A big step forward - in spite of two question marks

According to Apple products and cameras now seem to have reached a religious level. Even months earlier announced in forums and on rumors sides that desire is fueled by exclusively issued to photographers and blogs copies so that you want to cry out, "It's just a camera". After the Fujifilm X100 took the most in the NEX at 7 grotesque.

Now that the dust of the eulogies and bad reviews and has laid the NEX 7 arrives in reality many exclamation and question marks remain little. One gets the impression that Sony has listened carefully to customers and further developed the concept of NEX cameras toward advanced users. The camera offers a robust magnesium alloy case, the size of which the top-heaviness of the NEX mitigates 5, a flexible display, the hitherto best electronic viewfinder and the excellent operating concept "Tri-Navi". Instead concepts of analog photography rehashing here a truly innovative new approach has been developed. The controls also ensure that you have rarely dive into the menu structure, which is rather a weak point in the whole NEX-family care.

Two much-discussed criticisms murky for me the impression: The picture quality is due to the higher resolution sensor worse than the much cheaper NEX 5. This can be seen, although only at higher ISO speeds and in large prints, but remains questionable. However, the larger files have more leeway in the RAW processing, which greatly mitigates this aspect.
The more serious problem is the lack of lenses. As a hi-fi system with bad boxes given away a lot of potential here Sony. Constant references to the future roadmap not hide the fact that the competition has more here at the start. The solutions offered are all rather unsatisfactory: The Zeiss lens is cursed expensive, the E-mount adapter makes the compactness destroyed and not everyone wants it to handle with adapter rings and old lenses. Another small weakness is the short battery life - probably through the large display and the viewfinder. A spare battery should always be on board. Also the electronic viewfinder, I had to get used to first. No matter how good the resolution is - SLR Feeling does not come on. Here me the hybrid concept of the X100 like better.

In the two weeks with the camera, I have the impression that the NEX 7 holds the first camera, which has promised the mirrorless concept: a compact alternative to SLR, without major compromises on handling and image quality. If now swiftly adequate lenses could be a friendship for the coming years.

The rowdy disciples oracles anyway has been replaced - and I have my peace.