Confused (Page 4): Either path will be fine. You might want to think about the long term. I started down the Nikon road a little over three years ago. My cameras and lenses grew in...

MtnMan Loc: ID

elandel wrote:

Hi fellow Hogs,

I'm in the process of buying a new camera but am not sure what to get.
My choice is between the Sony A7 and the Nikon D610. The problem for me are the lenses. Sony is more expensive and has fewer lenses to choose from but is lighter, Nikon on the other hand has many lenses and cheaper (at least some of them) but is bulkier and heavier.
IQ wise I suppose they are in the same league.

What would you choose?

Thanks for your help.

Either path will be fine.

You might want to think about the long term. I started down the Nikon road a little over three years ago. My cameras and lenses grew in weight till I needed a new lighter weight one for hiking. I went with a Sony NEX-7. It is a great little camera but the programming is very different between Sony and Nikon. Switching back and forth became annoying. I just sold it and went back to a Nikon for my second camera. Alas Nikon doesn't compete with Sony (yet) on mirrorless so although lighter than my main Nikon kit it is about twice the weight of the Sony. Fortunately I still have all the lenses I'll ever need for it.

Base on that here are my opinions:
1. The Sony and Nikon cameras are equivalent.
2. The Nikon lenses are far superior and a large market of used and refurbished excellent reasonably prices lenses exists. Not so much for Sony.
3. The Sony software is better than Nikons...but operates to a different philosophy so it is difficult to go back and forth.

In other words plan to stay on whichever path you choose.

MtnMan Loc: ID

elandel wrote:

Thanks for your answers. I'm leaning towards less weight even if my heart is with Nikon. I can just wait another bit and try to make the best choice for me but it's just like my heart says Nikon and my head says Sony because I'm getting too old to lug around heavy gear.

Life can be difficult at times... :roll:

So get a Nikon D5300. My refurb one arrived yesterday. My other Nikon is a D800. Even though I now have all the lenses I need for the D800 (which, being Nikons, also work on the D5300) I have an idea I'm going to be grabbing the D5300 more often than the D800.

When Nikon comes forth with a mirrorless D5300 that uses the existing mount lenses (both of which they haven't figured out yet with their current mirrorless offering) I'll be first on the waiting list.

I mailed off my Sony NEX-7 yesterday also.

elandel Loc: Milan, Italy

MtnMan wrote:

So get a Nikon D5300. My refurb one arrived yester... (show quote)

Good idea. But have to think more about it.

Earworms Loc: Sacramento, California

Mark Johnson wrote:

A camera that does not play CD's!!

I thort Sony was a sound gadget!!

Olympus is either a hill or camera. Both been out there a long time............ 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)

Some of the Sony Digital Mavica's actually did use, record to a 8cm Compact Disc!

BigWahoo Loc: Kentucky

elandel wrote:

Hi fellow Hogs,

I'm in the process of buying a new camera but am not sure what to get.
My choice is between the Sony A7 and the Nikon D610. The problem for me are the lenses. Sony is more expensive and has fewer lenses to choose from but is lighter, Nikon on the other hand has many lenses and cheaper (at least some of them) but is bulkier and heavier.
IQ wise I suppose they are in the same league.

What would you choose?

Thanks for your help.

If I were you, and I'm not, This would be what I would start with.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1008113-REG/sony_ilce7k_b_a7_mirrorless_digital_camera.html

Yes Nikon has more lenses available. Are they better than Sony; I doubt it. I don't see why you would need anything that Sony doesn't make.

For the photography you stated that you do this would be a good start. You can always add a lens or two if you find you need them.

Of course this is my opinion; I believe that's what you were asking for. Not just my opinion but that's the only one I have.

Anyway have fun!

Jim Peters Loc: Pittsburgh

I Can Tell You As A Full Time Professional That Relies On His Tools To Produce Since 1962 Nikon/ Canon Is Where I Put My Money. Reliability Plus.

elandel Loc: Milan, Italy

BigWahoo wrote:

If I were you, and I'm not, This would be what I w... (show quote)

Thanks

Jim Peters Loc: Pittsburgh

Your Welcome Check Out Our Web Page At; fashionphotographyonline.com And Ask Yourself... Is This The Route That I Want To Go?

noel Loc: Virginia

elandel wrote:

Hi fellow Hogs,

I'm in the process of buying a new camera but am not sure what to get.
My choice is between the Sony A7 and the Nikon D610. The problem for me are the lenses. Sony is more expensive and has fewer lenses to choose from but is lighter, Nikon on the other hand has many lenses and cheaper (at least some of them) but is bulkier and heavier.
IQ wise I suppose they are in the same league.

What would you choose?

Thanks for your help.

Your choice is a FF camera and you are leaning to some weight problem, then Sony is the one for you. Let's know of your pick.

redrocktom Loc: Sedona

Stan W. wrote:

I lugged a D800e around for a while and now am enjoying the lightweight Sony A7R. True about the lens selection but it really depends on what your favorite things are too shoot.

Stan, do you shoot the Zeiss 24-70 f4 and if so, what is your opinion, especially compared to similar Nikon glass?

tdekany Loc: Oregon

elandel wrote:

Good idea. But have to think more about it.

I believe I know you from M4/3.com

The 610 is heavy compared to the 7. LENSES: Pretty sure that most of them you will never consider, let alone buy. So if the focal lengths that you use is available in the Sony, go for he A7II - don't you want 5 axis IS?

Newsbob Loc: SF Bay Area

One other thing no one has mentioned: the Sony has an electronic viewfinder whereas the Nikon's is optical. There's a big difference.

I shoot mainly with a Canon 5D3 and love it, except for the weight. But it's a terrific camera, and as long as I do everything correctly, the photos are wonderful.

I have gone out on shoots with my Sony A7, and was totally distracted by the viewfinder. What I don't like is that as soon as I take a shot, the review image comes up and blocks whatever I would be seeing in an optical viewfinder. That review image is only there for a few seconds, but it can interfere if something is going on and I might otherwise snap off another shot. And an electronic image is inferior to real-life, so tiny details are sometimes obscured. I had a problem with people's eyes while shooting a street festival.

Obviously, this isn't a big deal for landscapes. But for street photography, an optical viewfinder is superior.

The other big issue with Sony is the size of their upcoming lenses. They haven't officially announced the four lenses that will be released soon, but they were shown at the CP+ show in Japan last week. They are very big and bulky. Reviewers said they were about the same size as DSLR lenses. And they will be expensive.

My recommendation is to stick with Canon or Nikon as your main camera, and get the Sony later if you need a second camera. Weight should be secondary to some of the other important considerations.

webbo51 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Having used both, I too would go for the optical viewfinder. I found it particularly frustrating when shooting bursts, e.g., surfing, bicycle races, BIF.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

See I started with EVFs and I couldn't use OVFs. In my EM-1 you can turn off the "preview" so you do not get a picture blocking your view. Pretty sure that is something SONY would also have as an option.

Newsbob wrote:

One other thing no one has mentioned: the Sony has... (show quote)

jack schade Loc: La Pine Oregon

Some people have trouble holding a light camera very steady. Just a thought.
Jack