Live View?

[stevecim]

I like the quick live view on my A350, use it about 40% of the time, great for candid shots at family functions and holiday pics.

but I would like a better version before seeing it on A700 or higher, Sony would have to greatly increase size and brightness of the mirror based VF before even thinking of using it A7xx or higher models. I don't under stand why the second sensor LV "zoom" only works with Jpg and not RAW on the current live view systems. would also like a higher res on the Quick LV system and 95% or higher view.

Not sure if Sony should spend more time/money on trying to get a main sensor LV system with high speed AF or keep improving the second sensor based LV or maybe a EVF is the way to go. ( I hated the EVF on my Pana FZ10, but that is 5 year old camera, don't know what current EVF are like)

hard to tell what Sony will do. but the current quick LV (i.e A5XX type) in a A700 body would not go down well. But what ever replaces the A700 should have the Main Sensor manual focus Live view like in the A5XX (at least), Sony should really think about adding Main Sensor manual focus Live view to all current models via FW but I have a feeling it maybe tied to the version of BIONZ IC used in the A5XX.

[David Kilpatrick]

Yesterday, a friend of mine was asking about his new camera purchase. He was about to go for an Alpha 850. I invited him to come in and look at the 900, 700, 380, Nikon D5000 and Canon %D MkII as well as the new Nikon 18-200mm lens. He has very large hands, but he's been used to using a Sony F-828 and he wants the camera for travel. He was thinking of the 850 because of the quality aspect only, and because he knows the output from my A900. He was also very impressed by the A900 finder.

After an hour or so of discussing the different cameras, he left intending to get a Nikon D5000 with their new 18-200mm (I explained the D300S fully to him - in size. grip, viewfinder terms).

Reasons: despite liking the 900 and 5D MkII body sizes, he did not like the lens sizes! He didn't even like the 18-200mm Nikkor much - his F-828 went to "200mm" in so much smaller a package. He weighed the cameras and looked at the necessary sizes of lenses to cover the 28-300mm effective range he preferred, and despite his hand size and his large budget, ended up ruling out the 850-size full frame models.

We checked out image quality, and the D5000 of course is critically sharp but the A380 even better. However, he only had to touch the A380 to say no. It was not even considered due to the grip shape. The viewfnder size was not the problem; he though all of the optical finders were perfectly OK and much better than his F-828. He tested the dioptre corrections and use with specs.

What won him to the Nikon was the rotating, tilting, multi-way rear screen. He loved it. He wants to be able to use live view composition, and the F-828 gave him a very flexible solution. The D5000 comes close. He preferred having this with the relatively small D5000 body over getting a D300S with superior sound for video, better screen, higher capture rate, better build, larger grip just because the D300S does not have an articulated screen. He liked the size, weight, and especially the combination with 18-200mm lens.

The Canon 5D MkII was not really considered. After using the other cameras, its whole interface and design is like going back ten years. I'm surprised myself as to how bad it is, just under a year after first using it. The 50D and 500D designs from Canon easily improve on the clunky control layout of the 5D MkII. And we tried the video and live view functions with different focusing methods - it was a joke compared to the slick operation of the D5000.

Sad to lose a potential Sony photographer, and I could just have said 'great, you're getting an 850, enjoy!' but I know how he uses his camera, what he photographs. Some of you will have seen his Sony F-828 series of Central American/Caribbean cruise people shots in the last magazine. He will find the D5000/18-200mm fits in perfectly with his travelling. It would have been nice to have had an Alpha 550 around by now, even better a new Alpha with video.

David

[Birma]

An interesting story DK. It is a good reminder of how "real" people make decisions on camera purchases, rather than the more gear obssessed, interweb-forum junkies (I include myself in this number ). I suspect that the "real" people group make up a much higher proportion of camera sales than the junkies. I bet he never even asked about MLU or high ISO noise .

I have had similar experiences of friends who liked my pictures and wanted to have a chat about cameras. So far these chats have led to a Nikon D90 with the kit lens (18-105?), and a couple of Canon P&Ss (GS10 and SX10?). Live view was a no brainer for all of them - they would not consider something without it. If you have used P&S and are "upgrading" why would you want to lose a feature?

[InTheSky]

Same story for me, for now I have only make one of my friends buying a Alpha A200 1 year ago.

Instead of that, most of them I have recommended a Nikon basic camera kit but investing in the very good 18-200mm VR and if the budget allowed to buy a 50mm F/1.8 (for kids portrait).

Or the other option is always the cheapest Canon body, but again the 50mm F/1.8 and a standard zoom. Or to recommended them to buy a refurbish (with 1-2 years included warranty) Canon 30D body (there is plenty on ebay).

Unfortunatly, in lower budget, for me, Sony is not there. My main reason why I'm pushing new photograph people to Nikon and Canon is that I can justify them that when they want to try better lenses, they just have to go the the rental photography center where there is plenty of Canikon lenses. And for the price of a good dinner, they can go on a weekend with a lens that costs 3000$.

When Sony will be more present with lenses and a better point and shot camera experience with DSLR, I will push friend to there system (entry level camera market).

Regards,

Frank

[alphaomega]

David K wrote

What won him to the Nikon was the rotating, tilting, multi-way rear screen. He loved it. He wants to be able to use live view composition, and the F-828 gave him a very flexible solution.

Sounds great but I know that sooner or later I would break that thing off. I much prefer the more robust Sony version despite the limited tilting operation only. Just me I suppose.