I also have the Sigma and would recommend it. However, it does take 77mm filters, which I don't consider all that small or necessarily cheap.

I mentioned it just a little while ago, but I'm surprised it didn't come up sooner.

For $275 I'll glady remove the AA filter from your D7100 :wink:

It doesn't have one in the first place, which, at least in theory, would give the D7100 an advantage in IQ over the D5200 even with the same sensor. I haven't done my own testing, so read the reviews if that's something that might sway your purchase choice.

Trudy has outlined the process very well.

I'd like to add that BEFORE you save your settings either U1 or U2, make sure you are in the appropriate exposure mode (e.g. Aperture Priority or Manual, not Shutter Priority. You will want your HDR shots to have the same aperture and vary the shutter speed for consistent DOF.) The D7000 won't let you switch between these modes once you are in U1 or U2 -- it only lets you use whatever mode was saved previously. It's a strange limitation, since you can temporarily override many of the other settings in the User modes, and it will still remember your original saved settings when you return to that User mode later.

I'm sure we've officially hijacked this thread by now. Sorry to the OP, but in the spirit of all good discussions, side bars are a good thing :) TedPaul, feel free to PM me or start a new thread so we don't stray too far from the original post. I'm not sure how to answer you exactly. I have the zoom kit lens with my NEX 5n, but I never have used it. I bought it with the sole intention of using my old manual focus lenses, and I've really enjoyed it. However, I have a (relatively) full set of autofocus prime and zooms for my DSLR, so I only use the NEX setup when I want to slow down and use primes and manual focus in a small package. You're changing crop factors from the old M8 to the M, so I don't know if you'll still prefer to keep your 50mm most of the time or not. As always, it depends on what you want to shoot, please elaborate. On my 5n, I typically use a 24, 28, or 35mm, which, with the 1.5x crop gives me a slightly wide to normal angle of view. The 50/1.4 Topcon lens is absolutely brilliant, but I find it's a little long for general use with the the APS-C sensor. The Zeiss 20mm I have is nice, too, but quite large to carry in the pocket for casual street shooting.

Overall, there are tons of variables to your question, so it's hard for me to say much else without further input.
cheers!

Nice collection of glass. I'd be anxious to get the M body, too!

Had I been looking now, I would have checked out the Fuji and Oly, too. At the time I got the 5n there were much fewer choices out there. I do have to say that the focus peaking is very very nice to have when using manual focus lenses. I now consider it an essential feature in a compact camera. I don't recall off the top of my head if the Fuji or Olympus offer focus peaking. I do wish the NEX had a sensor-based image stabilizer, though.

Remember, the 5n EVF assessory is expensive, hangs off the camera like a wart and begs to get caught on jacket pockets and gear bags. That reason alone might make the NEX 6 a better option now.

There are inexpensive adapters available for several of the ILC (interchangeable lens compacts, aka mirrorless) brands. I went with the Sony NEX series, primarily because the m4/3 systems have a crop factor of 2x, whereas the NEX had the APS-C sensor with a 1.5x crop. This made the "equivalent" focal length of my old lenses more usable for my tastes. The NEX 7 wasn't out yet, but that's a good option now (with an important caveat, which I'll reference toward the end). The downside of the 5n, I think, is the lack of viewfinder, so that was a mandatory added expense for me. The NEX 6 is nice because it's built in.

I use the NEX 5n with an exakta adapter, which allows me to use my old Zeiss, Topcon, Angenieux, Meyer lenses with great results. For kicks, I got a Hasselblad V-mount adapter to use the Zeiss lenses from my 500C. While it's fun to play with and gives sharp(!) results, it looks ridiculous and is impractical to carry around such a big lens with the little 5n hanging off the back :)

I don't have any M lenses, but the guys at Luminous Landscape have used M lenses with the NEX cameras with generally positive results. (That caveat has to do with the 24mp sensor of the NEX 7 and purple fringes on the corners using certain lenses). This is a good read:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/sony_nex_7_rolling_review.shtml#legacy

I have done quite a lot of side-by-side test shots between my NEX 5n, Nikon D300 and D7000 with various lenses. One important factor not mentioned here yet is that the Sony tends to have more aggressive in-camera jpeg sharpening applied compared to Nikon defaults. This does give the initial impression that the NEX has sharper images sometimes. Play around with the sharpening settings in the Nikon before deciding to return it. Better yet, compare using RAW files from each camera.

Also, a comment to follow up on all of the VR discussion...
Interestingly, while doing these tests I have occasionally forgotten to switch off the VR while the camera was on the tripod, so I would turn it off and reshoot the exact same scene/setup. Even when blown up to 100% and trying to be critical, I couldn't tell the difference between "VR On" and "VR Off" shots. I suspect it might make a difference with different shutter speeds, but not the middle ranges that I was using.

Excellent idea! Just make sure you get one of those high quality steel wire brushes, not some wimpy nylon one. :)

Good question, I'm not sure what the manufacturers say about that. If you get liquid propellant on the coating I have no idea if its difficult to clean or if it causes any damage. At least you can experiment on a cheap filter. I'm still sticking with my rocket blower, datavac blower and zeiss wipes.

Even the manufacturer of the compressed "air" has a warning label on the can NOT to use on camera sensors. At least on the cans I've seen.

It's not me, but I often use our SEM. However, my purpose is usually not to get a pretty picture, but to get elemental data from the electron microscope.
I use optical microscopes with a digital camera all the time. I should go through the pics and see if there's anything worth posting.

I have a rocket and it works very well. For home use (not as portable) I've had good luck with the datavac
http://www.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-ED500-500-Watt-Electric/dp/B001J4ZOAW
It has a powerful jet of air, way more than a hairdryer. It was recommended in shutterbug magazine, which is how I found it.

I agree, but you'll need to have a USB 3.0 port and card reader to take full advantage. It cost me around $35 to upgrade to 3.0 and now the card to PC transfers are SO much faster! Highly recommended.