Konica Minolta or Sony

[pcaskie]

I have a Minolta XTsi and Minolta 800si print camera and several lens and a flash for these cameras. I have not used my print cameras much lately, opting for my point and shot Sony but I was planning a big photo trip next month and was planning on buying a Konica Minolta Maxxum digital for the trip.

Obviously I have had my head buried in the sand for too long because I just discovered they have been bought by Sony. My question is:

Should I invest in a low end Sony or a used Konica? I am not so interested in pixel size as I never do anything that is as intense as 10 megapixels. I am more interested in future growth potential and lens compatibility. Any suggestions or value for the money? Are my Minolta AF lens truly compatible with the new Sony's? My long lens is Quantarary but I love it.

Thanks

[Photo-John]

Go ahead and buy a Sony. KM owners were worried when Sony bought the KM system technology. But the Sony reviews just keep getting better and I think everyone agrees that Sony has done a very impressive job with their Alpha DSLR system. There's a lot more involved that just the number of pixels, too. Dynamic rannge and high ISO performance have improved dramatically in the past couple years and I believe Sony's Super Steady Shot image stabilization has been improved as well. The LCD displays are also much better and you may really like the Live View feature.

I don't see any reason to buy a used KM body now. Go with Sony and don't worry about it. Your Maxxum lenses should work fine and you'll be getting a much better camera than you would if you buy KM. If you want more reassurance, check out our Sony Alpha user reviews and ratings:

Sony Alpha Digital SLR Reviews >>

[Canuck935]

To what John said, I say yes, yes, and yes!

[NoKnees]

Ditto, ditto.... Best bang for the buck that'll use all your old glass is the new a200.... If you really want to try out LiveView, the a300 is only a few $ more...

Reasons for going new Sony is, used KM isn't going to be that much cheaper than the a200, but no warranty, not much luck getting repairs/parts still, and the Sony, even the entry a200, is better in the basic IQ, focus, and control area. You loose a couple tiny functions like mirror lockup, DOF preview, but that's about it...

And sure, in most cases the 10mp vs 6mp debate can go either way with a well shot photo, but it's nice to have that extra little bit of resolution to fall back on if you end up cropping...