Just bought a Sony a300

[ProwlingTiger]

Well, it has come time for me to buy a new second-body camera. I wasn't planning to buy one today but....

We all know Circuit City's present condition. For some reason I decided to call them, out of the blue, to check on DSLR prices. Now, I've always been a Canon guy. Love Canon cameras. But, they haven't had many innovative features lately. I mean, they can up the megapixel count all they want, but ultimately I grow tired. So, I decided to shake things up a bit.

I've been researching the Sony a-series for awhile now. Didn't want Nikon, they just don't grow on me and I can't stand them. So Circuit City said they had 1 a-350 left when I asked for that model. Of course they weren't allowed to hold it for me so I got in there within the hour. The price was something like $525~.

On the way there, I called back to see if I was wasting a trip. Turns out they had sold it, but they had 2 a-300's left. Which was what I was originally looking at buying a few months ago. The price was $410.

So I get in there and grabbed the second-to-last one. And I walked out with it for $440~ dollars. Not bad I say.

Now I've gotta find some lenses. As a second-body, I don't need much for it. But even the little things I'm wanting for it, I have to buy...again.

Perhaps I messed up. I don't think so, however. The image quality is fantastic, excellent camera. The reviews I read and heard, the test drives I had taken,...all are living up to the promises.

So, I ask, all you who have mix-breed equipment: Was it worth it? How go things now?

BTW, anyone else here shooting with the a300? or 350?

 

[Phrasikleia]

I have a similar situation, since my husband and I use different brands and usually shoot together as a team. We enjoy having the wide range of lens options that comes with the expanded territory of dual brands. To me that's the biggest bonus of diversifying.

 

[srf4real]

My father in-law uses a Sony A-300 and he loves the camera, gets really nice photos. It's a good sensor in my opinion. The lens line-up seems a little small to me, but that is of no concern to him.

I myself use Olympus and Panasonic brand dslr stuff... but the lenses are all compatible cross brand (4/3 consortium) so I don't struggle with a lot the mixed breed complications. My biggest annoyance is needing two different battery models and separate chargers, having to buy both SDHC and CF memory, that sort of thing. I couldn't imagine needing to spend cash on two separate brands of lenses in the same focal range though, unless you just stay with the kit lens and maybe the nice super tele zoom that Sony makes for less than $300.

For the price you paid at discount, I don't think you'll lose either way. Our local CC just hiked the sticker prices up to original MSRP and then takes 20% off, not even beating the other electronics retailer's sale prices.

I told the manager today, "you're not low enough yet" and he responded, "the longer we have merchandise the longer I keep my job"

There's a good reason why CC is out of business imo. Just be ready to contact Sony if you have any issues, because there won't be a store there to back up your purchase.

 

[numbersyx]

Congrats on the a-300 but what's your problem with Nikon?

 

[ProwlingTiger]

For the price you paid at discount, I don't think you'll lose either way. Our local CC just hiked the sticker prices up to original MSRP and then takes 20% off, not even beating the other electronics retailer's sale prices.

I told the manager today, "you're not low enough yet" and he responded, "the longer we have merchandise the longer I keep my job"

There's a good reason why CC is out of business imo. Just be ready to contact Sony if you have any issues, because there won't be a store there to back up your purchase.

Yeah the sensor on it is truly awesome. I hope Sony can innovate the market some more and provide some healthy competition. I probably won't buy too many lenses for my Sony, unless I can pick up some good used ones like Minolta or maybe even some Sony lens.

Circuit City unfortunately had no control over their prices. Outside liquidators set the prices. The idea behind marking everything up to MSRP then taking, say, 10% off is that they can advertise it as "Going out of business. Big deals!...etc." And a lot of suckers fell for it. I talked around and kind of got an idea about when the good sales would be. Would've waited longer if they had more stock, but meh. Still a good deal. Save for the fact that Bestbuy and Wal-Mart have free reign now.

Congrats on the a-300 but what's your problem with Nikon?

I can't quite pinpoint it. I don't know if it's the button layout or the UI in the menus. I just wasn't efficient using a Nikon. I've no doubt they're excellent cameras though. A lot of my buds are shooting with Nikon, I just couldn't manage.

 

[Abstract]

So Circuit City said they had 1 a-350 left when I asked for that model. Of course they weren't allowed to hold it for me so I got in there within the hour. The price was something like $525~.

On the way there, I called back to see if I was wasting a trip. Turns out they had sold it, but they had 2 a-300's left. Which was what I was originally looking at buying a few months ago. The price was $410.

So I get in there and grabbed the second-to-last one. And I walked out with it for $440~ dollars. Not bad I say.

You're kind of lucky, because from what I read when the cameras were first released (a while ago, I understand), the reviews for the A-300 generally showed that the image quality from the A-300 was as good or better than that of the A-350.

So, I ask, all you who have mix-breed equipment: Was it worth it? How go things now?

I guess it depends on what type of lenses you get.

As a second body, I always planned on buying an Olympus E-420 with 25 mm f2.8 pancake lens. Every time I get a chance to play with one, it's smaller than I remember. Even Panasonic's G1 didn't seem as good because of the EVF. Also, it wasn't really THAT much smaller in real terms. Neither would fit in my pant pocket anyway, and both were significantly smaller than my Nikon D300. They'd fit in a jacket pocket though.

 

[NightGeometry]

As far as lenses go look out for old Minolta AF stuff. Some very good lenses, unfortunately the prices are pushing up as more people realise.

Kind of dual brand here, partner has an Olympus e510, I have a Sony Alpha. But we concentrate on expanding the Alpha, as the sensor seems a lot better. The annoying thing for us is the Alpha hot shoe, using the non-standard Minolta design (obviously). Got an adaptor flying its way over from HK though, so hopefully that'll fix that issue. Apart from that the biggest annoyance, as previously noted, is different batteries & chargers, just means one more thing to take with us if we are going away with both cameras - but we rarely do that, just take the Alpha, a decent p&s and an OM4

So I guess that makes us a three system household - 4/3, Alpha and OM...

 

[ProwlingTiger]

As far as lenses go look out for old Minolta AF stuff. Some very good lenses, unfortunately the prices are pushing up as more people realise.

Kind of dual brand here, partner has an Olympus e510, I have a Sony Alpha. But we concentrate on expanding the Alpha, as the sensor seems a lot better. The annoying thing for us is the Alpha hot shoe, using the non-standard Minolta design (obviously). Got an adaptor flying its way over from HK though, so hopefully that'll fix that issue. Apart from that the biggest annoyance, as previously noted, is different batteries & chargers, just means one more thing to take with us if we are going away with both cameras - but we rarely do that, just take the Alpha, a decent p&s and an OM4

So I guess that makes us a three system household - 4/3, Alpha and OM...

Thanks for the input! All the suggestions and such have helped me gain a sense of where I stand now. I'm looking for a ~50 - 200mm zoom lens now. What works good with the Alpha? If I could find an older Minolta....

 

[vandlism]

I have the A-350 and instead of the kit lens I primarily use the Tamron 28-75. It's a beautiful lens with a decent range. I've been looking for used Minolta lenses whenever I find a place that has them, but for new lenses I look to Tamron and Sigma.

 

[ProwlingTiger]

I have the A-350 and instead of the kit lens I primarily use the Tamron 28-75. It's a beautiful lens with a decent range. I've been looking for used Minolta lenses whenever I find a place that has them, but for new lenses I look to Tamron and Sigma.

Ditto that. I have a few Tamrons for my Canon. I'm torn, as I really want something in the 100-200 range, but I've found some decent 75's for my budget.

 

[NightGeometry]

Thanks for the input! All the suggestions and such have helped me gain a sense of where I stand now. I'm looking for a ~50 - 200mm zoom lens now. What works good with the Alpha? If I could find an older Minolta....

I've got the Sony 55-200, and like it. It does have some chromatic aberration, and for some reason not many people seem to like it. But for a reasonably useful zoom range, I think it's good (but then i am quite new to all this stuff). It's fairly cheap too.

I may look into the quoted Tamron, sounds good.