A900 lottery, will you take a chance?

[markkubis]

Having been reading various Minolta/KM/Alpha forums over the years two things have become apparent:

1) KMS Digital SLRs are surprisingly unreliable. Many reports of Front focus, back focus, sensor mis-alignments/slanting horizons, anti-shake problems, first frame black etc.

2) If your DSLR develops a problem and you send it in for repair, the repair itself is often faulty or another problem is created during the repair. This is hardly surprising as DSLRs are so complex that it is hard to see how a DSLR can be disassembled and repaired and re-assembled without disturbing calibrations and adjustments made during the original manufacture of the camera. Do repair centres even have all the necessary equipment for the checking and recalibration during repair work and if so would they have the time to use them?

Practically speaking, a DSLR is only worth owning if it was assembled and calibrated correctly during original manufacture at the factory. If you happen to buy a copy that was carelessly assembled/calibrated or it subsequently develops a fault, you may as well just throw it away and buy another new copy and hope that that one's OK.

Most people can take a risk with a camera up to the value of an A700 but who would want to play roulette with an A900?

[Dr. Harout]

I understand perfectly your concern. And yes, we have a lot of thinking prior to purchasing such an expensive item (oops, we still don't know the price).
But I think people using other brands are so much ashamed of mentioning/reporting such issues that on the long run we might not be aware of it. It is purely psychological; owning a well known brand item makes you quite proud of it (even you think you have the best on the planet), so just assuming something happens to it, you will definitely not report, cause you would be afraid other people will begin to...: "I told you...". So finally we are left with honest and modest people (KMS users ) who just report everything, good and bad .

[Carlj]

And I've read on other forums about bf issues with other marques too.

Don't forget the £6 1dsIII had a serious AF issue on release!

[Omega892]

Having been reading various Minolta/KM/Alpha forums over the years two things have become apparent:

1) KMS Digital SLRs are surprisingly unreliable. Many reports of Front focus, back focus, sensor mis-alignments/slanting horizons, anti-shake problems, first frame black etc.

<snip>

Most people can take a risk with a camera up to the value of an A700 but who would want to play roulette with an A900?

Front focus and back focus issues can be as much about a particular lenses performance rather than an issue with the camera as such, this can be a particular problem with third party lenses and I suggest that this is as much an issue with other marques.

I am surprised by your statement WRT most people being able to take a risk with a camera of the value of an A700. Clearly we must mix in different circles.

Oh! And that first frame black problem is not necessarily a fault as had been discussed elsewhere here.

I recall being regaled with tales of woe from users of other makes and their wishing they had stuck with Minolta as I walked around a special photo event day organised by Canon's favourite UK vendor (well they should be judging by the bias evident) at a local zoological park with my then not that old Dynax 7.

[kombizz]

Having been reading various Minolta/KM/Alpha forums over the years two things have become apparent:

1) KMS Digital SLRs are surprisingly unreliable. ..........

2) If your DSLR develops a problem ...........

Most people can take a risk with a camera up to the value of an A700 but who would want to play roulette with an A900?

Somehow I agree with what you say.
Unfortunately some times we do not have that much choice with the main DSLR competitors in the mainstream, i.e.: Canon, Nikon, etc.
I guess we have to trust this huge Sony corporate to deliver a good RELIABLE camera for all of Minolta users.
I guess everything in this Digital Age is risky, and only IF...........

.

[David Kilpatrick]

OK, given that the latest Canon recall fault ackowledged is sloping horizons on the 1Ds MkIII due to sensor misalignment, the 'A900' will at least be in good company if it has problems! Seriously - every single DSLR made has the same issues. They all rely on sensors mounted on circuit board (substrates) which are not precision items and are subject to thermal expansion - the focus can even change between 'cold operation' and a warmed-up camera, with every single make. Where do you think the heat goes, and can you think of any materials which don't have a coefficient of expansion?

The KM/Sony problems are no greater than any other make including Nikon and Canon.

David