Sony or Nikon - Help Please!

[jmlaw]

I lurk here occasionally and tend to hang out more on the trip planning boards, however I need some help from the experts over here. I am looking to buy a DSLR and am trying to decide which to buy. I like the Nikon D80, but my film SLR's are both Minoltas so the Sony A100H holds some appeal since my other lenses will work and I am pretty happy with my Minolta equipment. (I've always been a Minolta girl)

So the question is, is there any reason to not buy the Sony? I can forego the use of my other lenses if the Nikon truly is a better camera, but being able to save some $$$ on lenses and just get the camera body of the Sony, I like that option too. I am by no means a pro, but I know my way around an SLR, but really need some opinions on this one.

Thank you all in advance!!!!!

 

[YEKCIM]

Due to the 1.5X sensor crop factor, you will probably want to get the kit lens (18-70, I think), to cover the wide end.

That assumes that your Minolta lenses are *Maxxum* lenses, which should work fine on the Alpha.

~YEKCIM

 

[jmlaw]

Sorry, should have said that - yes, my Minolta lenses are Maxxum lenses.

Thanks!

 

[KrazyPete]

I have the D80 and I love it. I switched from a Canon film SLR back in November. You can always dump your old lenses on eBay.

I researched the purchase to death before I bought. My short list was the D80, the Alpha and the XTI. The features were all very similar but most side by side reviews seemed to give the edge to the Nikon. I liked the color better from the D80 in comparisons that I found online (that's just personal preference though).

When I first held the D80 in the store I was sold. It felt solid and fit my hand great. I like the lcd on the top too. I turn the back LCD off to save the battery and to keep it from lighting up in my face between shots. My favorite part is the two command dials. When I'm in full manual I can adjust my aperture and shutter speed at the same. I like this a lot better than what I was used to with my old Canon. The Nikon was more expensive than the other two but I'm glad I got it.

The Sony is a great camera too (PopPhoto's camera of the year). I don't think you will be severely limited either way you choose to go. The only danger on the Sony side is the DSLR thing is new for them and if it doesn't work out they could drop the line. But, you're getting VR in the camera body and some people here really like that feature.

Here's a couple of review links:
Digital Review
DigitalCamerainfo
Camera Labs

 

[MICKEY88]

the sony won numerous awards ,

I'm a minolta person also,

I believe that Sony is in this for the long haul, they invested a fortune buying Minolta/the factory/the design team.


I gambled and bought the Minolta 7D, and I'm patiently waiting for Sony to release a pro level DSLR.

what lenses do you have..

 

[Groucho]

It's really hard to justify switching systems if you already have an investment in lenses, especially if you're happy with them.

I would say that if you're considering alternatives, don't forget the K10D, it's a little more than the Sony but a bit less than the D80, has basically the same sensor (all three do), and has more features than either of them. It's also got water and dust sealing, as well as a more advanced in-body IS than the Sony, while the Nikon only has IS in the lenses (which means big money any time you want to add IS.) This is also a point towards the Sony as well, if you're looking at just the Sony and Nikon; with the Sony, you'll instantly have IS with all your existing lenses.

 

[Steve's Girl]

As much as I love my D80, it would probably make more sense for you to go with the Sony since you already have lenses. Now, if you are looking to upgrade or replace lenses, then by all means look at all the options out there.

 

[boBQuincy]

My $0.02, I prefer cameras that are made by camera companies over cameras that are made by electronics companies. Nikon, Canon, Pentax, they're probably in it for good while Sony has a history of dropping a product when it doesn't do well.

 

[MICKEY88]

My $0.02, I prefer cameras that are made by camera companies over cameras that are made by electronics companies. Nikon, Canon, Pentax, they're probably in it for good while Sony has a history of dropping a product when it doesn't do well.

sony bought minolta, thereby adding a camera company/division, given the size of the investment and the reviews/awards given their first camera, they most likely will not be going away, they already hold the market share on p&s cameras, they know they must take a significant chunk of dslr sales also...

keep in mind who makes the nikon sensors...

 

[photo_chick]

Personally I am not a Sony fan and have never liked their cameras myself. However I would seriously consider it if I already had a large investment in compatible lenses. How many lenses are we talking about????


I wanted a Canon since I had a Canon. But I only had 2 lenses at the time and if I were shopping knowing what I know now I would likely go with a Pentax.

 

[MICKEY88]

Personally I am not a Sony fan and have never liked their cameras myself. However I would seriously consider it if I already had a large investment in compatible lenses. How many lenses are we talking about????


I wanted a Canon since I had a Canon. But I only had 2 lenses at the time and if I were shopping knowing what I know now I would likely go with a Pentax.

understandable..but realistically, sony dslrs are simply minolta rebranded

 

[jmlaw]

My $0.02, I prefer cameras that are made by camera companies over cameras that are made by electronics companies. Nikon, Canon, Pentax, they're probably in it for good while Sony has a history of dropping a product when it doesn't do well.

This is exactly why I started looking at other cameras to begin with. I just kept going back to the lenses I have (5 of them in total, sorry too late to dig them out to quote you on what they all are and I don't remember that stuff off the top of my head). It's not the end of the world to replace them and I still have my film cameras to use them with so they aren't really lost. Just the practical side of me is second guessing myself. After researching what was out there and what I liked is how I arrived at the D80. Just I really have always liked Minolta and knowing Sony bought the entire division makes me feel better about buying a camera from Sony vs. a traditional camera company.

I appreciate all of these responses so much. I think in the end I'll be pretty happy with whatever I end up getting, just trying to think through it before I spend the money. At least now I feel comfortable that the Sony isn't a horrible mistake if that is the way I decide to go.

THANK YOU!!!!! I'm still open to more opinions if anyone has anything else to share.

 

[MICKEY88]

). It's not the end of the world to replace them and I still have my film cameras to use them with so they aren't really lost. .

odds are once you get a DSLR, and realize all the advantages over film, you will never use the film cameras again.


I have 2 9000 Maxxums that I haven't used for 3 years, I sold my 8000i and my 800SI, with digital I can shoot more freely not worrying about film and processing cost, digital editing is a lot of fun, and in the end I can get my prints way cheaper//

 

[YEKCIM]

If it's important for the kinds of photography you will be doing, the D80's ISO 1600 performance is somewhat better than the A100's. The fact that you have all that Maxxum glass lying around might be the trump card, though. You'd still need at least one Sony lens, in order to cover wide angle.

~YEKCIM

 

[MICKEY88]

If it's important for the kinds of photography you will be doing, the D80's ISO 1600 performance is somewhat better than the A100's. The fact that you have all that Maxxum glass lying around might be the trump card, though. You'd still need at least one Sony lens, in order to cover wide angle.

~YEKCIM

??? did I miss the listing of her lenses...???

 

[jmlaw]

Well after much consideration and everyone's help, I think I am going back to my original plan and getting the D80. Although I now feel o.k. that the Sony wouldn't be a bad choice, I still like the Nikon better. As for my lenses, I won't completely abandon the film, I like playing in the darkroom way too much for that.

Thanks for all the input and opinions, it was exactly what I needed!

 

[jmlaw]

Sorry I forgot to list them for you.

Nothing horribly fancy, but I like them...

35-70
80-210
28-105
420-800 (I think)
and the lens that came with my Maxxum, so 50 mm I believe.

They aren't all Minolta brand lenses, but all are made for the Maxxum.

 

[Groucho]

Doesn't the D80 have basically the same, Sony-built sensor as the Sony? In RAW mode, there should no difference in terms of noise. Same with the K10D.

jmlaw, have you looked at the Pentax K10D? It offers a good amount more features than the D80 for a good amount less money, and I don't believe there are any features that the D80 has that the K10D doesn't match or improve on. You'll also save a ton if you start pricing image-stabilized lenses for the Nikon.

 

[Steve's Girl]

I bought my D80 last fall and have been very happy with it. I spent months researching, visiting camera stores to try each model, eliminating or adding to my list and starting over, etc. I love the D80! I have never regretted it. It cost a little more than some of the other alternatives, but well worth it in my opinion. What really sold me on the D80 was the Nikon 18-200VR lens. Also quite expensive, but when I looked at other options, I was going to have to buy two lenses to cover that focal length. And the image quality is very good for the range it covers. This is a great lens for people like me who hate to change lenses. This combined with the $100 50mm 1.8 covers anything I want to photograph.

 

[Groucho]

FWIW, you can generally find third-party 18-200mm lenses in other mounts, I believe Sigma makes one in a Pentax mount for example, and of course it'll have IS on the Pentax (like the VR on the Nikon), but probably with not exactly incredible image quality. I have heard that the Nikon 18-200 is apparently very good, though I'm sure you'll probably still do better with multiple lenses.

Everyone has to decide for themselves how they want to juggle price, quality, and convenience. For many, the convenience of a pretty good 18-200mm may outweigh the potential benefit of carrying more lenses, plus you probably won't be getting as much dust on the sensor as some of the rest of us.