camera mania!?

Question

okkay i would love a professional camera

but im contemplating which is better- im really lookign for a Digital SLR- mostly between cannon and H9 (sony)? please include why too, thanks bunches everyone! :)

Answer 1

Sheesh. I am not a camera snob. SLRs are not the only option for professional shooters.

Nor is a professional camera defined by how much it costs or even what kinds of features it offers. A professional camera is defined by whether or not a person can use the camera as a tool to make money. Thus, there are plenty of professionals using Canon Digital Rebels, Nikon D70's, Olympuses and Pentaxes and not just the super-expensive D2 series camera or EOS 1D series cameras.

With that said, the Sony H9 is not in the same league of camera as a regular digital SLR. For one thing, you can't change the lenses on a Sony H9, which means you're stuck with whatever lens Sony has built onto the camera. Sony's SLR is called the Alpha, and that's what you should be comparing to the Canon SLR.

At the entry-level SLR market, you're looking at Pentax, Olympus, Nikon, and Canon. Expect to spend about $750 to $800 for a camera and lens combination.

Advantages for an SLR--
better viewfinder
ability to change lenses
bigger sensor
control over exposure, focus, flash, etc.

Features not on SLR:
can't do video
generally, no "live view" mode (i.e. can't look at a screen to compose, must look through viewfinder).

However, these missing features simply reinforce that SLRs are specialized, high quality cameras, not all-in-one devices.

And don't get put off by people telling you to get a $5,000 camera to get a "pro" camera. That's just one viewpoint. It's not necessary to spend that kind of money on a camera body to get professional quality results. In fact, spending money on a good camera class is better than wasting money on a super camera you don't know how to use properly, so save some bucks for classes on photography.

Answer 2

Sony doesn't make a professional level camera. In the digital world only Nikon and Canon, and some think the Fuji S-9 or 14. But, the Fuji has been plagued by problems but it does use Nikon lens and is somewhat cheaper then Canon or Nikon.

If you want a professional DSLR, be prepared to shell out $8,000 to $15,000. The top of the line Canon body sells for $8,000 -- the NIkon $5,000. Add a couple of high quality lens for $1,200 to $1,500 a piece, add one very long lens with a large aperature for another $3,000 to $5,000, and you are talking large sums of cash. Take the next lower level body and you are still talking thousands of dollars because the best lens fit both bodies. Are you willing to spend that much money?

If you just want a digital SLR with interchangeable lens, I would suggest you start with the 10 Megapixel Nikon D40X and go from there. That will only set you back about $750 with one lens and is simply the fastest selling DSLR out there. Comes in a kit and you get the lens dirt cheap that way.

Norm

Answer 3

I'll go with what some others have said: if you're going DSLR, or any kind of SLR, Canon and Nikon blow the doors off of anything Sony has ever done. Sony is an electronics company that has built cameras around their electronics. Canon and Nikon are first and foremost camera makers. Both make great DSLRs from entry-level to professional, and both have world-class lenses, flashes, and peripherals. If you get into photography at all, you'll end up spending more on your lenses than on your camera body. You want world-class glass, and Sony doesn't have it.

So, which is better, Nike or Canon? I shoot Canon because i started with it, but saying that one is better than the other will be likely to start a holy war. Both are great.

Happy shooting.

Answer 4

The most expensive, sophisticated DSLR will never take a good photograph - much less a great one - until an experienced photographer uses it.

A simple digicam in the hands of an experienced, skilled photographer can produce excellent photographs while the inexperienced beginner with the DSLR produces photos of mediocre quality.

A "professional" level camera is going to be heavier and bulkier due to its robust construction. Its designed for heavy use under all conditions - from the heat of the desert to the ice fields of Antarctica to the tropical rain forest.

A note to east_bay_vinny :

When Konica-Minolta stopped camera production in 2006, Sony bought the Minolta MAXXUM DSLR line. So if you buy a Sony Alpha you're really buying a disguised MAXXUM. The good news is that all Minolta AF lenses designed since 1985 (when Minolta introduced the world's first AF SLR film camera, the MAXXUM 7000) will mount on the Sony. Plus you can buy an adapter to use the older MC/MD Minolta lenses on the Sony. That is a lot of excellent glass to choose from.

How well-thought of was Minolta glass? Well Leica had Minolta build the Minolta 35-70mm f3.5 and 70-210mm f4 constant aperture zooms with a Leica mount and sold them under the Vario-Elmar name. Leica also used the Minolta MC ROKKOR-X 16mm fisheye. A 16mm in Leica mount goes for around $1000 on ebay; the Minolta mount for between $200 and $250 - for the same glass! Talk about paying for a name...

In My Opinion:

Before upgrading their camera, the photographer should be confident that they have completely exhausted the possibilities of the camera they currently own. Every feature, every benefit should have been taken to its limit. You're up against a wall and only a DSLR will allow you to break through.

Answer 5

Its funny how people poo poo the Sony cameras and say they arent professional since the Nikons they are all saying are professional have their sensors made by Sony. Ironic isnt it?

There are pros who use whatever they have in front of them. A camera is just a tool to create an image, the photographer is what makes the difference.

Answer 6

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