What kind of digital SRL to buy?

Question

I have an analog srl minolta dynax 5000i. And am thinking to update to digital. I am debating now to keep my lenses they should work on the sony alpha's. or buy everything new. As I have a bit of an arm disability and cannot carry much I am also trying to find one that is a bit lightweight. Also I have no idea if old SRL camera's and lenses are worth anything for selling on.

Any advise is welcome.

Answer 1

i agree with lenslender ....take ur lenses to a local shop and try mounting on sony alpha or asking them if ur lenses fit to alpha or not ...coz i know that alpha fits the sony alpha mount and minolta A-type mount.....if it fits ur lenses they might not work fully featured ...... if everything is ok and they fit the alpha and work on it .... so ur choice will be sony alpha .....it's a good competitive camera ...if not go with nikon d80 or canon rebel xti.

Answer 2

The Sony A100 is a fine choice, but not the only choice.
All your old lenses will be bigger and heavier than new ones, and since the ccd is smaller than 35mm film, it gives an effective crop, such that you increase your apparent focal length by 1.5 or 1.6 times. So- that old 50mm prime is now an 80mm portrait lens.

Sounds like it's time to start anew. The Nikon D40 as mentioned above- does have some limitations on the lenses it can take, as the focus motor is not in the camera.

Cameras for you to consider (and there are no wrong choices here)
Canon XT, XTi or 30D (which is a bit heavy)
Nikon D40 or D80
Pentax K10D
Sony (minolta) A100

I'm not big on the Olympus models, as they give up some high iso performance, but check'm out.

Answer 3

I think you would be better off with one of the new digital cameras with the lenses designed specifically for digital. They are lighter and more versitile.

Also, I think you might be better off with the Nikon D40x as they have better grip areas.

Here's a comparison of the latest Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi and Nikon D40X which are lighter dslr's:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos400d%2Cnikon_d40x&show=all

I'm thinking a D40x and a single 18-135 lens is both light and very functional, minimizing anything else you need to carry. It's available as a kit with the camera:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=6222&A=details&Q=&sku=486469&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation for a little over $1000.

If you can afford a little more, the D80 with the same lens adds more features like time lapse photography, and a nice remote control option.

Answer 4

Bring your Minolta lenses to your local camera shop and ask to try them on a Sony Alpha. Do they work? Do you like the results? Maybe the Alpha is for you!

Digital camera bodies go obsolete in a few years. Lenses are almost forever.

--
http://www.lenslenders.com/

Answer 5

The smallest and lightest of the digital SLRs is the Pentax K10D and the Pentax *istD. Both are top quality and give amazing results. They will not work with your old lenses, but I would not base a new system on this lens system as it will limit you greatly.

Go to www.dpreview.com to get great unbiased reviews of all digital cameras. They also have a form you can fill out to help you choose the best cameras for your situation.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

I would go for the Canon Digital Rebal XTi. I have it and it is really helpful for nature photogrophy. I love it but you should also consider going Nikon. My old camera was a Nikon and it was really nice.

Answer 7

I would personally get a nikon D 40 for somebody who is just starting out. you can get one with a decent zoom lense for about $500

Answer 8

The Sony option might be good, but they may not work fully

Selling them on e-bay current is iffy.

Hard to say what the future will bring.

Answer 9

I like Canon's

Answer 10

That depends on your budget.