lenses for a200

[rokkor]

I am new to this forum, for background see my post in Welcome and well met! I intend to buy the a200 and have a number of question about lenses. Since I have two Minolta AF zooms: 28-80/3.5-5.6 II and the 80-200/4.5-5.6 my plan is to buy the body only and use these zooms for a short time while acquiring some good primary lenses. I am persuaded by the view that to get an SLR with the slow and cheap kit zooms is an oxymoron see e.g.
http://photo.net/equipment/building-a-d ... lr-system/

So my questions are:
1) How do the kit zooms compare in image quality to the similar kit zooms I already have? (I realize that the new kit zooms are of the DT type hence smaller and lighter. I am also aware of the 1.5 multiplying factor in comparing focal lenses between FF and APS-C cameras.)
Am I right that if my aim is eventually to get fast primaries I would just be wasting my money on the current kits?

2) One of the lenses I am thinking of (apart from a s/h Minolta 50/1.4) is the Sigma 30/1.4 EX DC HSM . This is now available in A mount for Sony/Minolta but it seems that in this mount without the HSM feature. Does this mean that it hasn't even got AF? And if it hasn't got the same feature as in CaNik mount why does it cost the same in A mount?

3) Any other lens suggestions?

4) My interests are travel, grandchildren and taking quality photos of my wife's pottery (smallish shiny objects). I have not mastered this. Any suggestions here for lighting, focal length, pointers to literature on this area of photography would be gratefully received.

[David Kilpatrick]

I would get the 18-70mm with the camera. It only adds about £50 to the price, and for that you get wide-angle. I do not advise the 30mm Sigma - it has serious focusing errors a lot of the time, and even my 50mm f1.4 can not be relied on. A far better bet is to look out for a clean used 50mm f1.7. Ask Matt Mifsud in Brixham to reserve one for you if any come in secondhand.

David

[Carlj]

Mifsuds - great guys to deal with - my Tamron 200-500mm came from there. Great communication, price and condition.

[rokkor]

David,

thanks for the prompt reply and the note about the date (Jan 21) of the A200's availability. I note that you posted at 1:05 pm, you are certainly burning the midnight oil! Following your comments re: Sigma 30/1.4 I have now crossed this out of my list and replaced the s/h Minolta 50/1.4 with the 1.7. I'll let the forum know how I am getting on when I get the camera.

[Omega892]

Mifsuds - great guys to deal with

I'll endorse that.

I ordered a load of stuff from them a few years back - Minolta 100 mm Macro D, 1200 and 2400 flash heads and controller and a second 5600 HS(D) flash (because my original decided to kick out at about half power despite setting to max - and then suddenly it righted itself - still 2 heads are better than one - they have been joined by one of those Metz twin flash units which adds another capability and all three do work together on wireless from either D7D or SA100) and some other bits and pieces. Something went awry with the order which was soon sorted and they sent a rather nice soft leather Minolta bag as an apology which has come in useful.

I got that Metz gun from Mifsud recently - useful for speed of delivery when local LCE would take awhile to get in, and then I would have to go collect.