Change from Sony to Canon/Nikon

brinty

Hi all,

Am a pretty enthusiastic amateur, but would like to do more photography..Currently have a Sony A200, with 18-70 and 50-300 kit lenses and some accesories.. lens add-ons, macro kit and filters etc

I would like to put more time and effort into my photography but think i need to invest in a 2nd hand higher spec model, using the a200 as a back up secondary camera. I feel the need to change over to canon/nikon as they have better functionality, better and a wider range of lenses and take better photo's, plus very few pro photographers i've seen use higher end Sony. It was suggested that i get a 2nd hand Canon 5d but to get one and even a normal kit lense your looking at 1k.

Firstly should I invest further in the Sony or save the money and get the Canon 5D.

Secondly, could anyone who has experince of the change over from Sony give me some advice based on their experiences

Gregor Samsa

If I were you, I'd go into a camera shop and try out the current Sony, Canon, Nikon, Pentax (etc) cameras in your price range and see what suits you.

To address your specific concerns:

Functionality:

Functionality increases with model level. Your A200 is the very lowest end of the Sony DSLR scale, introduced in 2008. A lot has happened in the past 4 years, across all brands. The current higher spec Sonys offer lost of functionality that your A200 doesn't, as to the other brands. They'll have many things that the equivalent Canon/Nikons have, a few things that they don't have, and be missing some things that the others have. But that's the same for any camera from any brand. What functionality specifically are you missing?

Lenses:

It may be true that Canon & Nikon have more lenses in their catalogue than Sony, but is there a particular lens that you need that's missing form Sony's lineup? I think Sony pretty much have all bases covered at this stage, plus there's Sigma, Tamron and Tokina (amongst others) making third party lenses. Also remember, that your Sony can use all those old Minolta A mount lenses. I think the main issue with Sony lenses is that there's less of them available second hand than the big two, so that could certainly be a factor.

Taking better pictures:

For the most part, that's not up to the camera, that's up to the photographer. Sure, there's some shots you won't get if you don't have a certain feature or spec. Or image quality might be slightly less with a nosier camera or whatever. But there are people taking absolutely top quality photos with phones. Don't think that any other camera (be it Sony or Canon/Nikon) will make you a better photographer.

Regarding Pros:

There are a few pros using Sony. Maybe not many (any) in Ireland, I don't know. But the main issue with pros is that they often require a very high level of support for fixes and issues, and Canon/Nikon have that in place for them (CPS and NPS respectively). The kind of support that people who can't be without a camera for a day need. But theres eligibility criteria for that kind of support. Are you planning on going pro? By the way, regarding support Conns in Dublin seem to offer very good after sales support on all brands (including Sony) that would probably suit the enthusiastic amateur. Other shops might too.

If you're looking at the very high end, Sony have nothing to match the Canon EOS-1D X or the Nikon D4.

If you're looking at full frame, Sony only currently have the A99.

Also, Sony are moving fully over to Electronic View Finders. They have their advantages and disadvantages. (You may love or loath them, it's a personal preference.)

You're certainly not too invested in Sony with only two entry level lenses to make a switch. And if you wanted to keep the A200 as a second camera, many people successfully keep two systems on the go.

But if you're buying another camera, find the one that suits you. Try them out, don't go off recommendations or reviews or spec sheets. Get yourself into a few camera shops.

DaireQuinlan

brinty wrote: »

Hi all,

Am a pretty enthusiastic amateur, but would like to do more photography..Currently have a Sony A200, with 18-70 and 50-300 kit lenses and some accesories.. lens add-ons, macro kit and filters etc

I would like to put more time and effort into my photography but think i need to invest in a 2nd hand higher spec model, using the a200 as a back up secondary camera. I feel the need to change over to canon/nikon as they have better functionality, better and a wider range of lenses and take better photo's, plus very few pro photographers i've seen use higher end Sony. It was suggested that i get a 2nd hand Canon 5d but to get one and even a normal kit lense your looking at 1k.

Firstly should I invest further in the Sony or save the money and get the Canon 5D.

What do you feel you're missing in your current camera ? A Sony A200 is a better image taking machine than 99.9% of cameras produced over the entire 200 year history of photography. It's surpassed in marginal and mostly irrelevent ways only by other cameras that have been made since. All brands are functionally the same, you're not going to improve your photography one iota by changing brands. This in particular ... "canon/nikon ... take better photo's (sic)" is completely and absolutely untrue.

Not to be too harsh, but the problem isn't with your camera body, the problem is with you. Buying a bunch of (other brand) gear isn't going to do anything for your photography, only you can do that. And you're best off doing it with your current gear than by chasing phantoms.

brinty

Thanks for response Phutyle, very detailed, thanks for sharing the knowledge

Daire, bit harsh there...i already know that the camera is only a tool and takes the images i tell it to take... and the problems if any lie with me..Am only asking for opinions as to whether to save money or invest further in my current camera..NOT A LECTURE....

dirtyghettokid

at the end of the day you need to do what YOU want.
i started off with nikon, and then went canon, but i keep both systems. there's nothing saying you can't keep your sony system and try out something else.
you need to meet up with some fellow photographers and try out different cameras -- see which one suits you best!

magicbastarder

brinty wrote: »

Daire, bit harsh there...i already know that the camera is only a tool and takes the images i tell it to take... and the problems if any lie with me..Am only asking for opinions as to whether to save money or invest further in my current camera..NOT A LECTURE....

he asked what you felt your camera was lacking, which is the most pertinent detail you could supply in helping people with advice on what you should do.

brinty

Cheers for that DGK... a bit of sensible advice and thats what i'd be planning on doing in using the sony as a secondary camera
Magic, its a matter of interpretation on Daire's response...seemed a bit personal was all i was implying and he made out as if i was a bit of an idiot.. but again s/he might not have meant that at all...
As i say above i was thinking of changing and using a better spec'd of camera, having the sony as a back up..and what were peoples thoughts on it

dirtyghettokid

i'm not sure if i will fully swap over to canon, but i researched for about six months to find the perfect camera for me (at the time) and the 5D2 ticked all the boxes. you should make a short list of the camera features you need/want a camera to have and then find cameras that have most of those. then see if someone you know has one and try it out. that was the deciding factor for me in the end.

brinty

Thanks DGK
Thats sound advice, i'll look into that.

Tallon

Is it a 50-300 or 70-300 you have?

If you're interested in selling it, let me know please

Also, I had the A200, then got a A230 and now have a A33. It does everything I want, and has 1080p HD video. I love it

The plan is to eventually get the full frame Sony at some stage, but they're mad money at the moment

inkedpt

brinty wrote: »

Secondly, could anyone who has experince of the change over from Sony give me some advice based on their experiences

Hi Brinty

My first camera was a Sony A290. Presently I have a Canon 60d and the reason that led me to purchase a new camera was simple... I broke the Sony.

On paper the Canon 60d is better then the Sony A290 but for me in the beginning of the learning curve any of them will do. Having said that, I like to believe that my photography has improved with the arrival of the Canon, not because of the camera itself but because it was a good incentive having this new gadget and try to understand how it works, something that I never truly did with the Sony.

I changed brands because I found it is easier to get second hand and third party lenses/accessories for Canon.
I went for the Canon because it was less expensive cheaper then the Nikon

Two important (or not) features that I can point are:
The battery - You can go out a full day and take hundreds of photos with the Canon without worries
Live View - There is none on the a290

Just to finish... if you feel that your Sony has nothing else to offer, you have reached that point where your camera is holding you back go for a new and more advance one! Whatever of the major brands you choose will be a good choice they are all good.

Dazzling D

Lots of momentum with Sony imaging at the minute with them buying a controlling share of Olympus and Hasselblad tying a part of their future to Sony's technology. Many brands, including Nikon, are already using Sony sensors as they are the largest manufacturer of both CCD and CMOS sensors.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/11/3485656/sony-rx1-a99-nex-6-hands-on-sample-pictures

Sony are really innovating with the NEX line, their SLT technology, OLED viewfinders (which I'm a big fan of), full frame sensors in compact cams and much more. I personally think the big two brands have become a bit complacent.

Have a look at the SLT-A77 which I think has rated very highly this year.

brinty

thanks guys...great advice