Should I change DSLRs
Having read the thread and looked around the internet, it appears if you want to use those Sigma lenses, you don't use them on a Sony camera, and its a Sigma fault, not a Sony fault.
So, you either use lenses that are guaranteed to work on the Sony camera or get a different camera. Canon 40d/50d would be the most obvious choices for this activity.
I wouldn't be too fussed about small differences in a web review. Seems to me, the weather, the lens, and the photographer are going to affect things a lot more, so a small quality difference would be drowned out by other factors. I also find, where I've used the same equipment, I don't always agree with reviews anyway.
So, you either use lenses that are guaranteed to work on the Sony camera or get a different camera. Canon 40d/50d would be the most obvious choices for this activity.
I wouldn't be too fussed about small differences in a web review. Seems to me, the weather, the lens, and the photographer are going to affect things a lot more, so a small quality difference would be drowned out by other factors. I also find, where I've used the same equipment, I don't always agree with reviews anyway.
It's Money men who use Canon, where us mear mortals who don't have the cash use other makes. 
Alas, I was a canon user in the film days until it was all stolen from my home. My Minolta Gear was left in another room so went Minolta because I had the lenses. (was given to me by my cousin) If money is no object you buy the Best.Alas there be Millions of us who struggle to buy what we want so buy what we can get.
A Lens is supposed to be for LIFE, so they say, Until Sony puts in a Fast AF. I'll stop there.
I like my a700, I just do NOT like Sony's attitude. You do not get that attitude from the other makers no matter what lens you use. The Law does not say I should use ALL Sony lenses with my a700, if they did it would be no go or NO Sony because their prices are REDICULUS! There, you got me Moaning now. lol
Without Sigma, Tamron et all, we would have no lenses for our hobby. Sony certainly do NOT make a decent Wildlife lens.
40D is getting hard to find as a Body only. I don't need any other lenses, only the 150-500, as I can't afford to buy what I want, I already got what I want with my Sony.
ANYWAY----Lets see who is in favour---Who would buy a Canon for Wildlife, and who would wait for 10 weeks for the Sony fit 150-500 and stick with Sony. VOTE now!-------
Alas, I was a canon user in the film days until it was all stolen from my home. My Minolta Gear was left in another room so went Minolta because I had the lenses. (was given to me by my cousin) If money is no object you buy the Best.Alas there be Millions of us who struggle to buy what we want so buy what we can get.
A Lens is supposed to be for LIFE, so they say, Until Sony puts in a Fast AF. I'll stop there.
I like my a700, I just do NOT like Sony's attitude. You do not get that attitude from the other makers no matter what lens you use. The Law does not say I should use ALL Sony lenses with my a700, if they did it would be no go or NO Sony because their prices are REDICULUS! There, you got me Moaning now. lol
Without Sigma, Tamron et all, we would have no lenses for our hobby. Sony certainly do NOT make a decent Wildlife lens.
40D is getting hard to find as a Body only. I don't need any other lenses, only the 150-500, as I can't afford to buy what I want, I already got what I want with my Sony.
ANYWAY----Lets see who is in favour---Who would buy a Canon for Wildlife, and who would wait for 10 weeks for the Sony fit 150-500 and stick with Sony. VOTE now!-------
Quote:t's Money men who use Canon, where us mear mortals who don't have the cash use other makes.
I don't agree with this for one minute! Price up a system from any manufacturer, and there is very little difference in price. Certainly, the difference is not significant when considered against the total system outlay, be it Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc.
Regarding an earlier comment made by somebody suggesting SONY have no pedigree in camera and lens manufacturing, remember when Minolta pulled out of the photography market, SONY bought their photography division. With regards to dSLRs, SONY are Minolta, and Minolta have a very long heritage making cameras and lenses.
To cut SONY some slack here, they are correct to dismiss your complaint, as the people to take it up with are Sigma. Read your camera manual and you will rightly see a disclaimer there! Your SONY and Tamron lenses are working fine, but your Sigma lenses always fail? You don't think it's a Sigma problem then?
Sigma produce generic lens designs, and then adapt them to fit all makes and formats of camera. They are not designed particularly for a given make. Sigma have often been caught out reverse engineering, and often have to rechip lenses when upgraded models are introduced. Sigma, to their credit, do appear to have good customer service, and produce some excellent lens designs at realistic prices, but the two things that let them down are build quality and sample variation.
So what do you do? If the Sigma lens you are considering is the lens for you, then only you can decide if the risk of another failure on a SONY body (because Sigma can't reverse engineer their designs to be fully compatible) is worth it. If you decide on another body as the way forward, then look at Nikon, Pentax, Canon and Olympus.
Oh, and the old adage of a lens is for life doesn't really apply any more!
Check this thread. I wouldn't try using Sigma with Sony without having a cast iron guarantee from Sigma saying it will be OK.
It says
"I started with an A100 and had a Sigma 150-500 and one of the internal lens failed. Sent back, got another and gearing got chewed up. Got my money back and got the Tamron 200-500 instead and no problems."
It says
"I started with an A100 and had a Sigma 150-500 and one of the internal lens failed. Sent back, got another and gearing got chewed up. Got my money back and got the Tamron 200-500 instead and no problems."
I have some nice lenses made around 1860 which still do the job, after a few lifetimes. But I had a modern electronic zoom AF lens with plastic cog wheels inside which broke up shortly after the warranty ran out.
I also managed to kill a Canon 50/1.8 just by banging it on the tripod - the glass is excellent, but construction is flimsy, and the plastic barrel just sprang apart, and wouldn't ever go back together properly.
The better and more expensive Canon kit is built to survive, if you can get the price together initially, its probably cheaper in the long run. Like a lot of things.
I also managed to kill a Canon 50/1.8 just by banging it on the tripod - the glass is excellent, but construction is flimsy, and the plastic barrel just sprang apart, and wouldn't ever go back together properly.
The better and more expensive Canon kit is built to survive, if you can get the price together initially, its probably cheaper in the long run. Like a lot of things.
There you go Single Lens Reflex, mirror and all.
And not only do the lenses work in colour, but they work with digital as well.
Some of the early Dagguerrotype cameras had a reflex mirror, as far back as 1839, very like the Camera Obscura, but Thomas Sutton is credited with inventing a proper SLR in 1861.
Single Lens Reflex, mirror and all.And not only do the lenses work in colour, but they work with digital as well.
Some of the early Dagguerrotype cameras had a reflex mirror, as far back as 1839, very like the Camera Obscura, but Thomas Sutton is credited with inventing a proper SLR in 1861.
Quote:but we will use anything we can lay our hands on that can be got into working order!
I had a Sony A100 which I was pleased with until I bought a Tamron 18-250 after using it for a couple of days I could not get the shutter to fire because there was no aperture setting in the viewfinder or the LCD display the only way to remedy this was to switch the camera off then back on then everything was fine for maybe the rest of that day or sometimes it would happen a half a dozen times in a day. I sent the lens back and got a replacement same lens same problem, I then loaned the lens to a friend with a A350 he had the lens for a week had no problems used it every day. I then took it to another friend who had a A100 who had aTamron 18-200 which he had been using for about 2 years without any problems my lens worked perfectly on his camera but his 18-200 gave the same problem i.e. lost aperture on my camera. So I contacted Sony but got the same response as above they do not guarantee compatibility with third party lenses. They did offer to check my camera over but said that they would only check it with Sony lenses and since I had already told them that the camera worked perfectly OK with Sony, Minolta, Sigma, and Tokina lenses they said I would be wasting my money but it was up to me. I did eventually sell the camera on ebay and yes I did put it in the description that this camera had the aperture problem with Tamron lenses. I now have a A700 and the Tamron lens works perfectly as does the Sigma 105 macro that I purchased at the same time as the A700.
Sony's corporate business model has always been to cross sell other Sony components, and to minimise external compatibility to tie people into their systems, hence the seperate development of the minidisc, the memorystick, etc.
For me the SLR is just a tool, and which ever brand does the job is the correct one. Having said that in general I'll avoid Sony, except for some of the audio visual products where there is no effective competition.
Steve
For me the SLR is just a tool, and which ever brand does the job is the correct one. Having said that in general I'll avoid Sony, except for some of the audio visual products where there is no effective competition.
Steve
Quote :- Always use Canon 'nuff said'
Nearly, I said Nearly! bought a Canon 50D but was told by a person who uses a 50D, that if you use the wrong lenses you will get Bannding/Chromatic Aberration something terrible. L series lenses should be used. Have read the same on the internet.
Now, whether the photog is pointing into the light n useing wrong appertures/speed in order to get that I don't know. Never had that with my a700. Can't afford L series lenses anyway, so have decided to stick with the Devil I know. So I phoned Sigma and told em I'll have the 150-500 in the Alpha KM/Sony mount. They told me this lens is working Very well with Sony DSLRs. It was made for it because of the probs with the 170-500. Heck of a long waiting list for this lens. To be fair to Sigma, they have bent over backwards in helping me out over the last few months. No charge whatsover for two lenses way out of warranty. By the way, remind me that next time I renew my Camera Insurance to get it for Mechanical & Electronic failure rather than Breakage & Theft. I get more of the former than anything. A 10 week wait, so my Birding is gona hafta wait. So I'm going to treat myself to a Sigma (yes, another Sigma) 105mm Macro lens. Cheeper than spending over £800 for a Canon 50D. I'll also wait and see if Sony comes out with an a750.
I would like to THANK YOU ALL for your kind responces and hints etc., NOW! have I made the correct decision????????????
Nearly, I said Nearly! bought a Canon 50D but was told by a person who uses a 50D, that if you use the wrong lenses you will get Bannding/Chromatic Aberration something terrible. L series lenses should be used. Have read the same on the internet.
Now, whether the photog is pointing into the light n useing wrong appertures/speed in order to get that I don't know. Never had that with my a700. Can't afford L series lenses anyway, so have decided to stick with the Devil I know. So I phoned Sigma and told em I'll have the 150-500 in the Alpha KM/Sony mount. They told me this lens is working Very well with Sony DSLRs. It was made for it because of the probs with the 170-500. Heck of a long waiting list for this lens. To be fair to Sigma, they have bent over backwards in helping me out over the last few months. No charge whatsover for two lenses way out of warranty. By the way, remind me that next time I renew my Camera Insurance to get it for Mechanical & Electronic failure rather than Breakage & Theft. I get more of the former than anything. A 10 week wait, so my Birding is gona hafta wait. So I'm going to treat myself to a Sigma (yes, another Sigma) 105mm Macro lens. Cheeper than spending over £800 for a Canon 50D. I'll also wait and see if Sony comes out with an a750.
I would like to THANK YOU ALL for your kind responces and hints etc., NOW! have I made the correct decision????????????
Mr Dennis Chromatic aberration is a defect of the lens. It will be just as bad on all brands of camera, but a higher resolution camera will make it easier to see because it can pull out the detail a lower resolution camera will miss. But to be honest if the 50D spots it on this lens it will be there in an A700.
My experience of the lens is it is slightly better optically than the 170-500 but suffers from the same issues at the long end of being a tad soft/lacking in contrast at the long end wide open. It improves a lot stopped down to @ f8. Its AF performance is improved by the HSM motors. If my 10mp 40D can spot the difference your A700 will.
as regards quality of lenses, even my 6mp 300D performed better with an L series lens attached. And you A700 will also give sharper images with one of those excellent lenses Sony have at L series plus prices. But lets be honest, it is possible to get decent photo's with the humble kit lenses.
Next banding, all digital cameras do this to a level. To make it worse you ramp up the ISO and also adjust the exposure a lot post capture. Whilst the 50D has its faults, its not as bad as you say. At low ISO it will out resolve your A700, at high ISO it will have more noise. I would call it a draw myself.
Having said that, there is not a lot wrong with an A700. And if you have one stick with it.
My experience of the lens is it is slightly better optically than the 170-500 but suffers from the same issues at the long end of being a tad soft/lacking in contrast at the long end wide open. It improves a lot stopped down to @ f8. Its AF performance is improved by the HSM motors. If my 10mp 40D can spot the difference your A700 will.
as regards quality of lenses, even my 6mp 300D performed better with an L series lens attached. And you A700 will also give sharper images with one of those excellent lenses Sony have at L series plus prices. But lets be honest, it is possible to get decent photo's with the humble kit lenses.
Next banding, all digital cameras do this to a level. To make it worse you ramp up the ISO and also adjust the exposure a lot post capture. Whilst the 50D has its faults, its not as bad as you say. At low ISO it will out resolve your A700, at high ISO it will have more noise. I would call it a draw myself.
Having said that, there is not a lot wrong with an A700. And if you have one stick with it.
