Buyers Remorse...

Well I bit the bullet and I purchased a Sony H50 yesterday. I took some picures and everything looked great but today I am thinking about returning it. After researching the A300 and A700 I feel that I could have a better camera. My girls are in soccer and I travel a lot and I got intimated about having to learn to use a DSLR. I also have to shoot indoor low light choir performances, etc.

I am afraid when i am in Peru next month that I will see Macchu Picchu and the H50 will give me a great shot and i will be messing with settings trying to get it right if I have a DSLR. I just want to know if I use scenes and Auto on wither camera I will get similar results. I plan on getting the Sony 18-250 lens if I return my H50.

Someone also mentioned that the H50 would have a better DOF that that also concerns me.

Anyone in the same boat or have advice?

Sony H50 will have more DOF for sure (due to smaller sensor and smaller focal length lenses), but not nearly as much DOF control. One of the reasons we get SLRs is because we can control the DOF and get really little, so we can really isolate subjects. This adds to the artistic effect on images, and is one of the reasons why I went to DSLRs in the first place. But if you want more DOF, just increase the f-number, or zoom out.

The DSLRs do have auto and scene modes, which are easy to use... just point and shoot. Processing of DSLR images are less than P&S (so they are quite neutral to the scene), but you can add some saturation/sharpness/colors to get more 'pop' in your images.

I just ordered the A300. However, later this summer, I will likely sell my H5 and get an H50. There are just some instances where I want the superzoom and small size (e.g. Disney). Plus the H5/H50 have a movie mode and even though it is not the primary reason for the camera, I have captured some great 10 second videos in the last few years.

So my answer - get both!!!!

I realize finances don't necessarily allow that.

In my case - $350 for the H50 - $100 for the Sony credit card credit, plus about $200 for the H5 sale. So all in all pretty good.

Good luck with your decision and your trip.

Duck44

I do have the same combination, A300 and Sal 18-250mm lens, even on auto-mode it's fabulous for outdoor pictures, but even for indoor, when you now how to use it.

I have the H5, R1 and A300K w/18-250.
For a fast sporting event, personally I would choose to use my A300.

While the H50 has more reach, you might find you don't need that much if you can be on the sidelines. I suggest trying it and see...though if you want full frame facial expressions/closeups you would need more reach than the 18-250.

Since you already have the H50 - I suggest testing it out on the kinds of things you intend to shoot (unless you don't want to take it out of the box). Keep in mind that what suits your immediate needs, may not be enough in a year from now - so go in with the view that you might be buying another camera to progress further down the road if you keep the H50. No biggie, it's not like buying a car or something, LOL.

All the A series DSLRs have "scene modes" if you don't want to go full manual at first, or ever. Conversely, I believe the H50 should have "scenes" and full manual too, if you wanted to learn from there first.
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http://www.karenengel.com

• Karen

I have the H50 and just bought the A300.

My observations:

H5

• Better than the H50 - craming more pixels on a similar size sensor does not work for me.
• H5 - I have stunning pictures from a Hawaii trip and pretty much everyone asks me what camera I used and surprised when I tell them it was not a dslr
• my opinion - new doesn't mean better - keep the H5

A300

• got mine with cz16-80 and am in love with it
• don't bother getting any dslr and expect similarly sharp pics to the H5 without investing in good glass.
• wish I had the A300 in Hawaii because I lost a lot of shots zooming with H5 as well as slower shutter/focus speed
• also, with H50, I used flash frequently when taking kid pics when not perfect well lit lighting for their faces i.e. in shade. Don't need to do this with A300 as lots of detail picked up. Here is an example I posted earlier that explains this later point. This pic was taken with no flash, in the shade, and increased the exposure in camera by 2 steps.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1037&message=28168596

Will post more pics in next day or two to showcase more of what the A300 is capable of

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Bobby

Taken using H5. To Peru I had that, tcon, macro. I just bought an H50 for myself after lots of thinking about it.

Edit: not sure if I should be posting pictures from the H5 in the SLR talk. I have some photos from Peru using the H5 below.

Complete photoset here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26713436@N07/sets/72157605142527740/

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ShooterPS

non-dSLR. I already knew about the shutter lag, huge DOF, poor low-light performance, Etc. but bought it to travel with, as opposed to taking one of my dSLRs. BIG mistake. Two weeks into the trip I am thinking of putting it on eBay tomorrow and have picked up an A700 at Best Buy.

Compared to the learning curve of the G9, a dSLR is simple. I suggest you get the dSLR with the kit lens, buy a longer zoom when you can, and certainly pick up a KM50mm 1.7 prime lens for about $50 from eBay...the best lens purchase you will make...for portraits, low-light shots.

I don't mean to slam the G9; it does everything as advertised and I do understand why many pros keep one as a backup or street camera...I may keep mine for that use. But, trying to take a portrait and having to deal with lack of bokeh (despite the recommended work-arounds) is...well...like having a $150 P&S.

I bought the a300 and find it easy to use, but I've had other sonys & have been studying up on DSLRs for a while. One thing to consider, if you're buying a DSLR for taking indoor choir pictures, will the noise of the shutter be a problem? I didn't want to use mine at a recent wedding (as a family friend taking pictures, not the wedding photographer!) because I felt the shutter noise would be too loud in church. I was taking pictures of a sleeping baby & on every shot, her eyes would open to see what that noise was (fortuneately, it didn't make her cry).
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Karen

ParietalPenguin said:

I bought the a300 and find it easy to use, but I've had other sonys &
have been studying up on DSLRs for a while. One thing to consider,
if you're buying a DSLR for taking indoor choir pictures, will the
noise of the shutter be a problem?

Click to expand...

I would wait for it to be loud, then snap some pics.

I, too, worry about the distraction of the loud CLACK. (The A100 is stupid loud.)

ParietalPenguin said:

I didn't want to use mine at a
recent wedding (as a family friend taking pictures, not the wedding
photographer!) because I felt the shutter noise would be too loud in
church.

Click to expand...

There usually are opportunities before and after the wedding itself, particularly at the reception, where you wouldn't have to worry about it. I'm not so sure about the ceremony itself. I have found my P&S cameras to be pretty useless in that setting, though they are silent while taking the blurry shots. :-(

ParietalPenguin said:

I was taking pictures of a sleeping baby & on every shot,
her eyes would open to see what that noise was (fortuneately, it
didn't make her cry).
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Karen

Click to expand...

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Gary W.