How easy is handheld shooting with NX5U?
 

So, I'm considering getting an NX5U and I'm wondering about handheld shooting and how much strain it puts on the body. I currently own an EX1 and that has always been an issue. I do use a custom shoulder mount with that camera, which works well, but even that is not so great. I used to shoot with the Panasonic DVX100 and I do miss the way that camera felt.

Complete stability over long periods is probably not as important to me in this case as being able to use and move the camera creatively while holding it. Of course if there's a way to achieve both goals, that would be great.

Anyway, any thoughts out there on how the NX5U feels and also any recommendations on shoulder mount type accessory that is good to have in your kit?

Any camera that big is going to take its toll shooting for long periods of time. I shoot with the Varizoom VZ LSP shoulder mount, and that helps a lot.

According to the specs I found, they weigh almost exactly the same; the EX1R is 5.25 pounds, and the NX5 is 5 pounds, not counting batteries etc. So I'm not sure you'll find a huge difference between the two over an extended period (thought I guess the 1/4 can add up over time!)

I would have thought the NX5 would have been more significantly lighter than the EX1R (figuring that the latter has larger glass for one thing) but I guess not.

Joe, the NX5 does seem heavy after shooting with a Z1 for over 4 years. It's strange, because when you look into the huge battery compartment at the back of the NX5 you can see a lot of the camera is fresh air - which doesn't weigh a lot. Mind you, the Z5's tape compartment was a lot of fresh air too.

But it all comes down to how fit you are, how long you're going to be hand-holding, how much kit you have bolted on (light, mic, radio receiver and so on), what the temperature and humidity are and what the terrain's like.

tom.

Above and beyond fitness, the NX5 is not as well balanced as the DVX line of cameras and it makes a difference. The DVX cameras were/are very well balanced and you can move them with the handle for creative shots easily because of that. The NX5 has a large lens and light in the rear. That makes it very front heavy so it's not the best option for creative camera moves or long periods of hand-held shooting. You can do it, but you have to work harder than you would with other cameras.

Try a good monopod, I find mine invaluable. I have used a monopod for years, with all sorts of cameras, currently EX1. I use a manfrotto which uses the same plate as my tripod, this makes transferring from one to the other a snip.

I've had my NX5 for about three weeks now and had it out on a few field shoots. I actually find it surprisingly comfortable for this type of camera, but it takes some getting used to, which I actually started doing about 10 years ago when I changed from shoulder cams to the PD150, then the Z1, then this. The trick is multipoint support - both hands and resting against your eye.

With tripod plate, NPF970 battery, and memory cards (negligible weight) the camera seems to weigh about 6 pounds, just a tad heavier than the Z1. I attribute that to the larger lens assembly and maybe some internals. But the camera seems reasonably balanced.

One advantage of this camera over the Z1 for me is that the monitor screen is a little smaller. Why is that a plus? Turns out that the Hoodman Hoodloupe 3 is just about the right size for this screen. Attach that, and you in essence have a 6-pound shoulderable camera!

I used the NX5 a bit last weekend. I found it quite pleasant to hand hold, somewhat similar to my Z1.

I hated the smaller screen, though, and have no clue why Sony would put such a beautiful LCD on the Z1, then make it worse for the Z5 and NX5. Makes it harder to focus, and I find them not as good in daylight as the Z1 screen.

The NX5 was great in low light, though, and extensively customizable in comparison to the Z1.

Vito and Mark - I see you both came to the NX5 from the Z1, just as I did. I'm with you both on the top screen - Vito because like you I find the NX5's screen a really serious backward step in sunlight, and Mark because using a loupe sock on the NX5 utilises its amazing resolution.

But guys, what's with Sony and their buttons? If you remember you could slide your thumb along the bottom of the Z1 and select iris, gain, shutter or w/bal with just a push. You can't do this on the NX5, you have to visually look for the row of buttons then actively use your fingernail to press them in because they're just that half mm further inset into the body panel. What a pain, what a (camera jiggling) pain that is.

Oh, I'd dearly like to talk to the camera ergonomic guy responsible. Now do I have to deface my NX5 with a blob of epoxy resin on top of each button?

tom.

Tom, I completely agree !

Im over the recessed buttons and unusable LCD.

I wish I could swap the LCD to the Z1's as I never had a problem focusing with the Z1's LCD and could always see it outdoors.

On a good note - In my opinion, the NX5 is better balanced for handheld than the Z1 and Z5. Feels real nice in the hands!

I'll add another downer on the NX5's top screen (though happily this doesn't apply to the Z5). The on-screen alpha- numerics on the NX are tiny, really tiny. In a run 'n' gun, bright daylight shoot I've often no idea what aperture is set. Not very clever Mr Sony.

I didn't notice the letter size at the time. The Z5, however, is extremely difficult to use in daylight. I found it very hard to focus, even with a Sony hood on the LCD. Viewfinder only in daylight for me, which isn't the end of the world, but I even found it lacking indoors in comparison to the Z1 LCD.

I don't get why they made these ones smaller and more difficult to use. It's a real shame.