David Kilpatrick Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Spare Sony battery for NEX = NPFW50 = £40 approx (clones of course much less) 18-55mm lens for NEX = £130 current best price (chrome) new Neckstrap = £10 (hard to find the original, but they are awful and best replaced by something softer) 5V USB charger of decent quality = £10 Micro USB cable of decent quality = £3 Total approx £198 Camera now in UK stores = £299 Therefore camera body really only costs.... £101 and this week I have a Canon 70D to test. Two lenses, 18-135mm and new 55-250mm. It is SO annoying to open this kit and realise that Canon is still ripping off customers by not providing a lens hood with their lenses. Both these lenses absolutely need a hood, for light and physical protection. Genuine hoods (the clones are often surprisingly poor for such a simple item) - £30-£35 each. Alpha 3000 kit - complete with proper reversible bayonet dedicated hood for the 18-55mm. And no, Canon doesn't include the hood with their 18-55mm either, not for the EOS-M or the DSLR system - again, a £30-35 purchase or buy a cheap clone. This puts the value of the Sony kit (Sony, a company renowned for trying to find ways to charge more!) in context. It is very competitive. As for Canon, I've been crusading in print against their lens hood policy now for three decades. Half my photo press colleagues do not notice or care or don't even bother to check the inclusion of hoods when comparing lens prices. I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 OT but when I replaced my Sigma 18-55 (what a piece of junk- the focus rack ate itself after less that 3 years- will never buy Sigma again- rant rant) with a Sony 18-55 it came without a hood and it seems to manage quite well. Otherwise I use my hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 "Spare Sony battery for NEX = NPFW50 = £40 approx (clones of course much less) 18-55mm lens for NEX = £130 current best price (chrome) new Neckstrap = £10 (hard to find the original, but they are awful and best replaced by something softer) 5V USB charger of decent quality = £10 Micro USB cable of decent quality = £3 Total approx £198 Camera now in UK stores = £299 Therefore camera body really only costs.... £101 and this week I have a Canon 70D to test. Two lenses, 18-135mm and new 55-250mm. It is SO annoying to open this kit and realise that Canon is still ripping off customers by not providing a lens hood with their lenses. Both these lenses absolutely need a hood, for light and physical protection. Genuine hoods (the clones are often surprisingly poor for such a simple item) - £30-£35 each. Alpha 3000 kit - complete with proper reversible bayonet dedicated hood for the 18-55mm. And no, Canon doesn't include the hood with their 18-55mm either, not for the EOS-M or the DSLR system - again, a £30-35 purchase or buy a cheap clone. This puts the value of the Sony kit (Sony, a company renowned for trying to find ways to charge more!) in context. It is very competitive. As for Canon, I've been crusading in print against their lens hood policy now for three decades. Half my photo press colleagues do not notice or care or don't even bother to check the inclusion of hoods when comparing lens prices. I do." Shhhh... If Sony reads this, they might stop supplying lens hoods as well. Thanks for doing the math for me, David. My guess is this camera won't exactly be flying off the shelves here in Vancouver because it doesn't look like a smartphone, so the price will probably drop even further before long. If so, I'll consider picking one up since I already have other e-mount lenses. The a3000's heftier but still smallish body seems a good complement to the even smaller NEX cameras. Also, I'm used to squinting at a tiny screen now, so learning to squint through a tiny EVF shouldn't be too tough a skill to master. I agree that offering in-body image stabilization on future models of this camera would be a smart move on Sony's part. It might encourage more people with A-mount and manual focus lenses to buy the cameras. Lowering the prices of Sony adapters would also be a productive thing to do IMO. But then, Sony isn't exactly known for smart moves when it comes to pleasing customers. P.S. I believe that my older Sony external flash with the Minolta-like shoe will work on the a3000 with an appropriate adapter. I never used the flash much but it would be good to have the option. I also have an old Minolta RC-100 remote control cord that worked with the first Sony DSLRs, but there doesn't seem to be an adapter available for using it with the new "multi-interface" port. Or is there one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirco Vacca Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 John, For sure the old flash will work. I am using a older Sony flash on my Nex -6 with an adapter. Works great! Mirco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kilpatrick Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 The standard A-mount 18-55mm and the earlier 18-70mm even though they have bayonets for a hood also have a rotating front, including the bayonet, and therefore will not accept efficient petal-type hoods like the one supplied for the NEX 18-55mm (which, incidentally, also fits the 16mm f/2.8 and does not cut off - it provides very efficient protection on that lens). The hoods sold for the A-mount kit lenses are a small circular ring, which might as well not be there at all. Canon's 18-55mm STM does at least accept a petal hood which does not rotate. The tube lens hoods for the older Canon kit lenses are, for some reason, narrower than the Sony and more efficient. But the Canon lens has a narrower view angle due to the smaller sensor and that might be enough to allow the additional depth of hood. Basically Sony will indeed provide lenses with no hood - like the 16mm NEX or the 18-55mm SAM - but only seem to do so when a hood is superfluous or inefficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 John, For sure the old flash will work. I am using a older Sony flash on my Nex -6 with an adapter. Works great! Mirco Is that the adapter made by Sony? I haven't been able to find a generic one online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirco Vacca Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Yes... i could not find it in Poland. But i went one day to Berlin and they had in the Official Sony store. Now the flash works like it is made for the Nex. Mirco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 The standard A-mount 18-55mm and the earlier 18-70mm even though they have bayonets for a hood also have a rotating front, including the bayonet, and therefore will not accept efficient petal-type hoods like the one supplied for the NEX 18-55mm (which, incidentally, also fits the 16mm f/2.8 and does not cut off - it provides very efficient protection on that lens). The hoods sold for the A-mount kit lenses are a small circular ring, which might as well not be there at all. Canon's 18-55mm STM does at least accept a petal hood which does not rotate. The tube lens hoods for the older Canon kit lenses are, for some reason, narrower than the Sony and more efficient. But the Canon lens has a narrower view angle due to the smaller sensor and that might be enough to allow the additional depth of hood. Basically Sony will indeed provide lenses with no hood - like the 16mm NEX or the 18-55mm SAM - but only seem to do so when a hood is superfluous or inefficient. I sometimes use the petal-type hood that came with my 18-55 e-mount lens on the 16mm. Vignetting isn't a problem, but I don't know how much good the hood does with this lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Yes... i could not find it in Poland. But i went one day to Berlin and they had in the Official Sony store. Now the flash works like it is made for the Nex. Mirco Thanks, Mirco, there are several Sony stores here in Vancouver. I'll check them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 PC Magazine has just published their review of the a3000. Same story as the others really, excellent IQ coupled with a crappy EVF and LCD screen: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2425433,00.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 B&H is now selling the a3000 with two lenses, the 18-55 and 55-210 plus a camera bag for $498. The 55-210 alone costs at least $350 and is a very good lens IME, so they are basically giving the camera body away for free. Welcome to the age of the disposable DSLR (well, not quite). http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1010412-REG/sony_soa3000_alpha_a3000_digital_camera.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Whitehead Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 John, For sure the old flash will work. I am using a older Sony flash on my Nex -6 with an adapter. Works great! Mirco I can't find such a thing, Mirco. Do you have a part number or link for it? Christine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 John, For sure the old flash will work. I am using a older Sony flash on my Nex -6 with an adapter. Works great! Mirco I can't find such a thing, Mirco. Do you have a part number or link for it? Christine I believe it's called an "Autolock Shoe Adapter." Sony's part number is ADP-AMA. Sony sells it for about $30 in Canada. Whoops! I might be wrong. It could be this adapter instead. Perhaps Mirco can clarify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirco Vacca Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 John, For sure the old flash will work. I am using a older Sony flash on my Nex -6 with an adapter. Works great! Mirco I can't find such a thing, Mirco. Do you have a part number or link for it? Christine I believe it's called an "Autolock Shoe Adapter." Sony's part number is ADP-AMA. Sony sells it for about $30 in Canada. Whoops! I might be wrong. It could be this adapter instead. Perhaps Mirco can clarify. The adapter on your link is exactly the one i have. Works great . Depending where you life it could be difficult to get. Poland was a problem.... Germany everywhere. Good luck. Mirco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 I believe it's called an "Autolock Shoe Adapter." Sony's part number is ADP-AMA. Sony sells it for about $30 in Canada. John, For sure the old flash will work. I am using a older Sony flash on my Nex -6 with an adapter. Works great! Mirco I can't find such a thing, Mirco. Do you have a part number or link for it? Christine Whoops! I might be wrong. It could be this adapter instead. Perhaps Mirco can clarify. The adapter on your link is exactly the one i have. Works great . Depending where you life it could be difficult to get. Poland was a problem.... Germany everywhere. Good luck. Mirco It looks to be scarce in Canada as well. Sony must see us as a relatively small market compared to the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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