INDEX | PHOTOGRAPHY | UPDATES | INFO | GUESTBOOK CAMERA INDEX Sony DSLR-A350 When finally deciding to move up to a digital SLR i chose Sony because of my previous experience with Minolta. Also the fact that i had a few lenses helped. The first DSLR from Sony, the A100, never caught my eye. But the A350 did. I had been using superzoom-cameras for so long that i was very interested in the quick live-view feature of the A350, as well as the swivelling screen. In hindsight i can say that i haven't used live view excessively, but it is useful in some situations. Although i would have preferred a better optical viewfinder instead. Lenses I have a bunch of lenses for my Sony DSLR. Some of them are "inherited" from the Minolta system, some are bought for the DSLR specifically. Most of them I have bought used and many of them are from the mid- and late 1980's. Mostly I have chosen to buy these older lenses because they have a very attractive "bang for your buck" with great optical quality and decent prices. Buying optics of the same quality brand new would be expensive, but of course older lenses have their downsides such as slower AF than what we're used to today. I am continually looking to upgrade my lenses and i have sold a few lenses. Tamron - SP AF 17-50 F2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical I had wanted a f2,8 standard zoom for a long time. Older Minolta G-lenses were expensive and not wide enough, and the Tamron was a lauded cheap alternative to get brand new. It is a very good lens in my opinion. Very sharp, even at 2,8, and with a very nice wide angle that makes it a nice walk-around lens. Nice colors too and not too heavy. Build quality is not fantastic but it does the job. Dyxum link Minolta AF 35-70 F3.5-4.5 This was the kit lens for my Minolta Dynax 500si "plastic-fantastic" camera. This is a very light zoom made almost completely out of plastic, even the mount is actually plastic. It's a sharp lens though, much better than the more recent kit-lenses, and the AF is lightning fast. It weighs almost nothing which is also a plus. Dyxum link Sony AF 50 F1.4 SAL-50F14 This is a wonderful little lens that i bought brand new although i couldn't really afford it. I felt the need for a bright and fast prime and this 50mm f1.4 seemed like the logical choice. Now that the 50mm f1.8 SAM has been released i would probably go with that instead. But this lens is exceptionally sharp, with beautiful colors, quick and correct AF and a beautiful bokeh for portraits. Worth every penny. Dyxum link Minolta AF 28 F2.8 I had the Sigma 24mm f2.8 Superwide II but never really got along with it. I found this lens cheap on an auction site and this is a lot more to my liking. It's not sharper than the Sigma but the colors are better (if you like Minolta-colors). AF is very quick and the lens does it's job although of course 28mm is hardly a wide-angle lens on APS-C sensors. Dyxum link Sigma 50 F2.8 AF Macro I have wanted the Tamron 90mm macro for a long time but i haven't been prepared to pay for it. I found this Sigma used for about $100 and went for it. It has some cosmetic damage but feels like a solid build and performs well. The lenses are clean and scratch-free so the damage is only skin-deep. It feels like a very good value although i would have wanted 70mm or 90mm instead. Dyxum link Minolta AF 70-210 F4 (beercan) The Minolta 70-210 f4 beercan is the legend of the Minolta line-up. A heavy metal piece built like a tank and with f4 constant through the zoom range. It is a beautiful lens that takes beautiful photos, although AF-speed is not up to current standards. If you can get this lens at a reasonable price it's a lof of quality for your money. Dyxum link CAMERA INDEX INDEX | PHOTOGRAPHY | UPDATES | INFO | GUESTBOOK