Which camera would you rather have?

Baaaark · May 27, 2009

I'm torn. I'm getting ready to throw down a LOT of money for one camera or another, and I want some secondary feedback to see if there's anything I'm not factoring in.

I either want a Canon Rebel XS, or a Sony Alpha a-300. I don't know which. I tried both of them out, and they seem very similar with the shutter button, control wheel, and everything in the same place. Image quality seemed very similar as well. The image stabilization is in the body of the Sony and in the lens of the Canon, so I don't know which is better.

Anyway, I'm not sure which route to go. I'd like to see if any of you could offer any other input.

FrankLamont · May 27, 2009

XSi is worth the extra money over the XS.

But if you're really on that much of a budget, then the XS.

Sony's range of CCD sensors just have too much noise.

There are new ones, by the way. A230, A330 and A380.

Baaaark · May 27, 2009

FriedChicken said:
XSi is worth the extra money over the XS.

But if you're really on that much of a budget, then the XS.

Sony's range of CCD sensors just have too much noise.

There are new ones, by the way. A230, A330 and A380.

I am on a really tight budget. I've saved up for a few years to get this, saving 5-10 a week in order to afford it. To tell you how long I've waited, I was initially looking at a D70...

BTW, thanks. I am about 2/3rds Rebel XS, 1/3rd a-300. I like the idea of upgrading with Canon more. But it doesn't have a rear fill flash, and I don't know if that even really matters. Since I'm mostly into nature and people, it probably doesn't matter that much.

musicaleCA · May 27, 2009

It really doesn't. If you start taking flash seriously, you're going to want to invest in a better flash than your camera's internal one anyway. The internal flash will suffice for fill in daylight for portraits. I'll attest that I have nothing but love for my Canon 450D (XSi). For what I paid, I feel that I got my money's worth, and a great, versatile camera to boot.

texkid · May 27, 2009

First of all, I am VERY new to DSLR and photo editing. But, I am also partial to Sony. I own a A200 and liking it very well. The selling point was the ease of access to the buttons, the menu layout, and the orange trim. The standard lens it came with was a 18-70mm and their 75-300mm telephoto lens can be had for about $150-ish on Amazon.

That is just my .02 cents.

Lunchbox · May 27, 2009

Canon

musicaleCA · May 27, 2009

And you illustrate a fair point, that how the camera feels to you really matters. You're going to be using that puppy a lot (well, so one would hope), so the layout and ease-of-use is a major contributing factor. No sense buying a camera if you can't reach everything comfortably whilst looking through the viewfinder.

I forgot: it's best to try before you buy. Test out the camera, see how it works, then try a few others. Heck, try some you weren't considering, just to see how they compare (even if you don't buy them, it's interesting to try them all out to get a feel for them).

fast1 · May 27, 2009

definitely go for the rebel, its better

haggis · May 27, 2009

Personally I would go with Canon as you can build a system of lenses and accessories around it much more than you can with the Sony.

I would also think that if you do decide at some point to sell or upgrade your kit the Canon will be more saleable.

skieur · May 27, 2009

Popular Photography rates the Sony better than the Canon Xs but not quite as good as the Canon Xsi. Lenses with Sony are not a problem. Afterall, you can choose from Sony, Minolta, Zeiss, or Sigma.

skieur

johnj2803 · May 27, 2009

i would go to canon... you will eventually want more lenses and i think canon offers a more wide variety of lenses for your needs

bigtwinky · May 27, 2009

Its a toss up between the two I think. Both are good cameras, both have a good set of lenses to let you learn and have fun with.

I don't know Sony's higher end camera line up, but I know that if you go with the Canon, you can invest in nice L lenses (they are expensive, but worth it) which can then be reused on a 40D/50D, 5D, or the high end 1D cameras. So you can go from beginner to pro using the L lenses. You can maybe do the same with Sony, I don't know. But hey, this may not even matter to you, you may stay a hobbyist your whole life (which is totally fine) and the Sony will be great.

I do like the built in IS in the Sony though.

As suggested, go and try the cameras out. See how they feel in your hands, see how changing the aperture, shutter and ISO are done. See which fits better in your hand.

They are both great and I think you'd be happy with either one.

AFreeWolf · May 27, 2009

As an owner of a Sony A350, I can offer some clarifications...
The Sony will accept any Sony, Minolta, or third-party A-mount lenses, so building a solid lens kit is no problem whatsoever and actually can be fairly inexpensive due to the availability of LOTS of good used Minolta glass. The Sony does admirably well for low ISO (high or controlled lighting) shots. On the other hand, I can tell you from first-hand experience that the noise issue on the Sony is going to be a real bear if you're shooting any low-light nature photography. Do not worry about how the camera fits your hands nearly as much as you worry about how it fits your preferred photography style/subjects. If I were going to choose a camera for nature/wildlife or any other shooting involving low/variable lighting, I'd choose Canon or Nikon.

F1addict · May 27, 2009

I have an A300 and its a great camera. Lots of features, great image quality, noise really isn't a problem until above ISO 800, even then its no were near as bad as my old point and shoot and the images are still usable for smaller prints at the higher ISO's. But at ISO 400 and below you really won't notice much of any noise.
Sony has a decent range of lenses but not a huge range. However you also can use any older Minolta alpha mount lens. And Tamron and Sigma have a good selection of lenses for Sony.

I choose the A300 over the XSi because it was a better price and had more features. The in body image stabilization was also a huge plus to me and it has come in very helpful. I've been able to take pictures with shutter speeds as low as 1/30th and the shot still came out great with zero blur from camera shake. So has the live view and tilting lcd.
Its a very easy to use camera and the buttons are all laid out nicely and in easy
reach.
You also get a slightly longer kit lens, 18-70mm instead of 18-55mm. And Combined with say the 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 you have a huge focal range at a pretty inexpensive price. The 75-300mm has also proved to be a petty useful macro lens.

just check out any of the A300 groups on Flickr to see the image quality. Some of the pictures people have gotten with this camera are amazing.

Lenscap · May 27, 2009

Well as a professional photographer for the last 24 years and a Canon user I would advise Canon (no surprises!). One of my reasons is that Canon produce both amature and pro cameras so that their spec will always be of a high standard plus Canon Autofocus is a motor in the lens while the Sony is via a machanical link between the lens and body, like the Minolta system. But you will be the final judge, so handle each camera and see which feels best in your hand, which is easiest to use and which feels worth it. That last comment may sound silly but you must feel happy with your purchase otherwise it will niggle away at the back of your mind!