I like to read up on the goings on in the camera market(when I have time, and nuthin to do) and only today I read about Sony's new NEX series of mirrorless 'SLR' like cameras.

Basically a P&S, or rangefinder, type camera without the bulk and complication of a mirror but woith interchangeable lenses.

now we know that Sony(and Pentax and Olympus) are a big fan of in camera optical stabilisation, and that you'd expect that any new camera designs would all follow the same OS path.. yet with this new camera.. which is a totally fresh start with a new system, not based on any other type. like the 4/3rds or micro 4/3rds systems or even on their existing Alpha mount system.. yet they decided that with this compact mirrorless system that in lens stabilisation was the way forward!?

I suppose one can draw some kind of conclusion as to why that was the case, when they already have expertise with in camera stabilsation in other cameras.

To me, it just doesn't make sense for Sony to take this path now.

I see it as a 'raising of the white flag'(in a manner of speaking).. not that there'd be anything wrong with in body stabilisation(not that I've used it much).

Is this a clue to some hidden analysis by Sony that in lens stabilsation is more efficient?

I'm all for any kind of stabilisation when it works, and more so for in lens stabilisation as the image through the viewfinder is smoother and less jittery.

So here's a quote form their advertising blurb....

... Featuring in-lens SteadyShot image stabilisation for clearer handheld images, the E 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 zoom....
for clearer handheld images! A little bit ambiguous, in that any stabilisation is going to provide clearer handheld images, but only in lens stabilsation can provide clearer looking handheld viewing experience!
And with the sensor acting as the viewfinder you'd expect that as the sensor is stabilised the resultant image on the screen should also be stabilised too anyhow. So their decision to use in lens stabilisation makes no sense on two levels!

In a SLR, where you'd expect stabilisation to work more efficiently when it;s in lens, they use in camera stabilisation.
In a P&S, which uses the sensor as the viewing output, you would expect to see in camera stabilisation.

I just found this technical aspect a little interesting.

BTW, there is an adapter available that allows the Alpha mount lenses to fit to this camera body, albeit in manual focus mode.

AND!! There is a proper video camera also going to be available that accepts the new lenses (called E-mount). Obviously the video camera is also going to be able to accept the Alpha mount lenses via the adapter as well, and the video camera uses the same APS-C sensor too


.. interesting stuff