My conversion to the Mac occurred as my creative side began to
blossom in 2002. At that time, I began editing video on my Sony TRV-33
($1,000 at the time). Starting with iMovie 1.0 and eventually
graduating to Final Cut, which I still use today.
Enjoying Still Photography
At the same time, I started seeing just how enjoyable photography
was as well.
When my TRV-33 started malfunctioning on vacation in 2006, I opted
to stick to photography and swore never to buy another Sony product
again (Italians can hold grudges like that for a long time). At this
point, I was shooting with a
Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 4.0 megapixel (MP), a great camera with
plenty of flexibility and a nice 12x zoom lens. Using iPhoto, I was
able to easily enhance my images, learning the advantages of various
exposure settings, etc.
On a later trip to Peru in late 2006, I picked up a little
Canon PowerShot A530 for under $100. I opted not to bring the
Dimage due to its size - and (since I was unfamiliar with Latin America
at the time) it would have been more likely to be stolen. The 3.2 MP
Canon worked great, and by now I was running Aperture on my PowerBook
for added photo editing functions.
For my next trip, I wanted something with better resolution and a
little smaller size. I sold the Dimage and gave the Canon to my sister;
I picked up a
Canon Elph SD850 IS, an 8 MP camera with an image stabilizer
and a 4x zoom lens.
Longing for More
In December of 2007, I headed to northern India with the Elph.
Pictures came out beautifully, but I couldn't help but miss the zoom
and extra creative control the Dimage had over the Canon, not to
mention that one of the group members had a
Nikon D80 digital SLR (DSLR) with her, which was the focus of my
envy.
Upon returning to the States, I started thinking about selling my
little Canon. Travel is one of the greatest joys in my life, and I want
to capture my adventures the best I could. A few months passed. I
received a new MacBook Pro as
an early graduation present and purchased a copy of Aperture 2 (which
ran too poorly on my old G4). I gave in to the itch and sold the
Canon.
Which DSLR?
I wanted a DSLR, but I didn't want to spend more than $600 to $700
for my first model. What were my options?
I started learning about DSLRs and narrowed down my choices to the
following three models: Nikon
D40x, Olympus
Evolt E-510, and, last but not least, the Sony Alpha
α200.
I went out to the stores and checked out each camera to get a good
feel for them. After researching the specs on all of them, here's what
I found to be the pros and cons for each model:
Nikon D40x
- 10.2 MP with 18-55mm lens (27-82mm equivalent)
- Pros:
- Nikon quality
- Nice 10.2 MP Sensor
- Solid Feeling Camera
- Cons:
- Image Stabilizer is built into the lens, meaning upgrades cost
more
- Too many controls have to be set within the menu system
- No Live View
Olympus e510
- 10.2 MP with 14-42mm lens (28-84mm equivalent)
- Pros:
- Live View (which allows you to use the LCD screen for picture
taking)
- Excellent Dust Removal Function
- A little more portable then the rest
- Image stabilizer was built into the Body
- Cons:
- Difficult to find lenses
- Didn't have a good feel when shooting
Sony Alpha α200
- 10.2 MP with 18-70mm lenses (27-105mm equivalent)
- Pros:
- Built in Image Stabilizer
- Dedicated buttons for critical settings
- Really nice screen with tilt feature
- Rock solid feel Best Lenses out of the box
- Easy to find lenses (can use old Maxxum lenses)
- Cons:
- No live view
- Still unsure about Sony due to previous experience
Once I picked up the α200, I was sold. It just felt perfect in
my hands. It had so many features found in more expensive cameras, such
as the Nikon D80, and it was such a joy to use.
I was concerned about picking up another Sony product, but since my
video camera died in 2006, I had picked up a PS3 and PSP and was on the
road to forgiving Sony for the shabby product it sold me all those
years ago. I headed out to my local Ritz Camera and shelled out the
$600 for the Alpha.
I've owned this model for about two months, and I'm really happy
with it. The battery life is amazing, and some of the pictures I've
taken with it so far have been breathtaking. Admittedly, I'm still
learning to use all the features a DSLR has to offer, but I'm
progressing quite rapidly.
Trial by Fire
The α200 traveled with me to Italy for three weeks, a perfect
trial run for my new toy. The Sony functioned as my primary camera,
while my iPhone, with its fixed focus lens and 2 MP resolution,
functioned as a good backup when I was wasn't a tourist.
My results were happily very good. The α200's battery life was
superb - during my 3 week stay I only charged it three times, and that
was with over 1000 total pictures taken. The zoom lens was adequate,
but an upgrade would be desirable before my next trip. Low light
situations aren't as good, but thanks to the high amount of
customization options, they're definitely doable with some tweaking
(sans flash).
Post processing was accomplished using Aperture 2.0 on my MacBook
Pro. I was happy the fantastic results transferred to my machine and
shared with Web Gallery to everyone back in the old country. My only
gripe is with the widescreen setting that causes some artifacts to
occur on the picture in certain circumstances, but this could have been
a poorly set configuration option on my part.
My only regret is not having waited for the
α300 with Live View. This would have made life easier for
shots that required a higher vantage point or odd shooting angle. But
reselling the α200 shouldn't be an issue if I really want the
next level up.
If you're in the market for a DSLR, keep the Sony Alpha line in mind
while you shop; it's really giving Nikon and Canon a run for their
money. 
