Changing DSLR Brands

[1Grumpy9]

I am a current and life long Minolta/Sony camera user and after hearing some discouraging news about the new Sony DSLR's, I am thinking about changing over to Cannon's. Since I have never used a Cannon camera I need some advice.

I am looking at the T2i, T3 or T3i...I have read about some of the advantages of the T3i, but I am no where near a pro and I mainly shoot hockey games and NASCAR races. So a lot of my shots are action shots. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[HPS3]

I used to have the T2i and thought it was a good camera but wasn't for me. I sold it and bought the D5100 and love it. If I were to choose between the Canons I would get the T3i just because it has the swivel screen which comes in handy for stills and video.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

 

[bob100]

I am a current and life long Minolta/Sony camera user and after hearing some discouraging news about the new Sony DSLR's, I am thinking about changing over to Cannon's. Since I have never used a Cannon camera I need some advice.

I am looking at the T2i, T3 or T3i...I have read about some of the advantages of the T3i, but I am no where near a pro and I mainly shoot hockey games and NASCAR races. So a lot of my shots are action shots. Any advice would be appreciated.

The older Canon T2i (550D) is pretty good compared to the competition -
http://www.popphoto.com/gear/2010/05/camera-test-canon-eos-rebel-t2i

but if you're mainly shooting action shots - hockey, races, sports, etc. look at the 60D or 50D - higher FPS, buffer and AF other features -

http://www.popphoto.com/gear/2011/01/lab-test-canon-60d

 

[CookingWithMickey]

I am a current and life long Minolta/Sony camera user and after hearing some discouraging news about the new Sony DSLR's, I am thinking about changing over to Cannon's. Since I have never used a Cannon camera I need some advice.

I am looking at the T2i, T3 or T3i...I have read about some of the advantages of the T3i, but I am no where near a pro and I mainly shoot hockey games and NASCAR races. So a lot of my shots are action shots. Any advice would be appreciated.

I currently own a Sony DSLR, I too have been a life long Minolta/Sony user, and am looking into getting the a65 when it comes out. I'm curious as too what you've heard. I hate to drop that much money on a new camera if there is something negative going on.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[ukcatfan]

I would like to hear what you heard as well. I have personally thought that they were doing really well. I am not ready to leave Pentax at all, but I have always thought that Sony is where I would move if I had to make a move. The high buffer rates of the Axx series seems like it would be a really nice feature for action. It is probably 3 to 4 times faster than the Canon Rebel series. I have also heard that getting used to the LCD viewfinder is easier than you might expect. It is supposedly a lot better than one on a p&s.

 

[1Grumpy9]

I have a friend that has a small photography studio that just bought the A55 last week. She went to use it a low light situation and it doesn't do well in low light. She is also a Disney fanatic and was looking forward to taking pictures on darker rides and she was trying out the darker settings this past weekend and it wouldn't work for her. Basically with the new technology, the camera tries to show you what the end photo will look like before you even take the photo itself. It's been a complaint for awhile and unless you KNOW to ask about it when researching (with it being new technology, how would you assume this would be something you look for) you'd never know.


I picked up an A55 at Best Buy to just look at it, hold it, and try it out before buying and I was less than enthused with the EVF. I have a digital camera that has an EVF and I don't need another one that is only a DSLR.

I have been very brand loyal to Sony/Minolta, that it is very hard for me to leave them, but it is getting to a point that I need to start looking at a different company. I want a true DSLR. I thought the mirrorless camera would be the way to go, but after hearing my friends account of using it, I don't think so.

 

[boBQuincy]

... the camera tries to show you what the end photo will look like before you even take the photo itself. It's been a complaint for awhile...

My Panasonic G3 has that feature but it can be switched on or off, perhaps Sony has that option too. It is not all bad but I do like having the choice.

I picked up an A55 at Best Buy to just look at it, hold it, and try it out before buying and I was less than enthused with the EVF. I have a digital camera that has an EVF and I don't need another one that is only a DSLR.

EVFs are the future, only some pro models will still have an optical viewfinder in maybe as little as a couple years. EVFs are rapidly getting better and in some cases already outdo optical VFs but I understand the reasons for wanting an optical VF. Still, switching brands may not buy much time.

On switching brands (as I recently did) it can be an expensive plan. Camera body, wide, normal, telephoto, and low light lenses, batteries, filters, tripod clamp, remote release.. it can easily go past $2000 even with an entry level camera!

 

[mom2rtk]

Gosh.... usually not much popcorn over here. If we run low, I have some friends on the theme parks board who would probably share.....





OP..... I don't know much about the Sony issue. But I have a Canon T2i and love it. But when I was shooting my son running cross country, I frequently filled my buffer wished I had more frames per second. The 60D has higher fps but I think some of the other makers do better.

 

[KCmike]

Interesting post. I've always wondered if people who bought a body and a lens or two and wondered if they felt like they made the wrong decision. Once you go down a road it does feel like your stuck on that path. This hobby can be very expensive indeed. I did try/hold both a Nikon and Canon when I was first deciding on which one to pull the trigger on. Canon just felt better to me. The price at the time was also helpful for me to jump from my point and shoots to the slr world. I don't know much about the Sony line but I also thought that they we're doing very well. It seemed like I had heard nothing but good things from their users. I will stay tuned.

Janet I would like to add some popcorn to this thread.

 

[mom2rtk]

Janet I would like to add some popcorn to this thread.

LOL! Anyone else?



I just bought the first sub $1K DSLR available (in 04) and haven't looked back. That camer paid for itself in saved film and developing costs in probably less than a year. Now that I have a few decent lenses, I can't ever imagine switching.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I am a current and life long Minolta/Sony camera user and after hearing some discouraging news about the new Sony DSLR's, I am thinking about changing over to Cannon's. Since I have never used a Cannon camera I need some advice.

I am looking at the T2i, T3 or T3i...I have read about some of the advantages of the T3i, but I am no where near a pro and I mainly shoot hockey games and NASCAR races. So a lot of my shots are action shots. Any advice would be appreciated.

I would like to know what discouraging news you heard about the Sony DSLR's. I normally don't shoot Sony, but I have used their cameras and found them to be very capable. Currently the sensor in my Pentax K5, the Nikon 5100, Nikon 7000 and the Sony A580 are all Sony sensors. This is a highly touted APS-C sensor and some would say the best currently on the market. One thing to remember is that Sony also has their fixed translucent mirror cameras with the EVF. These tend to not work as well in lowlight. Zackiedawg shoots Sony and is extremely pleased with the output. He can give you all the particulars. If I was shooting Nascar races, which I do (I'm a staff photographer at Chicagoland Speedway) and shooting Sony, I would use their A580 and not their translucent mirror cameras. While I admit most pros shooting racing use Nikon or Canon (many FF), I am seeing an influx of Sony cameras.

 

[LordAthens]

I'm curious about the discouraging news as well. I'm not a Sony fan by any means, but they're latest round of bodies are pretty nice. As mentioned by others, they use a similar (if not identical) sensor to some of the newest Nikon's and they're noise levels are really quite good. Can you compare them to a D3S or even a D700? No, but those are full frame sensors. I'm quite impressed with the specs on their new A77. I will agree that EVF's might not be perfect right now, but I think they'll get that fixed up in the next gen of bodies. A HUGE bonus to the Sony's is they use phase detect AF, all the time, including live view and video. That's a really nice feature. It's quite a bit overkill on the resolution, but I don't forsee manufactures ever stop increasing the resolution for quite sometime, it's to big of a marketing tool even if it doesn't mean much in real life.

Really my biggest beef is a quality lens selection. It has gotten better, but still nowhere near the breadth that CaNikon has. The 3rd party support, again getting better, but there are still instances where they only make a lens in a CaNikon mount and nothing more.

Now, if you're wanting to switch because you don't like the lens selection, you don't feel that the body is heavy duty enough (compared to a prosumer, weather sealed, magnesium framed body like a D700 / D7000 / D300, etc) or you simply don't like the ergonomics of the Sony, sure, switch. But I've seen shots that come out of the recent crop of Sony's and they're every bit as good as a CaNikon setup, IMO.

 

[wbeem]

Interesting post. I've always wondered if people who bought a body and a lens or two and wondered if they felt like they made the wrong decision. Once you go down a road it does feel like your stuck on that path. This hobby can be very expensive indeed. I did try/hold both a Nikon and Canon when I was first deciding on which one to pull the trigger on. Canon just felt better to me. The price at the time was also helpful for me to jump from my point and shoots to the slr world. I don't know much about the Sony line but I also thought that they we're doing very well. It seemed like I had heard nothing but good things from their users. I will stay tuned.

When I chose a DSLR, I knew it would be Nikon or Canon. Both are very capable brands. I ended up choosing the Nikon D70 because I liked the way it felt in my hand better than the comparable Canon at the time.

Along the way, I started questioning my decision because Nikon had absolutely horrible performance at high ISO. Going up to ISO 800 was a nightmare, but Canon shooters were posting nice images at ISO 1600. It seriously made me question switching.

As it turns out, Nikon made a breakthrough and now it's the high ISO champ. I was shooting my D700 in Spaceship Earth at ISO 12,800 last week and I have some usable images. The new D4 even blows that high ISO number away.

I think there is always some bit of "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence" going on, but it may be due to a limited perspective. For example, I was trying to handhold everything and I needed a faster shutter speed in low light. Turns out I much prefer shooting on a tripod now, despite having a very good low-light camera. I spend more time shooting at the native ISO 200 than going up into the stratosphere ISO ranges.

Almost every camera on the market these days is capable of taking some images with outstanding quality. Why do we worry so much about what they can't do rather than take advantage of their strengths?

 

[zackiedawg]

I have a friend that has a small photography studio that just bought the A55 last week. She went to use it a low light situation and it doesn't do well in low light.

This could just be a matter of adapting to the differences of how an EVF system works - the EVF of the Sony SLT models is much different from that of a P&S camera, and it is changeable as to settings for exposure simulation or not...also, the camera's focus system operates identically to a DSLR, so it should perform no differently in low light. The sensor in the A55 is one of the top-rated DSLR sensors on the market, with the A55's translucent mirror costing roughly 1/3 of a stop of light.

I have been very brand loyal to Sony/Minolta, that it is very hard for me to leave them, but it is getting to a point that I need to start looking at a different company. I want a true DSLR. I thought the mirrorless camera would be the way to go, but after hearing my friends account of using it, I don't think so.

'

May I ask precisely what model of Sony you are currently using? There are several upgrade possibilities that may work for you - note the A55 is a bit old-in-the-tooth, having been released over a year ago - the newer A35, 65, and 77 also use EVFs, but there have been slight changes to the tech, and the EVFs on the A65 & A77 are 2nd gen - said to be much better than those on the A55s.

Also, there is a Sony DSLR model that came out the same time as the A55, one with a traditional optical viewfinder and flipping mirror - and also with the same excellent 16MP sensor that resides in so many models of camera nowadays...the A580. It may end up being Sony's last traditional DSLR, but also allows you to get current modern tech, top of the line sensor, and heavily upgraded focus speed, buffer, battery life, focus points, etc than most previous Sony DSLRs and current SLTs. And with much of the future pointing to EVFs being more and more common, they will continue to work on the current flaws and compromises so future generation EVFs can legitimately replace the OVF for a majority of shooters. The A580 is available at excellent prices, and very likely represents a serious upgrade for the type of shooting you intend to do (battery life CIPA rated over 1,000 shots, huge buffer for continuous shooting, 5fps burst shooting with full focus & exposure, or 7fps speed burst with fixed focus, the best live view system of any DSLR with phase-detect AF and full burst capability in live view, tilting LCD screen, expanded focus points over previous model with additional cross sensors, and excellent high ISO performance for low light shooting up to ISO12800, and a trick multistacking ISO mode, along with a raft of other features...all for around $800. Something to consider.

 

[1Grumpy9]

This could just be a matter of adapting to the differences of how an EVF system works - the EVF of the Sony SLT models is much different from that of a P&S camera, and it is changeable as to settings for exposure simulation or not...also, the camera's focus system operates identically to a DSLR, so it should perform no differently in low light. The sensor in the A55 is one of the top-rated DSLR sensors on the market, with the A55's translucent mirror costing roughly 1/3 of a stop of light.

'

May I ask precisely what model of Sony you are currently using? There are several upgrade possibilities that may work for you - note the A55 is a bit old-in-the-tooth, having been released over a year ago - the newer A35, 65, and 77 also use EVFs, but there have been slight changes to the tech, and the EVFs on the A65 & A77 are 2nd gen - said to be much better than those on the A55s.

Also, there is a Sony DSLR model that came out the same time as the A55, one with a traditional optical viewfinder and flipping mirror - and also with the same excellent 16MP sensor that resides in so many models of camera nowadays...the A580. It may end up being Sony's last traditional DSLR, but also allows you to get current modern tech, top of the line sensor, and heavily upgraded focus speed, buffer, battery life, focus points, etc than most previous Sony DSLRs and current SLTs. And with much of the future pointing to EVFs being more and more common, they will continue to work on the current flaws and compromises so future generation EVFs can legitimately replace the OVF for a majority of shooters. The A580 is available at excellent prices, and very likely represents a serious upgrade for the type of shooting you intend to do (battery life CIPA rated over 1,000 shots, huge buffer for continuous shooting, 5fps burst shooting with full focus & exposure, or 7fps speed burst with fixed focus, the best live view system of any DSLR with phase-detect AF and full burst capability in live view, tilting LCD screen, expanded focus points over previous model with additional cross sensors, and excellent high ISO performance for low light shooting up to ISO12800, and a trick multistacking ISO mode, along with a raft of other features...all for around $800. Something to consider.

I am using a Sony A300 with a non-functioning LCD screen and a Konica Minolta 5D and the 5D is working much better than the A300. I used the 5D over the weekend and my pictures are much better with that than the A300.

My friend that just returned the A55 was told by a Sony rep that the A580 is the last traditional DSLR that they are making.

 

[zackiedawg]

I am using a Sony A300 with a non-functioning LCD screen and a Konica Minolta 5D and the 5D is working much better than the A300. I used the 5D over the weekend and my pictures are much better with that than the A300.

My friend that just returned the A55 was told by a Sony rep that the A580 is the last traditional DSLR that they are making.

Gotcha - I actually had the A300 myself...mine was a good camera, but unfortunately low light/high ISO wasn't it's forte.

Your friend received the same info that we've all heard too - noone unfortunately knows for 100% sure, but it does appear the A580 might be the last traditional DSLR, as the SLT design matures and evolves, Sony at least currently seems to feel confident it can be a suitable replacement. I can say the A55 to me was not a suitable replacement for DSLRs for my personal needs...I looked at the A77 when it came out and it has answered many of the problems I had with the A55...and is much closer to being a suitable replacement for a DSLR for my needs (though not quite). So in just one generation, the 5 or 6 major things that I felt I could not adapt to with the A55 were addressed, leaving for me only 2 primary issues on the A77. I'm fairly confident that Sony might indeed be able to make the SLTs suitable for DSLR users. But there also remains the possibility that Sony renegs on their plans and actually does make another DSLR...the market will decide that one.

The A580's capabilities are orders-of-magnitude greater than your A300 (and Minolta) - in so many respects it's a vastly superior DSLR. It is in fact ranking right up with the best DSLRs on the market in performance, and an excellent bargain. Focus speed, image stabilization, high ISO usability, focus in low light, battery life, buffer size, burst speed, live view system, optical viewfinder size, controls, feature set, metering accuracy...the A580 trounces the A300 as is to be expected in 2-3 generations of improvement. I am a semi-pro shooter, and shoot action, birds in flight, and low light more than any other subjects...the A580 is a stunningly good camera for my needs and I wouldn't want to use any other.

But I can't say I'm 100% against SLTs - they may be the future - and I can say they as yet haven't quite met all my needs well enough to convert me. But I also can say I think they will evolve, and that my very few worries will be addresssed (battery life, buffer speed, panning stagger). As for the low light issue you mentioned with exposure simulation, most Sony SLTs I've seen can disable this so the EVF isn't trying to show you the final result on screen, but whatever you're seeing).

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My friend that just returned the A55 was told by a Sony rep that the A580 is the last traditional DSLR that they are making.

Zackiedawg is right. The market determines cameras of the future, for all manufacturers. Technology is evolving rapidly, and SLRs may become, at some point, obsolete. Admittedly hard to imagine, but the writing's on the wall. (It sounds as if Sony is committed, however, to supporting their dSLR users if they choose to continue using them.)

Here's what Mark Weir, Senior Manager of Technology and Marketing, Sony Electronics Inc., has to say about it:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/new...will-mirror-based-cameras-be-a-distant-memory

 

[1Grumpy9]

The A580's capabilities are orders-of-magnitude greater than your A300 (and Minolta) - in so many respects it's a vastly superior DSLR. It is in fact ranking right up with the best DSLRs on the market in performance, and an excellent bargain. Focus speed, image stabilization, high ISO usability, focus in low light, battery life, buffer size, burst speed, live view system, optical viewfinder size, controls, feature set, metering accuracy...the A580 trounces the A300 as is to be expected in 2-3 generations of improvement. I am a semi-pro shooter, and shoot action, birds in flight, and low light more than any other subjects...the A580 is a stunningly good camera for my needs and I wouldn't want to use any other.

But I can't say I'm 100% against SLTs - they may be the future - and I can say they as yet haven't quite met all my needs well enough to convert me. But I also can say I think they will evolve, and that my very few worries will be addresssed (battery life, buffer speed, panning stagger). As for the low light issue you mentioned with exposure simulation, most Sony SLTs I've seen can disable this so the EVF isn't trying to show you the final result on screen, but whatever you're seeing).

You make me rethink switching and just getting the A580. I am no where near pro or semi-pro...I am more of a hobby photographer. I love taking pictures especially at the AHL hockey games or the NASCAR races. I also go to Nashville in June for CMA fest that I take an average of 1900 pictures. I love the tilt screen on my A300 because of shooting above the crowd there (since I sit on the floor).

My big turn of on the A55 and others is the battery life. I have read that they suck!!! If they would improve that, I would rethink it, but I don't want to be charging my batteries after one hockey game or having to switch out my batteries during a race.

With the A580, I can use my same batteries and I could use my battery grip that I have already. The only thing I really need is the body for the A580. I have the lenses, so it is a hard decision. If I get the A580 and it lasts me another 5 years, the technology "should" be better on the SLT's that I can invest in a new camera.

 

[zackiedawg]

You make me rethink switching and just getting the A580. I am no where near pro or semi-pro...I am more of a hobby photographer. I love taking pictures especially at the AHL hockey games or the NASCAR races. I also go to Nashville in June for CMA fest that I take an average of 1900 pictures. I love the tilt screen on my A300 because of shooting above the crowd there (since I sit on the floor).

That alone might be one of the biggest things you'll miss going to another DSLR brand - using the LCD and tilt screen to shoot with. The Sony live view systems are the only DSLR-based live view that can continue to shoot exactly the same in live view as they do in standard mode - they keep using the phase-detect AF system, and they have no delays when pressing the shutter and shooting. All other DSLR live view systems have to work off the main sensor, move the mirror out of the way and use a contrast-based focus system that's very slow, or flip the mirror up and down to focus, and all have a fairly lengthy delay when you press the shutter to get the shot. I love Sony's live view system which I use when I need off-angle shots that would require me to get into a very uncomfortable or dangerous position - with the live view, I don't have to.

My big turn of on the A55 and others is the battery life. I have read that they suck!!! If they would improve that, I would rethink it, but I don't want to be charging my batteries after one hockey game or having to switch out my batteries during a race.

Me too - actually, I don't know if they 'suck' compared to all cameras, but certainly compared to your A300 and many other DSLRs which can shoot 800-1000 CIPA-rated shots on a charge...the SLT models are rated more like 350-400...so figure a bit less than 1/2 the battery life of a solid DSLR. They may be able to increase that in the future by using the larger batteries, or working on the energy-consumption of the EVF systems...but for now, I also prefer the much longer battery life on my A580. I can shoot 3,000+ shots on a charge without a problem...and I have spare batteries because I can use my old A550 or A300 batteries in the A580.

I have the lenses, so it is a hard decision. If I get the A580 and it lasts me another 5 years, the technology "should" be better on the SLT's that I can invest in a new camera.

That's pretty much my thinking. SLTs weren't ready for my needs when they debuted - I was using the A550. When the 2nd generation came out, they were improved in many ways, but still not quite what I was looking for - so I went with the A580. By the time I'm needing a new camera, I'm hoping the 3rd or 4th gen SLTs (or whatever new technology might take over at that time - mirrorless with phase-detect on the sensor?) will be ready to serve the needs of traditional OVF DSLR users. If not, I'll worry about crossing that bridge when I get there. For now, the A580 is perfect for me - a significant improvement over the already-excellent A550, and a far leap since my first Sony DSLR, the A300. I keep a gallery of all shots I post from my A580 - feel free to browse if it gives you some idea of the camera's image output:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/sony_dslra580

I do lots of birding and wildlife, and travel & night photography. One thing you might notice if you check the EXIF data below each photo is now often I use high ISO on the A580 - I routinely shoot up to ISO6400 as needed - something I didn't do with past DSLRs as they got too noisy and ugly as the ISO went up too high. To give an idea of how much better the new cameras are at high ISO - here are two shots taken with a fast prime wide open at F1.4 and ISO12800 in a very dark room:

That's some extreme low light - I could only muster a 1/80 shutter speed. I can firmly say my last DSLR would have been unusable at this ISO!