Help the new guy buy a camera

[crazy-mp]

Hello all, I have been thinking about upgrading my Minolta Maxxum 5 to a DSLR.

When I went to the local camera store about 2 weeks ago I was a little embarrassed that Minolta no longer made cameras, but I was relieved to find out that Sony made cameras that used the same mounts. I have been doing some research about the Sony A 350. This camera has what I would like to have in a DSLR, and its in a price range I can afford. When I was talking to the camera salesman he told me that most of my lenses would fit, but I may have some blurring around the edges because they were not designed for a digital camera. I was ok with that, I am not a professional photographer I just enjoy taking pictures from time to time. Then when I called back today (Monday) to check if they had any in stock a different salesman told me that my lenses would not work. Can someone tell me if my items would be compatible with a Sony A 350 please?

I have:

Minolta 70-210 49mm 1:4.5 - 5.6
Phoenix 19-35 77mm 1:3.5 - 4.5
Promaster 100-400 67mm 1:4.5 - 6.7

and a Quantaray PZ-1 DSZ (Sunpak?) Flash

Will these items work?

[Anbesol]

but I may have some blurring around the edges because they were not designed for a digital camera

Thats untrue, it actually works the other way around - lenses designed for APS digital cameras will have blurring around the edges on film. All that 'designed for digital' talk is mostly crapola.

Then when I called back today (Monday) to check if they had any in stock a different salesman told me that my lenses would not work

Then hes full of crap too. I've heard of a rare occasional lens chip not mounting properly to the new sony mounts, but not all 3. I guarantee that your 70-210 will work with it. You could bring your phoenix and promaster in to double check, but I would be surprised if one of them didn't work either. If you've been mounting the flash to a Maxxum 5 then it will work just fine on the Sony A350.

By the way it wasn't so much that 'minolta stopped, and sony started', it is more like minolta continued through the sony name. Even on their newest models there is something distinctly Minolta about them, and the Minolta plants, engineers and so on are still in use, they just have a different company sign their checks. Minolta's asset transfer to Sony was the best thing that could happen to us Minolta users ...

Also - I would get the A350 without kit lens, then get one of the Minolta classics like the 28-85xi, the 35-70 f/4, or the 24-50 f/4 instead. Much better color, resolution and distortion control. Unless you plan on that 19-35 doing all wide angle for you.

[crazy-mp]

Thanks for the info, its hard to tell who is telling the truth and who is trying to blow smoke especially in a store where the sales people make commissions. I do have one of the 28-85 lenses that the camera came with (MAXXIUM 5) but it was on another camera, and I remembered it after I made the first post.

[Anbesol]

Ah great! I presume you are speaking of the f/3.5-4.5; if so, don't even bother with the kit lens. Or, you may be talking about the 28-80 f/3.5-5.6, in which case, its a toss-up with that kit lens.

I actually suspect that the salesman wasn't blowing smoke, he probably just didn't know, finding a helpful and informed salesmen is a rare occurrence, especially at chain stores (the Ma and Pa stores usually have very informed people though).

[pisco]

In another forum a guy asked if he could try his lens on a different camera (so we are meeting today, he'll try his lens in my camera). You might post this question in the Sony forum.
I don't see why they wouldn't work. I'm not sure about the flash though, it might fire at full power all the time unless you use in manual mode.