New Sony a33 and totally overwhelmed...

[tamimouse]

I am looking forward to learning more about this camera, but wow, there is a lot to learn! Could someone help me with lenses? I am planning on using it to take pics of my DD playing BB, Disney vacations etc. A 18-55mm f3.5-5.6mm came with it. I am looking for something more telephoto. Do any of these sound good?

18-250mm f3.5-6.3
55-200mm f4-5.6

Is there something else I should look for?

Thanks so much for any help!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Congratulations on your new camera!! I've had the A55 for several months and think the Axx's are great.

I also have the 18-250 lens and always feel comfortable in recommending it. It's a very nice lens with a great range. As with most super zooms it is not going to be great for shooting in low light but is very capable in good lighting. I think that Tamron has finally released their 18-270mm in the Sony mount and would be another good option.

I think by BB you meant basketball? When taking pictures indoors the best type of lens is one with a large, constant aperture - 2.8 or faster like 1.7 or 1.4. Depending on your budget there are various options such as a 70-200 f2.8 zoom that will cost from $700-1700. For basketball you could also do a fast prime lens and sit close to the court. The Sony 50mm f1.8 ($150) or a used Minolta autofocus 50mm f1.7 (approx $80-100). Maybe the Sony 85mm f2.8. If your budget is larger there are a few other options as well.

It never hurts to try bumping up the ISO on your camera and try the zoom in a gym with good lighting. The thing to watch for is the shutter speed you're able to get.

 

[zackiedawg]

Ditto the recommendation on the Sony 18-250mm as a great all around lens with some good range - I've had one for years and love it - it's my go-to travel lens and all purpose lens. There will be lenses better for specific duties at telephoto - but few if any have the flexibility to shoot any type of scene you may encounter. I'd advise one thing though - if you intend to use the lens to shoot video a lot, you will likely pick up the sound of the focus through the microphones...it wasn't a lens designed with video in mind. The newer Tamron 18-270mm may be somewhat better for this purpose as it apparently has a quiet focus system. Optically, they'd both be fine choices, and if video isn't important, than the Sony 18-250 or Tamron 18-250 would both be fine as well (note that Tamron actually makes the 18-250 for Sony, so optically the Tamron version of the lens is identical - there are a few tweaks Sony made to the gearing and grip design).

 

[Bell30012]

I recently sold my Sony a350 and will soon be purchasing a a33 or a55. I'm really looking forward to the x shot per second...

 

[vandort]

I agree with Kathy and Justin's comments. I own the Sony 18-250mm lens. Because of the versatility and image quality of this lens, I use it all of the time. For a low light, fast lens, I use a Sigma 30mm f1.4.