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Which one would you prefer? A200, A300, A350 or A700?

people saying that canon or nikon are famous and more better than sony? how true is this statements? i just bought alpha 300 a few weeks ago...
 
people saying that Canon or Nikon are famous and more better than sony? how true is this statements? I just bought alpha 300 a few weeks ago...

Sony is a relative newcomer to serious still photography equipment ... but did not start from scratch ... they aquired Minolta not long ago and inherited all of Minolta's current technology base.

Canon and Nikon are more prominent. More people use them than Sony, (or before that, Minolta). Currently, Canon and Nikon are definitely used by more professional photographers than Sony. Both Canon and Nikon have long histories and many famous photographs have been made with their cameras.

However, Minolta was founded in 1928 and also had a rich history ... often it invented many breakthroughs in photographic equipment. While other autofocus cameras were made before it, the Minolta 7000 was the first "successful" autofocus SLR system. The Minolta SRT-101 was the first Japanese 35mm SLR with TTL, full aperture exposure metering. The 1973 XM/XK was the first 35mm SLR which combined automatic electronic-shutter aperture priority exposure and an interchangable finder. The 1977 Minolta XG-E was the world's first 35mm SLR with multiple exposure modes. Over the decades Minolta also did joint ventures with Leica camera, the company that invented 35mm photography. It should also be noted that Sony makes all of the digital sensors for Nikon DSLRs.

Today, Sony is moving forward with innovative new products that are even beginning to win over professional photographers. Two factors have contributed to this ... the association with Carl Zeiss to bring very high spec lenses to the system, and the launch of the A900, 25 meg full frame 35mm DSLR digital camera ... the only FF 35mm DSLR with in-camera image stabilization ... something neither Canon or Nikon offer with any of their Pro cameras. Also, this innovative camera is priced well below comparible cameras from Nikon or Canon ... the closest being the Canon 5D-MKII which doesn't have in-camera image stabilization like the A900 has.

It remains to be seen whether Sony will continue to build their lens offerings, and fill in the types of lenses that Professional photographers demand. Also, the telling thing will be the next series of cameras from Sony ... if they improve the A900 and make it even more Professional spec., plus add some Ziess prime lenses to their line-up, add a Zeiss macro, and perhaps a perspective control lens or two, then Canon and Nikon will have some very serious competition, and may even take a back seat to Sony in future.

Time will tell all.
 
Sony/Zeiss Update.

I just read an article that says Sony and Zeiss have just signed a 5 year extension of their working partnership. Hopefuly, this will help assure further developments in the Zeiss line-up for the Alpha series of cameras. Perhaps a few Ziess primes like a 100/2 Macro and 35/1.4 ASPH?

In the meantime, I have secured a Hasselblad to Sony lens adapter to use any of the huge line-up of Zeiss lenses made for the Hasselblad V system. Some of these lenses have very unique characteristics that are highly valued by many photographers. One of my favorites is the Zeiss 110/2FE ... keep in mind that all the Hasselblad lenses are Image Stabilized when mounted on the Alpha cameras ... a huge hand held advantage over other 35mm DSLRs! Here are a couple of shots from the 110/2 on the A900:
 

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@900 + zeiss lenses

Marc

I have been reading most of your contributions about your experience with the @900 in the different available forums . Here and others .....
Thank you very much for sharing your experience . Great , just great , what you reported .

But , I must blame you for putting an idea into my head , I can't get rid off anymore .

So I am thinking of getting a SONY @900 + PLANAR 1,4/85 + Sonnar 1,8/135 + 16-35 ZA + 24-70 ZA . And honestly , I must say , it is only due to the fact of the CZ lenses and the additional ability of the use of an adapter and then use CZ HASSELBLAD V-SYSTEM lenses .

All the above mentioned , is a result of the fact , that I have given up hope for a bigger square sensor for the V-SYSTEM and that the LEICA S2 , which I will be able to test at the coming weekend , will be out of my financial reach .

An interesting lens would be the 16-35 ZA , as that lens will give more wide angle possibilities , than we can have in MF at the current time .

Do you have any experience with that lens yet ? ? ?

And how will you compensate the setting of that idea into my head ? ? ?
:)
Regards Jürgen :z04_photos:
 
Marc

I have been reading most of your contributions about your experience with the @900 in the different available forums . Here and others .....
Thank you very much for sharing your experience . Great , just great , what you reported .

But , I must blame you for putting an idea into my head , I can't get rid off anymore .

So I am thinking of getting a SONY @900 + PLANAR 1,4/85 + Sonnar 1,8/135 + 16-35 ZA + 24-70 ZA . And honestly , I must say , it is only due to the fact of the CZ lenses and the additional ability of the use of an adapter and then use CZ HASSELBLAD V-SYSTEM lenses .

All the above mentioned , is a result of the fact , that I have given up hope for a bigger square sensor for the V-SYSTEM and that the LEICA S2 , which I will be able to test at the coming weekend , will be out of my financial reach .

An interesting lens would be the 16-35 ZA , as that lens will give more wide angle possibilities , than we can have in MF at the current time .

Do you have any experience with that lens yet ? ? ?

And how will you compensate the setting of that idea into my head ? ? ?
:)
Regards Jürgen :z04_photos:

I take no responsibility.

However, I used the same reasoning : -) So it sounds good to me ... LOL!

The ZA 16-35/2.8 is fast becoming my favorite of the bunch ... after the 135/1.8 that is.

But I need to use it more.

-Marc
 
I used to use a Maxxum 7000i, a Maxxum 700si and, later, a Maxxum 7 on travel in Africa and India and I have some terrific film camera lenses. The A900 is essentially a film camera as far as lenses go so I get to use those lenses again. Now, instead of a lead bag full of film, I have to carry a small laptop to manage the RAW images coming off that A900 - and to back up the data to CDs.

On our last trip to India, in the evening we'd go through the pictures of the day and select five interesting shots and a create a text file of the events of that day. In the morning we'd stop at an Internet cafe, which charged 30 rupees (75 cents) per hour for broadband Internet access. From there we'd send an email with the pictures and story to our friends and family. Everyone enjoyed our email and many people forwarded them on to others.
 
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