sony alpha 200 or Nikon d60?

[ricardobarandiaran]

<p>I am fairly new about all this slr cameras, I bought a sony alpha 200 like 8 months ago but I now realize that it is really hard to find a cheap external flash and an extra lense for it. So, I was thinking to sell it, and maybe buy a nikon or a cannon which it will give me more options about the accesories.<br>

I liked the Nikon D60 because it has live view (unfortunately sony camera does not have it) and because it is small and very light. Also, I can find the proper flash for a good price.<br>

I found a new nikon D60 in a local store for $680 and the store also had a used one in good conditions for around $525.<br>

Well now I am not sure if I should keep my Sony Alpha or change it to the Nikon or buy another camera? What do you recomend?<br>

Is there another camera that you could recomend that its better than the ones that I mentioned before? The use of the camera that I would like to get is for portraits, landscapes, events that some of them take place in dark places, and in action movements.<br>

Thank you in advance for all your advices.</p>

[dave_redmann]

<p>Although I would regard the Nikon D60 as a step up from the Sony A200, your stated reasons for the switch don't seem to make sense. I just looked at B&H, and dedicated Alpha-mount flashes start at $90, and with an FS-1100 adapter, you can use lots of basic auto flashes like a Sunpak 383 or a Vivitar 285-HV. As for an extra lens, unless you want something really exotic, tell us just what you want, I'm confident it's readily available.</p>

<p>To me, it sounds like you have a lot to learn. I'd strongly advise you to stay put for now. Until you can articulate a correct reason why switching makes sense, it probably doesn't make sense.</p>

 

[ricardobarandiaran]

<p>Hello! thank you for the response.<br>

the problem is that I already visit every store who sell cameras in my town, and the only thing I could found was the new sony external flashes which cost like $300 and $500 in the big stores, any of the small stores that sales used cameras have anything for Sony.<br>

I am not really the type of person who buy from internet one of the reasons is because I don't know to much about the subject and I am affraid to buy something that is not the correct thing for my camera, that is why I having to much problems finding something.<br>

can you explain to me a little bit more about the adapter?<br>

Thank you</p>

 

[bill_tuthill]

I'll give you my Minolta 3600HS external flash for the price of shipping, COD. I probably will never use it again. A200 compatible lenses are easy to find used, for example on KEH.com. The 50/1.7 is a bargain for dark-place photography.

[dave_redmann]

<p>The FS-1100 is a part that Minolta made so that you could use the original Maxxum / Dynax / Alpha flashes (4000 and 2800, IIRC) on the newer i-series camera bodies. It also lets you use any flash with an ISO-standard hot shoe. For other flashes to auto-expose correctly, they need to have a sensor built in that controls exposure. The workhorse flashes of this type have been the Sunpak 383 and the Vivitar 283 and 285-HV; all of them are about $100. I use an FS-1100 with a Sunpak 383 on my Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D DSLR (two generations earlier than your A200), and it works fine. Although an original FS-1100 may be a little hard to find, there are lots of similar devices sold on eBay and elsewhere. Also, today Vivitar makes a new 283 model that is dedicated for Sony; the B&H website shots it for $90 (<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/600856-REG/Vivitar_DF_283_SON_DF_283_ZOOM_FLASH_f_SONY.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/600856-REG/Vivitar_DF_283_SON_DF_283_ZOOM_FLASH_f_SONY.html</a>).</p>

<p>For buying lenses on the Internet, you say, "I am affraid to buy something that is not the correct thing for my camera". As long as it says "for Sony Alpha" or something like that, it should work fine.</p>

<p>Is there a specific lens you want? If so, someone could help you find it.</p>

[jennifer_bunce]

<p>Dave Redman wrote: </p>

<blockquote>I use an FS-1100 with a Sunpak 383 on my Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D DSLR (two generations earlier than your A200), and it works fine.</blockquote>

<p>Dave, can you please tell me how you were able to get them all to work together? Any special settings in-camera? I have not been able to get my Vivitar 283 to work with the Minolta Maxxum 800si or my Sony a100. Maybe there's a setting I'm missing to "switch to external flash" or something. I have the 283 mounted on a flash bracket; the FS1100 mounted on the camera; and the 283 connected to the FS1100 with the PC-sync cord. The flash will fire just fine on its own, but does not fire when the shutter is released.</p>