CrusadersFan
New member
In Feb 2009 I went into the camera shop to buy a Canon G10 and was encouraged to look at the A200 (with 18~70 zoom)which was the same price. Being a long time Canon SLR fan I was hesitant but then took the plunge with the A200.
I have found it very easy to use but from early on was disappointed with the optics. While still shots in good light were satisfactory, they weren't much better than my old 4mp Canon A80 which has served me faithfully for about 5 years. With the A200 the sports shots esp my son playing rugby, were very disappointing. Detail and general sharpness were poor in these action shots and I was wishing I had stuck with the G10 idea.
Other consumer feedback suggested looking at some 2nd hand Minolta AF lenses and 2 weeks ago I bought a reasonable Minolta 35~80 zoom for $31 off TradeMe. This small investment resulted in an immediate improvement in image sharpness - essentially a jump rating wise from 3 to 4 for me. A couple of days ago I bought a Minolta AF100~300 zoom, but that's largely untested at this point.
So .... bottom line .... the camera is
1) great value for money
2) easy to use
3) battery life is great
4) The lack of live view means nothing - I always prefer looking through the lens
5) The standard 18~70 Sony zoom that comes standard with the camera produces acceptable shots with still life / landscape in good light, but I strongly recommend buyers investing in 2nd hand Minolta AF lenses to improve the quality
6) I'll keep buying lotto tickets - if I win big, I will check out a Canon 5D MkII
Problems:
Optics ie poor~average results from Sony 18~70 in good light let this camera down. Thankfully there are 2nd hand Minolta AF lenses around if you hunt for them (or get lucky)
I have found it very easy to use but from early on was disappointed with the optics. While still shots in good light were satisfactory, they weren't much better than my old 4mp Canon A80 which has served me faithfully for about 5 years. With the A200 the sports shots esp my son playing rugby, were very disappointing. Detail and general sharpness were poor in these action shots and I was wishing I had stuck with the G10 idea.
Other consumer feedback suggested looking at some 2nd hand Minolta AF lenses and 2 weeks ago I bought a reasonable Minolta 35~80 zoom for $31 off TradeMe. This small investment resulted in an immediate improvement in image sharpness - essentially a jump rating wise from 3 to 4 for me. A couple of days ago I bought a Minolta AF100~300 zoom, but that's largely untested at this point.
So .... bottom line .... the camera is
1) great value for money
2) easy to use
3) battery life is great
4) The lack of live view means nothing - I always prefer looking through the lens
5) The standard 18~70 Sony zoom that comes standard with the camera produces acceptable shots with still life / landscape in good light, but I strongly recommend buyers investing in 2nd hand Minolta AF lenses to improve the quality
6) I'll keep buying lotto tickets - if I win big, I will check out a Canon 5D MkII
Problems:
Optics ie poor~average results from Sony 18~70 in good light let this camera down. Thankfully there are 2nd hand Minolta AF lenses around if you hunt for them (or get lucky)
