[Leica] Personal thoughts on the NEX-7 and M8

[abridge at mac.com (Adam Bridge)]

In another thread there's a discussion related to this one. But I've been 
trying to distill my thoughts so I'll offer them here.

I like the NEX-7 a lot. It's a winner. It's small. It's light. It's a great 
travel camera. It will let me mount my Leica glass. AND, and this is a 
really big AND . . . when we travel I can hand it to someone and ask them to 
take my photo beside Jan and the person I hand it to will be able to look at 
the screen on the back and take the picture. Or even look through the 
"viewfinder". I cannot do that with the M8. Focusing is just impossible for 
someone who doesn't know what's going on. And the NEX-7 shoots very very 
good HD video. It's not 4-2-2, but I'd pay $5k for a camera that does shoot 
4-2-2.

But it's not a Leica. It's a Sony and it has all the failings of the 
Japanese camera companies, save maybe one. It wants to do everything. It 
wants to shoot panoramas. It wants to detect smiles. It wants to shoot in 
something like a dozen different modes.

None of these "features" are related to the fundamentals of taking pictures.

Leica, on the other hand, wants to present a user experience that's focused 
on enabling the photographer to get the shot. No fancy modes. The camera 
won't recognize a face or a smile or a sea otter. That's MY job. Except for 
setting ISO, I can change anything important on my M8 with a dial. It works 
with my gloves on.

There are functions on the NEX-7 that I love: the display in the viewfinder 
that shows that the camera is level on two axes. That's really useful. I 
don't need a level. I like the histogram display and I love the focus zoom 
so I can use the phase detection ability to nail the focus - with lenses 
like the Noctilux or the 100 APO R lens it's a killer feature.

There are things I hate: the stupid video record button that I manage to 
press by accident just about every time I have the camera out. I think there 
may be an after-market opportunity with some sort of anti-press device 
unless Sony decides to upgrade the firmware to turn that off.

The camera needs a pancake lens, 18mm or so at maybe f1.8 or so.

I won't be able to afford an M10 I'm certain. I'll be happy with my M8 which 
takes wonderful pictures. But I'll lust for the almost Jobs-ian focus that 
the Leica designers bring to the cameras they craft. It's something the 
Japanese just can't seem to get their heads around: it's feature after 
feature after feature. For an enthusiast you have to wonder if these are 
really necessary? Do focus groups show that without smile detection people 
won't fork over $1,000 for a camera?

Sigh.

You'll be seeing a lot of NEX-7 photos from me. It already goes everywhere 
with me. It's lighter than the M8, more compact, and I won't lose as much if 
something bad happens.

Adam