New Photographer wondering which way to go on first decent camera setup

[Biggles31]

Ey up i'm new to photography have been using a Sony a390 for a fair few years but just been messing about taking holiday snaps and such rather than taking decent photos.
after having a few months of occasional playing around using a friends studio with my camera, getting a lot of help on lighting and setup i have decided to jump further in.
My current camera has the old Sony hotshoe so needs an adapter to do anything of use and is unable to do HSS because of this.(i may not need HSS for anything but would like the option to play)
My friend has a canon and a Nikon which i have used to have a play with and both seem to have pro's cons

My next question is which of the many directions do i go in terms of my camera setup.
My budget is not a problem and can be any amount however i don't want to throw money away if there is no benefit.

My thoughts so far and please correct me if i am wrong

1 Sony A7/A9 depending on what deal i can find.
The Sony of mine has a very user friendly layout which helps a technological dinosaur like me use it more to its full potential so i am thinking if the newer Sony camera's are similar that would be good for me.
also the price for what i can get seems very good on the second hand market
I'm not sure on availability of lenses and such though and was worrying that i may struggle later on getting decent stuff for it as i progress

2.One of the Canon Eos depending on what comes up
I had a go with one and i found the layout not too difficult but not as easy for me as the Sony and i like that as it is one of the commonly used camera's there will likely be lots of Gubbins to get later that should be compatible.


3 Nikon i must admit i tried a couple of Nikon cameras and found the menu's and layout very confusing even though i got some great pictures with it (eventually)
i'm told that a large number of photographers use Nikon and regards them as the best for most photography and i will go down that route if it will be to my benefit however dread the thought of trying to learn how to use it which may take some of the fun out of it for me

I have been told that this is a very important decision as i will not just be buying a camera but will be buying into a certain brands system which will be very difficult and expensive to change later on once i have bought extras.

Photography will be a weekend hobby for me rather than for work but i would like to get as good a pictures as possible.
I will be using this part for studio use, part for outdoors and anything else i can think of.
I can crop on Photoshop and maybe learn to do the basics but anything more advanced is a bit beyond me.

Any thoughts or advice are welcome or if another camera setup option is suggested to have a look at.

Thanks in advance

 

[Mr Badger]

What sort of photography are you mainly planning or likely to do? Fast moving things like sport, motorsport, aircraft at air-shows, etc., or slow moving or static things like landscapes, architecture, travel, street photography and posed portraits? This may make a difference to the camera and lens system that best suits you, and knowing this should help people to make informed suggestions.

PS I know you said budget wasn't a problem, but is your current computer up to the job of handling and storing large image files from a high megapixel camera? If not, then an upgrade or replacement will probably be necessary, so perhaps best to consider that in the costs too when weighing up camera specs and options?

 

[Biggles31]

In all honesty i will probably be having a go at anything i can think of, maybe a bit of fast moving, some landscapes possibly some underwater as i have some friends that do scuba diving.
I am possibly asking an impossible question on this one but i can be a bit random and may wake up one day with an idea and head out half cocked to do it.

ideally a good general all round if such a thing exists.
doesn't need to be perfect at anything but capable of everything.
if not then possibly more leaning towards animal/wildlife stuff
Sorry to be vague

 

[Chipper]

It is a bit impossible; there are many quality systems out there, all with pros and cons. You will learn a new menu system - I have two systems that I run parallel with each other plus a Fuji fixed length compact. You mention landscapes and underwater - underwater housing is another expense that you would have to consider. For Landscape you will need a tripod. If you want to shoot fast moving subjects, you will need long lenses to get close to wildlife; indoor sport v outdoor sport will involve differences tooo.

Which camera felt good in your hands? Perhaps you could also consider hiring if you have sufficient funds to try different systems. Or you could try the Olympus WOW to try a CSC. I have both Canon and Olympus bodies. For all round use, my Canon 5D4 is excellent. Others will chime in with their favourites. One or two might criticise one system over another (don't really understand this - but that's another thread! ).

 

[Faldrax]

If you want to keep as close in layout, etc, to your A390, then you woudl be better looking at the A77II or A99II Sony DSLT models - they are 'current' APS-C and FF models from Sony (both have the new Sony MIS hotshoe, which is much more compatible with everything else) - the A7 / A9 are using newer Sony E-Mount system - they have a different (smaller) body style, which some love, but others find a little small when used with longer, heavier lenses.

If you did decide the A7 / A9 route was the one you wanted to go down, then the newly announced A7rIII appears to be a superb camera - closer to a general purpose model than the A9, as well as begin somewhat less expensive (neither are exactly cheap though, particularly after you've added the cost of a lens or three...)

Note: The old Sony / Minolta iISO Hotshoe did (does) support HSS - the difficulty is finding a combination of radio triggers and flashguns that will support it.
The best combination I am aware of is the old Pixel Kings (Triggers & Receivers) with old Sony Flashguns - but you'd need to be looking second hand for both.

Alternatively, the genuine Sony hotshoe adaptor (ADP-AMA) should correctly allow HSS with triggers / flashguns designed for the newer MIS shoe.

 

[StewartR]

... possibly some underwater as i have some friends that do scuba diving..

If you aren't an experienced scuba diver yourself - and apologies if I've misunderstood, but from the way you've phrased this it sounds to me like you aren't - I recommend you park this idea until you are an experienced diver.