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Author Topic: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera  (Read 36173 times)

UncleUB

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Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« on: September 20, 2008, 08:47:29 AM »

Hi all,I have just seen this camera on Amazon.I was wondering if it would be a good choice for a first time SLR camera.I notice it says including zoom lense kit.Does this include a zoom lense with the camera?what is the distance the zoom lense can go up to.I only know the ones on compact camera's,ie 10x.18x etc.
I was thinking on the lines that this camera can be added to as my experience grows?
I thought the price of £248 looked good.


http://tinyurl.com/4dpdtt
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tuftedduck

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2008, 09:32:17 AM »

That is a nice little camera, unkyUb, and it gets very good reviews.

The price is good and I think makes it the cheapest dslr on the market

It takes compactflash cards and runs on an rechargeable Li-ion battery

10mpx, more than enough, and yes, the lens is included in the price.

The "bundled" lens is a standard zoom covering the range 18-70mm, 4x zoom, (equivalent to 27-105mm on a film camera) so fine for wide angle and normal landscapes and general snapping, but restictive as far as getting close for the far away stuff.
So, if you wanted a longer job, you would want a 70-210mm or 70-300mm (film size) to pull things in which would mean an outlay of £150-£200 extra for that.

Just had a look, and a sony 75-300mm lens from http://www.parkcameras.com/ProductsList/mcs/CategoryID/72/GroupID/14/CatName/Sony/Page/2/v/f2b8a846-ad8f-4037-ae17-4f6811c4a319 for £150.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2008, 10:12:10 AM by tuftedduck »
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Floydoid

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2008, 10:31:20 AM »

Uncy, there's a very good SLR camera article in this week's copy of Micro Mart magazine, plus several *budget digital cameras are tested & reviewed... well worth a read. :)

*under £50
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UncleUB

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2008, 11:11:51 AM »

@ TD,thanks for the info,the £150 for the zoom lens is quite a big outlay on top of the camera.I really wanted something with a decent zoom as I like taking landscape shots.As you point out the bundled lens is only 4x zoom.It does look a lovely camera though and one that can be added to over a period of time.I still like the look of the Panasonic FZ18 but it doesn't seem to be dropping much below the £200 mark.

@ Floydy,thanks for the heads up,I will have a look
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Floydoid

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2008, 11:20:43 AM »

Actually it's a cracking good issue of MM this week :)
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tuftedduck

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2008, 11:42:24 AM »

UnkyUb, most dslr zooms nowadays are 3x or 4x only as that is the best range for keeping the aberrations to a minmum.
You can get good longer zooms, but at a horrendous price.

To get the sort of zoom power that you want, a "bridge" camera such as the FZ18 is the thing to go for.
Was that the one with the 18x zoom................if so, to get that range on a dslr using affordable 4x zooms, you end up with five lenses.......not cheap and a right heavy handful to lug around.
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UncleUB

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2008, 02:10:47 PM »

@ TD,yes thats the Panasonic with the 18x optical zoom.These Camera's on this list are the kind of thing I am looking for.I want a long zoom and image stabilisation.


http://tinyurl.com/4w5ltm
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tuftedduck

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2008, 02:43:50 PM »

Of the list shown on that link, my first choice would be the Canon Powershot SX10.............but that comes in at about £350  :(

Next would be a draw between the Panasonic FZ18 and the Nikon Coolpix P80, both a little better on price and not much behind in performance.

Only way to decide, though, is to get into a camera retailer and try them for size. Do they fit your hands, are the buttons easily accessed and twiddled, are the doors for the card and battery easily opened yet strong enough to last the pace, at full zoom do they feel front heavy and unbalanced etc etc.

Whichever you choose, you will not be disappointed.
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UncleUB

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2008, 02:53:54 PM »

Thanks TD.Plenty to think about,I think I am going in the right direction. :)
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UncleUB

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2008, 04:24:11 PM »

TD,Been looking at the Canon Powershot SX10,its not due till October.The BT shop have it at £259.99 at the moment.I will wait till the big camera review sites pass judgement and see what its like.


http://www.shop.bt.com/productview.aspx?quicklinx=58LM
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UncleUB

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #10 on: November 09, 2008, 10:19:39 AM »

@TD,I am still ponering whether to dip my toe in the water so to speak and get a DSLR camera.The Sony A200 still looks a good buy,but I have seen the Sony A300 which seems to be exclusive to Jessops.Its retailing @ £339.99,but there is £40 rebate from Sony at the moment.
I have been trying to grasp what 'live view' is and whether its a good thing to have.
Other things I would like in an entry DSLR is minimum 10mp,image stabilisaton,and something fairly easy to use.Oh and don't really want to spend much more than £350,is that too much to ask.  :)
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tuftedduck

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #11 on: November 09, 2008, 12:27:23 PM »

Aha, I did think before that the idea of a DSLR had not left the unkyUb mind for good.  :D

Live View is an attempt to give the best of both worlds in the debate about whether it is best to use a viewfinder or the lcd screen for composing your shots.

As you will know, looking through an optical viewfinder on an SLR you are effectively looking through the lens at your scene..........the light comes in the lens, is reflected upwards by a mirror into the glass pentaprism housed in the big nobbly bit on the top of the camera and then out through the eyepiece, then when you fire the shutter, the mirror flips up out of the way and the light from the lens goes straight through onto the film plane or sensor.
On most slrs, however, what you see through the viewfinder is only a part of the scene, typically 95% or so, ..........to get a full 100% view you need a top-end job ( for top-end read expensive )

The live View thing lets you use the viewfinder as normal, but the scene is reproduced on the screen as well as through the viewfinder, but on the screen you get the full 100% coverage.

So you have the choice......either use the viewfinder, or use the screen or use the screen to make a final check on what the viewfinder has given you. Of course this latter has it's problems as if you compose through the viewfinder then check the screen.....you must either move your eyes from one to the other, or move the camera slightly to bring the screen into eyeshot.......thus spoiling the advantage as the machine is now looking at a slightly different scene ( unless of course it is on a tripod)

The wee screen on the Sony is on hinges and can be tilted and panned a bit away from the body but I don't know by how much and how easy it may be to see when in different positions.

The Sony has more than enough pixels built in, it has plenty of auto and semi-auto modes for ease of use and it does have image stabilisation.

The only downside I can see is that which we talked of before............your need because of mobility problems to use longer zoom lenses rather than hiking towards the more distant subject. The zoom bundled with the camera is a wide to shortish x3/x4 job but for more distant stuff you would again be having to consider additional longer lenses.

Good price, and a nice wee bit cashback from Sony..............this appears to be an introductory offer as the camera is a very new model.
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UncleUB

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #12 on: November 09, 2008, 04:39:52 PM »

Thanks for your feedback TD.Like you say the only problem is the zoom aspect.I know you pointed out earlier that an extra zoom lens will be in the region of £150 upwards,that makes it quite an expensive buy.I know it can be purchased at a later date,but never the less an added expense.One of the main reasons for me to upgrade is to be able to zoom scenery/points of interest near enough to get a nice photo.
The price of an ultra zoom compact is round about £200 to £250,which is not much less than the Sony A300 with one lens.then of course there is the zoom lense..................
The DSLR would seem a long term investment though,oh decisions,decisions.
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tuftedduck

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #13 on: November 09, 2008, 05:10:35 PM »

The decision is between a rock and a hard place.

I think that you are hankering after the dslr, and if you bought the long zoom compact you might find that you still hanker after the dslr and feel that you had spent money on the compact that should have gone to the dslr.

Decisions decisions as you say.

There maybe a middle road to enquire about at the camera retail shop.
There is no law that says that if you buy the camera, you have to buy the bundled lens. You can buy the camera body only, and you may just get a good deal if you buy the long zoom instead of the short zoom to go with it.

I don't know what the arithmatics might be..........I know that if you buy body only and no lens the price reduction may be only £20/£30 but offering to buy a long instead of a short may give a better deal.

Of course, you then lose the wide angle option, but at a later date a short zoom would be cheaper to look forward to than a long zoom.

If you find that for the majority of you shots you are using the longer end of your current compact lens, then the above may be an option.......just depends on where the bulk of your shots may lie.

If you went down that route, a short zoom bought seperately would be about £100 at
http://www.parkcameras.com/c/72/Sony--Minolta-Fit.html?Page=1

but....but... have just noticed that at Paek Cameras ( http://www.parkcameras.com/c/72/Sony--Minolta-Fit.html?Page=2 ) you can get a 70-300 zoom for £99.00 ( a lot better the £150 advertised before and which represents fifty odd quid off the book price.)

 
« Last Edit: November 09, 2008, 05:22:15 PM by tuftedduck »
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UncleUB

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Re: Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera
« Reply #14 on: November 10, 2008, 07:56:14 AM »

This might sound a daft question TD,but if the camera has not got the live view feature,can you still compose your shot with either the view finder or the LCD screen.
The A 200 does not have the live view or the tilting screen,but is is quite bit cheaper and the saving could go towards me having both lens.

« Last Edit: November 10, 2008, 08:02:00 AM by UncleUB »
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