Sony A100

[JTF]

Looking at upgrading my cam a panasonic DMC FZ4 to the A100. My main use is outdoor bird photography with lense use in the 400 - 800 range. Any opinions from owners on buying this model for bird photography. Will Tamaron & Sigma big lenses work on the A100?

[Canuck935]

Sigma and Tamron do make their lenses for the A-mount. Sigma has HSM for some of their lenses but they do not offer HSM for their A-mount lenses. Why? Who knows?

[JTF]

Thanks for the lense info.

[Photo-John]

JTF-
I love the Sony DSLR. But for telephoto bird photography, a Nikon or Canon with image stabilization in the lens would work better. There is going to be diminishing returns on Sony's Super Steady Shot image stabilization, as you increase the focal length of your lens. It works awesome on the kit lens and I've tested it up to 200mm with good results. But there's no way it can compete with the Nikon and Canon lenses that have dedicated image stabilization systems built into the lenses. On the other hand, those big IS lenses cost a fortune and with the Sony you'll get some benefit with the cost of the camera.

I don't mean to discourage you. But I do think it's important to have realistic expectations about the Sony A100's image stabilization system. If you want to know more about what I think of the A100, here's a link to my editorial review:

Photo-John's Sony A100 Pro Review >>

Let us know if you have more questions. There's a lot of Sony Alpha knowledge here

[JTF]

Thanks for the great reply. The link is very useful indeed. I put a sample pic in of a snowy owl I took at 420mm but the current FZ4 I have has a built in IS system so this is important as I want to get out to the 500 - 600mm range but there are no lense adapters or add-ons for my model. I have considered the Nikon D-40 which I can buy here for a discount where I work but then theres the issue with lenses, so maybe the D50 would be my best bet. No purchase made yet, just doing my homework first. ThankS.

[Photo-John]

Happy to help!

That is a beautiful photo :thumbsup:

What's the issue with the lenses and the D40? If you don't have any Nikon lenses to carry over from a previous system, there shouldn't be a problem. The big Nikon telephotos will cost you. But they should perform better than super long glass with the Sony. There's also a shortage of glass for the Sony right now. Your choices are limited.

You might also consider using a tripod with a good gimbal head. This is likely a better way to shoot anyway. I think you should also make a post on the Nature and Wildlife forum and see what those guys think. They'll understand the special techniques required by your subject-matter better than I do.

[payn817]

I've gotten very nice results with my Sigma 400mm, and the KM 5D. The AS in the alpha is supposed to be better. With that said, a friend recently asked kinda the same thing, and I pointed her to Canon. It's just a richer system with a longer history. If not for my investment in glass, I would have went to Canon when I went digital.

Then again, considering the prices of IS/VR lenses, I would just forget the built in stuff, and go with a monopod. That's the most likely advice you'll get in the N/W forum. A tripod is really too much when shooting in the field, unless you plan to shoot from a blind.


Just my $.02

[Photo-John]

I've gotten very nice results with my Sigma 400mm, and the KM 5D.

That's good to hear. Any chance you can give us the exposure settings you used? Because if you were shooting at 1/500th second, it doesn't much matter. But if you were shooting at 1/200th of a second with a 400mm lens, I will be impressed.

[payn817]

Here's one at 1/125, handheld. B&w at 1/80. Don't get me wrong though, it is less effective. My statement simply means it can be done, certainly not as consistent as the Canon or Nikon equiv. The hawk is at 1/320, which isn't slow enough to matter. However, it was shot in shadow, so I posted this as a quick example.

[JTF]

I am not sure its a big problem but with the Nikon D40, in order to keep down the size of the D40, Nikon removed the internal focus motor. What this means is that your lens must have the motor built in if you want autofocus. If you have an AF-S or AF-I Nikkor lens, then you're all set. However, if you don't, be prepared to focus manually.

[Photo-John]

The AF-S lenses are the way to go with Nikon anyway.

[JTF]

Thanks John.