A Sony?

Mary Sparrow · 09-23-2003, 07:54 AM

I went to the dppreview site at http://www.dpreview.com and posted what I wanted on a forum board. This is one of the responses I got, is anyone familiar with this camera?

Quote:

Hi Mary,

Welcome to the digital world. I would advise the Sony 717.

Price drop, while the newer Sony 828 (with 8 million pixels) is hitting the market, brings it within your budget.

It has just a tad more zoom range than the Nikon 5000 and brings you the ideal distance for portraits.

Very fast lens let you make pictures inside without the need for flash: No bothering about nasty shadows or red eyes.

The camera is known to give excellent pictures, right out from the box, without steep learning curves.

It has a Lithium-ion battery: Keeps its full power, when you stow your camera away for weeks and weeks.

Has, at your choice, also the 2:3 format: That is the format used by the common print services. (The normal digital format is 3:4 and will be cropped: Or by yourself, or by the print service, but you don't get what your framed in, while shooting.)

And you can trust me on this one, because as happy Minolta D7 owner, I don't belong to the Sony camp.

Hans

Mike McCarty · 09-23-2003, 10:57 AM

Mary,

I'm not familiar with the person you quoted above but I would check with B&H camera mail order regarding any photo equipment. B&H is a well considered mail order supplier. B&H will be close to the bottom price.

If possible try and find a camera store where you can actually hold these cameras and compare how they feel in you hand.

My sense is that there is a shift in pricing on its way regarding digital cameras. And don't forget Christmas madness is just around the corner and all will be trying to get your attention.

Elizabeth Schott · 09-23-2003, 02:49 PM

Hi Mary,

I am counting the days for this new Sony to hit the market! I actually wrote them and tried to convince them I was a starving artist and see if they would let me buy a "beta" version at a lower price, but nope I have to wait until November like everyone else.

I think the major difference will be the additional pixels but most importantly the lens. As you have heard all the pros discuss here when shooting your canvas you should use a certain length lens to keep from getting distortion, this applies to people, too. Most of the higher-low range resolution digital cameras are really just bodies that fit lens for SLR cameras, but if you are like me and own Ricoh and Vivitar SLR's their digitals are more like Kodaks with built in lenses, so if I bought the Nikon 11 mega pixel I would have to buy a new lens too.

The new Sony will be $1,200.00. I am not sure what the other one will drop to. But another trick I learned is to check out the Circuit City site. If you buy on line and go to the store to pick it up and they are having a sale or it is cheaper there they must give you that price.

Mike McCarty · 09-23-2003, 05:34 PM

The Sony 717 at B&H as I recall was under $700.

I was in the camera store today and saw an interesting camera. The new Canon Rebel Digital, 6.3 mega pixel SLR that comes WITH a zoom lens and will accept any Canon lenses. Full retail camera store price $1000. You have to put $500 down and wait for their alotment.

What I like about it is that it looks and feels like the cameras that I've been using all my life.

Mary Sparrow · 10-03-2003, 07:57 AM

Since I have that rebel slr, do you think that I should maybe look into the canon digital coming out?..It sounds like you are saying that I could buy lenses that would interchange with the two camera? or am I misunderstanding? Of course, I didn't really want to spend 1000 dollars,I was hoping to keep it to 700 or less, but it might make more sense on the long run?

Mike McCarty · 10-03-2003, 10:10 AM

Quote:

It sounds like you are saying that I could buy lenses that would interchange with the two camera?

Mary,

This is my understanding.

The other thing that bothers me about the Sony, and I can't really speak with a lot of authority about the technicalities, is that it appears to be a different concept of camera. When I was in the camera store talking to the techies I very much got this impression. You get this impression right away from the looks of the Sony (that movie camera look) compared to most of the other systems. The Nikon and Canon digital SLR's pretty much follow the same ergonomics of the past. And, I get the impression that the Sony doesn't have the same lens changing concept. I think it just has one really good lens. I'm not possitive about that.

You can never really win the technology race game. You use your best timing judgement and jump in knowing that you will pay too much and be upped by the features coming out in six months.

Personally, if I owned a standard Canon Rebel I think it would make some sense to stick with the Canon. But my advice would still be to find a well stocked camera store and go handle these things. Talk to the techies and tell them what you're up to. Ask them if the Sony concept is totally different and if that difference makes any difference to you.

Canon Rebel Digital 6.3 mp at B&H

Elizabeth Schott · 10-03-2003, 10:33 AM

Mike, I called my store about the Canon and it was 999.00 with a lens.

Again my problem applies were only Pentax uses the same mount as my lens.

So you like this Canon? It comes with a good lens? Does 2 mega-pixels make enough of a difference to justify the constraints of the fixed lens on the Sony?

Thanks!

Here is a photo of the new Sony:

Mike McCarty · 10-03-2003, 10:40 AM

Beth,

What model number is this? How much is it? It doesn't look like the Sony 717. Looks almost like a camera!

Mike McCarty · 10-03-2003, 11:56 AM

Every time I allow myself to get excited about a new digital camera I end up having this same argument with myself.

The quality of the image for my old Nikon (or any other SLR) film camera is "film specific." The quality of image from digital cameras is "camera specific." You could make arguments around the perimeter but I think this is true (lenses being equal).

I can go into my camera store and purchase a roll of 36 Kodak Portra 160 asa film (or Fuji) for about $7.50. With this film I can compete with any six mega pixel digital camera on quality. What I gain with the digital is not image quality but convenience. So what's that worth to me I ask. So far the answer has been, If the quality is the same I need more than just convenience before I drop a grand or two or three. Do you need a new flash attachment, more card storage, different lenses, might as well get a new bag?

Some day soon I will succumb.

Elizabeth Schott · 10-03-2003, 02:28 PM

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/sonydscf828/page2.asp

Mike it is their new model to be sold in November that I was mentioning above. Sony DSC 828. I think it is 8. something mega-pixels.

For me the best part of digital is not the "photography" end, but the computer end. It totally removes the scanning stage. This is especially great for pre-press and web site management.

I did spend my afternoon shooting slides with my SLR. The minute I put my polarizing filter on and have to adjust for stops, I feel like a big duh now, who has never used a real camera before. It will be interesting to see how they come out.