Sony Nex-5 upgrades or hacks

[Miguel]

Hi guys,

I recently bought a Sony NEX 5 and i had read a lot about it compared to the little lumix cameras. I wanted a small point and shoot camera that gave me good quality images and 1920/1080 vision and full manual control. The bit I somehow missed was that while it does have full manual control, in movie mode it reverts to auto. Does anyone know of any upgrades or hacks for this camera.

I get great video images as long as there is enough light otherwise it pumps up the gain and it is just way to noisy, not to mention the lack of control.

On a side note, I also a nikon adaptor which is great and gives me awesome images on it.

Miguel

[brunerww]

If you want a mirrorless camera with access to lots of lenses and full manual control in movie mode, it sounds like you want the new Sony NEX-5N. Otherwise you were right, you should have gotten a Lumix camera. I have the GH1 and the GH2. They both deliver high quality 1080p video with full manual control.

Cheers,

Bill

[David G. Smith]

If you want a mirrorless camera with access to lots of lenses and full manual control in movie mode, it sounds like you want the new Sony NEX-5N. Otherwise you were right, you should have gotten a Lumix camera. I have the GH1 and the GH2. They both deliver high quality 1080p video with full manual control.

Cheers,

Bill

Yeah, at just shy of half the price of the GH2, the Sony NEX 5n, looks to be the way to go for very low cost high quality (Relatively) video. Can you return the NEX 5 and get the NEX 5n?

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?261726-Sony-NEX-5N-108060P-video

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/NEX5N/NEX5NA.HTM

[brunerww]

I too am looking at the new NEXs for their full manual control of video and 1080/60p -- but only the upcoming ($1600 body-only (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-NEXVG20-Interchangeable-Handycam-Camcorder/dp/B005KOZN08?tag=battleforthew-20)) VG20 meets or beats the ($850 body only (http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-GH2-Interchangeable-Free-Angle-Black/dp/B0043VE26U?tag=battleforthew-20)) GH2's specs (e.g., full manual control of audio, a standard non-Sony mic jack, a headphone jack, an LCD that flips around to the front for self-portraits, no limits on recording time).

The ($600 body-only (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-NEX-5N-Compact-Interchangeable-Touchscreen/dp/B005IHAIMA?tag=battleforthew-20)) 5N has Automatic Gain Control (AGC)* instead of manual audio gain control, a Sony proprietary mic jack, limited recording time, and users (and Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/16/sony-alpha-nex-5n-makes-clicking-sound-when-moved-renders-captu/)) are now reporting a "clicking" noise during rapid pans or walking shots.

The ($1200 body-only (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-NEX-7-Compact-Interchangeable-Camera/dp/B005IHAIEI?tag=battleforthew-20)) NEX-7 is not out yet, but it too lacks manual audio gain and is likely to have recording time limits.

I'm sticking with the GH2 for now.

Cheers,

Bill

*The GH2 has AGC too, but you can turn the level down so that you don't hear as much hiss in quiet rooms.

[markr041]

"They both deliver high quality 1080p video with full manual control." They do not deliver 108060p video; you are talking about 108024p video, which is not useable for sports, is disliked by many. Or interlaced at a low bitrate.

[markr041]

"*The GH2 has AGC too, but you can turn the level down so that you don't hear as much hiss in quiet rooms. "

I don't disagree with your relative assessment of the cameras, especially with respect to audio. But there is a trick on the NEX-5N - if you select wind-cut, it essentially lowers the audio level and you don't hear much hiss in quiet rooms. It sounds fine for normal and loud sounds.

This video was taken in a quiet room with the TM900, the Hx9v and the NEX-5N with this setting. The TM900 audio was in manual mode (#1), lowest setting. The Hx9v has aggressive AGC and you really hear noise (#2). The NEX-5N is like the manual-audio TM900, just a bit more room sound (#3).

http://youtu.be/IMZ4VxMa4jg?hd=1

The loud drums in the Vimeo post above were recorded without distortion.

[brunerww]

...you are talking about 108024p video, which is not useable for sports, is disliked by many. Or interlaced at a low bitrate.

You're right. That's one of the reasons I want a VG20 ;-)

[brunerww]

...This video was taken in a quiet room with the TM900, the Hx9v and the NEX-5N with this setting. The TM900 audio was in manual mode (#1), lowest setting. The Hx9v has aggressive AGC and you really hear noise (#2). The NEX-5N is like the manual-audio TM900, just a bit more room sound (#3).

http://youtu.be/IMZ4VxMa4jg?hd=1

Thanks for posting. Very interesting. You have just convinced me not to buy a camera without real manual audio control ever again (to include the faux control of the GH2) ;-)

And as many have observed, the picture from the HX9V is very very impressive -- too bad about the AGC.

Cheers,

Bill

[Chadfish]

I'd like someone to hack the proprietary mic for the NEX-5n, and ass a 3.5mm input, then we could use a preamp with AGC disable (like something from JuicedLink) to at least plug in a decent mic and have level control.

[LanceOregon]

I'd like someone to hack the proprietary mic for the NEX-5n, and ass a 3.5mm input, then we could use a preamp with AGC disable (like something from JuicedLink) to at least plug in a decent mic and have level control.


There are very solid leaks from Sony that the NEX-F3 will be announced in another 9 days on the 17th of this month. And that the NEX-F5 will be announced this coming August. Both cameras are said to be slightly larger than the current NEX cameras that they will be replacing, and will have better ergonomics and controls. If the NEX-F5 also adds a 3.5mm mic input and manual gain control, it will most definitely be a far superior camera for recording video.

I found the funky ergonomics of the NEX-5n to be just too awkward for me to be comfortable using. I owned one briefly for 10 days when the camera first came out last Fall, but ended up returning it for a refund.

I paid $699 for it with the kit zoom lens. I ended up buying a Panasonic GH2 on sale with kit lens for only $899. That was only $200 more. So the real world price gap between these cameras is actually not that great.

Shooting the NEX-5n at 60p was pretty impressive in recording action. And its autofocus was very fast and did a great job tracking subjects. Here below is a test video that I shot with the camera. NOTE: My camera was an early production unit that had a manufacturing defect that caused a clicking sound while recording video. Sony corrected that problem about a month after the camera was introduced, so NEX-5n cameras no longer have that issue.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF15geAmmjg

[Chadfish]

Hi Lance

Interesting about the new cameras coming out! Normally, I would be probably going for the GH2, but the 2 things that interest me the most about the NEX-5n are the light weight, and the 1080p60. My plans for the camera are aerial video, and the NEX-5n is right on the cusp of what my quadcopter can comfortably carry. The GH2 is a bit over the weight I can handle. If that new NEX-F5 is much heavier, I'm out of luck, but it is intriguing! I'll read up on that. I'm aware of the click sound issue. I hear its better now, but not completely gone, but again, for my purposes, audio isn't too important. However I do want to use the camera when it's not flying, so any model without the clicking would be sweet. I've also got a bunch of cool Mini Shotgun mics I'd love to be able to plug in. The image on the camera is really great. Things have come sooooooooo far in the last 5 years. It's really amazing.