Sony A500/550 the verdict?

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A500/550, your verdict!

Great Sony have done a fab job
1
8%
Not as good as expected
3
25%
About fine for their class, but nothing earth shattering
8
67%
 
Total votes: 12

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bfitzgerald
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

I have thought about pentax, not sure..nice in some ways, got some concerns about flash system etc. I'll have to sit down and have a good think about what I might do. I'll not be happy offloading everything I have inc film bodies etc. Hard choice really.
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KevinBarrett
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by KevinBarrett »

What's not to like? They've got a true system-wide commitment to affordable, high-spec 1.5x crop-sensor cameras, a true macro ring-flash with GN-16, weather-sealed bodies and lenses, I could go on and on--my brother just bought in and I'm pretty jealous. While their body line-up is quite thin, they understand the value of a large and uncompromised viewfinder, and they've got gobs lenses, including F/4 coverage in three lenses from 12-250mm (with a couple of options for the middle lens), and did I mention the prime lenses?

14/2.8
21/3.2 Pancake
31/1.8
35/2.8 Macro
40/2.8 Pancake
43/1.9 Pancake
50/2.8 Macro
50/1.4
55/1.4
70/2.4 Pancake
77/1.8
100/2.8 Macro
200/2.8
300/4
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Dusty
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by Dusty »

I would worry about Pentax's long term viability. They may be a part of Hoya, but how how many bodies and lenses do they produce a year, and can they continue to be a player in an ever conglomerating world, with ever shrinking viable lines of DSLRs?

I think we'll soon see a world of Canon, Nikon, Sony and Olympus 4/3 DSLRs. Sigma, Samsung and Pentax are all such minor players these days that it's hard to find their products.

Wide selection of models means that there's something for everyone. I don't think Sony's given up on the advanced amateur/semi-pro shooter yet, look at the 850. I'm sure a 700 replacement will be along soon with the features many want that are missing from the 500/550 lineup.

Dusty
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KevinBarrett
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by KevinBarrett »

This is fuel for another forum, but I don't think Pentax is going away. Remember they're teamed with Samsung, and Samsung is about to introduce their own competition for the Micro 4/3 market. I have no doubt that Pentax will eventually offer something in that system, with adaptability to their current lenses (and no additional crop-factor!).
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pakodominguez
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by pakodominguez »

bfitzgerald wrote: Just the general direction Sony are heading in suggests they are most interested in consumer buyers (hence the new entry and mid range offerings, geared to that IMO), and not shooters like me. Sure I have a more limited budget, but there was nothing to stop Sony making a D90 camera. Not that the D90 is perfect, nothing is..nor am I a mega Nikon fan, but if you had to nail me down, bar SSS, the D90 has most of what I am looking for, the the A5xx series don't ;-)
But the D90 is a 900 us$ body only camera. For that price you can get an A700 that even if it is one year older than the D90, is not a lesser camera (other than the video feature) au contraire!
bfitzgerald wrote: I would rather not have a small VF and fast LV, but a pentaprism one, and useful stuff like AF assist, a more advanced AF system, and decent build etc etc. I am in no rush, what I have is adequate for my needs, but I am not very optimistic regarding APS-C A mount, maybe the new A700 will be awesome, but again, if I have to spend that kind of cash to get something decent, Sony won't really be a viable option for me.
That's your problem: you put yourself in that situation: good for cheap. But that's not longer viable Sony is not Minolta and you can not expect the best for little money (Minolta actually didn't give the best for the little money either, TANSTAAFL...) I respect you don't like the direction Sony is apparently taken, but you are asking Sony things that any other maker does? Are you expecting Nikon putting, by example, MLU on a D60 body? I don't think that even the D80 have MLU...

In other hand, you were (you are) right in your fight against the water colors/blotches while using high ISO and that one was a good fight for the Minolta/Sony community. I think that some battles are useless -the Japanese management is almost impossible to understand -we already had to deal with that in the Minolta times...
bfitzgerald wrote: I don't suggest all buyers feel the same way I do, but I suspect some do. Many will no doubt love the A5xx series, they just ain't what I am looking for. I admit few complain as much as I do, but where the A200 was acceptable cripple features wise (well just about) ONLY because it was cheap, A550 is £700+, it's just mind boggling that a model that cost that price, is devoid of useful features like MLU etc etc etc. Sony are cutting the lower to mid point, and downgrading it, sorry, but that's just the way I feel, and it ain't good! :mrgreen:
In your mind, how much is a proper price for the A550? take in account that the pound havent recovery yet against the Euro or the US Dollar...

Regards

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bfitzgerald
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

I think the point is for the price of the A5xx series, it just does not offer what I am looking for. I don't expect a miracle, or something awesome for £300, never did. But you don't seem to gain the things I would like for your extra outlay.

The A500 price is ok already £580 odd pre-order, that's not bad. A550 seems to be about £150 more ish, I guess that covers the higher res LCD and more mp etc. Again, I have a problem with the strategy from Sony, 2 models with minor differences (2mp to me is not even worth talking about)

D90 has a 1 second exposure delay up from the 0.4 on the D80, not ideal, but it's got something at least. Not that the D90 is dead on, just a closer match to the kind of body I hoped Sony would follow this lead and do 1 LV one and one non LV model. Still what is done is done, not that I couldn't use these bodies, just it's a bit disappointing they are so thin spec wise, sensor looks good..about the only point of interest for me. If anything the A500 would make a good A380, I think overall these new models are not deserving of the 5 label, which does invite the assumption that you are getting something A100/5d but enhanced.
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bossel
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by bossel »

pakodominguez wrote:Are you expecting Nikon putting, by example, MLU on a D60 body?
Didn't Canon remove spot-metering from their entry-level cameras at one point? Did they put it back meanwhile?
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by pakodominguez »

bossel wrote:
pakodominguez wrote:Are you expecting Nikon putting, by example, MLU on a D60 body?
Didn't Canon remove spot-metering from their entry-level cameras at one point? Did they put it back meanwhile?
entry level?
the D10/20/.../50 cameras doesn't have spot meter.
I can not tell you about the film models
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bfitzgerald
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

There is no spot metering on the EOS 1000D, and the frame rate is cut down for raw (wrongly IMO)
It's not unusual to have crippled entry models, and the last gen of A2xx-3xx were in some ways, just the A200 was dirt cheap, so it got away with it (to a degree anyway)
The issue isn't a few bits missing, it's the fact not a single feature removed since the A100/5d made it back, not even one. Which means Sony are not listening, as a whole bunch of folks were looking for some improvements in that dept.

All makers do cut down lower end machines, just Sony do the least well featured on the market, the clear difference is a maker like Nikon does a cut down D60/D3000, and a D5000 for consumers, but they also offer something a bit more serious, and well featured ala...D90. Sony don't, simple as that :mrgreen:
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KevinBarrett
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by KevinBarrett »

The more you describe about Sony's entry-level deficiencies and compare to Nikon, etc... the more it looks like a Pentax K20D would make your day, or a K7 for a little more dough.
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bfitzgerald
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

You might be right Kevin, but I am not really convinced Pentax is a viable option for me. I don't doubt they will be around, but I can see some plus points for sticking to the big 2 makers. I have never really got on with Canon that well, so I won't even look there. Nikon is the next best thing to Minolta, in some ways. The more Sony diverts from Minolta thinking, the easier the switch will be 8)
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by bakubo »

bfitzgerald wrote:You might be right Kevin, but I am not really convinced Pentax is a viable option for me. I don't doubt they will be around, but I can see some plus points for sticking to the big 2 makers. I have never really got on with Canon that well, so I won't even look there. Nikon is the next best thing to Minolta, in some ways. The more Sony diverts from Minolta thinking, the easier the switch will be 8)
Barry, no one knows better than you what will work for you or won't work for you, but you might again consider getting an A700 while they are still around. The reason I say this is because it is quite a good DSLR, the price has come down a lot since introduction, you wouldn't need to go out and buy new lenses and accessories like you would if you switched to another system, and it would give you quite a bit of time to see if Sony comes through eventually with what you want in a follow on camera. If they don't then you know that further waiting is probably pointless and then you can do the big switch. By then you will also probably know whether Pentax is doing okay and will survive or they won't. An A700 would probably keep you pretty happy for a couple of years and maybe longer. How long have you been using your KM 5D? By 2011 it might be a whole lot clearer whether Sony, Pentax, Nikon, or even Canon is the way you want to go.
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bfitzgerald
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

You are right it is a logical thing to consider the A700. I am of the feeling at the moment, that I should not invest any further in A mount. The only real question is to keep some or all of my current stuff (hard to give up the film minoltas) or just dump the lot and start again.

Unless a miracle happens, I just don't have any confidence in Sony right now. I think as time goes by, that Sony will have very little in common with some of the ideas from Minolta, not that I expect or want clones etc, no problems with their own ideas, they just seem hell bent on fiddling and cutting things down. My ideas are the exact reverse of what Sony are doing, that's a recipe for not being happy. :cry:
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Dusty
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by Dusty »

Barry, If you have all those film cameras, you have FF glass. Why aren't you snapping up an 850? What's it lacking that you want?

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bfitzgerald
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Re: Sony A500/550 the verdict?

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

Nothing is lacking apart from the funds to get an A850!
It's way out of my budget, simple as that.

BTW I have no exotic lenses lying around, nothing too fancy..some nice enough vintage stuff..capable enough.
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