Lens recommendations for new A57

Go with option 1. Live view focussing on SonyA57 is just as fast as thru the EVF - its the same thing!

Its only Canons , Pentax's and Nikons that suffer from slow liveview.

If you start with a general purpose lens like the Sigma you will after know using it for a while what other lenses you want - 'cos buying an SLT camera will give you an uncontrollable itch to buy new lenses! :-D Enjoy!

andycincy said:

andycincy wrote:

I'm about to purchase the A57, and there are some lens bundle deals right now. As my first non-compact camera, I have a lot to learn about getting the most from these cameras. My current budget for the camera + lens(es) is $800 - $900. The A57 body alone costs $500. So here are my choices as I see it, and would appreciate advice from more experienced photographers here:

Option 1 - A57 body $500 + Sigma 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM $400 = $900; this lens seems to have gotten better reviews than the Tamron 18-270, but still seems to have significant compromises. was also concered about the DP review comment regarding AF slowing down significantly when you use live view. I plan to use live view more than EVF, so this would be a problem for me.

Option 2 - A57 w/kit lens 18-55 $600 + Sony 55-300mm F/4.5-5.6 DT $200 = $800 (bundle savings of $100 off lens); two lenses to switch out, but will I get better quality overall?

Option 3 - A57 body $500 + Sony 55-300mm F/4.5-5.6 DT $200 + Sony Alpha SAL35F18 $200 =$900

Option 4 - A57 body $500 + Sony 55-300mm F/4.5-5.6 DT $200 + Sony 50mm f/1.8 SAM DT $150 = $850

Any other suggestions??

I plan to take pictures/video of family events indoors and out, with the indoors typically not in the best light. I also take pictures/video of my kids at sports; basketball, karate, and gymnastics. This camera will go on vacation with us, so there will be the pictures of family in those settings as well. I know more of the advanced photographers here are probably going to steer me away from kit lenses, so I would really appreciate advice on which prime lens (option 3 or 4) would be better. Even if I go with option 1 or 2, I will likely save up within a few months for a prime lens for low light family photography / portraits, so if the primes in options 3-4 are not the best option then I am open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

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If it was me I would go for Option 2. Having the kit is not such a bad idea, you can learn a lot about the camera with it, nice to use around the house. The 55-300mm looks pretty good review here form Kurt Munger then you can go for a prime later, I have the 50mm but I think the 35mm is the way to go.

Craig

But hey, nothing wrong with Option 2 either....

Option 2 plus start saving for the 35/1.8 later on; superzoom lenses are full of compromises, but the 55-300 is a great lens for the money and the 18mm end of the basic kit lens comes in handy for family group shots.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sigma-75-20...29581174?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item3a7e732f76 if your looking for a fast excellent lens sometime......good luck,brian/ its 2.8 till 135mm and sharp open throughtout.

I would go with option 1 or 2. I have the older version of the Sigma 18-250mm with optical stabilization and I don't find much to complain about. That looks like a good sale on the Sigma. To be truthful, I use a two lens kit most of the time, a Tamron 17-50mm and a Sony 70-300G.

Another option would be to buy the Sony A57 and buy the Sony 18-135mm off of eBay. This would allow you to take advantage of in camera correction of the lens distortion.

Sony 18-135mm on eBay


Back your choice up with the Sony 35mm f/1.8 later and you have a pretty decent kit.

edit:

I just looked at the new Sigma 18-250mm (without OS) reviews at B&H photo and the reviews aren't stellar. So choose option 1 with care.

I have the a57, Sony 55-300 and Sony 18-135. For the money in my opinion, this is the best "kit" combo as it gives you in camera correction and both lenses are well reviewed. The 18-135mm is on my camera most of the time and it works great.

If you could swing it, I would get the 18-135 to start and then save for the 55-300.

Jeff

Any more people think that going with the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6, and then maybe a prime and tele later on, is a good strategy for my needs? I hadn't considered that lens because it is so much $$ new, but if I can snag it off ebay than I might go for it. Thanks again, great comments.

andycincy said:

andycincy wrote:

Any more people think that going with the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6, and then maybe a prime and tele later on, is a good strategy for my needs? I hadn't considered that lens because it is so much $$ new, but if I can snag it off ebay than I might go for it. Thanks again, great comments.

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Hi Andy C, When I got mine the 18-135mm was just out and really expensive So I decided to go with the kit 18-55mm. (for the extra cost above the body only it was worth it) and see what would happen with the price of the 18-135mm sure enough I manged to get a white boxed one for only 225 euro. it really is a super lens and feels well balanced on the camera. I have heard some people have been buying the a37 with the 18-135mm and keeping the lens and putting the 18-55mm on the a37 and selling it.

I just looked on Amazon and you can pick all this up Alpha SLT-A37 Digital Camera with 18-135mm Zoom Lens + Sony Class 10 16GB SD Card + 55mm UV Protector + Accessory Kit for $598.00!! worth a look?

If you want a little bit more reach I picked up a as new Tamron AF 55-200mm macro for only $65 and its a cracker! there are lots of bargains to be had out there you can see some supply's on my flickr if you want

hope this helps

Craig
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loubella/

lots of good suggestions, but remembering the OP says he wants to do indoor in poor light - that 35mm 1.8 should be a "must buy"

If it's family/group pictures outdoors, and shots indoors, i'd try and get the 18-135mm paired with the 35mm 1.8 as the indoor specialist. That should come in around $550 if you shop around. If its too tight budget wise, you can cut the price of the 35mm in half getting a good used Minolta 50mm 1.7, that paired with the 18-135 could probably be done for about $480.

That should cover your specific need, and if you find yourself wanting more reach down the line you can start saving for a longer zoom lens.

-Matt

I don't like the superzooms because they're not tack sharp. I've had one for two weeks and I sold it, because the results irritated the crap out of me.

The Tam 2.8 solves many indoor problems. You can more often take shots without flash. It's sharp wide open 28 to 50. In lowish light 17 wide open is good too, compensating for the low light. You can get amazingly vibrant shots with it. You'll end up with a better image library with this over the basic kit lens. So, save the $100 getting the body only, and spend the, what, $450 (?) on the Tamron. It isn't cheap, but it's *good*.

Telelens. Sony 55-300 all the way. Fantastic having it start at 55. You can actually kind of walk around with it, depending on what you're doing (eg. nature path walk).

The Tamron looks like a good option to save up for, but is too much right now at $500. I just went to my local Best Buy to play with the A57 they have on display, and I find the size of the thing a bit intimidating. I have big hands, but I felt I barely could get a good grip on it. My wife isn't going to want to touch it, which will be a problem if I ever want to appear in picture with my kids again.

I think I may actually switch gears and get the Alpha SLT-A37 Digital Camera with 18-135mm Zoom Lens for $598, and for another $200 bundle in the Sony 55-300mm F/4.5-5.6 DT . This camera is almost identical in size to the Sony HX200v, which we both felt very comfortable using and is what we are upgrading from.

I've read several A57 vs A37 reviews, like this one , and the biggest negatives of the A37 seem to be the smaller LCD display with lower pixels, and lower max fps of 7. I don't really see this as a deal killer for my needs, and will allow me to ease into this world of advanced photography. I can always swap out the body in a few years if I've invested in good lenses.

Thoughts?

I would go with option 1 or 2 with the realisation that they are just to get you going and learning about your camera and photography.

For the type of photography you listed you will want better (and hence more expensive) lenses which are out of your listed budget.

Start saving your money and learning what focal lengths you use the most so you can get the best lens/lenses you can that suit your needs.

Lenses are an "investment", they will out last your camera, so you dont have to rush out to buy them. Good photographic knowledge and technique are just as important and will help you to make decisions that are right for you

OK lets take a stab at this (cracks knuckles).

Option 1 is fine with caveats. Just know you won't have OS on the Sony mount as Sigma in their infinite wisdom decided you don't need that feature with SS built in to Sony bodies (and they get to pocket the savings). You'll need to get the older version for in-lens OS if you can find one (Sigma 18-250 f3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM...yes has OS). It's bigger and heavier than the new version without OS but not a bad all around superzoom (and your built-in flash may cast a shadow over the lens at wider angles with it). Superzooms are often frowned upon around here because they're slower and give up some speed and image quality vs. a two lens solution (18-55 & 55-300) but they serve a purpose for being the one lens on the camera without having to change it.

Option 2 is probably the most interesting of the bunch. The 55-300 can be had at $200 which is a great discount, and there's no significant holes in your range (as their would be if you picked Options 3 or 4, which I would discourage as you'll really need the wider angles). It's hard to pass up the 55-300 at that price, and the 18-55 kit lens while not great does a good job.

Alternatives if you swing a little extra cash:

Alternative #1: The Sony 18-135mm is new and a pretty nice lens (own and recommend). There doesn't seem to be any meaningful kit discounts with it last I looked ($971, so at your budget it would probably preclude you from buying the 55-300; that said do it if you can). Consider these prices at B&H Photo ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Brand_Sony&ci=6222&N=4288586280+4291215468 ) and do the math:

1. A57 body only $500
2. A57 body w/18-55 $600
3. A57 body w/18-135 $971
4. A65 body w/18-135 $998
5. A37 body w/18-135 $598
6. 18-135 lens alone for $473

It's convoluted but follow me on this. I would find a way to get #2 and #5 above. That's $1200 I know, but if you switch the lenses you have a A37 w/18-55 that somebody can have as a very nice gift for very little more, or you can sell the combo to someone else for as little as $230 to break even (and it's worth more than that); should be pretty easy since it's brand new. If you sold it for $330 you'd save $100 more vs the A57/18-135 kit price alone.

If you just want the A57/18-135 without the extra stuff I also listed the price of the A65/18-135 kit since it's tantalizingly close in $. Decisions, decisions (that's a whole other discussion!).

Alternative #2: This is the best possible image quality option. Sony A57 body only w/55-300 $700 ($500+$200), plus a used Tamron 17-50 f2.8 ( http://www.keh.com/camera/Sony-Digital-Non-Mfg-Zoom-Lenses/1/sku-DS09999106751J?r=FE ) for $340 ($1040 total plus shipping/tax if applicable). The Tamron is very highly regarded, faster (fixed f2.8 through the entire range so 2 stops faster than standard kit zoom @50mm) and sharper than all the other options discussed and nearly prime lens quality. This a big plus for indoor shots when flash isn't optimal, and maybe even for your sports shots (though the zoom range is limited, gotta be close).

About the only bad thing you about Alternative #2 is the focusing will be a little louder than the kit options, which could be an issue with video. But then you could just switch to MF w/focus peaking, problem solved...




On primes I have no hesitation recommending but since you're just getting started I would save that for later, along with a good hot shoe flash. The beauty of Alternative #2 is it somewhat satisfies the prime urge. Lots to digest, hope this helped. Good luck!

Intimidating? Wow. Personal preference I guess, if you find that intimidating definitely don't look at an A77 LOL.

The A37/18-135mm kit is great bang for your buck at less than $600.

Thanks to you, Jeadm, and everyone else that pitched in with their 2 cents. Yeah, I know I'm being kind of a wuss by going with the a37, but baby steps. I'll order the a37 wth 18-130 lens today or tomorrow along with 55-300. Hopefully if I learn how to take a decent picture I will post some on this forum one of these days! I know I'll be posting more questions ;-).

The A37 with that lense combo is great for walkaround. Get a 35 or 50 F1.8 for indoor shooting and learning to live with a prime and you'll be set for a very long time.

Jesper

Epilogue:


After much internal back and forth, and literally a mostly sleepless night, yesterday I ordered:

• A57 body only
• 18 - 135 mm lens (from 42 Street photo on ebay for $339 )
• Extra battery (genuine sony) plus a sony wall charger
• This cleaning kit
  
• Case Logic SLRC-201 SLR Zoom Holster

I decided on the A57 over the A37 because of the 60p video on the A57. I watched some sample comparisons of 60i vs 60p online and wanted the smoother video which also gives more options of effects like slowing it down. I take a lot of video of the kids, so this is important. Thanks to the intel being discussed on these forums, I know that video issue is also a deal killer for me on the A58.

Even though I tried it out at Best Buy, I'm counting on the A57 being easier to hold than what I experienced at the store. Best Buy has these heavy anti-theft metal brackets attached to the bottoms of the camera with these cords going back into the display counters that give you very little play and apply a downward pressure on the camera you are holding. Awful try out experience.

So, here is the list of planned purchases over the next 6 months as my "allowance" comes in:

• Pedco UltraPod II
  
• Manfrotto MMC-301 Monopod
  
• OP/TECH USA Utility Strap (already have the hand strap )
  
• Sony Alpha SAL35F18
• Sony 55-300 lens
  
• Bigger bag: either Pacsafe Camsafe 100 or Lowepro Apex 140
  
• Flash (no clue on this one)

I am open to any of the suggestions on the extra items I plan to purchase. The group wisdom here has helped me get to this point, so I'll stick with it. Thanks, and I hope to post my first A57 pictures soon.