Sony did something that I have always wondered why someone didn't do it before. The NEX-5 has A) interchangeable lenses, B) supposedly does high quality 1080 60i video, but C) it doesn't have all the DSLR mirrors and other "baggage" that do little or nothing to improve the video.

The Panasonic GH-1 was almost there, but the codec quality limited its utility for video. Although the Sony NEX series looks really good on paper, we will have to wait until the cameras are out in general usage (not just in the hands of selected internet reviewers) to really see if it is a breakthrough.

I have a GH1 that I bought intending to use as a still camera with benefits. I wasn't really buying it for the video but I've been pretty surprised at how good it is. However, I really haven't torture tested it.

There's a handful of 4/3 and micro 4/3 cameras out there that fit your description. I'm finding the GH1's Micro 4/# chip still gives really good shallow depth and the LCD is very flexible.

You need to do dual system audio for these cameras but that's not so terrible. The one thing I'd REALLY like is live HDMI output and the ability to tether the camera to a PC and control it from there. Any sort of live output would help but HDMI out would help for tabletop and catalog still shoots as well as monitoring video. Tethering would allow you to save a set of presets as well as downloading images as you shoot them.

Rob

At work I use a NikonD70. No video capability, no live output. However, it tethers. That's very handy.

The other thing it does it it gives you an indicator light when things are in focus. I've found with this camera that even with the diopter set properly (of course) it's very hard to focus manually. Things that look focused often aren't really critically focused. An on-screen indicator that something is in focus as far as the camera is concerned is really helpful.

Rob

Another preliminary review on the NEX-5

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/sonynex5/

I just realized that there's no eyepiece viewfinder on this camera. I've got to say, with the GH1 I almost never use the LCD screen. The fact that it had a viewfinder was a big selling point for it as a still camera.

The fact that it had a viewfinder was a big selling point for it as a still camera.

I could imagine that - I use the viewfinder all the time on my Canon, anly liveview when shooting video :-)

/Ulf

Yep. It's all good except for the lack of live HDMI output. A viewfinder is pretty crucial out in daylight or if you want to hand-hold a camera in a stable stance, and the articulating LCD is handy on a tripod or dolly, or anywhere that the camera isn't at eye level, but without a live output to an external monitor there's no equivalent to a video assist, and that's inconvenient.

Rob