6tee7 wrote:Just a follow on from my friend who is still undecided about which camera to buy. This is some information from a camera sales person.....true or false?
"The Nikon D80 is a very nice camera, however, it is one of the few DSLR’s that does not have dust removal for its sensor.
True.
So bloody what?
This can be a very serious problem as dust is a constant issue with this type of camera."
It's a minor issue. It's not a serious problem. It's marketing bullshit.
Yes, Sony took over Minolta. Minolta made some great cameras, and some great lenses. Sony make stuff that's deigned to last about ten minutes longer than the applicable warranty.
Your friend should be looking at either the D80, or the equivalent Canon.
" If the D80 is in your price range, then I would suggest having a very close look at the Sony Alpha 350. Sony took over production of the Minolta series of award winning DSLR cameras and advanced the technology in them to something quite remarkable (live screen that actually focuses, eye-start autofocus, stabilized body, dust removal, flip-out lcd etc., and they still accept Minolta mount lenses as well!)"
Sony took over Minolta over two years ago, which means that it's at least two years since Minolta might have won any awards. How relevant - how up-to-date - is that statement by this salesperson, in referring to such out of date information?
How about asking about how good the lens range is? How current are those lenses? Most of what he's mentioned is little more than marketing blather, trotted out because the camera has no real advantages over the Nikon or Canon.
What is Sony's market share in the DSLR space? It's with good reason that it's in the single digit realm.
"Currently, this camera is available in a twin lens kit (18-70/55-200mm) for $1549 and until the end of June, Sony are offering a $150 cashback as well."
Which lenses, as in by whom?
You can get similar kits from both Nikon and Canon,
btw.
And Nikon Oz have $200 cashback on the D80.
We are both interested in the more knowledgeable peoples points of view.
Be careful of the marketing bullshit. Your salesperson sounds like he was reading from a script, rather than talking from any basis of any actual product knowledge.