Should I ditch my Sony?

[o hey tyler]

It's always nice to remind the Nikon folks that many Nikons use Sony image sensors.

Sony manufacturers them, but they use Nikon's steppers, and Nikon designs the sensors.

 

[kassad]

There is nothing wrong with the Sony line, there are lots of lenses available for the A-mount and as mentioned Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina all make lenses to fit Sony.

There is nothing wrong with the Sony line... Except for the amount of proprietary peripherals required. Which Sony is notorious for. Some notable ones: Betamax, MemorySticks, RootKits on CDs, UMDs, MiniDisc, etc. (Even down to the proprietary CHARGING port for a Sony Handicam we have)

.....

The proprietary argument against Sony always annoys me.
What do "Betamax, MemorySticks, RootKits on CDs, UMDs, MiniDisc" have to do with the Alpha line of cameras? The only thing that's proprietary is the Lens mount (just just like everyone else) and the flash mount. It's not like you can interchange Canon and Nikon flashes. Well, you could put a SB-900 on a 5D Mark II but why would you want to? You'll lose most of the function. You could fire is manually but you can do the same on a Sony camera with a $15 adapter. For OCF it's even easier. As for Radio TTL controlers for the Sony only being out for a year, how long have they been out for Canon or Nikon? For that matter how about Pentax?

Sony have plenty of failing when comes to the pro level but come on let the betamax thing go already.

 

[cgipson1]

There is nothing wrong with the Sony line, there are lots of lenses available for the A-mount and as mentioned Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina all make lenses to fit Sony.

There is nothing wrong with the Sony line... Except for the amount of proprietary peripherals required. Which Sony is notorious for. Some notable ones: Betamax, MemorySticks, RootKits on CDs, UMDs, MiniDisc, etc. (Even down to the proprietary CHARGING port for a Sony Handicam we have)

.....

The proprietary argument against Sony always annoys me.
What do "Betamax, MemorySticks, RootKits on CDs, UMDs, MiniDisc" have to do with the Alpha line of cameras? The only thing that's proprietary is the Lens mount (just just like everyone else) and the flash mount. It's not like you can interchange Canon and Nikon flashes. Well, you could put a SB-900 on a 5D Mark II but why would you want to? You'll lose most of the function. You could fire is manually but you can do the same on a Sony camera with a $15 adapter. For OCF it's even easier. As for Radio TTL controlers for the Sony only being out for a year, how long have they been out for Canon or Nikon? For that matter how about Pentax?

Sony have plenty of failing when comes to the pro level but come on let the betamax thing go already.

It is the "mindset" that Sony has.. that is the issue! They are not consumer friendly, and they constantly do things that are not to the consumer's benefit.. only to Sony's benefit! They have a long track history of proprietary nonsense and greed... and it won't change!

 

[Fox_Racing_Guy]

It's always nice to remind the Nikon folks that many Nikons use Sony image sensors.

Sony manufacturers them, but they use Nikon's steppers, and Nikon designs the sensors.

Nikon did not design the sensor in their new D7000, it is straight out of the a580 that has been available for over a year and a half. I am sure that Sony uses Nikon steppers themselves though too.

 

[kassad]

It is the "mindset" that Sony has.. that is the issue! They are not consumer friendly, and they constantly do things that are not to the consumer's benefit.. only to Sony's benefit! They have a long track history of proprietary nonsense and greed... and it won't change!

Except, that mindset hasn't shown itself in their DSLR cameras.

 

[kassad]

I've had a Sony alpha A330 for the last year and a half. I'm trying to get into my photography more seriously, I'm doing a few weddings for family and friends in a couple months.

Dont get me wrong I love my Sony, but I have a hard time finding 3rd party lenses and flashes that are good and affordable. I also never see pros with Sony cameras.

My question is should I continue with my Sony or should I sell it and get a Canon or Nikon?

Thanks

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Tapatalk

I thought I should address the original question. I'm in a very similar boat. I want to take my photography farther and look longingly at the CaNikon world. Particularly Canon. The thing is, I'm in no hurry. My next camera purchase will most likely by an a700. It's a great camera and I can get them inexpensive. Mainly I want it because it addresses the short coming of my current camera (sync speed, tehthering, multizone wireless TTL Flash a second control dial etc) It won't make me a better photographer but it will offer me more tools. What you need to do is figure out what tools you want. That will make your choice easier. By sticking with Sony I can take advantage of the inexpensive used market A700s @$500 Full Frame A850s @ $1250-1500. Awesome Minolta lenses like the Minolta 50mm F1.7 @ $60 the "Beercan" 70-210 f4 @$150 I can get great cameras at low prices.

If you can't find the right lenses and flashes, PM I'll try to help you find what your looking for.

 

[o hey tyler]

There is nothing wrong with the Sony line, there are lots of lenses available for the A-mount and as mentioned Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina all make lenses to fit Sony.

There is nothing wrong with the Sony line... Except for the amount of proprietary peripherals required. Which Sony is notorious for. Some notable ones: Betamax, MemorySticks, RootKits on CDs, UMDs, MiniDisc, etc. (Even down to the proprietary CHARGING port for a Sony Handicam we have)

.....

The proprietary argument against Sony always annoys me.
What do "Betamax, MemorySticks, RootKits on CDs, UMDs, MiniDisc" have to do with the Alpha line of cameras? The only thing that's proprietary is the Lens mount (just just like everyone else) and the flash mount. It's not like you can interchange Canon and Nikon flashes. Well, you could put a SB-900 on a 5D Mark II but why would you want to? You'll lose most of the function. You could fire is manually but you can do the same on a Sony camera with a $15 adapter. For OCF it's even easier. As for Radio TTL controlers for the Sony only being out for a year, how long have they been out for Canon or Nikon? For that matter how about Pentax?

Sony have plenty of failing when comes to the pro level but come on let the betamax thing go already.

How long have pocketwizards or radiopoppers been out? A lot longer than it's been for anyone making a Sony Compatible TTL flash system.

And yes, actually you can use Nikon and Canon flashes wirelessly off camera together. However, the one brand excluded from the list of supported flashes was... Sony. THE ONLY brand excluded was Sony. Strange, huh? The thing is, with Nikon and Canon flashes being fired off camera manually, I don't need to buy a $15 adapter for every flash I have. That's my point. The accessibility isn't there for the Sony system IMO. It doesn't appeal to more than photo enthusiasts, or hobbyists. That's why I ditched them and got something more versatile.

Even with the update to the triggers (Cactus V4's to Cactus V5's) I was using, they STILL don't support Sony, and they were introduced last year. Heck, I can't even find Cowboy Studio triggers that work with Sony natively. The "proprietary" argument may not be so irrelevant as you think.

 

[chuasam]

It's always nice to remind the Nikon folks that many Nikons use Sony image sensors.

and if you crack open a Canon point and shoot and DSLR you will find Sony LCD panels. No big deal. Sony makes terrific parts but using their DSLRs is a great way to be laughed at when you're at the pro level.

 

[cgipson1]

If someone is wanting to shoot at a professional level, why whould they possibly want to limit themselves to a system that has no PRO level bodies / performance? If and when Sony brings out a body that is capable... then I will start taking them seriously. Even the A900 was crap above 1600 ISO... and the A77 cannot compete with even the D7000 or equivalent Canons for low light / high ISO performance. That eliminates using Sony for any "gig" that requires good high ISO performance (Uh.. like weddings!).

 

[chuasam]

Even if Sony brought out a pro system tomorrow, it still will not change a thing. The dealer support and user group support just isn't there. Look at ThinkTank bags, the suggested cutouts all feature Nikon and Canon gear *LOL*. You can't use pocketwizards on a Sony Camera right off. You can't rent their lenses from local rental places. At big events you won't find a Sony tent loaning out Giant telephoto lenses to the various photo journalists.

Why fight and go the difficult route when you can simply go with the guys who own over 95% of the DSLR marketshare?

 

[kassad]

There is nothing wrong with the Sony line... Except for the amount of proprietary peripherals required. Which Sony is notorious for. Some notable ones: Betamax, MemorySticks, RootKits on CDs, UMDs, MiniDisc, etc. (Even down to the proprietary CHARGING port for a Sony Handicam we have)

.....

The proprietary argument against Sony always annoys me.
What do "Betamax, MemorySticks, RootKits on CDs, UMDs, MiniDisc" have to do with the Alpha line of cameras? The only thing that's proprietary is the Lens mount (just just like everyone else) and the flash mount. It's not like you can interchange Canon and Nikon flashes. Well, you could put a SB-900 on a 5D Mark II but why would you want to? You'll lose most of the function. You could fire is manually but you can do the same on a Sony camera with a $15 adapter. For OCF it's even easier. As for Radio TTL controlers for the Sony only being out for a year, how long have they been out for Canon or Nikon? For that matter how about Pentax?

Sony have plenty of failing when comes to the pro level but come on let the betamax thing go already.

How long have pocketwizards or radiopoppers been out? A lot longer than it's been for anyone making a Sony Compatible TTL flash system.

And yes, actually you can use Nikon and Canon flashes wirelessly off camera together. However, the one brand excluded from the list of supported flashes was... Sony. THE ONLY brand excluded was Sony. Strange, huh? The thing is, with Nikon and Canon flashes being fired off camera manually, I don't need to buy a $15 adapter for every flash I have. That's my point. The accessibility isn't there for the Sony system IMO. It doesn't appeal to more than photo enthusiasts, or hobbyists. That's why I ditched them and got something more versatile.

Even with the update to the triggers (Cactus V4's to Cactus V5's) I was using, they STILL don't support Sony, and they were introduced last year. Heck, I can't even find Cowboy Studio triggers that work with Sony natively. The "proprietary" argument may not be so irrelevant as you think.

When you say say you can use Canon and Nikon flashes together, I assume you mean manually not with TTL. If they can work together in TTL, I will cede that is impressive. As far as radio triggers I use Cowboy studio triggers and receivers I can mix and match sony, canon and nikon flashes with out adapters. Sony/Minolta mount on the transmitter and iso or S/M mount on the receivers as needed. I would agree it would be nice if Sony went to a iso mount but I haven't found it to be a major hindrance and only a minor benefit.

I would agree if a photographer can justify purchasing a group of high end Canon or Nikon flashes with matching PW or RP wireless transceivers by all means they should.

I agree that in most ways the Canikon systems but better and more full featured than the Sony system. The problem as I see it, is Sony not developing pro level features in favor of amateur features. Not proprietary standards, and certainly not because of betamax almost 40 years ago.

Anyway, I would prefer not have this thread turn Argiesque. I think we can agree Canikons are better systems than Sony. I just think the proprietary standard of the flash mount is not as much of an issue as you.

 

[cgipson1]

Even if Sony brought out a pro system tomorrow, it still will not change a thing. The dealer support and user group support just isn't there. Look at ThinkTank bags, the suggested cutouts all feature Nikon and Canon gear *LOL*. You can't use pocketwizards on a Sony Camera right off. You can't rent their lenses from local rental places. At big events you won't find a Sony tent loaning out Giant telephoto lenses to the various photo journalists.

Why fight and go the difficult route when you can simply go with the guys who own over 95% of the DSLR marketshare?

There is that!

 

[kassad]

Even if Sony brought out a pro system tomorrow, it still will not change a thing. The dealer support and user group support just isn't there. Look at ThinkTank bags, the suggested cutouts all feature Nikon and Canon gear *LOL*. You can't use pocketwizards on a Sony Camera right off. You can't rent their lenses from local rental places. At big events you won't find a Sony tent loaning out Giant telephoto lenses to the various photo journalists.

Why fight and go the difficult route when you can simply go with the guys who own over 95% of the DSLR marketshare?

Wait a minute. If I go to major event with Canon or Nikon they'll just let me borrow a big telephoto lens. Hell I'm throwing my Sony gear on ebay right now.

I'm not sure about forum support. dyxum.com is simply amazing. When I switch to Canon or Nikon I will really miss having a resource like that.

 

[o hey tyler]

The proprietary argument against Sony always annoys me.
What do "Betamax, MemorySticks, RootKits on CDs, UMDs, MiniDisc" have to do with the Alpha line of cameras? The only thing that's proprietary is the Lens mount (just just like everyone else) and the flash mount. It's not like you can interchange Canon and Nikon flashes. Well, you could put a SB-900 on a 5D Mark II but why would you want to? You'll lose most of the function. You could fire is manually but you can do the same on a Sony camera with a $15 adapter. For OCF it's even easier. As for Radio TTL controlers for the Sony only being out for a year, how long have they been out for Canon or Nikon? For that matter how about Pentax?

Sony have plenty of failing when comes to the pro level but come on let the betamax thing go already.

How long have pocketwizards or radiopoppers been out? A lot longer than it's been for anyone making a Sony Compatible TTL flash system.

And yes, actually you can use Nikon and Canon flashes wirelessly off camera together. However, the one brand excluded from the list of supported flashes was... Sony. THE ONLY brand excluded was Sony. Strange, huh? The thing is, with Nikon and Canon flashes being fired off camera manually, I don't need to buy a $15 adapter for every flash I have. That's my point. The accessibility isn't there for the Sony system IMO. It doesn't appeal to more than photo enthusiasts, or hobbyists. That's why I ditched them and got something more versatile.

Even with the update to the triggers (Cactus V4's to Cactus V5's) I was using, they STILL don't support Sony, and they were introduced last year. Heck, I can't even find Cowboy Studio triggers that work with Sony natively. The "proprietary" argument may not be so irrelevant as you think.

When you say say you can use Canon and Nikon flashes together, I assume you mean manually not with TTL. If they can work together in TTL, I will cede that is impressive. As far as radio triggers I use Cowboy studio triggers and receivers I can mix and match sony, canon and nikon flashes with out adapters. Sony/Minolta mount on the transmitter and iso or S/M mount on the receivers as needed. I would agree it would be nice if Sony went to a iso mount but I haven't found it to be a major hindrance and only a minor benefit.

I would agree if a photographer can justify purchasing a group of high end Canon or Nikon flashes with matching PW or RP wireless transceivers by all means they should.

I agree that in most ways the Canikon systems but better and more full featured than the Sony system. The problem as I see it, is Sony not developing pro level features in favor of amateur features. Not proprietary standards, and certainly not because of betamax almost 40 years ago.

Anyway, I would prefer not have this thread turn Argiesque. I think we can agree Canikons are better systems than Sony. I just think the proprietary standard of the flash mount is not as much of an issue as you.

I can agree to disagree. Certain things are more important to certain photogs. It's a way of life. No hard feelings! :thumbup:

 

[chuasam]

Just to prove I'm not making this up: Canon Professional Service

Nikon Professional Service