Sony alpha A55

[mike2008]

I'm very pro user choice, there's canon, nikon, pentax, m43, and now nex and dslt. I see the high-spec APS-C A700 style DSLR as a very peripheral part of the overall market these days, currently served much better by Canon and Nikon than Sony. Perhaps Sony will do better in this segment with the new releases, perhaps they won't. Perhaps there's very little business for them in that segment, but they feel they have to to keep up with the jones's, so to speak. I made my choice and went FF with a canon 5D and L lenses all from ebay for much less than the price of a new A900, and still have the A550 with the tamron 17-50. So when i see people going on perhaps a little bit repetitively about what they hate about the latest sony camera I just don't get it... buy another brand if sony don't give you waht you need. Certainly doing to the point that forums starting banning you seems a little self-destructive.

I know there is an argument about losing money on the investment, but reselling on ebay can usually net you a large % of the original price, particularly for lenses, so it's mostly psychological as far as I can tell.

I'll wait and see what sony do, I am optimistic about the dslt line up, and it could be enough to get me to leave canon totally. But I'm not going to get upset if they don't give me personally exactly what I want, it seems a really childish attitude when i can get satisfaction so easily from other brands.

[Greg Beetham]

For me mike2008 it would be a case of buying an alternate system just to do macro, not much point in getting rid of cameras and lenses I like for all sorts of photography apart from macro. In any case I've looked at the Canon and Nikon offerings in ringflashes and they aren't as good as the original Minolta design by a large margin.
Greg

[mike2008]

For me mike2008 it would be a case of buying an alternate system just to do macro, not much point in getting rid of cameras and lenses I like for all sorts of photography apart from macro. In any case I've looked at the Canon and Nikon offerings in ringflashes and they aren't as good as the original Minolta design by a large margin.
Greg

Seems there's a hole in the market. Why not get some capital and a couple of engineering students and produce your own macro flash, based on the minolta one, but improved?

If the market's there you should make a lot of money.

If it's not, it's not going to be there for sony either. Why should sony lose money for your needs? Is that realistically going to happen?

[Greg Beetham]

I don't really have any ambition to get into the camera accessory business, one that's the responsibility of the camera manufacturer anyway, (Minolta had no trouble being able too design, make and sell it originally, so why was it so hard for Sony just too copy it ?), besides I'd have too compete against the Sony ringlight...hmmm that might not be a great problem, but I'd have nowhere too plug the ringflash head into, Sony blocked off the port that was in the twinflash/ringflash controller that it fitted into, (so they could sell their klutzy LED ringlight at twice the price of the ringflash head I expect). I'd have too build a new controller as well, just to fix a problem that Sony caused in the first place.
Nah, I think the problem belongs firmly at Sony, Sony caused the problem, trying to be a smart aleck, so Sony can fix it.
Greg

[pakodominguez]

Pentax offers an ISO auto in manual mode - TvAv

David

really? and what "we" are waiting for implement something similar?

[pakodominguez]

The Auto ISO in manual is a common complaint from Canon users.
I'm talking about being able to limit the Auto ISO either top (most important) or bottom (less important)

OK: in that case, A700 and A850 have that function. Alas, NEX doesn't... As Dk shown the other day, ISO 1600 works pretty well, and LR 3.2 works wonderful AND complementary to Sony improvement in high ISO treatment. But I still am a little old school, and using 1600 ASA just because is there... I prefer to limit it at 800 ASA -that's the way I have it set on the A850/A700

I haven't check what's happening with the Maxxum 7D (I still use it once in a while, but much less now that NEX is my everyday camera)

That also raises the constant ISO in the viewfinder which I think would be useful to have (no idea if this is on these bodies)

It's just an example of making life easier and allowing the user to set things up how they like.

New models live-view-oriented doesn't show the ISO settings "on the screen"? NEX does, but it is not a biggie for me, I don't change ISO settings that often.

[WaltKnapp]

Problem is people (like you...) discuss the future using rumors as facts -and it is not because SAR have some "good" information that SAR publish "facts". IMHO, all this exercise of rhetoric is a waste of time.

You can now contemplate the latest interview with the Sony product guy in Sweden. Sorry, denial is about as good as holding your finger in a dike to hold back the tide. It appears to be a done deal.

Walt

[WaltKnapp]

They might do that, but they might also just choose different trade-offs when designing a lens. For example, worry a bit less about distortion or vignetting since correction with software is fairly easy, but consider size, weight, sharpness, CA, price, etc. to be more important.

You could mount an argument on that that makes sense Henry, I agree, but I prefer to remain suspicious just the same.
Greg

One has only to look at the plastic mount, plastic lens SAM's to find out where Sony is going. Apparently yet another batch of SAM conversions are due out. They are going for cheap, cutting back on the build quality for sure.

Walt

[Dusty]

You can now contemplate the latest interview with the Sony product guy in Sweden. Sorry, denial is about as good as holding your finger in a dike to hold back the tide. It appears to be a done deal.
Walt

Well, It looks like I'll have to buy a 580 and keep an eye out for all that used stuff on e-bay as people exit Sony for PentCaNikon. I can probably last for 5 or 6 years with a new body and a few lenses. By that time I should know what will be remaining of the traditional (albeit digital) camera world.

Dusty

[Javelin]

You have to consider that with ROHS compliant electronics none of these things are going to last as long as the older stuff did. that is a fact. so if you consider that, then it makes sense to make the reast of the unit cheaper. it's like the automakers in the US. who needs an engine that will last 50 years when the cars are rusting out in 3? The japanese took that attitude and beat us over the head with it for 30 years and we still don't get it.

One has only to look at the plastic mount, plastic lens SAM's to find out where Sony is going. Apparently yet another batch of SAM conversions are due out. They are going for cheap, cutting back on the build quality for sure.

Walt

[mike2008]

One has only to look at the plastic mount, plastic lens SAM's to find out where Sony is going. Apparently yet another batch of SAM conversions are due out. They are going for cheap, cutting back on the build quality for sure.

Walt[/quote]

Yes, well that race to the bottom is clear also from the CZ 24mm isn't it.

[pakodominguez]

You can now contemplate the latest interview with the Sony product guy in Sweden. Sorry, denial is about as good as holding your finger in a dike to hold back the tide. It appears to be a done deal.

Walt

No idea, any link?

[pakodominguez]

One has only to look at the plastic mount, plastic lens SAM's to find out where Sony is going. Apparently yet another batch of SAM conversions are due out. They are going for cheap, cutting back on the build quality for sure.

Walt

What? Yours got broken the second time you changed lenses? Ah! You don't have any? So, how do you know about that "cheap, cutting back on build quality" SAM lenses?

...

[twm47099]

For me mike2008 it would be a case of buying an alternate system just to do macro, not much point in getting rid of cameras and lenses I like for all sorts of photography apart from macro. In any case I've looked at the Canon and Nikon offerings in ringflashes and they aren't as good as the original Minolta design by a large margin.
Greg

Greg,
After a couple of years not being able to do macro they way I wanted, I finally gave up and bought a Sigma ringflash to replace my Maxxum ringflash. As mentioned, the problem was that Sony modified the Minolta twinflash controller (that they sell) so that it no longer can operate with the ring flash. And there really is no equivalent replacement.

The Sigma is a nice flash and provides accurate flash exposure up to at least 1.5x magnification. It has some nice features including 2 tubes that can have power independently adjusted or ratioed.

There are some significant deficiencies in comparison to the Minolta flash:
1. The ring is large; the Minolta was much more compact.

2. It only has 2 tubes compared to the Minolta with 4 (and I used to turn on 2 at right angles to each other to give me directional light in the same direction as the sun to control shadows). The control of power on the 2 Sigma tubes helps make up for that.

3. Sounds silly, but the Sigma controller stands up straight on the camera flash mount. The Minolta leans forward. That means with the angle finder pointing up, your head hits the flash before your eye gets to the angle finder. There's no problem directly using the camera VF or using the angle finder pointer to the side of the camera. I modified a cheap flash bracket to hold the controller off the side of the camera so I can use the angle finder in normal position, but that makes the set up bulkier.

I wanted to let you know that there still is hope that Sony will release a real ring flash, based on my buying a compromise setup.

tom

[Greg Beetham]

Thanks for that Tom,
yes I looked at the Sigma and was very tempted, the reason I haven't bought it so far was the drawbacks you mention, the controller standing straight up and the lack of the four switchable on off flash tubes as on the Minolta, but I may weaken and buy it anyway, seems like the only alternative.
Fancy us fuddy duddies preferring a motion stopping 1/30000sec flash pulse at f11, that is sooo outdated, what with the Sony newgen way of doing things, it's much better to have a LED light and use high shutter speeds instead. You might have to shoot at f2.8, but hey, what the heck, why would anyone want DOF control these days? Most of the new Sony DSLR's don't even have a DOF button anyway.
I think I know what's in store for us...Spider face recognition, the camera recognizes that it is a spider and all you do is press the button as you pull back slightly and the camera automatically produces a multiple stack at f2.8 all merged into a full depth photo of the subject...maybe they could add that feature into the NEX on page 13 of the menu.
(Just kidding..about the NEX...sortof)
Greg