Does anyone shoot with a Sony?

My D70 shutter clunked out on me and I'm ready to pull the trigger on a99 and want to know if there are many professional photographers who shoot with a Sony? How about in general? I have played around with the camera in the store and there is always good buzz in the Sony store (go figure). What about in the real world, are these a good camera?

The ONLY two people I know who shoot Sony are an ex-Minolta guy and Mike Yamashita (National Geographic photographer). The ex-Minolta guy isn't a professional and Mike is sponsored by Sony.

The only real reason to go Sony is... I guess if you're into video... maybe if you have some Minolta lenses floating around...

I hate the way Sony does white balance. Always seems way too yellow. They have a pretty cool flash though. Interesting design.

As for the A99... I tried it and it's not that good. Get a D800e if you're spending that sort of money. WAY better camera (I owned a D800 and D800e at the same time for a while). Heck a D600 would be better.

There's a good buzz in the Sony Store because of all the other products there. I wouldn't buy a camera based on "buzz"

PS about a year ago (I guess it was a year ago) I switched back to Canon from Nikon. I considered Sony and after the a99 came out and I tried it, decided against it.

Wut SN said

My first DSLR was a cheap Sony. Decent camera, but the 3rd party support was way behind Canikon, so I caved in and went with Canon. Cherry pick the consumer Sonys, including NEX, and there are a few models that are attractive. But at the pro level, very tough sell.

Kelly

I shoot Sony... well, the NEX I shoot.
All these > 500px(dot)com/SeoirseBrennan I shot with a NEX C3
Great potential in Sony and the new A7 that will be soon out... incredible imo.

Hey,
I use a Sony A300, A200, and a A37. I started with a Minolta 7D that when it was cold the mirror would hang open. I use to cut it off and the cut it back on. I love my Sonys, If its sticking you should get it overhauled or go for that 99, thats a hot camera. Be Blessed!

Stealthy Ninja wrote: The ONLY two people I know who shoot Sony are an ex-Minolta guy and Mike Yamashita (National Geographic photographer). The ex-Minolta guy isn't a professional and Mike is sponsored by Sony.

The only real reason to go Sony is... I guess if you're into video... maybe if you have some Minolta lenses floating around...

I hate the way Sony does white balance. Always seems way too yellow. They have a pretty cool flash though. Interesting design.

As for the A99... I tried it and it's not that good. Get a D800e if you're spending that sort of money. WAY better camera (I owned a D800 and D800e at the same time for a while). Heck a D600 would be better.

There's a good buzz in the Sony Store because of all the other products there. I wouldn't buy a camera based on "buzz"

PS about a year ago (I guess it was a year ago) I switched back to Canon from Nikon. I considered Sony and after the a99 came out and I tried it, decided against it.

I was thinking about the a99, what about it didn't you like? I have ready so many good reviews about this camera. The only negatives that stuck out over and over was people talking about the bulkyness of the camera's body. I would really like to hear your opinion on this. Thank you

Nex 5 that I'm selling to buy a NEX 7

Linda Duncan wrote:

Stealthy Ninja wrote: The ONLY two people I know who shoot Sony are an ex-Minolta guy and Mike Yamashita (National Geographic photographer). The ex-Minolta guy isn't a professional and Mike is sponsored by Sony.

The only real reason to go Sony is... I guess if you're into video... maybe if you have some Minolta lenses floating around...

I hate the way Sony does white balance. Always seems way too yellow. They have a pretty cool flash though. Interesting design.

As for the A99... I tried it and it's not that good. Get a D800e if you're spending that sort of money. WAY better camera (I owned a D800 and D800e at the same time for a while). Heck a D600 would be better.

There's a good buzz in the Sony Store because of all the other products there. I wouldn't buy a camera based on "buzz"

PS about a year ago (I guess it was a year ago) I switched back to Canon from Nikon. I considered Sony and after the a99 came out and I tried it, decided against it.

I was thinking about the a99, what about it didn't you like? I have ready so many good reviews about this camera. The only negatives that stuck out over and over was people talking about the bulkyness of the camera's body. I would really like to hear your opinion on this. Thank you

Didn't like the electronic viewfinder. Felt cheaply built for the price. The D800e and 5Diii has better image quality for the price and feels stronger. White balance is really weird on Sony. The look of the video doesn't match the Canon equipment I have (video camera).

IMHO why go for Sony with it's quirky design and poor high ISO noise when you can go Canon or Nikon and get known quality.

Mike Ayrouth wrote: Nex 5 that I'm selling to buy a NEX 7

Why not a Luna?

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

Linda Duncan wrote:

Stealthy Ninja wrote: The ONLY two people I know who shoot Sony are an ex-Minolta guy and Mike Yamashita (National Geographic photographer). The ex-Minolta guy isn't a professional and Mike is sponsored by Sony.

The only real reason to go Sony is... I guess if you're into video... maybe if you have some Minolta lenses floating around...

I hate the way Sony does white balance. Always seems way too yellow. They have a pretty cool flash though. Interesting design.

As for the A99... I tried it and it's not that good. Get a D800e if you're spending that sort of money. WAY better camera (I owned a D800 and D800e at the same time for a while). Heck a D600 would be better.

There's a good buzz in the Sony Store because of all the other products there. I wouldn't buy a camera based on "buzz"

PS about a year ago (I guess it was a year ago) I switched back to Canon from Nikon. I considered Sony and after the a99 came out and I tried it, decided against it.

I was thinking about the a99, what about it didn't you like? I have ready so many good reviews about this camera. The only negatives that stuck out over and over was people talking about the bulkyness of the camera's body. I would really like to hear your opinion on this. Thank you

Didn't like the electronic viewfinder. Felt cheaply built for the price. The D800e and 5Diii has better image quality for the price and feels stronger. White balance is really weird on Sony. The look of the video doesn't match the Canon equipment I have (video camera).

IMHO why go for Sony with it's quirky design and poor high ISO noise when you can go Canon or Nikon and get known quality.

Don't they have that 4k video now?

Mike Ayrouth wrote: Nex 5 that I'm selling to buy a NEX 7

Sent you message. Let me know what you want for that NEX5

I have been shooting Sony cameras for several years now, and love them. Those who say the a99 isn't as good haven't spent enough time with the Sony to make such a statement. I own the a99, and have used it in the the studio, as well as weddings, etc.

The EVF is wonderful, especially for weddings. You can do things much quicker since what you see in the viewfinder is what you are shooting, right down to exposure and white balance. Also, when you want to examine a photo you just took on a sunny day and you are having a hard time seeing it in the back of the camera, just bring your eye to the EVF and enjoy what no Canon or Nikon shooter can...a glare free preview of your photo. You can zoom in to check sharpness as easily as viewing it on a monitor. Does it take a little time to get used to an electronic viewfinder after shooting with an optical viewfinder for a long time? Of course, it takes about a day. For me, I will never go back to an optical viewfinder. The advantages I enjoy now would too hard to give up.

The WB is fine, what professional is shooting jpegs anyway? If you are shooting RAW and using LR or Aperture, you are correcting your WB in post.

The ergonomics of Sony cameras is a personal thing. If you like the way an old Minolta feels in your hand, you'll love the Sony. Its similar to Nikon in that regard. If you prefer the blocky Canon feel, you may not like the feel of the Sony.

High ISO is great on the a99, contrary to what was said above. I have done side-by-side testing with the Canon 5D MKIII and they are nearly identical up to 3200/6400 at 100% magnification. In a normal size print you can't tell them apart. I repeat, you CANNOT tell them apart! Anyone who wants to pixel peep at 100% can point out that the Sony is a bit noisier at high ISO. Great, but that isn't real world viewing and its ridiculous. If you're a pixel peeper and you shoot in a lot of very dark places at 6400 ISO and above, this isn't the camera for you. If you are a normal photographer who enjoys a tool that is more than capable of producing breathtakingly detailed images, you'll love the a99.

By the way, a feature that has become vital for me is the flip out screen. There isn't anything like it on the market from Canon or Nikon. I no longer have to lay on the ground to compose shots from low angles, and I can flip the screen down to shoot above the heads of people on a dance floor. I have stuck my arm out with the screen flipped to the side so I can compose a shot without leaving my seat (important during Catholic wedding ceremonies).

Pros that shoot Sony include Nigel Barker and Brian Smith, and I even heard that Gary Fong switched to Sony for whatever that's worth. Am I a pro? In a sense I am, as I make my living with my gear, although I am not a big name, or high profile shooter. That being said, I am not sponsored by Sony and I can shoot whatever I want. I choose to stick with Sony because the cameras I own meet my needs better than the comparably priced Cannons or Nikons.

The only issue I have ever had from any of my Sony cameras was a shutter that failed on my a700 a few years ago. I put close to 200,000 actuations on a shutter that was rated for half of that.

As for lens selection and third party support, would someone please tell me what it is that you can get for a Canon or Nikon that you can't get for a Sony? Yes, Sony has the smallest lens selection of the three manufacturers, but all of the needs for almost any photographer are covered. By the way, I have some 25-30 year old Minolta glass that works perfectly on my a99. I got the lenses for dirt cheap and guess what? Even my 30 year old 70-210 f4 is stabilized, because stabilization is built into the camera body.

I am not saying that Sony cameras take better photos than Canons or Nikons, but I am saying that the Canons and Nikons aren't better than the Sonys, as is being asserted above. I also contend that there are things that don't affect image quality, but do affect user experience that make the Sony superior, like the flip out screen and EVF (yes, I think it's better than an OVF). Anyone saying that Canon or Nikon is better has no idea what they are talking about, and is probably more interested in pixel peeping and brand loving than actually taking good quality photos, which can even be done with a piece of crap point&shoot in the hands of a skilled photographer.

Forget the brand name on the camera. Find the tool that has the features that work best for the shooting you do / want to do.

Ren Murray
Golden Era Photography
goldeneraphoto dot com

Patrick Harkness wrote:

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

Linda Duncan wrote:

Stealthy Ninja wrote: The ONLY two people I know who shoot Sony are an ex-Minolta guy and Mike Yamashita (National Geographic photographer). The ex-Minolta guy isn't a professional and Mike is sponsored by Sony.

The only real reason to go Sony is... I guess if you're into video... maybe if you have some Minolta lenses floating around...

I hate the way Sony does white balance. Always seems way too yellow. They have a pretty cool flash though. Interesting design.

As for the A99... I tried it and it's not that good. Get a D800e if you're spending that sort of money. WAY better camera (I owned a D800 and D800e at the same time for a while). Heck a D600 would be better.

There's a good buzz in the Sony Store because of all the other products there. I wouldn't buy a camera based on "buzz"

PS about a year ago (I guess it was a year ago) I switched back to Canon from Nikon. I considered Sony and after the a99 came out and I tried it, decided against it.

I was thinking about the a99, what about it didn't you like? I have ready so many good reviews about this camera. The only negatives that stuck out over and over was people talking about the bulkyness of the camera's body. I would really like to hear your opinion on this. Thank you

Didn't like the electronic viewfinder. Felt cheaply built for the price. The D800e and 5Diii has better image quality for the price and feels stronger. White balance is really weird on Sony. The look of the video doesn't match the Canon equipment I have (video camera).

IMHO why go for Sony with it's quirky design and poor high ISO noise when you can go Canon or Nikon and get known quality.

Don't they have that 4k video now?

My Samsung Note 3 shoot 4k. 4k is not very useful for most people at the moment. 95% or more of the people out there aren't shooting movies or own a 4k television set. I think 4k is really overkill. You can't see the difference unless:

1. You have a 4k monitor/TV
2. Said monitor/TV is VERY large.

So unless you're shooting movies etc. I'd hold back on 4k until it becomes more mainstream. By then Canon et. al will have 4k as standard and you won't be stuck with Sony's crappy G lenses (or buying over priced Zeiss lenses).

I shoot with an a850,minolta lenses, with a Sony and sigma lens thrown in. Sigma flash for Sony also. I'm not a pro. I edit with Photoshop and OnOneSoftware's Perfect PhotoSuite. On the analog side I somehow amassed every Minolta SLR from the SR-1 to the Maxxum 9000 along with most of their available lenses.

That would be quite a lens collection!!! You could also have fun with the old SR lenses on a A7?

Kelly