New member and new to Digital

[cougarjim]

Hello to everyone, I am an old 35mm SLR user from way back. This digital stuff is very interesting but a bit confusing. I just bought a new Sony a350 I wanted the a700 but couldn't see another $200.00 worth of camera there. Of course I am probably wrong about that. Maybe I can upgrade later. I am mostly interested in nature photography/landscapes.
What would be the best lens for that type of shooting with digital? or would there not be any different than shooting with the film?:idea:

Thanks, James

[Anbesol]

I wanted the a700 but couldn't see another $200.00 worth of camera there

Magnesium alloy body, CMOS sensor, strobe attachment, 1/8000th shutter, better menu/button interface, higher ISO with better noise performance, brighter viewfinder, better battery performance, better and brighter LCD, theres plenty for that extra piece of change. You lose live-view, but for me thats sort of negated by the brighter viewfinder, rather have that then live view myself.

None the less, the A350 is still a fantastic camera as well and won't disappoint. Last I checked there was much more than a $200 difference between the a350 and the a700...

Anyway, nature photography is a broad term. Generally speaking focal ranges between 17 and 70 will cover most landscape purposes, but for things like wildlife you'll want something with much more reach. The very best of the best would be the Zeiss, you could get the 16-80 f3.5-4.5 for $700, if thats over your budget, then look at some of the minolta legacy lens, I use the 24-50 f4 myself (for landscapes), a bit short on reach, but great sharpness and color is great on it, you could pick up something like that in the $200-$300 range.

Sigma also just announced a new 18-50mm f2.8-4.5, looks promising and should run really well priced.

[cougarjim]

Thanks for the reply anbesol
I found the a350 on eBay for $633.00 and the best a700 I could find was $885.00 with the lens kit. You can get the a700 body for $799.00.
Thanks again for the lens info.

[PWhite214]

Hello,

I have not been on this forum very long either. Seems to be a great place to exchange information.

I agree on fairly wide angle lenses for landscape. What I am after in 'nature' requires a 100 to 300 mm for birding and other wildlife. Maybe you could be more specific on what you want to photograph.

You won't find much difference in using the digital instead of film.

I shoot almost as much film as digital, still love film.

The main thing is, have fun.

[cougarjim]

pwhite214

I am mostly interested in landscape photos of lakes, rivers, and mountains for which I am blessed with here in Oregon. I am trying to compile a good portfolio of good quality panorama pictures for web page heders to sell on the Internet. I just started shooting panoramic pictures and I love it.

Thanks for the reply. Jim

[pisco]

I also like landscapes, and I used the kit lens for about 1-1/2 years, then I got the CZ 16-80 and is way nicer. I thought that I would use the kit lens for hikes since it's lighter, but.. the CZ is so much better that never leaves my A100.
I was thinking on getting a 10-20mm or Tamron 11-18.

[Anbesol]

Well, 1 year ago the MSRP of the A700 was 1300 body only, and the A350 was 700, even at this difference I chose the A700.

Cougarjim - you will want something wide. More extreme wides will create a lot of distortion (linear, perspective and barrel distortion), which makes for unpleasant looking photo's and also more difficult to stitch together in post processing. Anything below 24 will have way too much of a distorted impact on the shot image, so I think you'll find the 24-35mm range much more important. I'd recommend checking the same 16-80 zeiss, minolta legacy wides, or the sigma's (24-70 or 18-50).

[cougarjim]

The camera I bought comes with the 18-70 kit lens. How would that work?

Jim

[OldClicker]

If you have the A350, don't ignore the Live View - embrace it. It can be a wonderful tool if you learn how to use it. It especially works better on a tripod and using a tripod is a GOOD thing. - TF

[cougarjim]

Thanks TF, I will be using a tripod. The one that comes with the A350 has a fluid head and a built in bubble. I have some experience with panoramaic pictures and a bubble is a must. I really like the idea of the tilt live view.

I seen some of your A350 pictures and I like what I saw, in fact your pictures is what made up my mind to buy the A350.

Thanks, Jim

[Anbesol]

Check out the lens review database on dyxum.com - its very comprehensive and thorough.

[Canuck935]

The kit lens is actually pretty decent so long as you stop it down to f/8-f/11. For stitching panorama's, you may prefer a fixed focal length. I think a 28mm or 50mm prime would be excellent for making panorama's. Not to mention smaller and lighter if you had to hike it in to your shooting locations. I don't do many panorama's myself, so I shoot mostly single frame landscapes and for those I go with the CZ 16-80 or Sony 11-18.

Welcome to PR by the way. Don't forget to write a review for the a350 here.

[OldClicker]

Thanks TF, I will be using a tripod. The one that comes with the A350 has a fluid head and a built in bubble. I have some experience with panoramaic pictures and a bubble is a must. I really like the idea of the tilt live view.

I seen some of your A350 pictures and I like what I saw, in fact your pictures is what made up my mind to buy the A350.

Thanks, Jim

Wow - thank you.

I use the Live View a lot. This morning I have it set up on a tripod with the camera about a foot above eye level. With Live View, I framed the shot and then manual focused with confirmation. Works great.

Here are some possible lenses stressing value (all used 'legacy' Minolta):

Minolta 50mm f/1.7 $100
Minolta 35-70 f/4 $50
Minolta 70-210 f/4 'beercan' $175

$325 total that would surpass my talents for years.

I went with the Minolta 50mm f/1.4 for $218 instead of the f/1.7 and picked up the 28-75mm f/2.8 for $328 for better low light (indoors) and a little wider with the zoom. I also found that I really liked macro and splurged for a beautiful Minolta 100mm 2.8 Macro for $346 – a steal. I find I seldom use anything other than the beercan for the back yard and the macro for close-ups.

TF