Lifelong Canon to Sony - Can I Get There From Here?

I'm really enjoying the forum discussions lately, and the information I'm going to ask for is somewhere amongst all these threads - I'm not saying I'm lazy (but am) so if you want to throw in your $0.02 in that's great - feel free to ignore though.

Let's say I sell my current Canon gear for a realistic $1200. Would I be able to get a mirrorless Sony with lens(s) that would cover approx. 15mm-200mm at decently wide f-stops?

Even if you just copy/paste links I'd be appreciative - but only if you're bored as you sip your beverage of choice while perusing the forum...:)

Am I just smoking something?

Let's say I sell my current Canon gear for a realistic $1200. Would I be able to get a mirrorless Sony with lens(s) that would cover approx. 15mm-200mm at decently wide f-stops?

 

You might consider the Sony A6000 with its kit lenses. Not quite 15mm on the wide side but the between the two kit5 lenses you will get wide to the 200mm.

Take a look at Dave Pierce's article on the A6000 - just hit his name. Good examples of the pictures are also found on his website.

An A6000 and kit bundle will cover 16-210mm and while not wide aperture, they are competent lenses. The bundle is about $900 on Amazon right now. You can add a Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 or 10mm f/2.8 for about $300. Both of those are extremely good and not just for the price.

Adding fast primes as needed will be up to you but the 50mm f/1.8 is a must. Really an insane bargain for the image potential. The Sigma 19mm, 30mm, and 60mm AF "Art" lenses are also great price/performance bargains as are the Rokinon/Samyang manual focus fast primes.

I used to shoot with Sony A-mount and picked up a NEX-5 E-mount for the travel-friendly size. Since then, the NEX-7 and now the A6000 have erased the quality difference and I have sold several of my A-mount lenses to finance e-mount stuff. I still have the A77 and a couple of nice lenses for wildlife and studio stuff but since the A6000 came out with its improved high-ISO and frankly spectacular autofocus, I have found the big body stays on the shelf most of the time.

No regrets. The e-mount serves me very well.

Here's the link to the review Tom mentioned: http://www.pptphoto.com/articles/a6000.html

Dave

t the 50mm f/1.8 is a must. Really an insane bargain for the image potential.

 

Dave

Doggoneit Dave! Another recommendation?!

Of course the Sony 50mm has auto focus (I'm a tad lazy) but I got to get rid of my e-mounted Canon 1.8 first!

Doggoneit Dave! Another recommendation?!

 

Of course the Sony 50mm has auto focus (I'm a tad lazy) but I got to get rid of my e-mounted Canon 1.8 first!

AF and stabilized!

Not sure if you have ever been through Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland but it is DARK!

50mm f/1.8 at f/2.0 - ISO6400 - 1/50s from a moving boat.

In good light, it also gets the job done like this one from my Picture-a-week series.

For Shootr - Here is an example shot with the 55-210 "kit" lens at my niece's wedding shower. (Soft focus effect added in PS.)

Like I said, no regrets.

Dave

I just know that as the threads have come and gone - pictures from these Sony's just always look ridiculously sharp and clean - great colors, useful parameters for taking them.

I'm starting to do some figuring before Hawaii next spring. I have no real complaints with my new T5i body but man, the reviews and the real world images you all share from your Sony's is making it hard to ignore them much longer.

I'm really enjoying the forum discussions lately, and the information I'm going to ask for is somewhere amongst all these threads - I'm not saying I'm lazy (but am) so if you want to throw in your $0.02 in that's great - feel free to ignore though.

 

Let's say I sell my current Canon gear for a realistic $1200. Would I be able to get a mirrorless Sony with lens(s) that would cover approx. 15mm-200mm at decently wide f-stops?

 

Even if you just copy/paste links I'd be appreciative - but only if you're bored as you sip your beverage of choice while perusing the forum...:)

 

Am I just smoking something?

I would suggest that you go to the B&H, Adorama, or Amazon WEB sites and do a bit of research. Will not take long (maybe 5 or 10 minutes) and you will have the satisfaction of doing it for yourself. The prices are all there and there are also detailed camera specifications to peruse and to learn from.

DON

I'm really enjoying the forum discussions lately, and the information I'm going to ask for is somewhere amongst all these threads - I'm not saying I'm lazy (but am) so if you want to throw in your $0.02 in that's great - feel free to ignore though.

 

Let's say I sell my current Canon gear for a realistic $1200. Would I be able to get a mirrorless Sony with lens(s) that would cover approx. 15mm-200mm at decently wide f-stops?

 

Even if you just copy/paste links I'd be appreciative - but only if you're bored as you sip your beverage of choice while perusing the forum...:)

 

Am I just smoking something?

A couple other sites you can visit for info...dpreview (dot com) and thephotoforum (dot com). The dpreview forum section has folks worldwide and they can get a little petty and grouchy as well as downright nerdy sometimes (I am pretty much convinced that a good number of folks over there would rather sit and argue about specs of cameras they don't even own rather than shooting pics) but nonetheless there is some good info there. The other site is a little more friendly, albeit a bit smaller.

Now that Dave and the others provided the baseline info (a6000 for instance), yes, I shall be looking at all the usual sites.

I just knew there are a lot of actual Sony users here and I trust that info the most. Before I started the thread I went to the Sony website - the a6000 isn't even listed - that's another reason I bit the bullet and asked the same question that I know has been answered before - and why I appreciate the help that was provided.

Now that Dave and the others provided the baseline info (a6000 for instance), yes, I shall be looking at all the usual sites.

 

I just knew there are a lot of actual Sony users here and I trust that info the most. Before I started the thread I went to the Sony website - the a6000 isn't even listed - that's another reason I bit the bullet and asked the same question that I know has been answered before - and why I appreciate the help that was provided.

Sony's having a bit of an issue with their site this week. Rumor is that releases are coming and they are in the middle of a re-do.

Sony UK is functional: http://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/interchangeable-lens-camera-products/t/interchangeable-lens-cameras?bestfor=advanced-amateur

Dave

The quality of potential a6000 images is very high. But not really any better or worse than Canon. Comes down to the skill of the photographer primarily.

There are compelling reasons to switch from traditional Canon dslr to mirrorless -- smaller, EVF. But image quality is so close that it won't be noticeably different.

I agree, but 40 years into this photography thing - the first half with Vivitar, Pentax, and Minolta film, the second half with Canon equipment - I haven't gotten reliably crisp images like those posted here lately since my Kodachrome days and manually focused (with young eyes) japanese glass.

I don't have "prime" or white lenses, but I do care for what I have very well and at this stage of my game - I feel like I have the skills to produce consistently better with a little less effort than what I have now.

I figure that even if it turns out that is not the case, I'll be stuck with a lighter kit that's easier to travel with and still getting the same good, but not worse, results.

So these are the numbers I came up with to help me decide whether to switch or not.

$$$ wise it works out fine, even conservatively. The things I have to decide if it's worth it or not is losing (for now) my f2.8 lenses and the wide angle capability.

I'll have to keep researching how people like the Sony and zoom's in low light situations.

The weight/space savings is pretty significant though!

Did anyone mention you can buy an adapter for your Cannon lens?

John

The things I have to decide if it's worth it or not is losing (for now) my f2.8 lenses and the wide angle capability.

I have a Canon 50mm f1.8 with an adapter for my A6000.

It reminds me of my days with Pratika, F Nikons etc manually focusing!

Just popping in to sing small praises to the 55-210. Someday I'll pop for the 70-200 f/4 but I'm not in any rush. ;)

Dave

I have my fingers crossed - the auction has a bunch of views and a few watchers - man I hope somebody pulls the trigger on it.

An A6000 and kit bundle will cover 16-210mm and while not wide aperture, they are competent lenses.

 

Dave

FWIW, I happened to take this photo the other day with the 16-50mm kit lens at 16mm

FWIW, I happened to take this photo the other day with the 16-50mm kit lens at 16mm

 

A $1000 Zeiss lens is going to be sharper in the corners and have a slight wider max aperture....did I mention the $1000?

Like I said, it is a competent lens. :)

Dave

A $1000 Zeiss lens is going to be sharper in the corners and have a slight wider max aperture....did I mention the $1000?

 

Like I said, it is a competent lens. :)

 

Dave

LOL!!

BTW, I love your swimmer photo above!

The quality of potential a6000 images is very high. But not really any better or worse than Canon. Comes down to the skill of the photographer primarily.

There are compelling reasons to switch from traditional Canon dslr to mirrorless -- smaller, EVF. But image quality is so close that it won't be noticeably different.

Funny that was one thing that kept me away from Sony EVF hate the things much prefer optical, I get eye strain looking at EVF all day. The other was the amount of Canon gear I already had.

You two are killing me...

😂

Guess who got an invite for a day cruise on their son's destroyer next month?

Jeez I wish my Canon kit would just sell already... 😭

That is very cool!

We expect photos.

Dave

Haha, 45 minutes after posting the kit on Craigslist the Nigerians came calling... I had loffs carrying them along for a while. Got 'em up to $2800 before they sent the fake Paypal payment notice.

Seriously kids, stay off that site unless you REALLY know what you're doing...