JBTaylor Loc: In hiding again

I have a Sony alpha a300. I am thinking about upgrading. I have mixed feelings about the SLT series but in looking at side by side images on review sites, the quality at higher ISO's has improved drastically in the newer cameras as compared to mine which is too noisy on most images past ISO 400.

I'm split between an SLT a77 or trying to find the discontinued a580. In looking at some sample images at ISO 3200, the a580 has the edge but both look to be usable. In a picture of a dark bottle, the 580 showed solid black where the a77 showed some subtle chroma noise when view at the same image size. Both were a huge improvement over my a300.

I have a few questions for those who started with a 300 or any other model in the 2xx or 3xx series and upgraded to an SLT. How much quieter is the SLT compared to your earlier alpha? Is it that significant? I thought that could be an advantage besides the higher resolution and 12 FPS with continuous focusing. Am I overlooking other advantages with the SLT technology?

For those with a 580, a77 or other SLT, how does yours perform at higher ISO? Which ISO is your practical limit in low light?

I'm still split on the fixed mirror concept and kinda wish I had snagged the a580 before the major vendors ran out. Mainly so I would have a better traditional DSLR while I could still get one in the Sony alpha family. But then I wonder if I'm passing up SLT features that I'll do without for a few years.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I have the A77 and love it, it is well worth the cost. I don't know how good the A580 is so I can't comment on it. I also have the A700, A850 and A900 which are in the professional category. The EVF on the A77 gives great views in low light, however the auto-focusing has problems in too low a light. I have not experienced any fall of due to the 3% light pick for the EVF and meter. The upgraded BIONZ processor really does a good job on noise reduction at the higher ISO levels.

keithmac Loc: Nanaimo, B.C. Canada

I recently upgraded to a Sony a77 and have been very happy with the performance. I started with an a200 upgraded to an a700 and purchased the a77 when they were released in Canada. I find that the hi ISO performance is much better than the a700 and the auto focus is much better with my Sigma 500mm f4.5 lens. The a77 also has the ability to micro adjust that was previously only available on the full frame cameras. I would also recommend that if you decide on the a77 that you also get the vertical grip for the camera. It not only increases your battery capacity but gives the camera a pro feeling and feels much better in you hands. I have the grip on all my Sony cameras and I feel they complete the camera. I included a photo I took this week of a Virginia Rail in a low light situation. The image was taken with the Sigma 500mm lens.

JBTaylor Loc: In hiding again

Thanks Bruce and Keith.

I do wonder if I'm splitting hairs with the higher ISO advantage of the a580. Either camera is a huge improvement over what I have. I also wonder if I would miss the additional resolution and other features of the a77.

Keith, your photo is a nice example of what the a77 can do in the right hands.

I still need to get this past my "financial advisor". If I get the a77, I'm planning on getting the 16-50 2.8 lens with it. I need better glass too. Seems this last year that I really bumped up against the limits of what I have.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

On my Sony cameras I use a lot of Tamron lens and find them adequit for my needs. On my Nikon I use a mixture of quality Nikkor and Tamron lens. The Tamron lens range from high grade to low grade, but their price range is ussualy a bit cheaper than the manufacturers high grade lens. It is all about budget and what you can afford, to me the sensor, processor come first then I work my way up to better lens.

HOT Texas Loc: From the Heart of Texas

I'm sticking with my A100 and A350, Like you I would love to be able to shoot some pictures at a higher ISO setting some times, but can live without it.

But I have a reason, I shoot a lot of old manual focus lens and M42 mount lens, and they do not work well on the newer Sony's

I shoot my A100 just as much as my A350. and very happy with them.

Leonardo Loc: The Garden of England

I've just started using the A580, having upgraded from an A230. There is a startling difference between them, with the A580 producing much crisper, punchier images in low light. Aside from the slight colour cast from the fluorescent lights, you would not be able to tell that the photos were snapped under low light conditions.

Recently I read this review/comparison of the A55 in which the reviewer compared photos taken with the mirror in place, and with it removed: http://thesybersite.com/sony/a55/index.htm.

To my eyes, the SLT with mirror does seem to lose detail. Of course, this may not be the case with the A77, as the author states.

But should you chose an A580 or A77. If I were buying today, I would probably opt for the A77, but only because I have a background in video, and would welcome the AF in movie mode.

Based on photographs alone, I would pick up an A580 and a better lens or two.

To be honest, I remain slightly wary of the SLT technology, and of Sony's commitment at the moment. Its releasing too many cameras in too short a space of time, and not releasing firmware updates for it's last generation of DSLRs. Coupled with it's financial woes at the moment... well, who knows.

Leonardo Loc: The Garden of England

So do I! I have a couple of Helios 58mm primes (one from 1973, the other 1976), and the quality from them is astonishingly beautiful.

Both the A230 and the A580 work perfectly with these lenses.

Even some modern AF lenses have problems with some recent Sony DSLTs.

JBTaylor Loc: In hiding again

Well that gives me a few second thoughts. One factor that drew me to Sony was the fact that I could use vintage Minolta lenses on them and have image stabilization on all my lenses. While I'm thinking to get the 2.8 lens with the a77 at an apparent $200 bundle discount, my realistic options for better lens is either the better third party lens or the better Minolta lenses on ebay, etc.

Leonardo Loc: The Garden of England

FWIW, my special lenses I always buy new - the Tamrons currently have a 5 year guarantee here in the UK. Vintage lenses I'm happy to buy from eBay.

As for compatibility, I'm pretty sure that some (very few) Sigma lenses had an issue with compatibility, but Sigmas was reasonably good at fixing the problems. And there are plenty of blog explaining how to chip the lenses yourself.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I use Tamron lenses with my Sony and find them to be a good lens (better than the kit Sony lens and cheaper than the "G" or Ziess). I also use Minolta AF lens and they are also quality lens at far less cost than Tamron (eBay has many of them). All of these lens works equaly as well on the A77.

meatyore

Jb- You might be interested in this extensive review of the a580 at this Amazon link.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DSLRA580L-Camera-18-55mm-F3-5-5-6/product-reviews/B0048CE3VS/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Amazon still sells the a580, btw. For the dollars involved, have you thought about the a65, which has many (if not most) of the a77 feature-set, but lacks the heavier-duty body and weather-proofing, and some other minor feature deletions (10 vs 12 fps burst I think) The a65 is a bit cheaper as a used machine, also.
I think the newer a57 may be more of an equivalent camera to the a580, and again- this is a cheaper alternative , even to the a65.
Happy hunting!