Canon 600D vs. Sony A35 (My first DSLR camera)

Hello all … so this is my first thread, I hope there will come some response 
I have now decided to buy my first DSLR camera and I have two cameras in mind:
Sony A35
Canon EOS 600D

My question is which camera there is best for me– I will primarily use it to ski / sport / street photos (outdoor) – and shot some video in this category…

Regards
Kristian (Denmark)

The major distinction here is that one is a DSLR (Canon 600D) and one is an SLT (Sony A35).

SLTs have electronic viewfinders, and thus are a very different experience than using a DSLR, which have optical viewfinders.

Start with the reviews on this site, and you won't go far wrong in finding the differences.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyslta35/

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos600d/

Neither camera is weatherproofed, or designed to withstand drops etc. so keep that in mind re: skiing.

To shoot sports you will need more than just the kit lens. If you want to shoot sports indoors or at night the lens choice becomes quite expensive. What type of sports do you want to shoot?

The 600D is not a good choice for handheld video because focusing is very limited in video mode and because you have to use the LCD for composition which makes it difficult to hold the camera steady.. The Sony is better because it has an electronic viewfinder and better video focusing, but a camcorder would be better still.
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Chris R

Chris R-UK:

Hi Chris, the camera will be used to ski sport and for longboarding outside...primary day shoots, and then I have in mind to take some photos when its dark around the streets of people who is longborading/skate...

So maybe I have to pick another camera than these?

olsen02 said:

Chris R-UK:

Hi Chris, the camera will be used to ski sport and for longboarding outside...primary day shoots, and then I have in mind to take some photos when its dark around the streets of people who is longborading/skate...

So maybe I have to pick another camera than these?

Click to expand...

Not necessarily another camera, but you will need more equipment which you will need to include in your budget. I know Canon equipment and will give you suggestions for the 600D. Hopefully somebody else will give suggestions for the Sony.

You the sports shots you will need a telephoto lens. For the Canon I would suggest the 55-250mm IS which is resonably priced and a good lens.

If you want to take night time shots outdoors you will either have to use the flash on the camera (if you are close enough) or an external flash such as the 370EX or 430EX. You might also try getting the very cheap canon 50mm f1.8 lens and see if there is enough light to use that.

There are equivalent cameras to the 600D from Nikon (D5100) and Pentax (K-r?) but these will have the same video issues as the 600D. If you want an alternative to the Sony SLT35 for video, you might look at the Sony NEX 5n or the Panasonic G3.

Do try these cameras out in a store and see which ones feel most comfortable to you to hold and use. Check whether you want an optical viewfinder or an electronic viewfinder.
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Chris R

olsen02 said:

Hello all … so this is my first thread, I hope there will come some response 
I have now decided to buy my first DSLR camera and I have two cameras in mind:
Sony A35
Canon EOS 600D

My question is which camera there is best for me– I will primarily use it to ski / sport / street photos (outdoor) – and shot some video in this category…

Click to expand...

The Sony might be better for video, the Canon for photos but the choice of lens will be important, for sports you will need a good telephoto lens