sdemaagd Loc: Michigan

So....I wrote earlier asking advice about a Sony a580....but I may have the chance to purchase an a55 I can afford now...any thoughts on which of these two would be better for my purposes? Right now I mainly shoot portraits, candids, a few weddings, and just general outdoor shots (for my own pleasure!)...

Also, will the lenses I have for my a300 work on a Sony SLT? I think they should, but want to make sure...

Thanks for the thoughts!

busted_shutter

Why the 55, and not the 57? All Alpha lenses will work on other Sony Alpha cameras.

sdemaagd Loc: Michigan

Ha ha! Because the a55 is what the guy is selling....but now I'm thinking to stick with my original plan--get the a580 now and wait for/save up for the a99 when it comes out--I think a55 was Sony's first SLT? I'm hoping the a99 will have some kinks worked out (all firsts have kinks, right?! :) ) and be the best thing out there when it comes out....I'll have to save up a while for that one, though!

busted_shutter

I hear ya. Ordering my first Sony here in a few weeks. Have looked at them all, and going with the 57 for a few reasons. Main one...have a few different Minolta lenses(compatible).

sdemaagd Loc: Michigan

Good luck! Let me know how you like it! I wish I could afford the a77 right now! But I'll save up...the a99 should be even better, right?! :)

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

The A99 is not going to be cheap, early estimates are around $1900. But those are just rumors. I am also waiting on it with eager anticipation for I'd like to upgrade from my A55. Good luck with your hunt.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

Update, my previous post was off a bit...looks the the A99 will go for $2500 (yikes).

http://thenewcamera.com/?tag=sony-a99

sdemaagd Loc: Michigan

Yes, I think I'll have to wait a couple years to be able to afford the a99!

B-Side Loc: Davenport, Florida

I just got the A57 - pulled it out of the box and have the batteries charging - got a kit with 2 lenses, 32gb card, wireless remote, a bag and a bunch of accessories from Cameta Camera on Amazon. Been looking at it since early this year. Snapsort has an awesome way to compare the spec of cameras and scores them. I went with the A57 over the A55 and A77 (and other Cannon's and Nikons in the same price range) because of all the extra features (fps, HDR, HD video at 24, 30 and 60 fps) but there were things I gave up too like lower resolution, no geotagging, battery life and low light sensitivity. But it seemed like the right fit for me. I highly suggest using Snapsort for a side by side comparison to help make your suggestion. Also bought Gary Friedman's guide to the A37/A57. Under 25 bucks as an e-book in pdf and mobi format on his website. He's got a really good style of writing that breaks down the jargon so you lear all the technical stuff - but its explained in a very user friendly way. I have seen a few places on "Da Hog" where people have suggested his books. Worth the $ for sure. Hope that helps somewhat. Look out for me on here - as a fellow Sony owner it would be nice to share our experience unique to the brand. From what I can see we are a minority on this forum. Lets represent it in a big way.

Peekayoh Loc: UK

We Sony owners are minority everywhere.

spphoto Loc: Long Island,N.Y.

Go to a store where you can hold the two cameras in your hand .
You might find the A55 to small,I kept on hitting the White balance button all the time.I do not have the 580,but the 550 which has the same buttons and easer to use.I also have the A77 which I prefer overall.

gideon Loc: Tampa Bay, FL

I'm a Sony user too, mostly because I started with a Minolta SRT 101 and stuck with Minolta-Konica products due to the ability to use the lenses I already had. My interest is mostly landscape and wildlife photography and my DSLR experience started with the Konica DiMage, then the Sony A100 and now the A65. It has so many bells and whistles I'll never use because the benefits/rewards of the learning curve is so steep. The most important thing is the superb quality of the images. I use my A65 with a Tamron 10-24mm, a Sony 18-70mm, a Quantaray 70-300 and a Sigma 170-500mm. I haven't printed mazny shots but just got an Epson 1430 and hope my feelings about the quality of Sony images doesn't change as I start printing some up.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

The A55 is no longer available thru Sony...they took an A55, removed the GPS feature and called it an A57. Otherwise they are nearly identical.

Peekayoh Loc: UK

You won't change your mind, I print with an Epson R3000 from an A77 and A900 and the amount of detail is stunning. I was showing some prints of a Lancaster to a friend when an onlooker offered to buy them. Apparently, her partner had Lancaster photos on the wall but none with the amount of detail. She actually asked "how did you manage to take it" - I was a bit lost for words.

ardcat

Just got the Sony a65 to give it a try as a backup camera. I wasn't very thorough in checking and examining the Sony's. First of all their is no pc connection for external strobe units. You have to purchase an adapter that slides onto their hot shoe ($189.95). Which brings up the worst problem. Sony's hot shoe on their cameras is not a standard hot shoe i.e Nikon & Canon. Therefore my infrared triggering device for my studio strobes will not fit on their cameras. Of course they have an adapter for $139.95. So nearly $330 more to add to the purchase.

Several features I like about their cameras just will not work for me. So since you mentioned you take portraits and weddings, forget it, you will not be able to use your studio units without having to make one of those 2 above purchases.

I am going back to Nikon or Canon.