- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Sony SLT A65
- Nikon D7000
- Nikon D5100
- Canon EOS 7D
- Nikon D3200
Rated 100% by by Photography Blog (Jan, 2012)The High Dynamic Range mode combines two shots taken at different exposures to produce one image with greater dynamic range than a single image would produce.
Rated 100% by by Roman-Verner (Jan, 2012)For $600 cheaper, you essentially get a 7D without the aluminum body, weather sealing, and slightly faster shutter speed, but everything else is absolutely the same.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Sony NEX-7 compared to the Canon EOS 60D
MP24
APS-C
Rated 81% by by DPReview (Dec, 2011)As we'd expect from the pixel count, this is pretty well as good as it gets without making the considerable step up to medium format - impressive stuff from such a small camera.
17.9 MP
APS-C
Rated 100% by by Roman-Verner (Jan, 2012)After around two years of use, I have realized how much I would have LOVED for this camera to be weather-sealed.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 24 MP   | 30 MP |
NEX-7 by DPReview (Dec, 2011)Then there's the EVF that's been squeezed into the compact body (and also shared with the A77) - the 2.4M dot OLED unit is the highest resolution yet seen in a stills camera, and has an eye sensor for automatic switching with the rear LCD.
EOS 60D by Tooncesmom18 megapixel (The 18 megapixel 60D is an amazing camera; I'm still discovering the differences), some of which are listed below.
sensor size
NEX-7 by David-Pierce (Feb, 2012)Its 24.3-megapixel APS-C sensor is the same size as the one inside most DSLRs, and big sensors almost always mean better pictures.
EOS 60D by DPReview (Nov, 2010)With an APS-C sensor the 60D can't produce the very shallow depth-of-field footage that the 5D Mark II offers but still gives much more control in this respect than most movie cameras on the market.
body size
111 x 59 x 38 mm
145 x 106 x 79 mm
NEX-7 by John-Clawson (Nov, 2012)Size and weight are obvious, and make a huge difference in conspicuity.
EOS 60D by Robert-L.-Taylor--SaltyBob (Dec, 2010)The light weight is also a plus for some one that wants a light but strong body for field work or for dragging into the back country where weight counts.
focus points
| 0 | 25 | 30 |
NEX-7 by DPReview (Dec, 2011)In manual focus mode, the NEX-7 uses the Focus Settings screen to engage MF assist, i.e. magnification of the live view display for more accurate focusing.
EOS 60D by powerop (Jul, 2011)Another feature is the 9 cross-type AF sensors (T2i has only 1 in center) which allow better focusing in continuous shooting and low-light conditions.
Performance Real world tests of Sony NEX-7 vs Canon EOS 60D
DxOMark image quality
NEX-7 by Uncle-JBut the best part: Image quality of the pictures is just insane, in low light, under the sun, using the color features, using HDR, this thing is just too much fun to use, pictures are crisp sharp in good light, little to no noise in low light, the kit lens rocks, and, the main reason why I got it: it fits in any backpack or strapped on my.
EOS 60D by Suntoryjim (May, 2012)While I was not able to find any obvious variance in picture quality between the 2 cameras, I did find that pictures taken with the 60D at ISO 1600 had noticeably more noise than those taken with my T3 (using the same lens, same camera settings (on-board NR and ALO disabled), same lighting and test subject, all RAW shots taken on a tripod).
DxOMark low light performance
NEX-7 by KaraKartalI was able to take very clean in-door night (low light) shots of my toddler with the Zeiss lens (f set to 1.8 and ISO 1600 and no flash).
EOS 60D by Jordon (Jul, 2012)With being used to a point and shoot this is like night and day and I'm sure there is many things I can do better or different but for a picture lover this is a awesome camera and would recommend the camera and purchasing it from Sunset Electronics.
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 223 ms | 300 ms |
EOS 60D by Cece--Not-So-Usual (May, 2012)It focuses fast, and I love having little to no shutter lag like you get with your average point-and-shoot camera.
continuous shooting
EOS 60D by powerop (Jul, 2011)The faster continuous burst rate of 5.3 vs 3.7 fps is noticeable, but the main difference is that the buffer size for the 60D is much bigger than the T2i to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot.
battery life
430 photos
1,100 photos
NEX-7 by Damian-P.-Gadal (Jun, 2012)The battery life is good, and the charger small and compact, which is nice.
EOS 60D by black-gorilla--book-lover-extraordinaire (Jul, 2011)I am surprised at the length of the battery life.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Canon EOS 60D
| Can autofocus while shooting video | Contrast detection | vs | Manual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most cameras can autofocus while shooting video; Great for home movies | |||
| Better overall image quality | 81.0 | vs | 66.0 |
| More than 20% better image quality | |||
| Create realistic 3D images | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Create 3D photos to view on a 3D TV | |||
| Significantly higher resolution | 24 MP | vs | 17.9 MP |
| More than 30% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Significantly better dynamic range | 13.4 ev | vs | 11.5 ev |
| Around 20% better dynamic range | |||
| Significantly more contrast-detection focus points | 25 | vs | 0 |
| 25 more contrast detection focus points; Better autofocus in low light settings | |||
| More color depth | 24.1 bits | vs | 22.2 bits |
| Around 10% more color depth | |||
| Automatic panorama | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Stitches together multiple photos into a single ultra-wide view | |||
| Supports HDR | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas | |||
| Faster rapid fire | 10 fps | vs | 5.3 fps |
| Around 90% faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
| Marginally more recently announced | Aug, 2011 | vs | Aug, 2010 |
| Announced date a year later | |||
| Slightly less noise at high ISO | 1,016 ISO | vs | 813 ISO |
| More than 20% higher low light performance | |||
| Much smaller | 111 x 59 x 38 mm | vs | 145 x 106 x 79 mm |
| 4.9x smaller | |||
| Significantly lighter | 350 g | vs | 755 g |
| 2.2x lighter | |||
| Slightly more highly reviewed by consumers | 87.06% | vs | 85.41% |
| Almost the same | |||
| Significantly thinner | 38 mm | vs | 79 mm |
| 2.1x thinner | |||
Advantages compared to the Sony NEX-7
| Is weather sealed | Yes | vs | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somewhat common; Keep shooting in rain or snow | |||
| Many more photos per charge | 1,100 | vs | 430 |
| 670 more shots; Longer battery life | |||
| Has a viewfinder mirror | Opaque | vs | None |
| Very few cameras have a viewfinder mirror | |||
| Less startup delay | 400 ms | vs | 1,200 ms |
| 3x less startup delay; Be ready for anything | |||
| Higher resolution screen | 1,040 k dots | vs | 921 k dots |
| More than 10% higher resolution screen | |||
| More phase-detection focus points | 9 | vs | 0 |
| 9 more phase detection focus points; Faster autofocus in reasonably lit settings | |||
| Faster max shutter speed | 1/8000 s | vs | 1/4000 s |
| 2x faster max shutter speed; capture fast action | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Sony NEX-7 | Canon EOS 60D | ||
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 | Rated by 105 users at amazon.com Rated 80% by by Damian-P.-Gadal (Jun, 2012) Rated 80% by by Damian-P.-Gadal (Jun, 2012) Rated 100% by by Eve (May, 2012) | Rated by 611 users at amazon.com Rated 80% by by Frank-Miles (Aug, 2011) Rated 60% by by Suntoryjim (May, 2012) | |
lens
Sony NEX-7 | Rated 81% by by DPReview (Dec, 2011)The NEX-7's can offer a preview of how your images will look in terms of brightness, white balance and colour rendition, as well as a truly accurate depth of field preview that's perfectly visible (if sometimes noisy) even when stopped down to very small apertures.
Sony NEX-7 | Rated 81% by by DPReview (Dec, 2011)The resulting 'Triple-dial-control' interface makes the NEX-7 the first interchangeable-lens digital camera that in normal use gets one dial dedicated to each of the main exposure parameters (for example shutter speed, aperture and ISO in Manual mode) - such an eminently sensible arrangement we're amazed it hasn't been done before.
Sony NEX-7 | Rated 100% by by Matthew-Durr--Amazon-ConnoisseurI'll say it right here and now, if you have any proficiency, or plan to acquire proficiency, with manual focus lenses, the NEX-7 with a capable ED telephoto Nikon or Canon lens is currently the best choice for a rising sports shooter on a limited budget.
format
Sony NEX-7 | Rated 100% by by Ernest-F.-Carneau--EFC (Sep, 2012)The camera's I own are: Canon 60D w/ 18-200 canon lens, Canon G1x, Canon SD780, my Sony NEX-7 w/Sony 18-55mm & 18mm 2.8 lens, Sony HX9v, and my Sony WX9.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Oct, 2010)Current 50D owners looking to upgrade may miss that camera's more durable metal body shell, slightly faster burst shooting, more intuitive joystick control, PC sync socket and support for Compact Flash cards - they'd be better advised to look at the 7D - but for the rest of us, especially those interested in video, the 60D is a compelling addition to the Canon EOS range.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 20% by by Mark99 (Jul, 2012)It would appear that the SD card reader is the Canon EOs 60d weak area and once this fault occurs when the camera fails to work with any SD card and displays card write protected you are faced with only one option but to pay canon for a fixed price repair leaving you short of �0.
flash
Sony NEX-7 | Rated 100% by by Ernest-F.-Carneau--EFC (Sep, 2012)That along with the built in flash (even if it is a weaker than normal flash) and the electronic view finder, in additon to the suburb LCD, make the NEX-7 a very easy comfortable to use.
Sony NEX-7 | Rated 100% by by Ernest-F.-Carneau--EFC (Sep, 2012)But the NEX-7 is SO MUCH MORE than the NEX-5 !! IT's got the 2 quick control dials on the top right for instant Exp Comp settings, Aperture/ shutter control, and a Built in flash, and is much more ergodynamic with the grips.
Sony NEX-7 | Rated 100% by by Photography Blog (Jan, 2012)While we can live with the slightly sluggish auto-focus and are prepared to meet the rather high asking price (after all, you do get a built-in viewfinder and flash), perhaps our biggest criticism of the NEX-7 isn't really about the NEX-7 at all.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony SLT A65 Image stabilization |
 | 2 | Nikon D7000 2-way tie: Larger dynamic range |
 | 3 | Nikon D5100 5-way tie: Highest ISO |
 | 4 | Canon EOS 7D Many cross-type focus points |
 | 5 | Nikon D3200 Quite high resolution |
 | 6 | Nikon D90 Largest sensor |
 | 7 | Nikon D5200 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 8 | Sony Alpha NEX-6 Fastest to start up |
