elandel Loc: Milan, Italy

Hi all,

should like your opinions on this camera: image quality, high iso etc. Also related to Nikon D5100 if possible.

Thanks

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

I never used the Sony or the D5100 when I was looking for a new camera. I ended up buying the Nikon D7000 which I'm very happy with. I know this is not exactly what you asked; but I don't want to give wrong or misleading information. I'm just saying that when I considered both of those cameras, I opted for the D7000.

RaydancePhoto

I have the Sony A57 and love the camera. I used to shoot Canon and sold all my gear and went with Sony. Can't compare to Nikon, don't have the experience.

The A57 is useable to ISO 3200, great in low light. I think the best thing about the Sony A series is you can use the old Minolta lenses, they are wonderful and will not break the bank. You can get a 50 f/1.4 for about 100.00 a 70-210 f/4 for about the same, it is a very sharp lens. They made 2 versions, get the 'beercan' version if you decide on Sony.

My Minolta lenses: 50 f/1.2 - 100 f/2.8 - 70-210 f/4 - 35-105 f/3.5-4.5 - and 50 f/1.8

Don't need the 50 f/1.8 but bought it first. I also own the A65 and RX-100.

elandel Loc: Milan, Italy

Thanks for your answer. Yes I have heard that Minolta lenses are very good.

elandel Loc: Milan, Italy

My first body is a D700, now I want a second one but not Nikon.

oldmalky Loc: West Midlands,England.

I have the a57 and am more than happy with it, it is easy to understand and use. One problem for me the video button is in the wrong place other than that fine.

elandel Loc: Milan, Italy

Thanks

elandel Loc: Milan, Italy

Now that the a58 is announced I'm a bit confused on which one to buy. The a58 should also come at a fairly good price.

tejaswrangler Loc: South Texas

elandel, I would wait and take a look at the new A58, supposed to have a new sensor. Also, the Minolta lens are great lens to use, especially the "beer can" series of the 1980's. Good luck!

elandel Loc: Milan, Italy

Thanks. In the meantime l'll see if I can buy some Minolta lenses

moabarch Loc: Moab, UT

After many hours of reading and looking at a friend's photos, I went with Sony. It did some things that suited what I wanted out of a camera better than others. I did go with the A77, but after only two weeks with it, I bought a used A55 as a back up. I'm very very happy with both. Features I like are the high burst rate, the panorama mode, the focus ability while taking video, the low light ability, and the easy menu system relative to every other camera I looked at.

LRH Loc: Peosta IA.

For what my opinon is worth I have had a A37 and now have the A77 and the RX100 and love them both. Sony cameras are very good cameras if you just give them a try.

twna Loc: Western Colorado

I have the A380 and am looking to add a second camera. I love the Sony. It fits my hands and the controls and menu are easy to navigate. Thanks for the information.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

The A57 is being discontinued but probably is still available for now. It is being replaced by the A58 which was just released.
The main difference is an increase from 16mp to 20mp and improved electronic viewfinder. Now keep in mind...both these camera's are considered "Entry level" meaning you will not get the IQ of the higher end camera's. That said...the IQ (in my opinion) is superb for what I do. I seldom make prints larger than 11 x 14. The nice thing about Sony's is they allow you to see what your getting through the viewfinder. WYSWYG. In otherwords...before you take the shot, you can see if your over/under exposed. All your work can be done looking through the viewfinder...it's like live view only using the viewfinder instead of the LCD screen. All your camera settings can seen, accessed and changed using the viewfinder, including the effects of White Balance settings. You never have to take your eye away from the camera. You won't be one of those you seen shooting then constantly looking at the LCD afterward to see if it came out OK. You'll know before you shoot. Some say this is annoying...but there is a preview button that turns all that off, giving you an unobstructed view of the scene by killing off all the menus. The Sony's also have lightning fast autofocus.
Because so much is done on computers and the internet these days. Sony's give you the choice of shooting in 16:9 aspect ratio. The viewfinder changes it's aspect ratio to match what you've selected. A perfect match for todays widescreen TV's and computer monitors. Your images will completely fill the screen with this option...no more black boxes on the sides when you view them in full screen mode. This also allows you the have a wider field of view, sort of a mini-panorama. And one more thing...the Sony's have an audio signal when using the "timer". You can hear the camera counting down as well as seeing the LED visual signal. None of these features are available on the Nikons or Canon's yet...but give them time, as
technology advances, they will must follow to keep up.

Well thats's my 2-cents worth....Good luck in your search.

Sony viewfinder menu's (with function button activated)

GeneS Loc: Glendale,AZ

A58 should have been called A38 it is more an upgrade of the A37. Not an up-grade of the A57.