Need help in buying a cam :(

[Quack18]

Hello. I need some help in choosing between 2 cams. I already own a Sony Dsc H9, but i want to upgrade to something better. Ive been using it for a year and ive learnt alot from it, but i want to move on to something better and improve my skills even more. Now i saw a canon 450d and a sony alpha 350 and ive read reviews for both. Most say canon has best quality and faster processing speed, longer batter life because of the sensor i think, and canon will always be better than sony. While others give better ratings for the sony.
What do u guys think? should i wait and sharpen my photography even more, or go for either a canon or sony. Id be really greatful if u can give me as much information as possible
Thanks alot for your help!!

 

[PsiFox]

Well I'd actually go and do the rounds at shops of all the camera that fit within your budget (which is?).

So go look at Nikon, Olympus and Pentax as well.

Find out which ones have layouts that seem most intuitive to YOU and which feel comfortable to hold. Don't just go on reviews by other people , that is their opinion and may not apply to you.

Then come and let us know your shortlist and we can help narrow it down.

Also what do you want to shoot as you will need lenses as well.

Finally Welcome to TP

 

[heidfirst]

+1 for going to a shop & handling both (& Nikon, Olympus & Pentax) to find what suits you both.
They are all capable of taking excellent pictures.

the 450D & the A350 both have Liveview but approached in different ways which means that if using Liveview the Sony is better for taking shots of moving subjects & the Canon is better for critical focus adjustment of static subjects.
Personally I would also say that the Sony is easier to use but others may differ.
Of course you may not need/want Liveview (e.g. I don't) in which case you could look at e.g. an A200 saving some money or putting that towards another lens or some accessories.

 

[mastertrinity]

[and canon will always be better than sony]

lol thats pretty much down to personal opinion. canon is not better than sony nor is sony better than canon. the advantage canon has is that its been in the trade longer so more lenses and cameras have been made and so canon have got more experience. if i was you i would go for the alpha 300 its £100 cheaper than the 350, it only has 10 megapixels but is has a burst rate of 3 frames per second, and you've already used sony cameras.

p.s. handle the sony before buying it because its not as compact as you would think.

 

[markta]

Sony lenses and accessories are slightly more expensive than Canon and Nikon for eg.

You really need to go to a local camera shop as been pointed out above, handle them all, see how to access buttons/menus, what is more intuitive for YOU?

Nikon tends to have less functions hidden in the menu system but may not feel right in the hand, you might like the built in stabilisation on the Sony camera, which Canon and Nikon don't have. Image stabilisation (IS for Canon or VR (vibration reduction) for Nikon) is built into their lenses.

If you intend to do wildlife, you'll probably be looking for the longest lens possible. Sonys' longest lens so far is 300mm, whereas Canon's is 1200mm, not sure about Nikons.

Having said all this, Canon and Nikon products seem to be like gold dust in the UK at the moment, especially professional camera bodies and lenses; I think the reason being that prices have increased dramatically recently, so consumers have rushed to buy old stock before price hikes. Same could apply for Sony but I'm not 100% sure.

All latest DSLRs are good; there's no such thing as a bad camera these days. Sony cameras do tend to produce more image noise at high ISOs, so if you do poor light photography handheld and need a fast shutter speed, then you may not get the best results using a Sony.

Swings and roundabouts really. There's plenty of reviews on equipment online, from seasoned equipment testers to help, plus the opinions of people on this great forum

Oh, and a warm welcome to TP from me too!