Sony alpha a300 dslr camera system requirements compared to the a350?

Wow battle of the titans huh (I'm talking about the contributers)...tend to agree some of fishmeister's comments. But I'll add a little to the fray...availablity of accessories on Sony alphas do seem a little limited. If you want a speedlight well there are around 3 choices available...plus the Sigmas. Oh and when you need something odd like an obscure lens you can't find it...not even used... But I'll say if you're not intending anything more than advanced amateur sony's are ok, but not more really.

Your operating system wont matter at all. Take the memory card out and use a card reader and you wont have any problems at all. Live view is not an important feature to look for. Using live view for anything that does not involve the camera being on a tripod is a sure way to get blurry shots. This is not a point and shoot camera that weighs a few ounces. You can not hold a camera and lens that weighs several pounds at arms length and not get blurry shots. You need to use the viewfinder. That said some other cameras to look at would be the Canon Rebel XS or the Nikon D40. Both cameras are under $500 with an 18-55mm lens. For under $700 you can get a two lens package.

----------------- VISIT DPREVIEW.COM FOR A REVIEW OF THIS CAMERA WHICH CONFIRMS EVERYTHING I HAVE SAID REGARDING THE VIEWFINDER, THE ISO AND THE SPEED OF THESE CAMERAS. They DO have the smallest viewfinders, they DO have ISO problems and they ARE incredibly slow. How can you deny this? OK, now I am back home and not writing this in my iPhone i will give some links... http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydslra350/page31.asp Proves that everything I said is true, the A300/350 is a terrible camera. And you have demonstrated exactly what I said would happen.. Fools who have bought an A300/350 will try and defend their purchase!!. I have plenty of experience with all DSLR's, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax and Olympus and I can definitely conclude that Sony DSLR's are the worst cameras I have ever used!. And that comes from experience of using all systems. Buy a god damn Sony at your peril, take it from me, they are the worst you can buy!!. And if you take that 'Minolta' lens crap seriously , there is something wrong with you!. Hey, there is no denying it, the Sony range of lenses is terrible and if you you want to buy some other lenses you have to bid for them on eBay!. That's right!, you have to bid for 20 year old second hand lenses on eBay if you want something that is over 200mm or a wide angle prime. Do you want to pop along to a shop and see a wide range of 200mm+ primes and wide angle primes?, Oh wait!, you can't!!, you have to search for them on eBay!. Only a complete idiot would buy into a system that FORCES you to do that. Don't be one of those fools. Oh and try and forget Edwin's ridiculous comment about using the flip screen at a parade!. For crying out loud, how often is that going to happen. Put it this way how often are you going to be using the viewfinder to take shots and how often are you going to be at a parade holding the camera above your head?... Exactly!. You are not stupid, the tilting screen is a gimmick, serious photographers do not need one, nor want one. Only amateurs who have just made the jump from P&S might think this is important. ----------------- I will probably get flamed for this but listen to what I have to say. Please, if you are buying a DSLR, do not get the Sony A300 or A350. I am a dedicated photographer who has used countless DSLR's and I can honestly and professionally say that the A300 and A350 are the worst DSLR's currently on the market. The tilting screen is a gimmick, just how many shots do you think you will use it for?. The big downfall is that the A300/350 have the smallest viewfinders of any APS-C sensor DSLR's currently on the market. If you are not into photography, you may not understand how important it is to have a large bright viewfinder, but it is very important in photography. The Viewfinders in the A300/350 are awful pentamirror viewfinders that are like looking down a long dark tunnel to a distant screen. I urge you to visit a store and see for yourself what I mean. On top of this, the tilting LCD protrudes a few MM from the body making it even more difficult to put your eye to the already difficult to use viewfinder. The frame rate in these cameras is awful (2.5f.s). This is one hell of a slow camera!, I found it extremely frustrating to use. There are significant noise problems in ISO 400 and above. I have tested this myself and reports on many review sites have also reported the same. I urge you to look elsewhere, I am sure that many people here will give me a thumbs down and disagree with me, but one this is certain (especially in the DSLR world).. People will always try and defend their expensive purchase against any criticism. I will finish on a positive note though and say that the A700 and A900 are excellent cameras, but if Sony is going to be your thing then look towards the A200, that has a nice large viewfinder and I would certainly take one over the A300/350. ++++++++++++ Additional: I have also heard a lot of rumours recently that Sony is about to announce some new models. It may be worth waiting a few weeks to see if it is true. And maybe if they are released soon, then that A200 will come down in price a little. ++++++++++++ SOUND LAB - Allow me to reply to your comments... Here, I'll break it down for you.. "But then something happened. Sony did a good job, Sony has advantages over the CaNikon stuff and now they get mad, and foam comes out of their mouths even." I find anybody who uses the term 'CaNikon' is never to be taken seriously, it is such a sad thing to say... I also find it hard to understand what it is I should be mad at?. You forget that I have used Sonys/Nikons/Canon etc, I have used them all and the Sony's were the worst I have ever used. So shall we have a look at what is supposingly making me mad shall we? "They hate that Sony has the BEST live view period. It's proven in all the test, reviews and from real users. " I do have live-view in my Canon 40D, I never had it previously in any of my DSLR's. I would not miss it if it was not in my current DSLR either. I use the viewfinder for my shooting, like a real photographer. As far as the screen is concerned, I use it for viewing the histogram.. that's it.. I doubt you even understand what the histogram is for. The Sony A300/350 have sacrificed one of the most vital parts of a camera.. The Viewfinder, so they can fit an unnecessary tacky screen. I am sorry, but the live-view is not something that is important.. Sorry you have such a terrible viewfinder, but I do not think you have ever used another DSLR so you have nothing to compare it to. "They hate it when someone mentions that having anti-shake built into the body gives you stable prime lenses." I'm afraid that you are wrong again, oh so very wrong. I am glad that Canon does not have in body IS, really glad!. In lens IS is much more superior to in body, the IS in each lens is tuned specifically to that particular lens, plus you also have the advantage of a stabilized viewfinder, something which as a Sony owner, you would not understand. I am 100% happy that my lenses are IS. "You can't get stable primes with Canon and Nikon." Now you are starting to sound ridiculous.. There are dozens of stable primes for Canon and Nikon.. You have just shown me that you are a complete amateur who does not know what he is talking about, well done!. "This guy talks about 'old' Minolta lenses because he knows that Minolta made some of the finest glass that's ever been made. I'd put my Minolta 80-200mm f/2.8 against any lens in the world. Minolta G glass is amazing." I see, so as I said earlier.. If you want lenses (especially over 200mm in prime) you have to buy 20 year old second hand lenses that you have to search for on eBay, bid for them and hope that they are good copies?. So you can not just walk into a store and buy a Sony prime lens over 200mm?, oh wait that's right you can't because there is currently 1 lens on the market and it is $6000!. I want to be able to walk into a store and have a huge choice of lenses to buy there and then, and I also want the option to be able to HIRE lenses if I want to. This option is severely limited to Sony's dire range. I am really sorry but the Alpha 300/350 range are terrible cameras, I have already said that the A200 is ok, but don't bother buying into Sony if you want to do wildlife or sports photography. Calling me a crybaby and saying I am jealous is ridiculous on your part, I could quite easily have decided to keep the A350 that I had the misfortune to use for the day, I was glad to be rid of it. You have deliberately avoided my remarks on.. 1) The poor viewfinders 2) The ISO problems 3) The Slowness (2.5f/s!) And you have once again proved my point that Sony owners will always try and defend their expensive purchase, even though all evidence is against them. If the original poster buys a Sony after this then he needs his head examining. (And just to balance the scales a little, I will add that I do not like the Canon 1000D, nor the Nikon D60. I have the fortune to get to use a number of DSLR's and I do compare them. If you are solely a Sony owner and you obviously do not have a lot of knowledge about anything other than your Sony, then your comments are entirely biased!. I like the A700, A900 and A200. Hell I would like an A900 in my collection!, but the A300/350 are terrible cameras, how many other ways can I put it?)

All of the major brands are good. Choose a brand that appeals to you. Then you have to think about getting a spare battery, what size memory card, if you want an extended warranty, how much you can afford, what size zoom, if you want manual controls, the size of the camera, finding a reliable place to purchase it, and the list goes on and on and on....... The first thing to realize is that almost any digital camera will take good pictures. If more people would read the manual more than once, they would be able to take better pictures. Usually, the person assumes it is the camera when it could be them not knowing exactly what to do. Just give yourself more photographic knowledge by doing more reading on the internet. I really believe buying a camera is an individual choice. The person needs to read alot of reviews on cameras so they can decide on the features that they really want and need. Go to the store and hold them so you can see if they feel comfortable in your hands. If possible, take some pictures in the store to check the quality of the pictures. I can only give a suggestion of what to look for in a new digital camera. Good Luck my suggestion go to this link for help http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camera-buying-guide/ http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Holiday+Splurge+Camera?adCell=W3

I must take issue with the person who proclaimed the A300 and A350 as the worst DSLRs on the market. Yes, I realize that's his opinion and opinions are like noses - everybody has one. However, I suggest totally ignoring his opinion since he offered no links to any sites to prove his personal opinion. In my opinion his comment is as valid as someone saying "Oh yeah man Ford is better than Chevy" or any other unsubstantiated opinion. Here are two: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Sony_Alpha_DSLR_A300 http://photo.net/equipment/sony/a350_a300/preview/ You can also read a review at http://www.shutterbug.com by typing 'a trio of sony dslrs' in the Search box. Read the reviews and make your own decision. As to the usefulness of the Live View, well if you're ever at a parade and need to hold the camera overhead to get the picture just tilt it down and you can look up, compose and shoot. If you ever shoot macro at ground level then just flip the screen up, compose and shoot. In my opinion its not just a gimmick. Go ahead and buy the A300. Later you can add to your lens collection with the Minolta Maxxum AF lenses dating back to 1985. They will auto focus with the A300 and, since Sony has its version of Image Stabilization (IS) in the camera body every lens used becomes an IS lens. Nikon and Canon can't say that. Just buy a card reader to download your images to your computer.