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Anyone want to talk me out of a Sony?

5K views 39 replies 11 participants last post by  Wink 
#1 ·
Been debating which camera to buy for a while now, had it narrowed down to the Nikon D5100 and the Canon T3i. Been doing the research online between the two and have handled both at the big box stores. It was tough to get a decent feeling for them being attatched to the counters. Based on others post on here recently, and wanting to deal with someone who could provide support as I am a newb to a dslr, the wife and I went to Wolf (Ritz) camera in Gurnee today. Handled both cameras and the Canon was taking the lead till they showed us the new Sony A57 and A65.

He (store manager) was a fan of the Sony and was pretty convincing about the features. I hadn't even considered the Sony line. Funny thing is about 6 months ago we were at BB looking and the wife stated how nice the Sony was then, I told here to put it down, we were not going to buy a Sony! Well we left Gurnee and I wanted another opinion, off to Wolf in Vernon Hills! Spoke with Bill there and only brought up the Canon and Nikon as options. He once again went through the cameras and had nothing but praise for the Sony in that group. He didn't dog any other brands ( he shoots Nikon) once again I left wanting to buy a Sony.

Thoughts, comments, concerns are welcome.

BTW we are waiting till Friday as Canon is releasing the T4i, looking to see if that will sway my opinion.

They will price match online, so if you know of any places to get a deal let me know. I have been on BH and Adorama.
 
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#4 ·
Seriously?

I have two Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7D camera bodies. After Sony bought Konica-Minolta, these cameras were updated just a little bit and became the Sony a900, which was their top of the line DLSR. GREAT camera, GREAT reviews. However, this was before the full frame cameras started becoming readily available.

Enter Canon and Nikon. Nikon came out with the D3, which blew everything else on the planet away in ISO range, shot speed, and full frame quality. Quickly, Canon caught up, and they have been leap frogging each other since. Now Nikon D4 is available... etc...

Jumping back to my Maxxums. I have TWENTY plus lenses for the MAXXUMS, it is a WIDELY available mount and format, and is NOT limited in choice at all. (Same format lenses that are used for the Sony a-series) The beauty of Sony is that the Image Stabilization is BUILT IN. In the BODY. This means that ALL your lenses have stabilization, VR, VS or whatever your brand wants to call it. IN the Nikon and Canon world, you pay for stabilization in EVERY lens that you want it on instead of paying for it once.

FAR cheaper alternatives for lenses, and the major players make lenses for SONY as well as lenses from SONY directly. In regards to quality, you get up to 24.3megapixel images, WITH stabilization, and you can shoot faster than ANY other DLSR.

I must be missing out on what is wrong with this choice. As I mentioned, I have a WIDE variety of lenses, even zoom lenses that are F2.8 glass all the way through.

Now.. do I think that Nikon and Canon are better? Absolutely. But for the money, the Sony a77 for example, is the best bang for the buck IMHO.

And not that it matters, but I have Nikon, Pentax, Canon and Konica-Minolta cameras. I have also shot the Canon 1D and the Nikon D3 units.

FWIW - If I had unlimited funding, I'd replace all that I have with Nikon 4D and Nikon stabilized lenses.
 
#3 ·
I'm a lover of Underdogs, but when it comes to cameras, there is really only Nikon and Canon at our level. The rest are just wannabes.

Sony has some great ideas (original or borrowed), they just haven't put forth the effort to really take the market as they could have. Having a great idea and pulling it off half-assed so it looks good on paper helps no one in the long run. And besides, have you paid any attention to Sony in general lately? Their run by a bunch of old men who no longer want to be bold...that's why they are losing market shares in just about all categories. I couldn't count on Sony to be there in the long run for my camera.

Remember, when you're buying a D-SLR, you're marrying the lenses. The camera bodies will come and go (Assuming the company you are considering even keeps making cameras in the future). If you get a decent Nikon, you can use lenses they built all the way back to the 60's. In fact, my favorite Macro lens was the *first* computer designed consumer lens, made in 78 or 79...and to this day, very few lenses can touch it (it's still used in the medical field for accurate medical macros). So look at the lenses, and go grab a camera and feel it in your hand, while flipping through the menu system. That will probably tip your decision.
 
#8 · (Edited)
What camera do you shoot? I don't feel that Sony is making the same level cameras on the high end, the seem to be aimed at the entry to mid level photographer. I am certain I am not at your level, this will be my first D-SLR.

Yes it should be a concern whether the company will be in it for the long haul. Sony seems pretty aggressive in this market right now, and I feel we are about to round the corner where technology is hitting this market (see some of the features of the new Nikon D3200). Viewfinder capabilities through your phone and remote control capabilities. They seem to be a crude version so far, but gives us a peak as to what is to come.

As Wink pointed out the glass can cost less with the image stabilization in the body. I understand what you are saying as far as being married to a brand, exactly the point that Bill from Wolf pointed out. He said he is married to Nikon due to the fact he has about 25k worth of Nikon body's and lenses. Though the Nikon I was looking at doesn't have the AF motor in the body, it is in the lens, so the older lenses would need to be manually focused. I have considered the D7000 but do to the size of it (wife will be shooting it as well) and the fact it doesn't have the articulating screen it has fallen down the list of cameras. Playing with the Canon, Nikon, and Sony, the Nikon falls last for the feel and menu system for me. Canon and Sony felt and navigated much better with the Sony feeling the best in my hands. Sony was a little larger grip than the Canon, which felt better for me yet still small enough for my wife to like it still.

Like I stated before I am patiently waiting for the release of the T4i on Friday as I am still reluctant to jump on the Sony bandwagon, after all it is a Canon and Nikon world. :bow
 
#6 ·
Yep, and I have 3 Pentax and a wide variety of lenses for them as well.

For old school stuff, I prefer to shoot my Pentax to be honest with you. I just have lower quality glass with that, so I use my Konica-Minolta mostly.
 
#7 ·
I have an original Alpha 100 and still love it. At least when I can get it away from the Ex...
I big sales point for me was that the anti shake is right in the camera body. It makes lens upgrades much cheaper than the others.
The features and quality seem to be just fine and comperable to the big boys.
I'm looking to get a newer model at some point to stop the camera wars.
 
#25 ·
Yeah I have watched that video as well as the others on their sight. Actually one of the better comparisons. The colors on the video from the Nikon left much to be desire, the detail in the pics from the Nikon were great.
 
#22 ·
I basically never use the screens on DSLR cameras other than menus and set-up.
 
#24 ·
In the future, new Sony devices will not support OVF. MY DSLR devices all are OVF.
 
#26 ·
Go somewhere you can handle the devices other than BB. You need to hold and operate them, feel their weight, button location, etc. I was set on a Canon years ago until I picked up the D40. Over 30k exposures on that body and still snapping photos like a champ.
 
#28 · (Edited)
I did, I have been to three different ritz/wolf camera locations. Two of the three are the ones that suggest I look seriously at the Sony line. The third was completely unbiased and didn't give much imput at all. They really didn't show me any features of any of them at all.
 
#30 · (Edited)
BB does a Nikon / Canon bundle that is interesting...

$950 - Nikon D5100 Black 16.2MP DSLR Camera Kit, Bag, 16GB Memory Card & 55-300mm Lens

or

$1200 - Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18.0MP DSLR Camera, Bag, 16GB Memory Card & 70-300mm Lens

$870 - Sony - Sony Alpha a35 16.2MP DSLR Camera Kit, 16GB Memory Card and Extra 75-300mm Lens


Tom
 
#34 · (Edited)
#36 ·
<---- hates touchscreens on cameras. They have been available for years on camcorders and have been disliked in most reviews.
 
#37 ·
Touchscreen is just the next gimmick used to sell cameras to newbs.

Guys, I shoot with a camera that was released in 2004 as my go to primary camera and love the damn thing. It produces outstanding pictures time after time and will most likely be in my bag for a long time to come. All these things that people worry about with a camera are just sales tactics put in place to drive new camera sales to people who don't really need that shit.

Go buy a camera, use it, love it.
 
#38 ·
Touchscreen is just the next gimmick used to sell cameras to newbs.

Go buy a camera, use it, love it.
No shit, seems like everything is going touchscreen just for the sake of it even if it makes things more difficult or less efficient.
Especially when it comes to cars. Just give me knobs I can feel and adjust while I am driving. With a touchscreen you have to go through all sorts of menu's and take your eyes off the road. More trouble than it is worth. Manufacturers love it though way cheaper to have a do it all panel than engineer around buttons and knobs.
 
#39 ·
Soooo after all this research I am not getting a new camera, well at least for a while. I was talking to a lab partner in my night class, and he has a older D-SLR that I am buying from him if everything is nice. I will try my hand with this to see how much I dive into this hobby. Fortunately, it is a Nikon D80, with a Tamron 18-200mm lens. I know a few of you have owned or still own this body, so if you have any tips it would be appreciated. He doesn't have the manual for it so I will also be looking to track down the guide to it. Anything to look at or inspect on this camera before buying besides the obvious?

Is there any good websites, books, or guides that you recommend to read to learn the basics of photography? Also good websites to frequent?

Still need to track down a few things if you have any suggestions

1. backpack
2. monopod
3. some new memory cards (comes with one 2gig) might get a few 8 gig class 10 so they will work with future body's with video capabilities
4. a new battery or two. How do they hold up to sitting? Camera has been sitting unused for almost 2 years.
5.If things go well I may pick up a 35mm lens as well.
6. Suggestions for anything else I will need.

Thanks for everyone's imput so far.
 
#40 · (Edited)
First thing you need to do is buy better glass. Look for VR/VS with F2.8 all the way through. Most lower end lenses are like F3.5-F5.6 and are horrible in low light.

Backpack - My favorite is Lowepro, and they have various sizes depending on how much you want to carry. Even a place for a mono or tripod

Monopod - Manfrotto, enough said

Memory cards - get the largest and fastest ones available when you buy. You'll never wish you had slower shooting or less storage.

Batteries - I carry 2 sets of batteries for each camera. Also make sure you buy extra chargers so you can charge at least 2 at a time.

Extra lenses - suggest sticking with better zoom lenses - F2.8 all the way through, with stabilization if you can afford it. GLASS you buy once, and bodies you upgrade over time. Since you are in the Nikon family now, you can always use your glass when you step up to a nicer body.

Extras -
buy lens cleaners and mirror cleaners at the photo store.
Carry ziplock baggies so you can protect your camera if it rains.
Consider a Delkin sun shade for bright shooting
If you shoot indoors, buy a White Balance solution (a few available)
And make sure you have a lens hood for your lenses
Finally, get a clear filter on all your lenses, this protects your lenses.
For long exposure night shots, you'll need a tripod (Manfrotto or Bogden again)

D80 shoots great, and is a super body for the price.

Congrats!
 
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