MWAC- sony a65, Canon 60d, Nikon d90? (other?)

[funnyfarm]

OK, honestly, I have a humble $600-$800 photography budget to get started this year.. WE have 6 kids and I just want to take them out and have fun and snap some lifestyle and portraits. I shoot raw, and I'm familiar w/ the 40d, but I had some isues with (used) lenses and got tired of messing with it 4 years ago.

things i"m looking for

large bright viewfinder (I got headaches w/ the 40d)
video might be fun but not super important.. I dont know how to edit them anyway.
I THINK i want image stabilization- I'm shooting moving kids, so?
I want more shots in focus... I know that has to do w/ shutter speed and steady hand etc, but maybe more cross type sensors?
what else........ hm.. not sure

OH! the lens will be 50 focal length.. either the canon or nikon/sony 1.8, or the sigma 1.4. not sure...

what else.. i'm intrigued by the sonys digital viewfinder, not sure about that... I dont have a camera store to visit nearby (small town)

i was thinking i (could) do the canon 40d this year, since it runs about 250-300 and the sigma 50 1.4... I'd just have to use it less than I did before (can you say obsessive?) so as not to get headaches.. lol yeah? Is the 40d way outdated now?

thanks for your help.. ask away if you need clarification or have any questions. I'm typing this up fast before i serve lunch to the kids.

 

[gsgary]

In the right hands the 40D can compete with any of the cameras listed

 

[shefjr]

.
I THINK i want image stabilization- I'm shooting moving kids, so?

That is not something in camera. Image stabilization is in the lens you buy.

 

[goodguy]

.
I THINK i want image stabilization- I'm shooting moving kids, so?

That is not something in camera. Image stabilization is in the lens you buy.

In most cases you are correct but Sony has its IS inside its body.
My old Sony a300 had an IS in its body and I believe so does all other Sonys DSLR.

From the list of these 3 cameras I think I would go with the a65 and the 60D would be a close second.
If you can squeese a little more cash then I would go with the Nikon D7000.

 

[shefjr]

.
I THINK i want image stabilization- I'm shooting moving kids, so?

That is not something in camera. Image stabilization is in the lens you buy.

In most cases you are correct but Sony has its IS inside its body.
My old Sony a300 had an IS in its body and I believe so does all other Sonys DSLR.

From the list of these 3 cameras I think I would go with the a65 and the 60D would be a close second.
If you can squeese a little more cash then I would go with the Nikon D7000.

I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the correction. :thumbup:

 

[davisphotos]

IS helps if you are moving, it will not freeze your kid's movement, you need a higher shutter speed for that.

 

[goodguy]

That is not something in camera. Image stabilization is in the lens you buy.

In most cases you are correct but Sony has its IS inside its body.
My old Sony a300 had an IS in its body and I believe so does all other Sonys DSLR.

From the list of these 3 cameras I think I would go with the a65 and the 60D would be a close second.
If you can squeese a little more cash then I would go with the Nikon D7000.

I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the correction. :thumbup:

I am but a novice in this world of photography but I knew this fact because I used to own a Sony DSLR, I might be mistaking but I think also Pentax have IS in their bodies too.
One of the reasons I bought the Sony back in the day was because of the inbody IS and the Minolta Lenses you can put on their Alpha DSLR cameras.
Since Minolta doesnt excist anymore and you dont need to buy lenses with IS in them that makes buying lenses a cheaper business so that was a nice advantage for Sony owners.

Now my new camera the D7000 doesnt have an IS in it

 

[funnyfarm]

In the right hands the 40D can compete with any of the cameras listed

I'm not sure if I'm the "right hands...." o.0 what is it known for that is "old technology," or otherswise unfavorable?

.
I THINK i want image stabilization- I'm shooting moving kids, so?

That is not something in camera. Image stabilization is in the lens you buy.

In most cases you are correct but Sony has its IS inside its body.
My old Sony a300 had an IS in its body and I believe so does all other Sonys DSLR.

From the list of these 3 cameras I think I would go with the a65 and the 60D would be a close second.
If you can squeese a little more cash then I would go with the Nikon D7000.

thanks

IS helps if you are moving, it will not freeze your kid's movement, you need a higher shutter speed for that.

got it!

well, now I'm mostly condisering the a65 or the d7000.. I can't remember for sure if the a65 has a 100% viewfinder.. I guess that's kindof trivial if it's super bright, etc.. supposedly the digital screen in this particular model "blows pentaprism out of the water." Have you seen one personally? I just watched a video and the viewfinder looks cluttered..

 

[2fastlx]

In the right hands the 40D can compete with any of the cameras listed

I'm not sure if I'm the "right hands...." o.0 what is it known for that is "old technology," or otherswise unfavorable?

In most cases you are correct but Sony has its IS inside its body.
My old Sony a300 had an IS in its body and I believe so does all other Sonys DSLR.

From the list of these 3 cameras I think I would go with the a65 and the 60D would be a close second.
If you can squeese a little more cash then I would go with the Nikon D7000.

thanks

IS helps if you are moving, it will not freeze your kid's movement, you need a higher shutter speed for that.

got it!

well, now I'm mostly condisering the a65 or the d7000.. I can't remember for sure if the a65 has a 100% viewfinder.. I guess that's kindof trivial if it's super bright, etc.. supposedly the digital screen in this particular model "blows pentaprism out of the water." Have you seen one personally? I just watched a video and the viewfinder looks cluttered..

You can customize the viewfinder to whatever you want it to display. Its like a super high def version of live view. The new Sony's have amazing view finders but they do take a bit to get used to. I have the a65 and a77 and love them. I will say this though, I am a huge sony fan however if you already have experience with the canon line and have to choose, the 60d may be a good choice for you. One benefit of canon is the huge market for great lenses in the used market. Great deals can be made on used "L" lenses out there. My choice of sony came down to how I like the way it shoots. The EVF works very well for me and they match my style more. It would be hard for me to go back to canon, not because of quality but for how it works for me personally. It wouldn't hurt to try all your options hands on and choose what works best for you. You may find one is better for your taste and in the end being happy with your gear will make you better.

 

[funnyfarm]

Sigh. This is getting frustrating. The research, not you all.

Who is on the lead afa focus in this price point?
which cameras have the top LCD? I used that a lot. I wonder if that's something I'd quickly learn to live without.
Which at this pp have the magnesium alloy bodies? Is that something I want?

the pentax k30 gets GREAT reviews and has a 100% viewfinder. Yay. But pentax doesn't have a ff camera and I'd love to move up in the future.

The Sony gets good reviews too but looks super cheap. (Hides). That doesn't bother you fastix?

The 40/50/60d's just seem crappy. :/

the d7000 seems nice enough. A little more than I wanted to pay but I did find a refurb for $750.
I did read about this camera being known for back focusing??


I don't know who I want to buy into since I'll probably be w then for years to come. I'm overwhelmed. So much pressure.

Deep breath. Lol

 

[texkam]

Keep the 40D. Adjust your diopter. I Can See Clearly Now ? Dioptric Adjustment


Moving kids? Consider the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8

 

[ConradM]

I don't know much about the 60d or d90 but It's a safe bet that the A65 will out AF either one of them. That's one of the perks of SLT vs SLR. The mirror in the Sony never moves so it never stops auto-focusing. That's also how they get IS, 10 - 12 fps, (which is great for playing kids).

I've also heard the OLED viewfinder is mind blowing, but I have yet to try one. I can tell you I have no isses with the EFV on my lowly A33 so the OLED must be amazing. Another nice thing about an EFV is seeing white balance and exposure in real time. No messing around with gray cards, what you see is what your picture will look like.

 

[ConradM]

Here's what a pro that uses nikon has to say about it - He has a bunch of informative videos.

 

[2fastlx]

Sigh. This is getting frustrating. The research, not you all.

Who is on the lead afa focus in this price point?
which cameras have the top LCD? I used that a lot. I wonder if that's something I'd quickly learn to live without.
Which at this pp have the magnesium alloy bodies? Is that something I want?

the pentax k30 gets GREAT reviews and has a 100% viewfinder. Yay. But pentax doesn't have a ff camera and I'd love to move up in the future.

The Sony gets good reviews too but looks super cheap. (Hides). That doesn't bother you fastix?

The 40/50/60d's just seem crappy. :/

the d7000 seems nice enough. A little more than I wanted to pay but I did find a refurb for $750.
I did read about this camera being known for back focusing??


I don't know who I want to buy into since I'll probably be w then for years to come. I'm overwhelmed. So much pressure.

Deep breath. Lol

I'm not sure what you mean by cheap but the build quality is great. It for sure doesn't look cheaply made.

 

[funnyfarm]

Keep the 40D. Adjust your diopter. I Can See Clearly Now ? Dioptric Adjustment


Moving kids? Consider the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8

thank you for your input. I don't actually have the 40d anymore. My fault, I wasn't clear on that one.

I don't know much about the 60d or d90 but It's a safe bet that the A65 will out AF either one of them. That's one of the perks of SLT vs SLR. The mirror in the Sony never moves so it never stops auto-focusing. That's also how they get IS, 10 - 12 fps, (which is great for playing kids).

I've also heard the OLED viewfinder is mind blowing, but I have yet to try one. I can tell you I have no isses with the EFV on my lowly A33 so the OLED must be amazing. Another nice thing about an EFV is seeing white balance and exposure in real time. No messing around with gray cards, what you see is what your picture will look like.

Here's what a pro that uses nikon has to say about it - He has a bunch of informative videos.

thanks on both counts..

Sigh. This is getting frustrating. The research, not you all.

Who is on the lead afa focus in this price point?
which cameras have the top LCD? I used that a lot. I wonder if that's something I'd quickly learn to live without.
Which at this pp have the magnesium alloy bodies? Is that something I want?

the pentax k30 gets GREAT reviews and has a 100% viewfinder. Yay. But pentax doesn't have a ff camera and I'd love to move up in the future.

The Sony gets good reviews too but looks super cheap. (Hides). That doesn't bother you fastix?

The 40/50/60d's just seem crappy. :/

the d7000 seems nice enough. A little more than I wanted to pay but I did find a refurb for $750.
I did read about this camera being known for back focusing??


I don't know who I want to buy into since I'll probably be w then for years to come. I'm overwhelmed. So much pressure.

Deep breath. Lol

I'm not sure what you mean by cheap but the build quality is great. It for sure doesn't look cheaply made.

I dont know, in the video I watched, it looked like shiny plastic. It doesn't have the magnesium alloy body, I guess that's why? the 40d had that.


I'm down to the a65 and the d7000 still. I forgot to mention too, that I like primes. which should I get, with whichever I decide on? I am leaning toward the d7000 mostly because of that top lcd screen. I'm not sure I could live without it.. :er: