sticking with sony for the future?

lexie

lexie

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currently i have a sony a390 which is my first dslr, and don't get me wrong, i'm really happy with it. however, looking at the rest of the sony range i can't help feeling that it is quite restrictive. there seems to be a no equivalent to the canon xxd and nikon dxxx ranges. sony jump from the a500 series straight to the a800/900series' with nothing in between. i've been reading

in time i'd love to take my photography to a more serious level doing paid work if i can, as i'm sure a lot of the people on here would hope to do if they aren't already. obviously a beginer dslr (regardless of brand) isn't going to be the ideal tool to achieve this so i'd be needing to upgrade in time.

my predicament is this:

do i wait for sony to fill in the gaps in their range and hope that they can provide a decent rival to canon and nikon in the 'semi-pro' market.

OR

buy into one a more established system safe in the knowledge that the range is 'complete' if you like with lenses and accessories are more readily available.
 
Sony have stated there is a replacement coming out for the A700 but it seems it'll be SLT type, an A77. Most like in 2011 someplace. Plus there may be 4 new full frame lens coming, zeiss maybe, at least so the rumor goes.

Sounds like you can wait a bit and see before jumping ship at least.
 
"buy into one a more established system safe in the knowledge that the range is 'complete' if you like with lenses and accessories are more readily available."

This seems to be a regular criticism of the non Canon / Nikon systems but I wonder what you genuinely want to buy isn't available from Sony or the 3rd party manufacturers?
 
woof woof said:
"buy into one a more established system safe in the knowledge that the range is 'complete' if you like with lenses and accessories are more readily available."

This seems to be a regular criticism of the non Canon / Nikon systems but I wonder what you genuinely want to buy isn't available from Sony or the 3rd party manufacturers?
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lenses and accessories aren't as much of a problem as the lack of bodies sony provide. the a700 was discontinued and as myrdhinn says, it is likely to be replaced with an slt type camera which sony seem to be pushing at the minute.
i can't help thinking that sony will end up with a niche corner of the market whilst more mainstream manufacturers continue improving on 'conventional' technology. sony always seem to end up as the 'also ran' brand in any magazine/online comparison tests, this may well be due to the canon/nikon ass-kissing to keep them sweet as i'm sure advertising revenue from both is important to publishers.

in short, if sony could cater for every step in the market i'd be a lot more confident in sticking with them. i've only had this camera a few months and have no intention of getting rid of it, just considering my options for the future.
 
I think that Sony are rising stars and that Nikon and Canon may some day soon realise that they're not each others most deadly rival.

I think that Sony and Panasonic are the ones to watch.

I'd just sit tight and see what the future brings.
 
Sony make great cameras and lenses, there just isn't as much choice. If you want to buy (or sell) second hand, it's far worse.

They have a tiny DSLR market share (Nikon and Canon have over 80% between them) and Sony and Panasonic etc, while they are up and coming for sure, don't have much interest in the serious top end DSLR market, and are never likely to. Compacts and EVILs are where it's at for them.

Sony have had a good go at it with their A900 and Zeiss lenses, but to be brutally honest, have failed to make any significant impact. I wish them luck - Canikon need the competition - and I hope more more people buy Sony, but they won't be getting any of my money.
 
HoppyUK said:
Sony make great cameras and lenses, there just isn't as much choice. If you want to buy (or sell) second hand, it's far worse.

They have a tiny DSLR market share (Nikon and Canon have over 80% between them) and Sony and Panasonic etc, while they are up and coming for sure, don't have much interest in the serious top end DSLR market, and are never likely to. Compacts and EVILs are where it's at for them.Sony have had a good go at it with their A900 and Zeiss lenses, but to be brutally honest, have failed to make any significant impact. I wish them luck - Canikon need the competition - and I hope more more people buy Sony, but they won't be getting any of my money.
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see this is my worry. as i grow as a photographer i'm worried that sonys range might not grow with me. i'll be keeping my sony for the forseeable future and when i'm done with it it's small enough that my girlfriend is happy to use it-albeit in auto lol. i might be tempted to buy a canon/nikon second hand from here after xmas when people are offloading gear.
 
I'm sure I read on one of the rumour sites that some nice posh new full frame Zeiss lenses are due. I doubt that Sony are going to pull out of anything.
 
I looked at Sony before i settled, eventually on my current camera and what led me away from Sony was hoe their cameras felt in the hand and how limited they are / may become to me.
 
lexie said:
see this is my worry. as i grow as a photographer i'm worried that sonys range might not grow with me.
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I'd like to ask at this point what an A900 would not do that you might need it to and how you might outgrow one if you had one?

I've only had mine a month or so but haven't found anything beyond it so far. I'm not interested in taking on paid work though (and refuse if offered), since this is a hobby.
 
This whole "rising star" thing isn't new.

The exact same buzz always surrounded Minolta's top bodies - the Dynax 9xi and Dynax 9 were both supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced nikons. Neither one made a dent in the professional market, just as the A900 (which can easily be regarded as a Dynax 9D - the next pro model in the lineage) has failed to do.

Looking at the A900 as a body, it offers plenty for me - good framerate, great viewfinder, full frame. However, Sony offer precisely NONE of the lenses I want. The point is that the body in isolation is no good.

That's not to say sony can't do it... they could, if they were prepared to invest a huge amount more money. The problem is that it's entirely unlikely that they ever will - the pro market isn't worth so much, especially since they already make money off it by selling sensors to Nikon. The big money is made in the consumer market which is where sony are concentrating their efforts.
 
I have long thought that Sony are going to rival Nikon / Canon and I think if we hadn't entered the global recession they would be a darn sight closer than they are now. I think that they have stalled to some extent. I am still quite convinced that at some point in the future they will be competing with Nikon / Canon but I think that could still be 10 years away.

It is effectively a catch22 situation that to get the market share they want you really need the pros using the kit but without the system behind it and the options to hire etc. the business decision the pro has to make over which system will continue to fall to Nikon / Canon. If I was in your place I think I would have the same concerns and be looking at swapping.
 
To get the most out of Sony cameras you need to embrace some of the older Minolta lenses.

It makes Sony the best value for money for a serious amateur on a budget.

My set up before I switched from Sony was

A700
Sigma 10-20
Sigma 24-70 2.8
Minolta 70-210 F4
Minolta 50m 1.7

All the lenses effectively had VR and I paid about £600 for all 4 of them (second hand). That focal range at that price and quality is just not available in Canon or Nikon.

I have since switched to Nikon because I was willing to spend a lot more money.

Swiching is easy now days, I would concentrate on getting the best out of your current system and upgrade when you have a LOT more money to spend.
 
onomatopoeia said:
I'd like to ask at this point what an A900 would not do that you might need it to and how you might outgrow one if you had one?

I've only had mine a month or so but haven't found anything beyond it so far. I'm not interested in taking on paid work though (and refuse if offered), since this is a hobby.
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Well, you might want a top end pro body like a Nikon D3 or Canon 1D/1Ds, and some nice long lenses over 300mm to put on it. Also, the A900 needs an overhaul and is going to get seriously overtaken by the next range Canikon full framers.

You might want some alternatives to the few and expensive lens options lower down the focal length range. And if you're looking for used bargains, you won't find nearly as many.

For me to even consider Sony, and I don't think I'm particularly demanding or untypical, Sony would have to produce a camera that was both significantly better than rivals in a pretty major way (no sign of that) and be usefully cheaper. Otherwise, why should I?

mastertrinity said:
read somewhere on the sonyalpharumours website that Sony are actually aiming to gain 50% of the market in 2011, or something like that ;)
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50% share of what? The DSLR market, absolutely never - and I doubt they're bothered. But the EVIL market, quite possibly, and that's what they want.
 
Had a minolta 5D. (end of line just as sony bought and brought out their own).

Was a good camera, but I found that the main stream nikon had more functions and the lenses you find on ebay etc are more geared to nikon/canon.


Only things I can suggest are:
- wait n see
- borrow the other cameras in the mid to upper amateur (d90/d5000/d7000)/low pro (d300s)
- if you are borrowing cameras, also check out which lenses you might want to use and borrow those - perhaps a week of testing whilst on holiday?

Shoot the things you like using both bodies, see which gives you more control/pictures you want then you can invest in sony more or change brands. But note that if you have already invested in decent lenses you have already picked your brand ;) its a costly change... And places don't seem to give much back.


Alternatively see if you can meet up with some fellow photographers and compare the lenses/cameras. If you have a laptop/hd you could copy the pics to compare at leisure at home... also means you wont need to spend any money on borrowing, just getting somewhere where people will be.
 
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