know what a 35mm or 50mm lens will look like at ten feet).

AN 'R' VERSION WITHOUT AN ANTI-ALIAS FILTER

I love the quality of the images from the A7R and would like to be able to harness the full resolution of the new sensor in the A7000, without any unnecessary filtration to 'fix' something that we can easily sort in post, so let's hope we get the option of an A7000 R model.

IN-CAMERA STABILISATION

Sure you can get lenses with steady shot built in, but one of the beauties of the mirrorless system is that you can choose from a vast array of glass – maybe you're a Nikon fanboy or maybe, like me, you've got a nice selection of manual Leica M glass. Imagine being able to use any of those and benefit from in-camera stabilisation – great for stills, but even better when shooting video.

XAVC / S-Log

One of the bug bears of the NEX is the AVCHD codec, which just falls apart when you try to do anything with it. The new XAVC codec is much better, especially when combined with S-Log (using the full RAW dynamic range of the sensor for video as well as stills) so I'm hoping this will be implemented in the new camera.

FORM FACTOR

I like the size and shape of the NEX-5N. I know some people say it's a little too small and prefer the size of the NEX-7 / A6000. I'd settle for that, but any reduction in size (and especially weight) is always welcome in my book.

BUTTONS

No Mode Dial, Exposure Compensation Dial or unnecessary buttons.

Don't get me wrong, I love customisable buttons, but the NEX 7 added a couple of dials that were just too easy to catch by mistake, and the A5000, A6000 and A7 models added even more nonsense with the addition of mode and exposure compensation dials.

I make no gripes about being a manual operator – I don't use aperture or shutter priority (but appreciate that some people do). But be honest, how often do you need to be able to jump between modes in a hurry. I think the NEX-5 got it right by having that option a few key clicks away in the menu. Likewise, why use exposure compensation when you can just as easily adjust your iris (my personal preference is to have this control on the lens, where it is easy to get at, rather than relying on an extra dial on the camera), so let's just get rid of those unnecessary dials and keep the aesthetics nice and clean.

BUILT-IN EVF

One of the things really missing for me on the NEX was a decent built in viewfinder. I rushed out and purchased the add on OLED viewfinder when it came out, but sitting atop the NEX, it drastically changed the footprint of the camera, meaning you couldn't easily pop it into a small belt pouch or into a jacket pocket. The A6000 seems to have a decent EVF, albeit not as good as the optional EVF. Let's hope the A7000 comes with a decent EVF to rival this accessory.

STANDARD HOT SHOE

Another poor design on the NEX was the proprietary screw in accessory shoe, rather than an industry standard hot shoe that you could attach top lights, microphones, or other accessories to. Hopefully the A7000 will have a standard hot shoe, just like the majority of recent Sony cameras.

I'm writing this in the hopes that I can tell Sony what I'm after before they release something that is half way there.

So, what would the rest of you like to see from Sony in the coming months.

[Portmixus]

I think you've made a nice and realistic proposition 

I would love to see an A7000 like the NEX-7. Would be great if they already implemented IBIS.

The first things I expect/hope to see are variations of the A7II, the rumoured high megapixel count A7RII will be here before we even realise, but the A7SII is something a lot of other people will be waiting for too!

It's a must to see at least an electronic first curtain shutter on the A7RII, especially after Canon's 5Ds doesn't feature that nor did the A7R. But as the sensor is going to be different, I would be deeply disappointed if Sony made the same mistake!

[j.raephotography]

In the a6000 successor I and I think I speak for a lot of people would love to see a mode dial on it - I have a6000 and a5000 and what I really miss on the a5000 is a bloody mode dial - it makes life impossible (NEVER mond the lack of an EVF!). In camera stabiliation would be awesome but I think before sony try something completely new in one of these prosumer cameras is sort out the battery life as it is pretty ridiculous! I feel sorry for A7RII users because of this (and of course 4k video overheating!)

[edited by moderator for disguised profanity]

[Portmixus]

Welcome to the forum! @j.raephotography

You have to put certain things into perspective. If a pro-user would buy and use an A5000, he would more complaints than a beginner who buys an A5000. Every tool has its own target group.

I would be shocked if the A6000 successor would not have a mode-dial. The same goes for the EVF. These are things that are typically omitted on lower end models. You can't have a low-end model with all the features you want, because then the price would go up, the model would no longer be low-end and people who seek a cheap camera without too many features they never use would start to complain.

As for the 4K overheating, not everyone had issues with it and it was addressed with the latest firmware! 

[j.raephotography]

 thought you said above that you didn't want a mode dial on it. I am not asking fo every feature of a pro DSLR on a compact - just enough to make it usabe enough!