OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

My daughter's life long friend has been looking to buy a DSLR, tried selling one of my spare Nikon's to him...5100 to be specific. However he seems to have his heart set on the Sony A77...solely based on things he's read. If there are any Sony A77 users that may lend a word or two whether he should or should not make the purchase any why I would greatly appreciate it., I've been trying to talk him into either Nikon or Canon but can't seem to budge him. Thanks for any advise as to why he should or shouldn't buy the Sony A77, also any recommended lenses for the Sony. He' s not shy on spending for good glass.
Thanks so much..

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

Look on the London Camera Exchange website, more Sony cameras are part exchanged than Nikon and Canon, I believe because when people find that lenses, accessories etc are SO limited they buy a proper camera.

Out of 80 members in our camera club 2 have Sony.

EVERY manufacturer makes accessories for Nikon and Canon, so you have the widest choice.

Sony hype their frame rates too, 10fps etc.

BUT they don't tell you the buffer size.

I shoot surf, see my website, I can maintain 6fps for 20 seconts and more, sony, 5-6

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

The only site I use is

www.dpreview.com

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

Thanks JR...

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I have both Sony and Nikon cameras and know the merits of each. On the Nikon I have the D2X, D7000 and D800, and on the Sony I have the A700, A850, A900 and A77. No one should buy a camera with the idea of trading it in, and you should hold the camera in your hand before buying it. Now as to the A77 it has a lot of plus features, it is an SLT (Pelican mirror) all but a small percent of light passes through the mirror to the sensor and a small amount is directed to the electronics and enhanced for the viewfinder. This process works great, but has one vulnerability which is the mirror, if it is scratched then it is as good as if the sensor was scratched. Unlike what the previous person said there are as many lens available for Sony Alpha cameras as there are for Nikon or Canon, and Sony can use the older Minolta auto-focus lenses. The choice is usually a personal preference and each manufacturer makes quality cameras. I personally love my Sony cameras as much as my Nikon cameras.

Rjbelsten

I have the Sony a77 with three zeiss lenses. I believe that all major camera manufactures cameras are about equal. All are good cameras. The difference is in the glass. I recommend purchasing the best glass that you can. The bodies can be upgraded to take advantage of the glass.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I totally agree with you good lens and auto-focus fine tune make a world of difference. What is your impression on the Pellix mirror, and do you feel it is vulnerable to scratches or dirt? When I am out with my A77 and there is a mild wind I am usually worried about changing lens for fear that foreign matter might get on the mirror and scratch it.

acutance Loc: New Hampshire

What are his anticipated uses? I'm a sports shooter, and the A77 has a great 12 frames per second feature, with continuos focus. To get that from current Canon offerings, you have to spend over $6,000 for an EOS 1D-X. On the other hand, if low-light is your bag, both Canon and Nikon have full frame cameras that are considerably cheaper than Sony's full frame, and generally it appears that Sony is aimed toward high resolution at low ISO, not high ISO performance. The "pros" that use Sony seem to be studio portrait photographers. Good skin tones and high resolution. I like the classic Minolta Maxxum lenses from a price/performance perspective, too. So you can't go "wrong," it's just a question of intended uses.

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Nikon uses a Sony Alpha sensor in the D5100 so since you're a Nikon loyalist that should prove something to you about Sony quality. I have a Sony Alpha 55 and several friends with D5100s. I consistently take indoor and outdoor shots at parties and get togethers that are just as good or better than theirs.

It's mostly dependent on the operator anyway. There are people on UHH who can take better shots with $350 bridge cameras than others with $1500 dSLRs.

There is no factual reason to downplay or criticize Sony in favor of Nikon other than your personal bias because even the Alpha 55 has features and specs exceeding the D5100 and output results that are right on par. The Alpha 77 far exceeds the 55 in every way.

Sony invented and pioneered digital still photography. Sony bought and owns Konica/Minolta so their lenses are Minolta quality and Zeiss in the higher end units. Sony started building dSLRs with decades of Minolta experience behind the products and is putting massive research effort into very high ISO with little or no noise and other technologies such as burst speed and mirrorless that lead the pack in some cases.

Sony Alpha 77 has proven itself to be just as awesome as anything else in its class. Minolta lenses are compatible so there is a large selection of used and new-old-stock available and cheaper than Nikon by far. Image stabilization is in the body so non-VR lenses can be used too. Sony makes flashes and accessories, as well as other manufacturers making compatible TTL flashes. I have two Vivitar 383 flashes for mine.

And... I predict that Sony will fight its way to to dSLR and mirrorless market dominance eventually unless Canon or Nikon comes out with something very outrageous and patented like an all new radical technology.

Your daughter's friend has made a very good choice with apparently unbiased research.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I agree with almost everything except "Sony invented and pioneered digital still photography", Kodak invented it but did not capitalize on it.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

In camera HDR and sweep panorama are game changers. So is pellicle mirror. If money is not an issue -I like Sony ( I am a Canon shooter for telephoto and NEX shooter for wide angle ) You will likely have to buy NEW lenses with the Sony - (slim chances for used ) Sony's best lenses are as good as anybodies.

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

I appreciate all the responses as I'm sure he will, he will be by tomorrow night to read them, then off to B&H next week for a touchy feeley...
again thanks.

Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert

Hey Doc ..... you obviously never tried a D300s for fast moving action ..... Sony doesn't even come close .....

lensman

I started out using Minolta professionaly and followed along because of the quality of the lens. I have used all of the Sony Digital SLRs professionaly. I currently have several a77s and use them extensively. It is a great workhorse pieve of photographic equipment and I would recommend it to anyone. It is without doubt a terrific value and I will not use to any other brand. I soon will be obtaining three a99s. Now having said that, currently the professional level cameras of both Nikon and Cannon are also great photographic tools. Either way it is up to the workman as to how he or she uses their tools to produce a professional result. Not much of an answer, sorry.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

Nikon D300s:

Continuous Shooting up to 7 fps
High speed shooting and fast response—essential to versatile performance in a wide variety of shooting disciplines.

D-Movie HD Video
Capture striking 24 fps, 720p HD movie clips, enhanced by NIKKOR interchangeable lens quality and versatility—featuring external stereo Mic input and AF operation.

Sony A77:
World's fastest up to 12 fps continuous
The translucent mirror makes it far easier to capture the decisive soccer kick or your baby at her absolute cutest. Shoots up to 12 frames per second at full-resolution 24.3 megapixels with continuous auto focus (AE locked after first frame). This is the world's fastest shooting speed for interchangeable lens APS-C cameras, as of August, 2011.

HD Movies4 at 60p, 60i, or 24pCapture spectacular HD Movies4. This is the world’s first DSLR to offer a choice of super-smooth 60p, standard 60i or cinematic 24p, all at Full HD 1920x1080 resolution. AVCHD™ codec delivers stunning picture quality. MP4 codec offers smaller files for easier upload to the web.