I've been hanging my nose over this for a while and have seen some very good reviews - can pick on up off t'interweb for about £220-£250, including lens. Jacobs photo will do the package for £350, and throw in a 200mm lens, which sounds a good deal. Should I go for this or spend a bit more on the Sony Alpha 350 which also has "live view" on the LCD screen which would give it point and shoot functionality like a compact.

What do people reckon?? Which one should I go for, or should I look at a Canon or Nikon?

Find a shop, have a fiddle, compare prices and go from there? This website should let you compare what can be done with it. But when push comes to shove most dSLR's around the same price will have comparable results - I'd base my choice firstly on how well you physically get on with the body then look at spec comparisons if there's a particular feature you need.

I've not used live view, and considering I bought a dSLR I don't quite understand why anyone would (unless it's for macro photography or when you can't physically get your eye to the eyepiece) so if that's the only advantage of 'upgrading' I'd ignore it personally.

Not much help really, but hopefully some food for thought.

As Mort said, go and have a play. The feel and how easy you find it to use will have a far greater impact on how much you appreciate it and how easy you will find it to obtain great photos.

IMHO, live view isn't all that great. At least on Nikon cameras, it's relatively slow and cumbersome to use. It has its merits and I have used it a few times, but only when you can't look through the viewfinder, i.e. when I can't be bothered to get on all fours taking shots of car undertrays or where my small height prevents me taking photos at concerts so you just lift up camera and snap away.

But apart from those uses, the loss of speed and control make LV more of a gimmick. Once you get into dSLR, you really appreciate what you see through the viewfinder

As for Sony, Canon or Nikon, if you discount the ergonomics, ease of use for yourself, etc, then they're fairly similar. All allow you to control the various characteristics of taking photos. Sony has a vibration reduction mechanism built into the body whereas Nikon and Canon only have it in the lenses (and only on certain lenses). But if you're starting from scratch, and you want to get serious, then the Sony does have a slightly more limited and expensive repertoire of lenses as they are less common (but making ground). If ever you wanted to hire a lens for example, getting a Canon or Nikon would probably be easier than getting a KM/Alpha mount one.

But the deals around on the A200 make it quite a bargain, and I support them working for the company

There are a lot of these type of which manufacturer type threads around at the moment and although I have always defended the Canon corner, I think I am coming to the opinion that Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus etc all produce really nice products at the entry DSLR point. They all seem to be good and the only limit to any of them is obviously the photographer and lenses etc available for the camera. Currently I believe Canon and Nikon have similar amounts of lenses available at all prices and a large number of third party lenses available to (Sigma and Tamron for example) but Sony seems to be producing lots of new lenses at the moment and although I don’t know how accurate this is, but the Konica Minolta lenses should fit the camera although I would check this is true and whether you would loses functionality like autofocus. You should as mentioned above, remember that you are tied to the manufacturer if you invest heavily in lenses though. Good luck and happy snapping.

Hi Lady E, yep you are correct the Minolta leneses will fit the Sony, as Sony bought Minolta. Also appears that Tamron do some reasonable lenses that will fit the A200. Went and drolled over, er I mean looked at the A200 in Jacobs in Cross Street and they are doing a cracking deal at the mo too! Have added it to my Crimbo wish list - it will be even more of an excuse to go on a few photogrpahy road trips! Fancy being co-driver?

Hi Lady E, yep you are correct the Minolta leneses will fit the Sony, as Sony bought Minolta. Also appears that Tamron do some reasonable lenses that will fit the A200. Went and drolled over, er I mean looked at the A200 in Jacobs in Cross Street and they are doing a cracking deal at the mo too! Have added it to my Crimbo wish list - it will be even more of an excuse to go on a few photogrpahy road trips! Fancy being co-driver?

This is what I'm going for Buster, finally moving on from my Lumix FZ7, the Jacobs online deal of £329 +£30 cash back looks good as it comes with an additional Sony 75-300 lens as well as the 18-70.

I can't find anyone else getting quite this close on the camera, buyacamera.co.uk are the next best at £259 for the camera with 18-70 lens.

Hi Lady E, yep you are correct the Minolta leneses will fit the Sony, as Sony bought Minolta. Also appears that Tamron do some reasonable lenses that will fit the A200. Went and drolled over, er I mean looked at the A200 in Jacobs in Cross Street and they are doing a cracking deal at the mo too! Have added it to my Crimbo wish list - it will be even more of an excuse to go on a few photogrpahy road trips! Fancy being co-driver?

I’ll get me (Crash) hat:D neeoooooooooowwwwwwwwww

In this snow, I'm going nowhere - fancy the pub instead?!

As for a crash hat, I'm sure some of those wedding hats you see are pretty bomb-proof! :P:D

Better idea, you drive, I'll snap away, and I've always fancied a spin in a fast, smoggy beemer! (I want a 335d myself!!)

In this snow, I'm going nowhere - fancy the pub instead?!

As for a crash hat, I'm sure some of those wedding hats you see are pretty bomb-proof! :P:D

Better idea, you drive, I'll snap away, and I've always fancied a spin in a fast, smoggy beemer! (I want a 335d myself!!)

Oi my car doesn’t smog at all, not even a teeny weeny little bit. It has been great fun today in the light snow:D

Oh sorry, my mistake! Forgot Beemers are stupidly green! That's why I want one, honest!

You been hanging your bum out in the snow? :P

You work for Sony? Got any good deals going? Cheeky I know, but would be rude not to ask

On the subject of LCD tellies, are the Sony and Samsung screens still basically identical? Have seen a Samsung in John Lewis which looks great and considerably cheaper than same size Sony.

I'll be going for the A350 I think.

Play have it for £500 with both lenses , then there's a 50 quid cashback.

I'd miss having live view as I find it so much easier for certain shots , especially on a tripod

Oh sorry, my mistake! Forgot Beemers are stupidly green! That's why I want one, honest!

You been hanging your bum out in the snow? :P

I went to work in safe mode today. Bum was well in check all day:D:D

I went to work in safe mode today. Bum was well in check all day:D:D

Behaving yourself? Boring!!! :P Did you see Dobcross on last night's local news? Looked great for a bit of tailsliding!

Buster ... have you noticed the the cheeky buggers at Jacobs have whacked the price of the A200 up now ... £379 for it with the 2 lenses.

I got an A350 on the way now from a place in Bolton after a bit of haggling for £335 with the 18-70 lens.

Buster ... have you noticed the the cheeky buggers at Jacobs have whacked the price of the A200 up now ... £379 for it with the 2 lenses.

I got an A350 on the way now from a place in Bolton after a bit of haggling for £335 with the 18-70 lens.

I know, the swines!

But I'm not the one buying, otherwise I would have taken the £299 deal on the A200 with the 2 lenses. But might be able to still get a reasonable deal on the A200 kit and get a 75-200mm or 75-300mm Sigma lenses which has had good reviews!

Fluff, what's the name of the place in Bolton you've ordered your A350 from?

I know, the swines!

But I'm not the one buying, otherwise I would have taken the £299 deal on the A200 with the 2 lenses. But might be able to still get a reasonable deal on the A200 kit and get a 75-200mm or 75-300mm Sigma lenses which has had good reviews!

Fluff, what's the name of the place in Bolton you've ordered your A350 from?

on the web @ buyacamera.co.uk I phoned and haggled and got a pretty good deal on the 350 mate, even though I was all set for the 200 and the 2 lens kit from Jacobs.

It should be here tomorrow, I can't wait ... unless the mrs takes it off me and does the "not until christmas day" thing :(

on the web @ buyacamera.co.uk I phoned and haggled and got a pretty good deal on the 350 mate, even though I was all set for the 200 and the 2 lens kit from Jacobs.

It should be here tomorrow, I can't wait ... unless the mrs takes it off me and does the "not until christmas day" thing :(

So then Fluffmeister, has the Missus confiscated it? Or have you been allowed to play with your new toy already?:thumbup:

I'm really tempted by the A350 now!!! I think Live View will help a lot, especially as like tfboy I'm not the tallest of people! Has anyone seen any cracking deals around? Trying to decide whether to wait until Jan or take advtantage of Sony's cashback offer which runs out on NYE!

If you were prepared to wait and if you could come down to Basingstoke and if you could pay for it all up front cash (or on plastic), then I could help you get a cheap A350 through work.

But I guess there are bound to be special January sales doing the rounds so you're probably just as likely to get a good deal in the sales beginning 2009.

Just remember the limitations of live view and that all the benefits of instantaneous photos is lost when using it - it behaves and reacts much more like a traditional point and shoot. So for some times, it's no problem, but if you want to get that exact moment at a concert and Mr Giant is standing in front of you, you have to anticipate a lot

Hey Xav, thanks for the generous offer - I will indeed mull it over! :thumbup:Have found a deal from bestcamera.co.uk in St Helens (not too far from me), who can do the A350 with 18-70mm lens, Camera case, 1gb cf card and tabletop tripod for £345 including next day delivery (price also includes the £50 Sony cashback offer which ends midnight on New Years Eve 08).

I'm wondering whether it will be worth waiting until Jan, when Sony prob won't have the cashback offer tho?

You could do what I do when I go go gigs, wear pointy shoes and catch the numpty's ankles if they go and stand in front you!

Hey Xav, thanks for the generous offer - I will indeed mull it over! :thumbup:Have found a deal from bestcamera.co.uk in St Helens (not too far from me), who can do the A350 with 18-70mm lens, Camera case, 1gb cf card and tabletop tripod for £345 including next day delivery (price also includes the £50 Sony cashback offer which ends midnight on New Years Eve 08).

I'm wondering whether it will be worth waiting until Jan, when Sony prob won't have the cashback offer tho?

I'll do some digging and find out what the cost would be.

You could do what I do when I go go gigs, wear pointy shoes and catch the numpty's ankles if they go and stand in front you!

Oooooooh I like your thinking

Just looked at it, and that's not a bad deal

Just checked my pricing:

A200 + 18-70 lens £211.54

A300 + 18-70 lens £254.15

A350 + 18-70 lens £314.70

I don't know if I can get the cash back on top of that or not. If not, then your deal is pretty good as you'll get some memory and a tripod thrown in

Thanks for tthat Xav! I think I'll go for the Best Cameras deal as I would also have to factor in at least a tank of fuel to come and pick it up.

The tripod sounds appealing, esp if I can lay my hands on a remote for the camera, then I can use the tripod to get the camera up above the heads of everyone else and snap away remotely!

Oh, and for festivals, I have tried and tested Caterpillar Boots, with a lovely steel toecap! The nice inch thick sole aside....

No probs.

You can get a remote release for it too, although it's an extra accessory.

BTW, get a tripod. But a monopod would be lighter / easier for lifting above people's heads