zackiedawg
WEDway Peoplemover Rider
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2008
Just to add to the Sony side of the discussion - not because I'm a brand fanboy or because it's better than any others, but because you've mentioned several times that it is standing out to you...
The value is pretty high as they are pricing fairly aggressively - the disadvantage of being the smaller players at #3 and #4 is having to lower the price a bit even for an equal product, because the Canon and Nikon ones will sell at higher prices regardless of content or value. Sort of like how Toyota never had to discount as much as the other manufacturers - it didn't mean they were better, just that they sold more and didn't need to be as price-competitive.
The battery issue would be completely solved if you decided on the A580 over the A55 - while the A55 has an average battery life and would likely prompt you to buy a backup, the A580 will last for eons. It's CIPA rated at well over 1,000 shots - but in real life, it will be very common to shoot 3,000-4,000 shots if shooting heavily or using burst, or to be able to shoot on 3 consecutive weekends at 300-500 per weekend on a single charge. Sony is also kind enough to add the battery meter feature to all their DSLRs and SLTs - like higher end models do on other brands - so you get an accurate, legit percentage remaining readout, rather than just a simple 4-LED bar.
As UKcat said, there are plenty of people shooting Sony and Pentax, but they're just outnumbered by those with Nikon and Canon. Back to the car analogy: Most of what you see on the road is probably Toyota, and maybe Chevrolet. Depending on where in the country you are, maybe it's Chevrolet and Ford. Or maybe Toyota and Ford. No matter which way you slice it, it's clear there are two or three brands that handily outsell the others. Yet all those others still exist, even thrive - they have fans, repeat buyers, successful business models, have been selling for over a hundred years, etc. You may not see as many on the road, but it doesn't make them in any way inferior or even unprofitable or unsuccessful. They simply know they're not #1 or #2, and cater to a smaller market - some manufacturers are highly successful catering to a small niche market (Porsche, Ferrari). Cameras are the same...you don't have to be one of the two top sellers to make an excellent product, or even to be a success.
I've shot with Canon, Pentax, Sony, and Fuji...Lately, Sony's DSLRs have matched me very well. I personally believe you won't get a bad camera between any of the major manufacturers (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic) in that market. Go with the feel, the features, the budget, and your heart - no matter which way you end up going, you'll have a great camera!
The value is pretty high as they are pricing fairly aggressively - the disadvantage of being the smaller players at #3 and #4 is having to lower the price a bit even for an equal product, because the Canon and Nikon ones will sell at higher prices regardless of content or value. Sort of like how Toyota never had to discount as much as the other manufacturers - it didn't mean they were better, just that they sold more and didn't need to be as price-competitive.
The battery issue would be completely solved if you decided on the A580 over the A55 - while the A55 has an average battery life and would likely prompt you to buy a backup, the A580 will last for eons. It's CIPA rated at well over 1,000 shots - but in real life, it will be very common to shoot 3,000-4,000 shots if shooting heavily or using burst, or to be able to shoot on 3 consecutive weekends at 300-500 per weekend on a single charge. Sony is also kind enough to add the battery meter feature to all their DSLRs and SLTs - like higher end models do on other brands - so you get an accurate, legit percentage remaining readout, rather than just a simple 4-LED bar.
As UKcat said, there are plenty of people shooting Sony and Pentax, but they're just outnumbered by those with Nikon and Canon. Back to the car analogy: Most of what you see on the road is probably Toyota, and maybe Chevrolet. Depending on where in the country you are, maybe it's Chevrolet and Ford. Or maybe Toyota and Ford. No matter which way you slice it, it's clear there are two or three brands that handily outsell the others. Yet all those others still exist, even thrive - they have fans, repeat buyers, successful business models, have been selling for over a hundred years, etc. You may not see as many on the road, but it doesn't make them in any way inferior or even unprofitable or unsuccessful. They simply know they're not #1 or #2, and cater to a smaller market - some manufacturers are highly successful catering to a small niche market (Porsche, Ferrari). Cameras are the same...you don't have to be one of the two top sellers to make an excellent product, or even to be a success.
I've shot with Canon, Pentax, Sony, and Fuji...Lately, Sony's DSLRs have matched me very well. I personally believe you won't get a bad camera between any of the major manufacturers (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic) in that market. Go with the feel, the features, the budget, and your heart - no matter which way you end up going, you'll have a great camera!
I didn't get to go look at them today because my dental work ran longer than expected (and cost more!!). So hopefully I can see them on Saturday.
. The Sony more expensive, bigger, has more MP, longer battery life, movable LCD, and lower noise at night.
