looking to get a DSLR help choose!

cyclopopcicle

cyclopopcicle

cyclopopcicle

Associate
Joined
30 Aug 2003
Posts
1,418
hi
i have a fulji S5700 bridge camera at the moment, which is great, but i am left wanting!

i dont have a very high budget, and for this reason i have selected the cams here

*Sony Alpha A300 £349.00 comes with 18-70mm, and for £479 can get it with "Sony Alpha A300 + 18-70mm Lens + Sandisk 4GB Extreme III Compactflash Card + Tamron 70-300mm F4/5.6 DI LD Macro (Sony)"

*Sony Alpha A200 £274.00 comes with 18-70mm, and for £464 can get it with "Sony Alpha A200 + 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens + Sandisk Extreme III 8GB CompactFlash + Tamron 70-300mm F4/5.6 DI LD Macro (Sony)"

*Pentax Km Twin Digital £379.99 comes with 18-55mm & 50-200mm Lenses

your opinions on these cams would be appreciated?

cheers
cyc
 
I take it you're keen on having a Sony or Pentax? Have you been to a shop and tried these in the flesh?

The Tamron lens isn't as good as the Sigma 70-300 APO, which is available in that fit, but for £130 I suppose it's fair value with the card as well.
 
A.N.Other said:
I take it you're keen on having a Sony or Pentax? Have you been to a shop and tried these in the flesh?

The Tamron lens isn't as good as the Sigma 70-300 APO, which is available in that fit, but for £130 I suppose it's fair value with the card as well.
Click to expand...

a friend of mine has recently bought the A200, and was quite impressed with it, but no it doesnt have to be a sony or pentax
 
Im a huge pentax fan, but if your budget is so important then i would suggest you look at some 2nd hand ones. Should give you a bit more scope. Have a look at the Pentax K10D.

But that A300 deal doesnt look bad :)
 
The A200 & A300 are basically the same camera except in the viewfinder & LCD display department.
The A300 gains Liveview on a pivotable display but at the cost of a smaller optical viewfinder.
Basically it comes down to how important that you feel that LiveView is to you.

If you look around you can get an A200 c/w kit 18-70mm for ~£250, the Tamron for ~£120 & a 4Gb Extreme III for ~£20.
 
As an invested Canon man my choice is going to be rather skew, but I'd personally look at toward a 1000D/400D + Nifty Fifty; you'll be limited in what you can do, but it's perfect starter kit for someone looking to develop their skills and move on from Bridge gear.
If secondhand doesn't phase you, 30Ds can be found for <£300 very readily now. Again, couple this with a quality budget lens and you can get a nice little combo together for well under £500 and a system you will arguably see a far greater return from in years to come.

All this aside, however; the A300 deal looks a good bet from the choices you've got there.
 
cyclopopcicle said:
the A200 uses Sony "a" Lenses whilst the A300 can use (Konica) Minolta AF , Sony "a" Lenses or am i being daft, and its the same thing?
Click to expand...
they both use the same Minolta AF/Sony Alpha mount so any lens (Minolta, Konica Minolta, Sigma, Sony, Tamron, Tokina etc.) in that mount (which goes back to ~1985) will work.

what we should be asking is what do you intend taking photos of to see if the lens choice suits your needs.
 
Last edited:
BUFF said:
they both use the same Minolta AF/Sony Alpha mount so any lens (Minolta, Konica Minolta, Sigma, Sony, Tamron, Tokina etc.) in that mount (which goes back to ~1985) will work.

what we should be asking is what do you intend taking photos of to see if the lens choice suits your needs.
Click to expand...

a broad range of stuff really, portraits/snap shots of the family, landscapes, fast moving objects (RC helicopters), and would like to do some close up stuff.
so an all rounder! tall order i know
 
The New Niko D5000 would be my pick based on specs.

The Canon 1000D, or find a 2nd hand Canon 400D or Nikon D40/D50/D60 for budget choices.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom