The price to performance of used cameras is absurd. My view is that digital photography tech hit maturity in 2008 with the release of the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D700.
There is an overwhelming amount of professional gear out there at rock bottom prices. Consumer gear can be a blast when it’s cheap enough. The right camera for a style of shooting is going to be better than whatever the newest camera happens to be. (Unless you’re doing sports/action/wildlife. AF tech is getting absurd.)
I have had batteries fall apart, fail within months, and with a capacity far below what’s on the label. It’s difficult to find good quality third party batteries.
There is an easy way ANYONE can inexpensively capacity test camera batteries. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to capacity test camera batteries. It is a simple DIY project that only requires, ~$30, a screwdriver, and pair of wire strippers.
All lenses aren’t equal, especially when it comes to vintage and early digital camera lenses. Modern lenses will give you images that are razor sharp corner to corner. Vintage lenses can set themselves apart by how they render, the color you can get with them, interesting bokeh, or other characteristics not valued by current photographers.
On the other hand, many vintage lenses are not good. Their performance may not be good enough to set them apart from other lenses. Worse, as time has gone on some lenses have defects such as haze, fungus, balsam separation, or degraded grease, that will render them worthless because of the difficulty in repair.
I’m somewhat indiscriminate in my purchasing of gear, so I get a mix of good, bad, and average. The lens reviews will help you find a lens worth owning. These are popular film cameras that recieve frequent lens questions.
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The Sony A700 is notable for being one of the few DSLRs that uses the Sony/Minolta A-mount.
If you don’t know, Sony bought the Minolta camera division in 2006. This was due to financial pressures stemming from Minolta having to recall their first two entrants into the DSLR market, the Maxxum 7D and Maxxum 5D.
The A700 is the successor of the Maxxum 7D. For a time, it was the top APS-C model.
The Sony A77 is an awesome Single Lens Translucent camera. If you do not have a lens for your camera or are shopping for a new lens, this article will go over the top 6 lenses to use on the Sony SLT-A77.
More details are further down, however if you’re in a hurry, below are the best selections:
Beneath, the best Sony lenses are separated by focal length. There are additional choices ranging in price.
The Sony A77 II is an awesome camera. If you do not currently own a lens or are wanting for a new lens, this page will cover the top 6 lenses for your Sony SLT-A77 II.
More details are in this article, however if you’re short on time, here are the best selections:
Below, the best Sony lenses are divided by type of photography. Also covered are additional selections varying in cost.
The Sony A450 is a great camera, but finding compatible A-mount lenses can be difficult. This is because the A-mount was discontinued in 2021.
What makes the SLT-A450 unique is that it is a Single Lens Translucent camera. SLT cameras use a mirror that is fixed in place. Light can pass through the mirror. The mirror does not move out of the way, like on an SLR or DSLR.
6 Best Lenses:
The A-1 is an excellent analog camera.
This article will discuss the top 5 lenses to use on the A-1 camera.
Additional information is further down, however if you’re short on time, here is the list:
The AL-1 is a superb camera.
If you don’t have a lens or are looking for a new lens, this page will cover the top 5 lenses to use with your AL-1 camera.
More information is further down, but if you’re in a hurry, below is the list:
