I need more opinion on them coz im quite dilemma on either nikon d3200 or sony a58. I think i will be using the kit lens for quite a long time. I'm new to this field and I hope everyone be patient with my noobiness >.<

if you're new user, and u looking for cheaper lenses & accessory for upgrade, Sony A58 is ur ideal choice.

Sony A58 autofocus is faster than D3200, and more AF point (15 VS 11)
A58 capture more detail than D3200, especially when low ISO sensitivity. however, A58 noise reduction is activated when using high ISO sensitivity, start from 1600 and higher. generally, SLT camera noise reduction is slightly stronger than conventional DSLR. stronger noise reduction may creates cleaner image, yet detail will be ruined. it is depends user preference, whether detail or clean image is more important for individual
A58 colour accuracy is more accurate than D3200.
about lenses choices, nikon got 2 category - Vibration Reduction (VR) or non-VR lenses. non-VR lenses is cheaper than VR lenses. most of sony lenses price range is in between nikon's non-VR & VR lenses (same range)

if i were u, i will consider D90 rather than D3200, because D90 overall performance is better than D3200, and i believe price is more reasonable

is the 24.1mp in d3200 really important?

what is the pros and cons of d3200 because I asked alot of ppl in lowyat and alot recommend other model rather than 3200. some recommend d5100 and some a58. very confused

This post has been edited by ChaosSixth: Mar 18 2014, 07:34 AM

If wanna buy entry level, then buy latest Nikon D3300.

Technical data shows it's quite superior.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/...the-competition

generally, larger MP allowing larger printing. however, 24mp has not much difference compare with 20mp
cons, is matter of different MP with same image sensor size. larger MP means the camera will gather more noise if using high ISO sensitivity. as example, 24mp APS-C sensor camera gather more noise compare with 16mp APS-C sensor camera

talk about camera recommendation, if u often visit
www.imaging-resource.com or www.dpreview.com
and u search of nikon camera and compare the image sample in between nikon camera with others camera, u can notices of nikon camera gather more noise compare with any other brand camera, as nikon DSLR default noise reduction is lesser compare with any other brand camera

how much is nikon d3300 now in market? my budget is around 1.5k only

oh my. that is a down part of nikon d3200. I do aware of sony a58 image quality is slightly better than d3200. but i am still not so confident with sony yet. How about technical issue or warranty claim for sony? is there any sony service centre or they have to send back to factory to repair?

Any other recommendation ? canon eos 1100D?

This post has been edited by ChaosSixth: Mar 18 2014, 08:30 AM

Don't worry so much about Sony's quality just because you have only heard Canon and Nikon. I've claimed warranty with Sony and it went quite smooth.

Sony's equipment is arguably cheaper than Canon & Nikon but its quality is as good as Canon & Nikon's. Look at their cheaper yet better Carl Zeiss lenses, look at their brilliantly designed flashgun that goes cheaper than Canon & Nikon's offering. Not to mention that Sony tends to be much innovative when it comes to technology advancement.

I am using Sony A700 since 2008, and until now there's no problem at all. it serve me very well

no need to doubt about image quality and quality of product from sony. whenever u bought sony camera which is genuine sony malaysia unit, 100% u will be able to register warranty via mysony. if warranty claim issue, the service staff will trace the camera and serial number with their intranet system, for trace when u register warranty via mysony. in KL, KLCC and The Curve have Sony service centre.

I would like to also mention that their HQ is located in North point Midvalley. Operating only one weekdays though.

Did u guys know anyone that are using Sony a58 and still actively post their image ? Maybe their Flickr account. Wanna see how clear the image from a58

Use the function of Camera finder on flickr.

Can Ar? Lol I nvr use Flickr before. XD

http://www.flickr.com/cameras/sony/alpha-slt-a58/

I just visited a camera shop and talked to the fella there. They said better go for d5200 coz the focus point is more than 3200. What u guys think about d5200?

This post has been edited by ChaosSixth: Mar 18 2014, 03:15 PM

D5200 image still more noise compare with A58, as D5200 has 24mp compare with A58's 20mp
although D5200 AF point is more than A58, yet D5200 has no AF motor, AF capability is completely depends with the lenses, and typically slower than A58
1 more thing, D5200 is more expensive than A58. with D5200's current market price, I would choose D90

Don't think u can get d3300 with rm1.5k.

d5200 can get with 1.5k?

Looks like you're leaning towards Nikon more than Sony even though people here are recommending Sony. I'd suggest you to go for the 3200 or 5200 sine you're more comfortable with Nikon. I personally will choose the SLT anytime.

This post has been edited by Newbieeeeee: Mar 18 2014, 04:50 PM

just realized the quote. that's impossible to get D5200 or even D5300 with RM1500. even A58 at least around RM1700-1800. anyway, i suggest u better do research from camera expert website, listen from user, and test camera by yourself, and never simply listen from reseller, as some reseller not even test camera by themselves and don't know camera's performance

true that. i tested at courts just now the a58 and the focus is fast and nice too. Nikon one is slightly small for my hand. sony looks bigger than nikon d3200.

yeah just went out to survey the price which is around 1.8k for a 3300

cannot. but my budget can plus extra 600 if that 600 do make a big differ in performance. if the difference is not prominent then upgrade extra rm600 is useless for me.

I used to bias towards nikon before i did my survey coz i used to believe that nikon and canon are the best camera producing company and other cant beat their models off. But after i try to use sony a58 I feel more firm (i have big hands and fingers) than nikon. and also it looks huge (match with my big body size) than the nikon. Im getting the feel of sony but i still need more hands to hands feel of nikon coz the courts didnt charge the battery of nikon dslr.

yeah. If the leaps of rm600 really make a huge difference in performance and image quality i dont mind put the cash into it. but if the difference is just minimal, then i think rm600 should be spend on others. Well, if u guys wanna know what the reseller says, he claimed that nikon d5200 is good for that price. dont go for d3200 coz its not worth for the price. He claimed that if you wanna sell back sony, no one wanna buy even its rm500.. since im new to this field, i dunno what to believe and trust. any sifus here can tell me anything? is he talking rubbish only just to sell off his nikon d5200?

Guys, i saw that the A58 is point and shoot category in flickr. shouldnt it be DSLR?

This post has been edited by ChaosSixth: Mar 18 2014, 05:53 PM

well, as previous post mentioned, never listen what reseller tells u. if the camera quality not up to standard, why the company still manufacturing that particular camera? if the reseller claims that not even RM500, I believe I have more than 100 unit of 2nd hand A58 and I can even earn far from my main career. as I told u, GO TRY CAMERA YOURSELF, DO MORE RESEARCH WITH WELL-KNOWN SOURCE, u will understand more than what I told u

there's plenty of experience camera user in this forum and apart of them willing to share with u, and yet u never truly believe them and u believe wat salesperson at camera shop who just keep trying to get ur sales

it's up to u of whether u listen my opinion or no. as wat vincent said is totally true. a58 autofocus not only faster than d3200, and still faster than d5200 & d5300. do u really do research of nikon DSLR history? all entry level DSLR, including d5200 & d5300, has no autofocus motor, and autofocus only works with lens with autofocus motor. and most entry level lenses with autofocus motor focusing speed is slow, and definitely behinds sony's DSLR & SLT cameras. if u were really meant to upgrade, although d90 is old model, and yet, everything of d90 is better than d5200 & d5300 especially noise performance & autofocus performance. for ur info, more autofocus point doesn't mean camera focus subject faster

as wat vincent told u, larger megapixel will only gather more noise if the image sensor is still remain same size. no point u pay extra rm600 to get extra 4 megapixel dslr? unless u have some nikon lenses for start ur photography journey. if for general use, i would prefer a58. a58 image quality is better, capture more detail, cleaner image output, compare with d5200 and even d5300

I'm not "never truly believe" about the facts about those dslr that u guys told me about. I read alot about both the dslr. In DPReview, reviews from dslr users and many more, mostly they said both the dslr are equally good. But for you guys in lowyat forum, is totally different. a58 is much more better for 1.5k budget.

I really appreciate the comments and replies from you guys pros in photography. But i really hope that much patience is given to me.

One thing I most afraid of is, the accessories of the dslr for sony a58 and also the electronic viewfinder. Is the accesories cheaper than nikon? I heard we can use 3rd party accessories on nikon but for sony we cant. is it true? I need a true a58 user like u guys to comment on these few statements. electronic viewfinder (i just tested juz now at courts) , for me it looks useless since i can use the lcd to do the job.

This is my point. Exactly why I asked TS to go for the Nikon instead.

Definitely not. We have 3rd party flash, lens, bag?, tripod?, what other accessories are you looking for?

For sensor performances alone d3300>d3200/d5200 since it has no OLP filter making the image sharper.. so the performance should be better..but if u have 2k..go for a second hand d7000..it should last for years..its aging sensor still do pretty well by today standard and its focusing point beats every entry level camera there is today since its a higher level body..it is even weather sealed..

at first i was bias. but now im more onto sony after listening so much facts from you guys and my friend.

Let say if my camera got problem and the warranty is over, is the cost of repair is more than nikon or just about the same?



This post has been edited by ChaosSixth: Mar 18 2014, 10:40 PM

plenty of 3rd party lenses (tamron, sigma, samyang), external flashes(yongnuo, nissin), microphone, available in market, not "no at all" as what they claims. about electronic viewfinder, it looks natural and nice

Large brands might even charge higher, sometimes.

Regarding the accessories, I'm a photography teacher in a secondary school. Most of my students use a Nikon, and they can't afford original lenses and flashes. For example,

Nikon SB900 = RM1400++
Sony HVL-F60M = RM1200++

Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 = RM4000++
Sony 16-50mm f2.8 SSM = RM1800~2200

Nikon 50mm f1.8G = RM800++
Sony 50mm f1.8 = RM400~600

Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 = RM6000++
Sony Carl Zeiss 24-70mm = RM5600+

Do you want me to list more? I used to work in a camera shop and I know that Canon & Nikon's models will have higher margin as they sell so well that the shop will bring in more stock in a much lower cost. Sony's cameras are as good as C&N's but people do not have faith in it, so the sales of Sony camera is lower. That's why most shops will try to hardsell you C&N, as they earn more.

How about focus point? Is it really that matter alot?

The difference is negligible. For daily photo shooting, the speed of most cameras is fast enough. Only that when you need to do sport photography and event photography.

Anyway, a58's Liveview is quite fast and responsive.

if u often use specific area to focus, more focus point is allow u to having more option to choose the area u want to focus. however, it doesn't mean more focus point = faster autofocus. d3200, d5200 and d5300 has no autofocus motor. let say if u using 50mm F1.8 D lens with these body, autofocus totally not work, and the only way u going to focus the subject is manual focus.
i believe they might never told u of most DSLR, including canon and nikon, when u choose live view for focus subject instead of optical viewfinder, it will only using contrast detection autofocus, and it is slower than phase detection autofocus. sony SLT camera is using phase detection autofocus regardless live view and electronic viewfinder, thus it is an advantages for user who prefer fast autofocus with live view

I do know that more focus point is not equal to faster autofocus. More focus point allow us to focus some detail part in the image more. We can have more choices on where to focus in a picture. I prefer the pic to be detailed and more colour. I like the build of Sony that is bigger than Nikon.

Erm. More focus point doesn't "focus more detail part". It only means that the area to be focused can be more easily selected.

When a camera with only 3 points, focuses on 1 part of the image, it is as detailed as how a camera with 39 points would do when it catches focus.

The factor deciding how an image is detailed, is the sharpness of the lens.

TS,

You don't buy a camera for its resell value. You buy a camera to take pictures (I hope).

If you are not always chasing the latest and greatest, the A58 can last you at around 3 years if not more. After that time, who really cares about resell value?

Buy a camera that feels right for you. Don't listen to resellers. They are more interested in earning commissions rather than having your interest at heart. You are the one who's going to be using the camera, so find one that fits you and feels 'right' for you.

I totally agree

This post has been edited by vincentlee90: Mar 19 2014, 09:00 AM

The camera that feels right right now by holding it is the Sony A58. Maybe it do takes time to adapt to the electronic viewfinder because I used most of my friend dlsr with optic viewfinder. so its hard to adapt the electronic. Feel kinda awkward.

Nikon D3200 is juz not right for big hand like me. I feel like it gonna slip off from my hand any soon or when my fingers are wet.

Slowly by exploring pictures from A58 i feel that the colour is nice and more detailed than nikon 3200. But then photoshopping also do play a role there. Right now I just need an operating D3200 to test and then I will make the choice.

http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/s...rtDir=ascending

It seems that nikon d3200 have both contrast detection(sensor) and phase detection. while sony only have phase detection. Okay I'm very noob to this. is the phase detection is kinda like newer technology for dslr?

This post has been edited by ChaosSixth: Mar 19 2014, 09:48 AM

No. Phrase Detection has long been available in the history. It is faster in operation, and capable of tracking moving subject.

Contrast Detection on the other hands, is very slow but is very accurate. That's why last time a580 features both phrase detection and contrast detection. But When Sony opted DSLT design, only phrase detection is used, so you can know that the technology has advanced until that phrase detection alone is good enough.

most camera manufacturer had design DSLR with contrast detection autofocus when using live view mode. the con of contrast detection autofocus for DSLR is the autofocus speed is slow and even slower compare with mirrorless camera, and will often hunting when in lowlight condition. that's an advantage for sony which apply phase detection autofocus for both live view and viewfinder

bro, no offense. A580 is using phase detection autofocus for both live view and optical viewfinder. there's no any contrast detection autofocus sensor at any Sony DSLR. before SLT had designed, all sony DSLR with live view is have 2 image sensor, which 2nd image sensor is position at the viewfinder. A580 is the one of DSLR with that design. the only reason why sony produce SLT, is because for video mode, there's no contrast detection inside the image sensor and it means only manual focus mode available during video mode for A580. yet, because A580 is using phase detection autofocus for both optical viewfinder and live view, the focusing performance is quite good. that's reason why i love A580, too

This post has been edited by vincentlee90: Mar 19 2014, 12:30 PM

the only part i dont like in a58 is just the electronic viewfinder.

i just dunno why but it seems macam tak kena only. very awkward haha.

From you guys view, the EVF is nice. Maybe its just me not adapting a newer stuff. hehe

This post has been edited by ChaosSixth: Mar 19 2014, 12:35 PM

Bro, no offense, but a580 did offer 2 types of AF, just that they are not utilised at the same time. When you toggle on the Focus Check Live View, the camera switches to the contrast detection for fine tuning the focus. But it is not meant to be the primary AF mechanism of the camera.

I had my old alpha for about 4 years before I changed to my current a77, so I'm aware of how its Liveview mechanism works.

I get what u mean. focus check live view is different case, and only manual focus. if autofocus, it still employ phase detection autofocus with that 15-point af sensor

just correct me if I were wrong

Primarily, phrase detection is employed as the default focusing method. What I want to emphasize, is the speed difference between contrast detection and phrase detection, so I used the Focus Check Live View and normal Live View as an example.

Usually, people won't use the Focus Check very often anyway.