Mirrorless Camera Wars: Sony NEX7 vs Olympus E-M5 vs Fuji X-Pro1

Is Sony NEX 7 the best mirrorless camera?

As a shopper for a mirrorless camera, I find the mirrorless camera wars come down to three high-end models: Sony NEX7 vs Olympus OM-D E-D5 vs Fuji X-Pro1. Part of the war are the choices you have for interchangeable lenses for each camera.

Let's start off with the price. The 24MP Sony NEX-7 with a kit lens (18-55mm) is $1,349 at Amazon.
The 16MP Olympus OM-D E-M5 with a kit lens (12-50mm) is $1,299.
The 16MP Fujifilm X-Pro (body only) is $1,699.

This alone doesn't tell the whole story about what you get. You also have to take a look at lenses because they are interchangeable for all of the cameras. I want to point out some decent lenses for each camera.

The first lens (other than the kit) you'll want to get for the Sony NEX-7 is the upgraded lens Sony 16-50mm f/2.8 Standard Zoom Lens for Sony A-Mount Cameras. This fast lens enables you to easily freeze action, which is great for photographing sports.

The first lens you'll want to get for the  Olympus E-D5 is the Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.8 Lens for Micro Four Thirds Cameras.

The first lens for the Fujifilm X-Pro is the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 Lens Zoom Lens. 

Now all of these lenses are not cheap. The lens for the Fujifilm X-Pro is downright pricey at $699, but well-worth the investment.  If you've ever investigated the resale values of good lenses, you'll note that they are very good, that they don't lose their value very fast if at all.

So what camera should you buy? It's a tough choice. Overall, I'd go for the Sony NEX-7. You can also consider the earlier model, the NEX-5, which is considerably cheaper and not all that much different of a camera than the NEX-7, except it has considerably less resolution, though ample, than the NEX-7.

A Vintage Photograph

Vintage photographs bring a sense of nostalgia

Well here she is, my mother, Estelle, with two horses in a vintage photograph. (Gee, I didn't know she even liked horses.)

If you look closely at the background, you'll see some pretty stylish automobiles.

I haven't got a clue as to where this image was taken, but mom's outfit is pretty nifty. You can see more of her outfits in another post with old photographs from Miami.

Having grown up in Miami, in the 60s and 70s, my sense for kitch is keen. It's what I base most of my photography on.

Of late, I've been working on the some HDR photographs of the front end of automobiles from the era.   Seems when I photograph anything from flowers to mid-century signage, I choose a front end view.  After all, it's only view where you can see the entire subject without having to guess what it is or what it says.

Martin Kimas Photography's Technical Perfection

Courtesy of Foley Gallery

A steel ball striking a vase creating a small explosion in which the flowers in the vase remain unharmed while the vase blows apart would appear to be an impossible feat, but isn't as shown in an image of more than a dozen shot up flower arrangements.

The technical expertise with which Kilmas sets up and shoots his photos is sheer perfection. The lighting, color coordination and flower arrangement is on par with Mapplethorpe's analysis of the same subject matter, but much more disturbing, so much so that the artist of the earlier era would be stunned if he could see it.

While Mapplethorpe's work can be emulated today easily in Photoshop, few if any could set up shots as Kilmas has.

Kilmas is indeed a new master photographer of the twenty-first century.

flowers art

NEX 6--New Mode Dial

The NEX camera series now has a mode dial.

Last month, Sony announced its $1000 NEX 6 mirrorless camera, an upgrade from a NEX 5 primarily because it added a new mode dial so those used to shooting with a dSLR would feel at home.

Also, new in this model is an improved auto-focus and WiFi. Not only can you take dSLR quality photos with a smaller and less expensive camera, now you can send them off to your favorite social networking website.

That's not all this camera can do. In keeping up with the Jones', the company has added app capabilities to the camera, making it a good product to compete with a dSLR camera, but also as an iPhone or Android phone camera.

PlayMemories, an app that lets you download software for new functions for your camera.

The choices thus far include:

• Direct Upload
• Picture Effect +
• Multi Frame NR
• Smart Remote Control

 If you're like me, you'll probably want a telephoto lens in addition to the 18-35 mm kit lens.
The 18-200 mm Sony telephoto lens for NEX cameras will set you back $850, so for $1,850 you get camera equipment fit for a professional that's half the size and cost of a dSLR camera with kit and telephoto lens.

Cadillac Convertable

Cadillac convertible

What better subject could you have for a photo than a red Cadillac convertible. Just look at those tailfins. Classic, sleek, modern. It was a time when Googie (not Google) was king. The space age was reaching it's apex as man circled the earth, preparing to put men on the moon.

From the white-wall tires to the red-and-white interior, this car's design, developed during an era when aesthetic dominated, placing safety concerns in the back seat (the trunk, even)--no pesky airbags or seat belts.

The 1959 Cadillac cost a fortune today,  upwards from $50,000, much more than the $5500 price tag the year it came out. At car auctions the car can go for $150,000 and beyond.

Be on the lookout for these gems anywhere in the United States. It's picture paradise.

On Reading

Andre Kertesz spent the better part of his life taking photographs, many of which were of people reading. A book of photographs, On Reading, was published in 1971.

Here are descriptions of the images of people reading he shot:

Carnival, Paris, 1926 Woman reading behind stage

Nara, 1968 People reading on a subway

Esztergom, Hungary Three boys reading; they are huddled close together and placed just off-center in the frame

New York, 1950 Boy at newsstand; newsstand occupies over half of the lefts side of frame; boy is wearing overcoat

Pont des Arts, Paris Man reading between trees as seen from above; bridge with people walking at top of frame, man at bottom of frame

Second Ave, NY, 1969 Man reading in antique store; man just off center in bottom of frame, surrounded by lamps and huge poster of black man

Buenos Aires, 1962 Man reading while walking by a wall covered with graffiti

Academie Francaise, Paris, 1929 Man reading on ladder among shelves of books

Fourth Avenue, New York Close up of man using a magnifying glass to read at outdoor book stall

Untitled, 1964 Long shot of woman reading on roof; woman very small at bottom middle of frame, building walls in background; some sky at top right of frame

Untitled, 1970 close up of wrought iron chairs (diamond patter) in foreground and middle ground, woman reading in top middle of frame in background behind group of chairs.

As you can see from the descriptions of his images, Kertesz’s images of people reading varied widely.

These images along with those taken by Kertesz remind us that humans are the only species on earth that read.