Sony Alpha 55 vs Nikon D7000 I read the specs and reviews on DPReviews, as well as some reviews posted here, on Amazon for both cameras, and have some difficulty choosing.Is it reasonable to say the Sony, due to the presence of its translucent mirror focuses faster, therefore more suitable for burst stills and video ? Sony Alpha 55 vs Nikon D7000 I read the specs and reviews on DPReviews, as well as some reviews posted here, on Amazon for both cameras, and have some difficulty choosing.Is it reasonable to... » Read More Sony Alpha 55 vs Nikon D7000 I read the specs and reviews on DPReviews, as well as some reviews posted here, on Amazon for both cameras, and have some difficulty choosing.Is it reasonable to say the Sony, due to the presence of its translucent mirror focuses faster, therefore more suitable for burst stills and video ? « Show Less
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I read the translucent mirror directs 30% to the focusing system. Does this hurt its ability to take pictues in low light, or is it compensated for in some other way?
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on the 5100 vs a55 snapshot has 3 glaring errors in the side by side data....So take their conclusions with a grain of salt...
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You should wait six months until the A77 is announced, it's going to be something special. ;)
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Compare them and when you do, bear in mind that the Nikon was 50% more.http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/en/Camera-Sensor/Compare-sensors/%28appareil1%29/675|0/%28appareil2%29/680|0/%28onglet%29/0/%28brand%29/Sony/%28brand2%29/Nikon
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There is 300 USD difference for a start!You are correct about the mirror. The video auto-focus is far faster and 10fps is the fastest you'll get at that price.
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A cool website for comparing cameras is http://snapsort.com/compare Check it out. You might find some answers there.
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Minolta was aquired by Sony about six years ago. All Minolta autofocus lenses are compatible. There are third party manufacturers that make A-mount lenses too. The big ones are Tamron who Sony have invested in, Sigma and Tokina.When buying Sigma lenses you must ensure that the box has a compatible with Sony A33/55 logo on it or you will have to send the lens back to Sigma for an update. Sigma reverse engineer the lens mount rather than pay a license fee to the camera brands, so their lenses occasionally have compatibilty problems. Their lenses have a problem with the latest Sony cameras, A33, 35, 55, 65, 77 and any future model. Minolta was aquired by Sony about six years ago. All Minolta autofocus lenses are compatible. There are third party manufacturers that make A-mount lenses too. The big ones are Tamron who Sony have invested in, Sigma and Tokina.When buying Sigma lenses you must ensure that the box has a compatible with Sony A33/55 logo on it or you will have to send the lens back to Sigma for an update. Sigma reverse engineer the lens mount rather than pay a license fee to the camera brands, so their lenses occasionally have compatibilty problems. Their lenses have a problem with the latest Sony... » Read More Minolta was aquired by Sony about six years ago. All Minolta autofocus lenses are compatible. There are third party manufacturers that make A-mount lenses too. The big ones are Tamron who Sony have invested in, Sigma and Tokina.When buying Sigma lenses you must ensure that the box has a compatible with Sony A33/55 logo on it or you will have to send the lens back to Sigma for an update. Sigma reverse engineer the lens mount rather than pay a license fee to the camera brands, so their lenses occasionally have compatibilty problems. Their lenses have a problem with the latest Sony cameras, A33, 35, 55, 65, 77 and any future model. « Show Less
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David, you should keep an eye on nikonrumors [dot] com They monitor all of the word on the street. Current consensus is that there is not going to be a refresh for the D700 this year. I have owned one for a year and a half, and am absolutely thrilled with it. I will keep it for a very long time. The overall sensor performance (low-light, etc.) is still one of the best in the world. see dxomark [dot] com
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For the little differrence in money the a55 is a much better buy. It is not just the 2 mexapixel differrence in the sensor, many feature are on the 55 that are not on the 33 . Besides the 10 fps which you do not need their is a bigger buffer to hold more pictures before locking up, much better image quality, gps which is nice when travelling , and much more. The sensor in the 55 is the same sensor in the 5000 dollar nikon body. Besides that they about the same sort of like a Honda civic is sort of the same as a Rolls Royce as thry both have wheels
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I use Nikon d700 with the same 70-200. Works great for me but then all I use it for is sport shooting. I don't get too aggressive with my equipment. Usually stand and shoot. Not really into jumping around or running with it.
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http://www.flickr.com/groups/d40slr/discuss/72157602509321717/?search=sigma+vs.+nikon i know it's been a while but that may give some insight. i have the sigma version and it's great value for the price paid.
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Hi Yadid: I can't speak about other dSLRs, but I have to say that I really enjoy the tilting screen on the A300/A350. I didn't expect to use it very often, but I have found myself using it as a waist level viewfinder quite often. The fact that Sony's design, which uses a secondary sensor, allows you to focus while in the live-view mode puts it head and shoulders above the competition in my opinion. Most of the competing live-view technologies have to autofocus after the mirror flips up, so the Sony system is quicker to use. I never owned the A2, but I owned the Dimage 5 and 7 predecessors, which used many of the same components, including the lens. Either the A300 or A350 will offer quicker performance and better low-light capabilities. Image quality will depend on lens choice. The Minolta GT lens on the A2 was an excellent performer, so you will need to carefully evaluate which lenses you choose. Some people slam Sony for not offering as much in the way of lenses, but what they do offer is generally very good. In addition, you can choose from almost all the Minolta AF lenses. Some of these are mediocre, but Minolta also offered some truly excellent optics, as you know from your A2. Try http://www.mhohner.de/sony-minolta or http://www.dyxum.com for some in depth information on A-mount lenses available from Sony and Minolta. As far as a higher-end camera, you didn't say what you were hoping to do with your images. The A700 is a suburb instrument, and it offers many features not available on the A300 or A350. It costs quite a bit more however. Unless you need some of the things the A700 offers, (faster continuous shooting, higher-resolution LCD, PC Sync port, tethered-shooting, etc.) you might be better off buying the A300 or A350 and spending more on high quality lenses. Good luck, I hope this is helpful. --Tom Bonner
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I recently purchased this camera. I fully agree with the success of the firmware updates. I tried a P7000 from a local retailer when it was first introduced but returned it. I can attest to the improvements being REAL and VERY EFFECTIVE. I would like to add I recently shot some comparison photos with my P7000 and my D300 with the 18-200 VR Nikkor zoom. I haven't downloaded to my computer at this point but the on camera screen appearance of the photos on the backs of each camera gives the edge to the P7000!!! If you find that hard to believe...so do I. I'll do more shots, download to my computer and report the results. I recently purchased this camera. I fully agree with the success of the firmware updates. I tried a P7000 from a local retailer when it was first introduced but returned it. I can attest to the improvements being REAL and VERY EFFECTIVE. I would like to add I recently shot some comparison photos with my P7000 and my D300 with the 18-200 VR Nikkor zoom. I haven't downloaded to my computer at this point but the on camera screen appearance of the photos on the backs of each camera gives the edge to the P7000!!! If you find that hard to believe...so do I. I'll do more shots, download to my... » Read More I recently purchased this camera. I fully agree with the success of the firmware updates. I tried a P7000 from a local retailer when it was first introduced but returned it. I can attest to the improvements being REAL and VERY EFFECTIVE. I would like to add I recently shot some comparison photos with my P7000 and my D300 with the 18-200 VR Nikkor zoom. I haven't downloaded to my computer at this point but the on camera screen appearance of the photos on the backs of each camera gives the edge to the P7000!!! If you find that hard to believe...so do I. I'll do more shots, download to my computer and report the results. « Show Less
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I own both. Bought one of first 18-200s made in Japan to go with my first dslr: D50 that I got for a trip to the Bahamas. Have wonderful images I still enjoy. Now have lightweight D5000 and super D7000. Bought 18-140 for light weight to hike w/D5000. Use 28-200 w/D7000 otherwise.Both focus quickly, iq is similar. Both have VR but 200 has active mode for shooting while moving, which I love. So 140 wins on weight, price, while 200 adds focal length and versatile VR.
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http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/nikon_coolpix_p520_review/image_quality/I havent tried the Nikon but this Sony is pretty good in low light video , no zoom noise ,its pretty quiet . But I believe for big portraits, full fledge photographers wont recomment this Sony model but I wont be blowing up pictures with this camera.The Fz200 is a panasonic model has a shutter speed of 15 seconds while Nikon is 8 seconds, so I would say Nikon is better but Sony has 4 seconds shutter speed , so for night photgraphy Sony is the best in the group .
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Even better. The 1.4 is rock solid compared to the flimsy 1.8, and slightly faster. Ten times as expensive, but may be worth it. If you're still thinking of adding a new zoom to your arsenal, look at the 24-105L, as well. It's pretty much a coin toss, as far as IQ, with the 24-70L, but it adds IS. So, it's one stop slower, but it gains about 3 stops due to the IS, so it's actually better for low-light than the "faster" lens. And longer, too.
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dear friendfrom my experience Nikon d3100 is much better than sony a390 I have the both camera and I am more satisfied with nikon
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The link for the comparison at cameralabs.com is not applicable because it tested the Sigma 18-200 DC prior to the release of the OS version. The OS version is much better optically than its predecessor and also includes HSM (High Speed Motor). I have read test reviews and comparisons at other sites such as popphoto that indicate the Sigma is sharper and has less distortion than the Nikon 18-200 VR, but they also state it is slightly louder. I just received my Sigma 18-200 OS today and have done limited testing, but I can tell you the AF and OS noise are not bad (the OS chirps when it turns on and off). The Sigma AF is louder than my Nikon 18-135 (w/SWM), but quieter than the AF on my Nikon 50mm 1.8 prime (wo/SWM). The HSM AF seems just as fast as my Nikon lenses. The build quality feels better than the Nikon 18-135; the zoom is smooth and solid. The first things I tested today were barrel distortion and OS functionality. Barrel distortion is present at the wide end on ALL wide-range zooms, but the Sigma controls it better. The Sigma has noticeably less barrel distortion at 18mm than my Nikon. This benefit of the Sigma is moot really, because barrel distortion of both lenses can easily be corrected with software. The OS functions very well, I can shoot hand-held down to 1/10th of a second with no blur. I will post again after I have time to do more testing.
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Wanted to let you all know that I decided on the D7000 and picked one up today. Couldn't be happier. Continuous autofocus during video shooting is useless on it, but I'm learning to manually focus, which is actually more rewarding for me; when shooting at f/1.8 you can get a very cinematic look focusing manually, even when you're chasing around your twin toddlers!
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The Sony is slightly more expensive, has newest features like CMOS type sensor, faster burst mode, improved panoramic picture mode, shoots 1080p HD video, stereo microphone. Consumer Reports has not tested it yet, but I found some information on their website. They have tested the Canon and give it high marks. Canon has a hot shoe in addition to pop-up flash. Both brands rate high on reliability. I have not bought one yet and am not an expert.
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J. Perez -- There is a lot of fanboyism going on at the beginning of this thread... and it's passed off as fact to be worse. If you're looking at these two cameras consider your needs. You already have nice canon glass so you may be better served going with the 5d II. What do you shoot? If it's sports I would definitely say lean to the D700 or look at the 7d (or 1d III as you mentioned). I personally think the 5D II has the best IQ of the bunch, but that is an opinion. Really, the two cameras mentioned here are a different beast. It's like comparing mac laptops to windows desktops. First decide if you use your camera more for sports or portraits then decide if you want the canon or nikon.
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Amazon ratings are based on customer's reviews, not on professional analysis. Canon and Nikon are consistently seen as "the leaders" by the average photographer, although in my view their popular models are nothing to write home about. If you are a professional photographer and buy top of the line models, there is no doubt that Sony is not for you. But if you are like me, an enthusiast, GO FOR IT. Sony has excellent HD video performance AND autofocus in video so that I have put my camcorder to pasture. It has also some outstanding features in still camera mode, but you have to read the manual thoroughly. Viva Sony! Amazon ratings are based on customer's reviews, not on professional analysis. Canon and Nikon are consistently seen as "the leaders" by the average photographer, although in my view their popular models are nothing to write home about. If you are a professional photographer and buy top of the line models, there is no doubt that Sony is not for you. But if you are like me, an enthusiast, GO FOR IT. Sony has excellent HD video performance AND autofocus in video so that I have put my camcorder to pasture. It has also some outstanding features in still camera mode, but you have to... » Read More Amazon ratings are based on customer's reviews, not on professional analysis. Canon and Nikon are consistently seen as "the leaders" by the average photographer, although in my view their popular models are nothing to write home about. If you are a professional photographer and buy top of the line models, there is no doubt that Sony is not for you. But if you are like me, an enthusiast, GO FOR IT. Sony has excellent HD video performance AND autofocus in video so that I have put my camcorder to pasture. It has also some outstanding features in still camera mode, but you have to read the manual thoroughly. Viva Sony! « Show Less
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The D7000 can auto focus both the AF-S and the older AF-D lenses. If you want to save money, get the 50 1.8 AF-D, better yet a used one to save even more money. But the 50 1.8 AF-S has better bokeh and slightly bettter image quality, so if you want the absolute best image quality, get the AF-S version. I have the AF-D and am very happy with it.