NEX-5N and NEX-7 firmware update needed to work with SEL-P1650

[antaski63]

It seems that a firmware update is long overdue that would allow NEX-5N and NEX-7 to work with the lenses released after the cameras were launched.  Specifically, the quality of shots made on NEX-5N with the new pancake SEL-P1650 is frankly quite disappointing - huge geometric distortion and light fall off at wide angle. Unless you are used to shooting RAW and doing post-processing work on a PC, the lens is basically useless on the older NEX cameras.  Sony seem to be doing decent job updating firmware for the Alpha cameras (just check out the firmware update for the Alpha-65 from a couple of weeks ago, it has profiles for eight new lenses).  But then there is much larger percentage of users who shoot JPEGs only with NEX cameras than with the Alphas, so having appropriate in-camera compensations are even more important for us NEX users.  Yet no new lens that have appeared since the 5N's (and NEX-7's) launch have been added to the firmware of these cameras so no in-camera compensations are available for these new lenses.  Is Sony sending us a message that when you are buying a NEX camera then make sure you are happy with the (very) few lenses that are available at the time of the camera's launch, because the lenses coming after that will not be supported?

[allitca]

I strongly agree, to be honest I think the software on the nex-5n is really poor compared to the previous nex-5. I've had problems with the camera not shooting at first, then resetting the date on numorous ocasions. Finally, would like to point out, that I was recieving better quality jpeg images on standard options in the nex 5 rather than my new nex 5n, hope there will be a new software update soon to cover all mentioned issues with the camera. However it is very much daubtful due to the launch of the 5r, which they will focus now on. Totally forgeting about previous version of nex 5.

To mention faulty firmware, it cannot be re-installed, the program only lets you update to the latest, which it is now.

[antaski63]

Thing is, with the extremely limited number of lenses that they currently have, and the slow speed at which the new lenses are coming, Sony is essentially telling us to NOT buy any new NEX cameras until we are sure that we are happy with the selection of lenses that are available at the time of that camera's launch, because any new lenses will not be supported by the camera.  It's strange they chose to store the lens compensation profiles in the camera's firmware rather than having the necessary inputs being stored within the lens itself, but once you choose this path you need to be updating the firmware regularly to reflect the new lenses, no?

[mikeyp2000]

I would almost certainly buy this lens for my 5n if it was supported.

However, it isn't; so I won't.

Sony, this little oversight is now losing business for you!  How difficult is it to add lens profiles to older models?

Cheers