Comparing 2 D-SLR's, Which one's better?

Question

I am pretty new to digital photography and have recently aquired a great interest in digital SLR's. I need help deciding which camera is better suited for a newbie like me (ex.: Ease of use, better photo quality, durability, value, etc.). I think I have narrowed my search down to two different cameras. The first is the Olympus EVOLT E-500, and the second is the SONY Alpha A300. Or won't either of these cameras be good for me? Well any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

My vote goes to the Sony A300. It has Live View which actually works with the auto focus plus it has in-camera Image Stabilization (IS) that is sensor based. Although some people think live view on a DSLR isn't needed, if you're in a crowd and have to hold the camera over your head to get the picture just flip the screen down, compose and shoot. If you're using the camera at ground level just flip the screen up.

When people think of image stabilization they usually think of longer focal length lenses - 70-200mm or 300mm. However, its also useful at much shorter focal lengths. If you go to http://www.shutterbug.com and type konica-minolta 5d in the Search box, you'll find a review by Peter K. Burian. In his test, he photographed a yacht at anchor, using a 36mm equivalent lens hand-held. He took 2 pictures - 1 with IS On and 1 with IS Off. Both pictures look the same until a small section is enlarged. Then it becomes apparent which was taken with the IS On - its much sharper.

The A300 can use every legacy Minolta Maxxum AF lens made since 1985 plus the lenses offered by Konica-Minolta for their 5D & 7D DSLR cameras which are close ancestors to the A300. Plus, Sony has a line of Carl Zeiss lenses available. Most of the accessories for the 5D & 7D are compatible with the A300.

Answer 2

As a newbie, you may want to go with the Olympus. Olympus tends to be less expensive, while offering more features, making it a better value. Olympus is also praised by many for being easier to use than competitors. I started with an Olympus E-300 and upgraded to a E-510 earlier this year. Both cameras work great and produce professional quality images. I chose Olympus because it was a better value. I spent les for my camera and kit lens, leaving more money for memory cards, tripod, carry bag, etc. Olympus has made SLR cameras for decades, starting with film cameras. They are a late comer to the digital SLR market, but they are also the fastest growing brand in DSLR cameras and the quality is right there with Nikon, Canon, Agfa, Leica, etc. The bottom line is that any DSLR is a good camera and will produce quality photographs. Look for the better value and get started with your new camera.  

Answer 3

i would get a canon or nikon because the lenses are less expensive and there are more accessories made for canon and nikon.

sony and olympus arn't really popular. on the other hand,more people use canon and nikon. it'll be easier to buy used bodies, lenses and accessories.

Answer 4

Read the reviews from here.

http://www.dpreview.com/

Answer 5

There's no 'which one's better' answers for you.

Both cameras have their own pros and cons and I'll try to list them out here for a comparison of sorts:

Olympus E-500

Pros

- Olympus is known for their colour rendition

- 4:3 systems provide you with options for lenses that are more compact and lighter in design for the same focal ranges of other systems.

Cons

- The E-500 is 2 generations old (latest one is E-520)

- Limited choices of third party compatible lenses

- 4:3 systems uses a smaller sensor than the others.

Sony A300

Pros:

- Sony has the most features packed into entry level dslr cams such as custom white balance in Kelvin settings (not available on entry level Canons and Nikons).

- Wireless flash option built into the body using the pop up flash as the commander unit (not available on entry level Nikons and not available on any Canons)

- Built in sensor based image stabilization so you would not have to fork out extra to buy VR or IS lenses though I am not sure whether the E-500 has image stabilization.

- Tilt screen that makes the live-view implementation that much more useful.

Cons:

- Sony does not currently have as many lenses as either Canon or Nikon (but you can always opt for second hand Minolta AF lenses that works just as great on the Alphas)

- Sensor based image stabilization works up to 2.5 stops whereas lens based image stabilization can go up to 3.5 stops (but you get image stabilization on every lens that you can attached onto the Alpha)

I would advise you to go to the shops and try out both the cams and see which one you like best.

Answer 6

I would suggest going with a Nikon D40 or D40x.  They are both simple, the D40x has a 10mp CCD, and Nikon makes some of the most durable cameras there are.  Also, Nikon's in house lens company, Nikkor, makes the highest quality lenses in the world.

Answer 7

Both are decent cameras but they each have some down sides.

The Olympus uses the 4:3 aspect ratio like most point and shoot cameras. It has the smallest sensor of all the DSLR's on the market. With a 4:3 aspect ratio all of your shots will have to be cropped to print on standard 4x6 paper. There are also not a lot of lenses available for them.

The Sony is the better choice of these two but there are not as many lenses and other accesories available for them as with Canon and Nikon.

Canon and Nikon are the leading camera manufacturers and have the most available equipment. I would suggest taking a look at them as well.