a100 Where to now?

[ian-tenpin]

I have enjoyed using my a100 over the last 3 years however, about a year ago I got an itchy wallet and looked at upgrading to the a700. I read and read, this forum and others all were praising the a700 but a reccuring theme showed up, get good glass before upgrading the body! So over the last 6 months I have got a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 APO & 2x APO converter and a very handy Sigma 18-250 f3.5 DC OS. I already had a Tamron 90mm 2.8 macro lens and a Sony DT 11-18 f4.5. Now comes my dilemma, I have invested a fair amount of money in glass and I find that the a100 cannot keep up with my required focussing speed (moving targets) and the very noisy shutter scares the wildlife away! Where do I go from here? The a700 is not available, and a replacement seems further than ever away. Could I use my lenses on an a850 or a900 (excuse my ignorance on this bit), is the shutter mechanism quieter, is the focussing quicker? Not wishing to cause offence the Canikon's appear very quiet and quick. Any comments would be welcome, even if you think I'm missing a trick. Thanks for your time.

[David Kilpatrick]

A550 or A450 - the 550 has a better viewfinder design (eyepiece) and the articulated sceen. You will need new memory cards, that's all. The A550 is actually better in image quality than the A700, focusing is adequate (certainly better than the A100) but you will be well rewarded by the results from the lenses you have bought, on 14 megapixels.

David

[bakubo]

Could I use my lenses on an a850 or a900 (excuse my ignorance on this bit), is the shutter mechanism quieter, is the focussing quicker?

The A850/A900 is FF, but your A100 is APS-C. Your 18-250mm and 11-18mm are APS-C lenses so although you can mount them they will not cover the full frame on an A850/A900.

[stewartjs]

Like ian-tenpin I’m suffering from IWS – want to upgrade my a100 but can’t make up my mind whether to go for an a550 or wait for the “a750”. The first seems to be a good price but in short supply (flying off the shelves, Sony supply problems or a precursor to the arrival of the new model?), the second release date and price unknown, and doubt about whether existing lenses would be fully compatible.

Decisions, decisions … Any advice from the rumour factory gratefully received.

Stewart