Let's talk Sony SLRs and SLTs

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Thank guys. The a700 sounds like the one for me, the weatherproofing would be important as now my health is improving, I aim to be crawling all over the mountains here come spring and I want to take tough kit with me, which is a big part of why the old Minoltas appeal so much.

This Sigma issue is quite mysterious, I researched the topic a while back and found specific reference to some of the Sigmas people here report work as not working, I passed on the 3.5/18, 2.8/24, 2.8/50 Macro and 2.8/90 macro because I found references to them not working on Sony bodies. Perhaps it is the earliest incarnations of these lenses that have issues and later versions work? There's a 2.8/24 for sale on ebay right now and the seller states he's selling it because it doesn't work on his digital bodies. I'd really love a 21-35 for A mount as I have one for EOS and it's wonderful.

Here's a Sigma 2.8/24 being sold by a respectable camera shop and they clearly state it doesn't work on digital bodies at anything other than wide open:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sigma-Super-Wide-24mm-f2-8-for-MINOLTA-film-only-Can-be-use-on-Sony-Alpha-BUT-/251357474542?pt=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item3a8612aeee

BTW, the Mk1 EF 1.8/50, while it appears more sturdy, is still cheap and nasty, I bought a mint one from a shop last year for 85 quid, it was misaligned, not sharp until f4, not as sharp as it should have been until f5.6, and right hand side was always soft, after a week the AF died, it got returned, thank god I hadn't bought it from ebay. Meanwhile, my Minolta AF 1.7/50 I bought secondhand in 1993 is still working perfectly and it's been used a hell of a lot. I've only owned one piece of Canon EOS gear that I liked - a venerable 10qd that I still use, everything else has disappointed me and quite a few things broke on me, so I'm not prepared to drag Canon kit up a mountain with me, I just don't have faith in it to work when I get to the top.

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

I think you'd really appreciate the build quality of the a700. There's no liveview though Sad

mesinik · Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Posts: 50 Location: Estland

which sony alfas are equipped with live view AND a good viewfinder?

I am asking this, because the sonys with a moving mirror are really pocket-frendly to buy these days....

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4741 Location: Cheshire, England

So whats an SLT? I know what a SLR is

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4741 Location: Cheshire, England

Thank you that explains it for me. The 1960's Canon Pellix had the same principle except the meter sensor flipped up when the photo was taken and the mirror remained stationary.