3/18/13
New review items.
The Sony SELP1650 16-50mm powerzoom is now available without having to buy a NEX camera, however, if you buy a NEX-3N for $499, you can take the lens off and probably sell the camera for $200-$300, making the lens more affordable. Is it really worth $348? I’ll let you know my thoughts when the review is ready in a couple of weeks. I’ve been using it quite a bit lately, and so far so good, but I’m thinking the powerzoom feature is of dubious value. The image below shows the 16-50mm PZ along side the 16mm pancake; I don’t see much size difference when the 16-50mm is retracted, however the camera/lens combo still isn’t small enough to stick in your pocket any more than the spectacular Canon G1X ($599 when added to cart!!).
Speaking of powerzoom lenses in the mid $300 range, I’m also playing around with the Panasonic Vario X 45-175 PZ, an internal powerzoom that’s very small, but has a nice range of 90-350mm in 135 film format. Look for the review in April.
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| Size comparison, Sony NEX 16/2.8 pancake on left, Sony NEX 16-50mm PZ on right. |