Seven Lenses for Seven Cameras

If you were trying to establish a new system, is this the way you would do it? 

Sony today announced its seventh E-mount NEX camera, a video camcorder called the NEX-EA50. It's basically an updated NEX version of Sony's popular NXCAM series, which broadcasters like for portable video work. (If you're trying to count, we have NEX-3F, NEX-5N, NEX-7, NEX-VG20, NEX-FS100, NEX-FS700, and NEX-EA50.)

Okay, so we have seven NEX type bodies. How many lenses do we have? Seven (plus some modest variations on the 18-200mm). In other words, we have as much flexibility in choosing a camera as we do lenses (I should note that the NEX-EA50 can shoot 16mp still images, so this isn't just sophistry).

Of course you can supplement those seven lenses by using the LA-EA2 lens mount adapter to use Sony A mount lenses, so all is not lost. But that's a bit cumbersome, and a battery drainer to boot.  If you have to go the converter route it also makes for some pretty front-heavy systems and makes you wonder why we don't just have A mount mirrorless (that makes more sense on the video side than the still side).

The rumor mills tell us that we've got two new E mount lenses coming shortly, but then those same rumor mills tell us that we have more NEX cameras coming, too. Something's slightly wrong with this picture. Sony needs to seriously get off their butts and produce a wider, better lens selection on E mount. They also need to update and upgrade a couple of their lenses, most notably the 16mm f/2.8. The point of having a lens mount in the first place is to give users options. With Sony now having NEX models that range from low-end purse cameras to expensive Hollywood-ready professional video rigs, the market needs more than a handful of convenience zooms and a small set of primes.   

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