BigH55
I'm that guy
Went to the camera store and really liked the Alpha 200 by Sony. Had a great price, and the lens from my Dads old Minolta auto focus will work on it too. Its in the range I want to pay also. Any opinions?
Camera Im thinking of Buying
- Thread starter BigH55
- Start date
yote
In Memoriam
Dont know anything about that camera.
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
the only thing i can say regarding that camera is that your accessory choices (lens, flashes) and upgrading options will be more limited then if you went with one of the two big companies canon or nikon
BigH55
I'm that guy
True, but i do like the idea of being able to use any auto focus lense from the past 20 yrs. Im thinking I could find some nice used stuff on ebay or craigslist for it.
puttycat
Reefing newb
Accessories are somewhat limited with the sony line.They are still nice cameras. As far as lens choices you will do far better with Nikon or Canon IMO. Deals can be had on most camera forums. 100mm macro is a nice lens for a tank. I am thinking that is my next lens purchase.
I have a Canon 40D which I like allot. Does well in low light and higher ISO
I have a Canon 40D which I like allot. Does well in low light and higher ISO
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
for you a think the ef-s 60mm is your better bet for tank macros, if you go to the picture show off thread in the off topic forum, i posted some macro shots with the 60mm and i think its more then enough for a tank
puttycat
Reefing newb
I am going with the 100mm macro because of the EF mount. I would to go ff for the lower noise at high ISO.
d2mini
Reef enthusiast
Sony makes good cameras and nikon sources their sensors from sony.
Dustin brings up a good point though... make sure that the lenses that are available will fit with what you want to shoot. You're not just buying a camera, you're buying into an entire system. In the future, you'll want to upgrade the body. It will be much cheaper if you just buy a new body rather than having to buy all new lenses (moving to a new system like canon or nikon). This is also the same reason I suggest investing the money in good glass. Bodies will come and go but your glass will last forever. And with sony you'll have access to some sweet Zeiss glass.
Dustin brings up a good point though... make sure that the lenses that are available will fit with what you want to shoot. You're not just buying a camera, you're buying into an entire system. In the future, you'll want to upgrade the body. It will be much cheaper if you just buy a new body rather than having to buy all new lenses (moving to a new system like canon or nikon). This is also the same reason I suggest investing the money in good glass. Bodies will come and go but your glass will last forever. And with sony you'll have access to some sweet Zeiss glass.
Picasso
Seahorse Whisperer
Why do you want auto-focus? Is this camera mainly for shooting your tank or is it for general family type shooting? If it is mostly for tank shots I wouldn't worry about anything with an auto-focus. Lots of people here rave about the Sony. I don't use them but I've seen some nice shots here with them. If you think you want to make photography a serious hobby, I would absolutely go with a canon or nikon for the reasons already stated here, upgradability, availability of accessories... No matter what you buy I stand behind my statement that good editing software and learning how to use that software is worth a LOT when taking digital photographs.
Catherine
Catherine
puttycat
Reefing newb
I couldn't imagine going back to manual focus. That is one of the reasons I stopped using my old A1 with the FD mount. With my old eyes I wouldn't get any keepers. I don't think I would recommend a manual focus only for someone just starting out with a dslr. I think it would be to limiting except for static subjects.
Picasso
Seahorse Whisperer
For me, the auto-focus is limiting. I like to have complete control over what is "in" focus and what is out. Even with the spot meters on my auto-focus, I get too many surprises when I shoot. I have had trouble with manual focus now that I'm using bi-focal eyeglasses but once I adjusted the magnification of my viewfinder everything was ok again. I know there are tons and tons of amazing shots posted here that are auto-focus so I won't say they are evil, but in my opinion, for MY shots I get the feeling that my images are kind of generic looking when I use AF. I don't want to start a feud here, it's just personal preference I guess.
Catherine
Catherine
