Sony FF user seeking unbiased DSLR/lens advice + feedback

[Calico Jack]

Ahoy!

I'm a long term sony A-Mount owner/user that started with the Olympus Evolt E500 and have also owned the Nikon D300s. My current body is an Alpha A850 DSLR (24MP full frame) with VG, external flashes and some very nice optics.

I'm seriously looking at changing brands and this is based on having seem images on an aviation website which I'm a member of and there are some superb almost 3D-like images which were taken with Canon 1D and Nikon D800 series bodies, though I'm totally ignorant of both Canon and Nikon and their lens types.

I'm not bothered about sensor type/format, but I shoot motorsport and aviation mainly, with some macro and portrait as well. The macro/portrait lens I use is the Tamron 272E model and for the telephoto side (my main use) I use either a Sigma 100-300/4 EX DG (IF) APO or a 300/2.8 or 300/4.

I use essentially either top shelf telephoto lenses whether zoom or prime, though the Sigma AF 100-300/4 EX DG (IF) APO and Tokina AF-II 100-300/4 (IF) AT-X (AF 340) are both exceptional lenses albeit discontinued (I don't know of any modern equivalents especially when it comes to price), but if you have lenses and flashgun recommendations, that would be appreciated so I can research them and calculate costs.

I don't mind if the camera is discontinued, but it's trying to get the right model at a good price (lower than the going rate works for me or because the seller needs money in a hurry and is selling gear for silly money) and that it's best suited to my needs, so please feel free to put forward your recommendations with an explanation why and a suggested price I should be paying.

Thanks for reading and whilst I won't respond to individual posts initially, I will review any suggestions and update the thread once I've done the detective work. Oh, and as I'm UK based, it might be best if anyone is selling items that they're within the EU should I decide to go with Canon, though I'm completely open minded.

TIA.

--
Mark (aka Pirate!)

 

[Schwany]

Ahoy!

I'm a long term sony A-Mount owner/user that started with the Olympus Evolt E500 and have also owned the Nikon D300s. My current body is an Alpha A850 DSLR (24MP full frame) with VG, external flashes and some very nice optics.

I'm seriously looking at changing brands and this is based on having seem images on an aviation website which I'm a member of and there are some superb almost 3D-like images which were taken with Canon 1D and Nikon D800 series bodies, though I'm totally ignorant of both Canon and Nikon and their lens types.

I'm not bothered about sensor type/format, but I shoot motorsport and aviation mainly, with some macro and portrait as well. The macro/portrait lens I use is the Tamron 272E model and for the telephoto side (my main use) I use either a Sigma 100-300/4 EX DG (IF) APO or a 300/2.8 or 300/4.

I use essentially either top shelf telephoto lenses whether zoom or prime, though the Sigma AF 100-300/4 EX DG (IF) APO and Tokina AF-II 100-300/4 (IF) AT-X (AF 340) are both exceptional lenses albeit discontinued (I don't know of any modern equivalents especially when it comes to price), but if you have lenses and flashgun recommendations, that would be appreciated so I can research them and calculate costs.

I don't mind if the camera is discontinued, but it's trying to get the right model at a good price (lower than the going rate works for me or because the seller needs money in a hurry and is selling gear for silly money) and that it's best suited to my needs, so please feel free to put forward your recommendations with an explanation why and a suggested price I should be paying.

Thanks for reading and whilst I won't respond to individual posts initially, I will review any suggestions and update the thread once I've done the detective work. Oh, and as I'm UK based, it might be best if anyone is selling items that they're within the EU should I decide to go with Canon, though I'm completely open minded.

TIA.

--
Mark (aka Pirate!)

Arrr

Shiver me timbers.

Why aren't you on the A77II bandwagon or ship? The Sony stalwarts told me it was a better camera than a Canon 1DX (Canon's top body).

Those 3D (whatever that is) looking shots you've seen on aviation websites most likely didn't come cheap. The lenses are what makes most of that look possible IMO. And Canon's big whites are not inexpensive like those Sigma and Tokina lenses are.

Wait and see what the Canon 7DMkII actually is. The retail price is nothing for someone interested in creating 3D? looking fast action shots. Your real cost is going to be lenses anyway. You can try and get by with the standard affordable zooms like the 100-400L, or the Tamron 150-600 or whatever it is, but I doubt you'll get that look you are after. That look is prime lens and not much PP is required once a good capture is made.

The least expensive prime for flying things is the 400f/5.6L, the next is the 300f/4L IS, then the 400f/4 DO, then the 300f/2.8L IS, then the 500f/4L IS, then 600f/4L IS, and then 800f/5.6L IS. Add an extender in there and pretty soon you'll be talking real money.

As far as a used camera goes... I shot a lot of motorsports with a 1DMkIV and it's a darn good camera. It's worth more than whatever it is the market has driven the prince down to. If you want something cheap that will hit 10fps, the 1DMkIII is out there.

I know nothing about Nikon equipment, but it is probably pretty good gear at the pro level and on par with Canon for what you are interested in. Nikon's consumer stuff might be better bang for the buck than Canon.

I don't think this is the 3D look you are talking about, but it is world class motorsports and was shot with a 1DMkIV and 500/f4 + 1.4x extender. That's about 910mm FF equivalent.

Not cropped either.

 

[daRRski]

Ahoy!

I'm a long term sony A-Mount owner/user that started with the Olympus Evolt E500 and have also owned the Nikon D300s. My current body is an Alpha A850 DSLR (24MP full frame) with VG, external flashes and some very nice optics.

I'm seriously looking at changing brands and this is based on having seem images on an aviation website which I'm a member of and there are some superb almost 3D-like images which were taken with Canon 1D and Nikon D800 series bodies, though I'm totally ignorant of both Canon and Nikon and their lens types.

I'm not bothered about sensor type/format, but I shoot motorsport and aviation mainly, with some macro and portrait as well. The macro/portrait lens I use is the Tamron 272E model and for the telephoto side (my main use) I use either a Sigma 100-300/4 EX DG (IF) APO or a 300/2.8 or 300/4.

I use essentially either top shelf telephoto lenses whether zoom or prime, though the Sigma AF 100-300/4 EX DG (IF) APO and Tokina AF-II 100-300/4 (IF) AT-X (AF 340) are both exceptional lenses albeit discontinued (I don't know of any modern equivalents especially when it comes to price), but if you have lenses and flashgun recommendations, that would be appreciated so I can research them and calculate costs.

I don't mind if the camera is discontinued, but it's trying to get the right model at a good price (lower than the going rate works for me or because the seller needs money in a hurry and is selling gear for silly money) and that it's best suited to my needs, so please feel free to put forward your recommendations with an explanation why and a suggested price I should be paying.

Thanks for reading and whilst I won't respond to individual posts initially, I will review any suggestions and update the thread once I've done the detective work. Oh, and as I'm UK based, it might be best if anyone is selling items that they're within the EU should I decide to go with Canon, though I'm completely open minded.

TIA.

--
Mark (aka Pirate!)

well...if you want to jump on Canon bandwagon...do it ..I'm just using ancient , original 5D and it still amazes me and I will not upgrade until it falls apart ..sooo ..if you are looking at higher end Canons..just thing what they can do ..those were taken with original 5D and 100-400 glass ...they sort of look 3D











--

http://www.dpreview.com/members/511208583/gearlist

Derek U

Explore Derek U’s 491 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[Schwany]

200f/2.8L, 200f/1.8L IS. 200f/2L IS... although I think those might be kind of short for single airplanes from the ground without an extender. Might be alright for group shots, but it's been a really long time since I've been to an airshow, so I don't really know what focal length is good. I suppose a creative person could use just about anything.

Oh yeah, if what photographers use at NFL games is any indication of what kind of cameras work for action sports, it sure looks like Nikon is the camera of choice for Sunday Night Football. Rough guesstimating is by a five to one margin. Things sure change fast. Last year the majority of photographers were still using Canon cameras on the sidelines. Too late for me to follow trends, but not too late for you.

 

[Calico Jack]

Why aren't you on the A77II bandwagon or ship? The Sony stalwarts told me it was a better camera than a Canon 1DX (Canon's top body).

I wouldn't touch SLT or E-Mount with a bargepole. sony have changed the hot-shoe on their latest models and E-Mount has grossly overpriced optics and very few of them. Sony are going backwards by introducing a second mount and even their own products (at least some flashguns) can't be used without an adapter or you pay 4x the price for a similar model that would fit an older model. They're trying to re-invent the wheel and failing miserably.

Those 3D (whatever that is) looking shots you've seen on aviation websites most likely didn't come cheap. The lenses are what makes most of that look possible IMO. And Canon's big whites are not inexpensive like those Sigma and Tokina lenses are.

As much as I would like a semi-pro body and will look at anything up to around 6 years old, because I don't know the Canon products at all so I have to ask elementary questions and hope I don't get any biased responses (it happens all the time and I understand that), though I did look at both the EOS 70D and EOS 6D and the 6D seems to score extremely high, but allthough format isn't an issue to me, IQ is paramount and if there's anything that can beat my existing Sony A850, then I'll have a look. The A850 has 3FPS, FF and 24MB and 98% OVF viewfinder whereas the Sony A900 is 5 FPS and 100% viewfinder, so the A850 is a slightly cut-down version of the A900. Even at 3 FPS in full RAW mode, it'll handle about 5 seconds before the buffer fills which is around 12 frames at around 5MB per file.

Wait and see what the Canon 7DMkII actually is. The retail price is nothing for someone interested in creating 3D? looking fast action shots. Your real cost is going to be lenses anyway. You can try and get by with the standard affordable zooms like the 100-400L, or the Tamron 150-600 or whatever it is, but I doubt you'll get that look you are after. That look is prime lens and not much PP is required once a good capture is made.

I don't know if Canon APS-C or FF has any pro's/con's when compared directly or if APS-C lenses are cheaper/better than their FF equivalents, though I'll only need around 4 lenses and a flashgun + VG.

The least expensive prime for flying things is the 400f/5.6L, the next is the 300f/4L IS, then the 400f/4 DO, then the 300f/2.8L IS, then the 500f/4L IS, then 600f/4L IS, and then 800f/5.6L IS. Add an extender in there and pretty soon you'll be talking real money.

I don't do video or care about a flip screen. ultimately I'm after optimum IQ, reasonably fast C-AF with a capability to shoot around 5-10 secs with no buffer slow-down and excellent noise handling apart from high ISO/low noise handling and buttery smooth bokeh.

As far as a used camera goes... I shot a lot of motorsports with a 1DMkIV and it's a darn good camera. It's worth more than whatever it is the market has driven the prince down to. If you want something cheap that will hit 10fps, the 1DMkIII is out there.

If there are any specific lenses that should be considered, then I'm open to suggestion, but I'm not paying silly money. The Tokina or Sigma 100-300/4's are brilliant and cheap enough but have no in-lens stabilisation. The Tamron 272E will be my macro/portrait option, so that leaves a WA lens, and that could be a Sigma 17-70 OS DC HSM Macro unless there are significantly better alternatives for those close-up WA shots of static subjects. The Tokina 300/4 AT-X (AF 304) is a really nice compact tele-prime with constant F4 aperture but if there's anything better (the Tokina is around £275.00) and the Tokina 100-300/4 (AF 340) is around £275.00 and the Sigma 100-300/4 EX DG APO is around £400.00 - £500.00 and the Sigma 17-70 OS DC Macro is around £150.00 or less, you don't have to pay silly money for excellent optics, but like I said, if there's anything in the Canon line that should be considered above all others, then I'm all ears.

I know nothing about Nikon equipment, but it is probably pretty good gear at the pro level and on par with Canon for what you are interested in. Nikon's consumer stuff might be better bang for the buck than Canon.

If you go to the Airplane-Pictures website, have a look at the images. I know my sony can't produce a finish like the majority posted by others, though with a 300/2.8 (which is a total beast), the IQ is stunning right out of the camera, but as I don't shoot as much, it's a fine balance between cost and results.

I don't think this is the 3D look you are talking about, but it is world class motorsports and was shot with a 1DMkIV and 500/f4 + 1.4x extender. That's about 910mm FF equivalent.

Posted image seems excellent based on the gear used, though does the posted image reflect the full sized image or has it improved due to file reduction?

Not cropped either.

I don't know if I've provided enough information, but if not, could responders state what is required in order to give a qualified reply? I'm always looking for those needle in a haystack deals (and I've done pretty well thus far), but this isn't wanting to change for fun as I've invested heavily in my hardware, so will be looking to replace with similar or better hardware (I know Canon and Nikon haven't got in-body stabilisation which is a real handy function to have), but seeing what can be produced, it's prompted me to consider moving on as I want to be able to capture the same quality of those stunning images on Airplane-Pictures, and as much as I love my A850, it seems like there will be a separation in the near future and I'm looking for a suitable replacement that will produce those killer images that my Sony cannot do.

I'm not interested in mirrorless, EVF, video or any of that rubbish, just a camera that does what it's supposed to do . . take stills with stunning results. Oh, and I did also buy into Pentax with the K-5, but as brilliant as the body is, the K-Mount is just plain stupid with respect to prices of lenses as they demand 3x or 4x more for the same thing in A-Mount, but I found live-view interesting and the horizontal/vertical scale on the LCD when in LV a neat feature and you can do so much in the menu for colour control and a ton of other stuff, it's THE BEST APS-C camera I've ever owned/used, but I'm 'old skool' and want OVF not EVF and advice with regards to which format I should be looking at (and why). Sorry for the babbling reply, but when I know what to look for, then unless anyone has any suggestions where to look/buy and what to pay (maybe a Canon forum or other sites) and can then start to list my own hardware for sale, so hopefully you guys will be willing to point me in the right direction.

TTFN.

---

Mark (aka Pirate!)

 

[Schwany]

If you go to the airplane-Pictures website, have a look at the images. I know my sony can't produce a finish like the majority posted by others, though with a 300/2.8 (which is a total beast), the IQ is stunning right out of the camera, but as I don't shoot as much, it's a fine balance between cost and results.

The Canon 300f/2.8L produces nice images and is easy to hand hold (although not light weight by any means), but not really affordable unless you go back to the old non-IS version, which is no longer supported by Canon service. The 300f/4L IS produces a nice image as well, and is considerably cheaper especially on the used market.

I don't think this is the 3D look you are talking about, but it is world class motorsports and was shot with a 1DMkIV and 500/f4 + 1.4x extender. That's about 910mm FF equivalent.

Posted image seems excellent based on the gear used, though does the posted image reflect the full sized image or has it improved due to file reduction?

This small 800x1200 (click on original size) is a poor representation of what the full sized image looks like. There is a lot more detail in the original. However, I don't post or provide links to original files.

I can fully understand why you're not that interested any of the Sony gizmo cameras, but I'm not going to be of any help on the affordable stuff. I haven't got much experience using a lot of it other than the 40D, which is really kind of old for me to recommend.

Thanks for the response though. Hopefully someone other than myself will read it, and be able to give you the information you are requesting.

 

[ASR45]

Ahoy!

I'm a long term sony A-Mount owner/user that started with the Olympus Evolt E500 and have also owned the Nikon D300s. My current body is an Alpha A850 DSLR (24MP full frame) with VG, external flashes and some very nice optics.

I'm seriously looking at changing brands and this is based on having seem images on an aviation website which I'm a member of and there are some superb almost 3D-like images which were taken with Canon 1D and Nikon D800 series bodies, though I'm totally ignorant of both Canon and Nikon and their lens types.

I'm not bothered about sensor type/format, but I shoot motorsport and aviation mainly, with some macro and portrait as well. The macro/portrait lens I use is the Tamron 272E model and for the telephoto side (my main use) I use either a Sigma 100-300/4 EX DG (IF) APO or a 300/2.8 or 300/4.

I use essentially either top shelf telephoto lenses whether zoom or prime, though the Sigma AF 100-300/4 EX DG (IF) APO and Tokina AF-II 100-300/4 (IF) AT-X (AF 340) are both exceptional lenses albeit discontinued (I don't know of any modern equivalents especially when it comes to price), but if you have lenses and flashgun recommendations, that would be appreciated so I can research them and calculate costs.

I don't mind if the camera is discontinued, but it's trying to get the right model at a good price (lower than the going rate works for me or because the seller needs money in a hurry and is selling gear for silly money) and that it's best suited to my needs, so please feel free to put forward your recommendations with an explanation why and a suggested price I should be paying.

Thanks for reading and whilst I won't respond to individual posts initially, I will review any suggestions and update the thread once I've done the detective work. Oh, and as I'm UK based, it might be best if anyone is selling items that they're within the EU should I decide to go with Canon, though I'm completely open minded.

TIA.

--
Mark (aka Pirate!)

well...if you want to jump on Canon bandwagon...do it ..I'm just using ancient , original 5D and it still amazes me and I will not upgrade until it falls apart ..sooo ..if you are looking at higher end Canons..just thing what they can do ..those were taken with original 5D and 100-400 glass ...they sort of look 3D

Close one eye, i get it does give a sense of being there.

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http://www.dpreview.com/members/511208583/gearlist
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32510558@N04/

--
Alan.
Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.
- Peter Adams

 

[garykohs]

Pirate, you're giving up a lot of MP going to any Canon 1D series body. Having said that I still really enjoy my Canon 1D4 and the 300/4 L IS will give you quality photos for about $1,000. Honestly though I only use my Canon stuff for low light sports. It's been a long time since I shot or portrait with it or used my 580 EXII flash.