Camera Labs

I'm a beignner. This is my first D-SLR.
which one to select?
thanks for your help

Hi makestone,

May I wish you a warm welcome to the CameraLabs forum.

Love your moniker - I've just finished pouring a cast-stone pier for a new telescope mounting. Now the wait begins before I can remove the form and see just how good or bad my effort has been.

All three are fine cameras so you can't go too wrong with any of them and I'm sure you've read Gordon's reviews. That said, it's important to try and get down to a store and, while politely ignoring the "helpful" sales patter, get your hands on the goods as one camera may immediately feel more comfortable to hold.

Then there's value for money and lens bundles to consider. It may help members here to chip in with advice if you could share a little more about why you've decided on a DSLR and what type, if any, of photography you'd really like your new camera to excel at.

Bob.

_________________
OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

thanks very much！ I’ll go to store to decide！

makestone is my net ID。

I totally agree with what bob said go to your local store and try them out. But I personally would avoid Sony. Not because there cameras are bad but because there lens collection is quite a lot smaller than Canon or Nikon and often more expensive.

_________________
Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

@makestone
Please ignore the Kids on this site, as there are plenty of A-mount lenses available

http://www.mhohner.de/sony-minolta/lenses.php

There is also a whole bunch of Sigma & Tamron lenses

Sony has 107 current Alpha mount lenses available, and 360+ legacy lenses available...while a few folks might find that limiting, a large majority of folks could probably get everything they need within that selection. And only some lenses are expensive compared to other brands. Most people who comment on lens selection and pricing haven't looked in a long while. Ironically, there are even more current lenses for Sony mount than several other brands - so it's a bit odd to single them out as one to avoid and not mention the brands with even less lenses available. Sufficeth to say you'll likely find any lens you need with ANY brand, unless you are a serious specialist photographer with one very specific need that isn't available in that mount. Which can happen even within Nikon/Canon, by the way.

Personally, I would recommend you look at all brands, and not leave any out as they are all close enough in performance and all have sufficiently large lens collections to satisfy 99% of photographers - so let ergonomics, features, and price dictate which is best for you.

_________________
Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

@WestCoast I never said there were not enough Sony lenses just there there are not as many as Canon or Nikon. Also Sony lenses are more expensive than Canon or Nikon. Both of these are things that should be considered when buying a camera. The sony range clearly suits some people and all I was saying was in my opinion it didn't suit me.

_________________
Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

But even that statement isn't accurate - that 'Sony lenses are more expensive than Canon or Nikon'. Some are, some aren't. Some are priced competitively, and some are actually cheaper. It depends on the lens you are comparing. And then there's the value factor of stabilization which is worth considering - that all Sony lenses are stabilized. When considering used lenses, some of the Minolta gear is even cheaper than equivalents from Canon or Nikon. It's just worth pointing out that while SOME Sony lenses are indeed more expensive than the Canon or Nikon equivalent, it by no means is a blanket fact, and many lenses are quite similar in price:
Sony 35mm F1.8 - $199 vs Nikon 35mm F1.8 - $199
Sony 50mm F1.8 - $145 vs Canon $120 vs Nikon $130
Sony 85mm F2.8 - $225 vs Nikon 85mm F3.5 $499
Sony 70-400mm G $1540 vs Canon 100-400 $1599 vs Nikon 80-400 $1600

There are other examples...but just to show that not all lenses are more expensive. And having stabilized primes is a nice perk.

Now, if you just don't like or prefer Sony, that's perfectly OK. But all brands at least deserve fair information for those not yet decided.

_________________
Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

@zackiedawg I understand what you are saying and totally agree.

Just out of interst would like to post some of the lenses that are more expensive instead of just the cheaper ones:

Sony 24-70 2.8 - £1600 vs Canon 24-70 2.8 - £1100 vs Nikon 24-70 2.8 - £1400
Canon 70-200 2.8 is ii - £1700 vs Sony 70-200 2.8 - £1800 vs Nikon 70-200 2.8 - £1800

There are more but just picked the first 2 out!

_________________
Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

As far as the Sony Carl Zeiss 24-70/2.8 is concerned, it is a far better lens than the Canon L one and hey, it's a Carl Zeiss after all ...

_________________
Sony α77V/VG-C77AM/α350/18-70/70-400 G SSM/NEX-5/18-55 OSS/Lowepro Pro Trekker 600 AW/CompuTrekker AW/Nova 140 AW/Street & Field gear/Toploader Pro 75 AW. And a huge wishlist...

My photos on Flickr...

Now we've got fairly complete info!

_________________
Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

Hi folks,

At the end of the day it's makestone's thread and he's considering buying his first DSLR. This discussion of lenses costing well north of £1000 might be fun for some of us but it really is pretty irrelevant in the context of this thread and I imagine it's not exactly endeared the forum to the OP. But I think we have highlighted the danger of making sweeping statements about any camera system. Can we move back to helpful advice more suited to a first time DSLR owner please. Thanks.

Bob.

_________________
OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

+1 to what Bob has already said.

Any entry-level DSLR will be more than acceptable to a newbie. In fact, I suspect a large number of DSLR users are looking for improved IQ beyond what they are shooting. Beyond that, I imagine that most settings don't get used. I consider myself a hobbyist, and know that I don't use near all the various features and functions on my e-620. In the end, there is a more than acceptable amount of lenses available to cover off most needs. Sure, there may be more costly glass by certain manufacturers, but in the end, all the systems have pretty much what the average photographer needs.

To the OP -- it has been already noted a number of times, but we cannot stress enough the importance of getting your hands on candidate cameras. The in-hand experience is always key to selecting your camera. I include in this not only how it feels in your hands, but how you find the controls, menu system, etc. Good luck with your hunt.

_________________
Olympus e-620 / 14-42mm / 40-150mm
Metz 48 AF-1
Kata 3-N-1 20, LowePro Orion Mini, LowePro Nova 2
My Flickr

I agree with what Bob is saying. I was not trying to make a argument over which brand is the best. At the end of the day they are all good. All I was pointing out was to check out the lens collections from ALL brands and see which one suits you the best. Lenses shouldn't be forgotten

_________________
Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

Makestone: as you start to get closer to which particular camera ends up being best for you and fitting you best, and start trying to figure out what lens or lenses you need, be sure to share a little bit with us about what types of photography you are most likely interested in - portraits, family shots, action, sports, wildlife, architecture, scenics, travel, etc. You can get advice on what single lens or bundle of lenses would be best for your type of shooting, and within whatever your budget is. Initially, find a camera you're comfortable with and even with a basic kit lens, you'll be able to get out there and start shooting and learning. Eventually though, you'll probably start to get a feel for what subjects or styles you're taking the most, and can start to look at improving the lens' quality, maximum aperture, or focal range.

_________________
Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg