Innovation Underwater: Nauticam NA-NEX7 Housing for Sony NEX-7

Press Release nauticam nex-7 underwater housing

posted Friday, December 23, 2011 at 1:40 PM EST

Press Release

Nauticam's NA-NEX7 underwater housing. Rendering provided by Nauticam USA. Nauticam proudly announces the NA-NEX7 housing for Sony’s top of the line mirror-less interchangeable lens camera, the Sony Alpha NEX-7. Nauticam’s leadership in the Alpha NEX arena continues as it brings the first NEX-7 underwater housing to market. With DSLR quality imaging and performance packed into a housing that is small enough to take anywhere, NEX-7 is now ready to explore the depths.

The Sony Alpha NEX-7 expands the Alpha NEX lineup by adding features and performance worthy of enthusiasts and professionals alike. Specification-wise, the NEX-7 might be closer to Sony’s flagship DSLR, the A77, but the body size is only slightly larger than the NEX-5N.

DPReview.com has this to say about the new Sony NEX-7 camera:

“It's no stretch to say that, at its best, the NEX-7 offers the finest still image quality of any APS-C camera, bar none.”
“The NEX-7 is, without doubt, something of a technological triumph for Sony.”
“…there's little doubt that the NEX-7 is one of the most capable cameras around, and in terms of out-and-out image quality it's probably the best APS-C camera yet, regardless of size.”
“…taken on its own merits the NEX-7 is an exceptional camera, and a worthy winner of our top award.”
“There's little doubt that the NEX-7 is one of the most exciting cameras of 2011.”

With a new 24 Megapixel CMOS APS-C sized sensor, ultra fast performance, new three dial user interface, built-in flash, magnesium alloy body, 190K dot LCD and stunning 2.4M dot electronic OLED viewfinder (EVF), NEX-7 is a photographic dynamo. Of course the basics are there as well, including RAW shooting, manual exposure, and automatic flash exposure compensation (TTL), even in manual shooting mode.

The camera is packed with additional features, including built-in High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode, sweep panorama, anti-motion blur, articulating LCD, HDMI output, burst mode, custom white balance, Creative Style, Picture Effects, and more. Lens compensation (for chromatic aberration, distortion and vignetting) is built in. Battery life is excellent.

Manual focus is often difficult with non-SLR cameras, but NEX-7 adds a key feature that will allow users of the EVF to fine-tune manual focus. Called “peaking”, it highlights in-focus area of an image in real-time, allowing the shooting significant control over what part of the image is in focus.

The NEX-7 also shoots 1080p 60fps HD video using the AVCHD Progressive format at up to 28Mbps for best quality, or MPEG4 for quick sharing. Where the NEX-5 and NEX-5N are limited to automatic exposure in video, NEX-7 allows for manual control including changing settings during a shot. Continuous autofocus is available as well, and even the Picture Effects can be active during video shooting.

Thanks to the NEX-7’s fast processor, review is lightning fast with no delay scrolling through multiple photos.

NEX-7 comes standard with the excellent 18-55mm OSS mid-range zoom lens, a very useful focal range for all-around shooting, including underwater. Other keys lenses for underwater use include the 16mm pancake lens, 16mm + Fisheye Adapter, 16mm + Wide Angle Adapter and the new 30mm macro lens.

Nauticam NEX-7 Housing for Sony NEX-7
As mentioned when the NEX-5N was released, underwater photographers have long had to choose between the excellent image quality of a DSLR versus the compact size of point and shoot cameras. With the NA-NEX7 housing from Nauticam, that paradigm has now changed, and radically so. With NEX-7, you can expect image quality rivaling any DSLR in a housing that is incredibly small and light – plus fine control over all camera settings.

Building on the success of the NA-NEX5 and NA-NEX5N housings, the NEX-7 supports all of the new controls on the NEX-7, including the triple command wheels. Not only are all the key controls supported, but they are logically placed and easily reached without moving the hand out of position. The shutter release is sculpted right into the housing such that the hand naturally finds it. A choice of hand strap and left/right handle means the shooter can customize the housing to meet their specific needs.

Where the NEX-5 has a simplified user interface, the NEX-7 takes advantage of its 3-dial interface to make manual shooting changes as easy as turning a dial. The housing fully supports the 3-dial interface, and all 3 dials are easily reached with the right thumb. The NEX-7 also adds a programmable focus lock control, prominently placed on the housing right next to the thumb groove.

This housing also features optical correction for the excellent electronic viewfinder (EVF), letting the user dial in critical focus. An easy to reach, patent pending lever lets the user quickly switch between the EVF and the LCD. The housing takes advantage of the NEX-7 tilting LCD display and angles it up at approximately 15º for easier viewing.

The popup flash is controlled with a clever single lever that both pops the flash up and disables it to allow for silhouette shooting. Fiber optic flash is of course supported, as is, optionally, electronic sync cord flash.

The NA-NEX7 housing uses the same Nauticam patented locking port release system as in the NEX-5, allowing easy and secure port changes. Ports are available for the major lenses that are useful underwater, including the Sony 18-55mm, 16m pancake, 16mm pancake + FE adapter, and the 16mm pancake + WA adapter, and the new Sony 30mm macro lens.