Brightness/color
Brightness and colour is a bit of a vague
term for these settings, including the Metering mode and Flash Compensation
whereas similar options are in the Camera menu.
View mode
If you shoot both stills and videos then
you’ll become familiar with this menu. They aren’t displayed together so you
regularly have to switch folders to view.
ISO and White Balance performance
The main attraction is the 24.3MP
sensor, so let’s see it in action.
ISO
and White Balance performance
How much noise a camera produces is
determined by several factors, the most important being the size of the sensor
and how many photo-sites are squeezed onto it. The NEX-7 has a larger sensor
than the majority of its rivals in the mirrorless market so you should expect
less noise. The results back this up. The noise is still there but it’s
well-controlled and not too distracting. The camera does a great job of dealing
with high ISO settings, although you wouldn’t really want to use any pictures
taken at ISO16000 at any great size or for anything important.
When it comes to the while balance, the
camera tends to default to cooler colours and you’ll need to warm up the JPEG
files. You can easily tweak the in-camera colours to match your personal
preference, in fact, it’s probably a little too easy to do and could easily be
done by accident while changing the white balance preset.
A typical test shot: One of the test
shots gets scrutinized
A
typical test shot
Dynamic range: Even on an overcast day
there is plenty of gradation in the blacks
The kit lens: The kit lens takes top shots
but there is a range of great lenses out there
Depth of field: Achieve a creamy depth of
field and a sharp foreground
Detail: The NEX-7 is a master of detail as
can be seen in the coat
Colours: Achieve punchy colours even in
overcast conditions
Contenders
Olympus OM-D E-M5
Price: $1,500
Web: www.olympus.com
Olympus
OM-D E-M5
The new Micro Four Thirds model from
Olympus has all the charm of the classic OM series but with an electronic
viewfinder, 16MP Live-MOS sensor and a three-inch touch screen.
Fujifilm FinePix X-Pro1
Price: $2,145
Web: www.fujifilm.com
Fujifilm
FinePix X-Pro1
Fujifilm’s latest offering has a special,
Fuji-engineered 16MP sensor and oozes retro charm – it cloud easily be mistaken
for an antique camera. Shame there isn’t a built-in flash though.
Verdict
Features: 
The resolution and high-quality video are
the camera’s strong points, but it has enough to make it a winner in its
class
Build quality:
With a solid metal body, the camera is
undeniably well-built. The weakest spot is definitely the tilt LCD
Handling:
The NEX-7 is perhaps too complex for
beginners but also not advanced enough for high-end users
Quality of results:
Excellent results overall from the NEX-7.
You definitely want to shoot in RAW though a the JPRGs aren’t the best in
class
Value for money:
The NEX-7 offers great value for money
considering the resolution, but the handling lets it down
Score:
The NEX-7 is a clear winner in the pixel
race but a few handling issues will cause problems for advanced photographers
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