Looking for some feedback on a dslr purchase

flattie · October 30, 2007

Hi all. New to the forum. I have a thread in the "journeys" section if anyone cares to see my admittedly amateur attempts at composition, etc.
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=74372

I have a Minolta Maxxum 5xi that quite frankly hasn't been used in 5 years since I got my 1st digital point and shoot. The camera takes great pictures but I love the ability to take tons of photos with a digital, preview them, and keep only the "good" ones.

So I find myself considering getting a dslr. The question is which one? After reading through posts here and elsewhere I was pretty much set on a Canon XT or XTI but then I learned that Sony had taken over/bought Minolta's dslr technology and that older Minolta lenses worked with the Sony dslr's.

My question is whether or not the Minolta lenses I have are good enough to sway my decision towards getting a Sony A100.

The lenses I have are a Minolta 50mm AF 1.7. Also have a Minolta 70 - 210mm AF 4.5 to 5.6.

flattie

Moogle Pepper · October 30, 2007

Maybe Sony A700? Though I am not too sure of Sony DSLRs.

davemj98 · October 30, 2007

Sony DSLR
Sony forum on DPreview has a lot of info; I like my A100 very well.

Art Scott · October 30, 2007

Personally I was considering jumping the Sony ship (as siggy shows shooting with 2 KM 7D's)....but due to the built into the body anti-shake...I just may stay with sony for a while longer.....I do not care for the proprietary flash shoes tho........................I prefer the ISO shoes, so if in a real pinch you can pretty much grab any ole flash and shoot away (if you understand shooting with a totally manual flash and all)...............................

The A700 is pert neer the price of a Nikon D200 and prob not that far off the D300 and I still have a N70 body as a back up if I decide to go ahead and jump ship........

I still do not think that any sony camera can match the KM 7D for feel......

Jus me .000000001 cent worth

ziggy53 · October 31, 2007

flattie wrote:

...

My question is whether or not the Minolta lenses I have are good enough to sway my decision towards getting a Sony A100.

The lenses I have are a Minolta 50mm AF 1.7. Also have a Minolta 70 - 210mm AF 4.5 to 5.6.

flattie

The short answer is no, neither of these lenses is of sufficient substance to build a system upon. The Minolta 50mm AF 1.7 is the better of the two, very sharp by f2.8 and should be extremely sharp at f5.6. Both lenses are worth about $80 USD each, in used but excellent condition.

The Minolta dSLRs, and now the Sony dSLRs, are interesting cameras, built pretty durably and with many desirable features, but not my first recommendation to start a new system.

For the best overall combinations in new and used equipment, it would probably be best to stay with either Canon or Nikon. The availability of used optics alone is pretty much worth the decision.

For general purpose amateur photography, pretty much "any" modern dSLR can be used to make exquisite images, so the decision is ultimately yours to make, and you cannot go too far wrong, especially compared to the offerings of even a few years ago.

If you have special requirements, like sports or event photography, that would require other, more specialized equipment, possibly particular camera models as well.

flattie · October 31, 2007

ziggy53 wrote:

The short answer is no, neither of these lenses is of sufficient substance to build a system upon. The Minolta 50mm AF 1.7 is the better of the two, very sharp by f2.8 and should be extremely sharp at f5.6. Both lenses are worth about $80 USD each, in used but excellent condition.

The Minolta dSLRs, and now the Sony dSLRs, are interesting cameras, built pretty durably and with many desirable features, but not my first recommendation to start a new system.

For the best overall combinations in new and used equipment, it would probably be best to stay with either Canon or Nikon. The availability of used optics alone is pretty much worth the decision.

For general purpose amateur photography, pretty much "any" modern dSLR can be used to make exquisite images, so the decision is ultimately yours to make, and you cannot go too far wrong, especially compared to the offerings of even a few years ago.

If you have special requirements, like sports or event photography, that would require other, more specialized equipment, possibly particular camera models as well.

Thanks so much for the feedback. That's exactly what I was looking to get some input on.

claudermilk · October 31, 2007

I was in a similar situation a few years ago. I had drifted from photography & the Maxxum 7000i kit was gathering dust. I jumped back in with a digital P&S and pretty much wore it out--and got far better using it than I ever did with the film camera.

I ended up jumping ship to Canon and couldn't be happier. For once I went with the crowd & it was the right way to go. A very complete system of bodies, lenses, and accessories; along with that a ton of third party vendor support and easy to find rentals & loaners. What's not to like?

The Maxxum is still sitting gathering dust...

Travis · October 31, 2007

I've used Minolta cameras since I received my first x700 when I was 13. I then purchased a Dynax 5 and then the 5D. I ended up purchasing the Sony a100 and have been extremely pleased with it; however, if I were to be starting from scratch, I would have to consider Nikon or Canon simply because they are the most supported from an accessory standpoint. I'm not as worried about good glass being available as I am about brackets, etc.

I was happy to see that Sony released the a700 which signals that they are planning to continue pursuing the business and hopefully they will bring their product line back up to where Minolta originally had it. I was a little nervous that they may dropout after the a100. The sensor in the a100 is the same as the Nikon 200 and I believe head to head in features and use, the a100 is out front for the majority of subjects.

The one up/downside as pointed out earlier is the hotshoe. Sony uses Minoltas proprietary mount. Here's the rub...it is superior to the standard mounts used in the rest of the industry because of the locking mechanism - no screws to get stuck or strip. However, it also means that you can't pick up any generic flash and pop it on. I ended up purchasing a hotshoe adapter from some outfit in Hong Kong (mainly for the pc sync terminal) on ebay for $11. It works fine but it is one more thing to keep up with.

If your looking for a great dSLR at an affordable price, I would recommend the Sony. If you plan on purchasing specialized lenses or accessories, I would consider starting with Canon or Nikon.

Just my rambling opinion...:D... I'm not married to the Alpha, but I have yet to encounter a real need to go another way.

Elaine · October 31, 2007

I am a KM 5D user right now, but I agree very much with what Ziggy said. (I began with the Minolta Maxxum 5, then went to a digital point and shoot, then went with the KM 5D, because I had a couple lenses...very low end...but I didn't know what I was looking for or at, at the time). I was advised to consider the whole system when making my original dslr purchase, and I did tons of research. The problem, for me, was that I didn't want to spend over about $800 on a camera and decent lens, and that made the Canon Rebel in my price range, but I couldn't stand how small and uncomfortable it was in my hand! So, that took Canon out of the game for me, at that time. I love the ergonomics of my Minolta, but it's two years later and I wish I had spent the money that I have spent on Minolta glass on Canon glass instead, so upgrading to a better body wouldn't be such an ordeal. (I'm hoping to switch to a Canon 40d in the next 6 months or so. The high ISO performance is a huge draw for me.)

IMO, your lenses alone are not enough to keep you in the Sony ring.

I'm not trying to make Minolta or Sony out to be bad choices! I really have enjoyed my Minolta, for sure. But I feel like I've kinda outgrown it, if that makes sense. If there are other factors to consider (other than your two lenses), a Sony choice may be just right for you. My sister-in-law still is enjoying her KM 5D and probably will for years to come. I've just dug a lot deeper into photography than even I expected to over the last two years, so I find myself in a much different posltion than when I began.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM.

Jetranger · October 31, 2007

I could be the biggest Sony fan around ... certainly of everyone I know. My whole house is like a Sony model home. Multiple Location Free TVs, multiple VAIOs, multiple home theatre systems, multiple CLIEs, cell phones, DVD players, kitchen under counters, TVs and DVD players in every room ... all that just to say I love Sony. And they give you free jackets if you buy enough stuff.

However, when it comes to a DSLR, they really cannot compare to Nikon. The pro glass, professional feel, and build quality of the D200/D300 is far out of their reach. When I hold the Alphas, it is like a "My First DSLR" feel. Plastic, light, and cheap feel.

The Nikon flash system is second to none, as is their pro glass. And the glass is the most important part of the equipment.

So, from a huge Sony fan ... I would suggest anyone starting out that wants to get the best and takes photography seriously ... the D40x/D80/D300 (depending on your budget) would be a good place to start.

The Sony is not bad, and I would certainly rank it above canon but Nikon has been and continues to be the world leader in quality and performance. (Check the D3)

But no matter what brand you buy - spend most of your budget on the glass. They will all take decent photos, but if you will be taking photography seriously - you will be committed to the brand so choose wisely and give yourself a long upgrade path.

All views are biased, so investigate, speak with people who own what you are looking at, and above all - handle them and try them out for yourself.

Pilot.Smugmug.com

Nikon D200/MB-D200
Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8
Nikon 70-200mm VR f/2.8
Nikon 105mm VR Micro f/2.8
Nikon 300mm f/2.8
Nikon TC-17E II, TC-20E II
Nikon SB-800

rogprov · November 3, 2007

All you’ll get here (or any forum) is biased opinions, disinformation, guesses and rehashes of things folk have read “somewhere”. The only hope of getting anywhere near the truth will be from someone who concurrently owns and uses several different makes and is sufficiently experienced to properly evaluate them. There are not many people like that about. Reviews, on line or in magazines, are not much better. Most have mistakes and omissions and are often unwittingly, or worse, deliberately biased.

Go to a decent photography shop and handle all the cameras in your price range and choose whichever feels and handles best to you. There are no “bad” dSLRs but don’t compare one maker’s low-end offering with another’s higher end machine. Unless you intend collecting lenses the number in the maker’s range is irrelevant, only that they have what you need, likewise accessories. If you choose a make without in-body image stabilisation remember you’ll pay dearly for every IS lens you buy and the range will be limited.

Good luck!

gus · November 3, 2007

rogprov wrote:

All you’ll get here (or any forum) is biased opinions, disinformation, guesses and rehashes of things folk have read “somewhere”. The only hope of getting anywhere near the truth will be from someone who concurrently owns and uses several different makes and is sufficiently experienced to properly evaluate them. There are not many people like that about. Reviews, on line or in magazines, are not much better. Most have mistakes and omissions and are often unwittingly, or worse, deliberately biased.

Go to a decent photography shop and handle all the cameras in your price range and choose whichever feels and handles best to you. There are no “bad” dSLRs but don’t compare one maker’s low-end offering with another’s higher end machine. Unless you intend collecting lenses the number in the maker’s range is irrelevant, only that they have what you need, likewise accessories. If you choose a make without in-body image stabilisation remember you’ll pay dearly for every IS lens you buy and the range will be limited.

Good luck!

Thats it folks, you read it............im turning D/grin off now.

ziggy53 · November 3, 2007

rogprov wrote:

All you’ll get here (or any forum) is biased opinions, disinformation, guesses and rehashes of things folk have read “somewhere”. The only hope of getting anywhere near the truth will be from someone who concurrently owns and uses several different makes and is sufficiently experienced to properly evaluate them. There are not many people like that about. Reviews, on line or in magazines, are not much better. Most have mistakes and omissions and are often unwittingly, or worse, deliberately biased.

Go to a decent photography shop and handle all the cameras in your price range and choose whichever feels and handles best to you. There are no “bad” dSLRs but don’t compare one maker’s low-end offering with another’s higher end machine. Unless you intend collecting lenses the number in the maker’s range is irrelevant, only that they have what you need, likewise accessories. If you choose a make without in-body image stabilisation remember you’ll pay dearly for every IS lens you buy and the range will be limited.

Good luck!

Thanks for that vote of confidence! What a ray of sunshine.

claudermilk · November 5, 2007

What a nice introduction to the forum.

No where's that ignore switch...

flattie · November 5, 2007

Hey rogprov,

Thanks for the heads up. I never would have guessed that in soliciting someone's opinion I might get a response that was biased based on "oh the horror" someone's personal preferences.

Really, truly thanks for the warning. Here I was thinking that internet forums were the last bastion of virtue, honor, chastity and all that kind of stuff - not a biased opinion to be found on the interweb.

Everyone else - thanks so much for responding to initial request - sorry my question prompted someone to log on and impugn the feedback of the fine people who responded.

Looking for some feedback on a dslr purchase

Comments