It is big, black and takes BIG photos! My full-frame SLR!

Hey all,

The past 4 months have been very very busy months in terms of new photographic excursions, work and life in general. My time on TE has dropped substantially and I've mostly transitioned from regular member to regular lurker. :D But my time towards quality photography has actually increased during these days and I'd decided to take the step towards more serious photography around 2 months back.

Then began the hunt for the replacement for my Sony A300 DSLR. My budget was flexible but I'd decided to keep a cap. I was even open to shifting to Canon or Nikon if the price/features were right. At the end of the day, I realized that full-frame was what I wanted to upgrade to and it came down to a new Canon 5D Mk II, new Nikon D700, used Canon 5D or a new Sony A850. The Sony system's sheer value-for-money bowled me over and that's why I have it now.

PHEW!! Talk about a looong intro!

Here's what I shoot with now:

Sony A850, 24.6MP
Lenses: Minolta 28-75 f2.8, Minolta 17-35 f2.8-4.0, Minolta 24-105 f3.5-4.5 (lightweight lens), Minolta 70-210 f4.0, Sony 50mm f1.4
Flashes: Sony HVL-42AM, Sony HVL-20 (superb compact flash!)
Supports: SLIK tripod (inexpensive but usable!), Manfroto monopod
Bag: Kata 3n1-20 and a Kata DR-467

This is a huuuuuuuuuuge step up from my A300 but I'll miss the awesome quick Liveview the most. The A850 itself isn't too heavy or too bulky in fact..and the viewfinder is magic!! It is like looking at a massive screen! The DOF and perspective with a 50 1.4 lens is too die for...and yes, the sound of that huuuge shutter is impressive. :D

Total damages: All I'll say is that this is anywhere between 40-50% cheaper than a comparable Canikon FF system. :D Minolta's used market is awesome and all the lenses are in great shape. Proof to this is that I sold a Minolta 50mm f1.7 for the same price I bought it at! :)

Camera body bought in India (smartshoppers, Chennai), everything else abroad.

Photos to follow soon!

Cheers!
Payne

PS: Sony A300 sold to supercsar, our own TE regular! :D
PPS: Irrespective of all this, I'll still stress on the importance of skill, timing and location over just great gear. :D Look at ANP's awesome shots from his D40! I just hope to make the most of this kit now. *fingers crossed*
 
Party Monger said:
Congrats man..

But what an irony..A show-off by an awesome photographer, showing off his new cam, without any pics :p

really seems to be a busy man, took his NIKON D40X & i still haven't got any I TRADER rating :(
 
Gosh thats nice to hear. Passion of Photography.

I have a lousy camera when compared to you guys. Yet i was feeling satisfied.

But when those amazing work of art in the photography thread, I was wanting to push more.

But this is way out of line for my camera. SLR's, got to own it some day And I will.
 
@ragzdiablo, nixy_15, ashvarybabul, Faheem, vij, Udit, blufox: Thank you! :)

@Party Monger, malhotraraul: I am too busy for shots, honestly. :) Haven't time to play with the big monster till now. You should see some samples on Sunday after a shoot on the weekend! :)

@Arzuneos, rahulrulez: Thanks! DSLRs are not that outta reach now, most of us buy 2nd-hand hardware without blinking an eyelid. So if you invest time and patience into cameras as well, there are some killer deals out there in India. 2nd-hand dSLRs sell for anything between 12-25k! A good starter point and if you know what to do with them, you can be just as good!

Damages:
Sony A850 - 95k for the body including a free 8GB original Sony MS Duo Pro Mk 2. :)
Lenses:
Minolta
17-35 f2.8-4 - Rs.17k
28-75 f2.8 - Rs.16k
24-105 f3.5-4.5 - Rs.12.5k
70-210 f4 - Rs.11k
Sony 50 f1.4 - Rs.17k

All the used lenses are faaar cheaper than a Canikon system. :)
 
I hafta see you take pics.. I did attend a SLR training once but seeing all the settings and my sheer ignorance I decided to drop the SLR idea. Its been 3 years and I'm still buying my first digital camera :ashamed:
 
Back
Top