Hello there people... Seriously thinking of joining the Orange Legion here, as I've just got my - limited - government financial assistance... It being limited, gone are my hopes of getting a second hand D80, 30D or anything else from that league (only if DSLRS can take pictures with no lenses, which isn't the case here now is it?)...

Only hope left is getting the A200, and saving my ass of for a few years to afford the A700 or whatever equivalent that will exist when my money is all ready later (if I'm not already bankrupt due to accessories and glass by then)...

So guys, any pointers where to get good prices for a A200 kit + whatever bundle they're willing to give me (at least a bag would be nice) + CF card of some sort + HVL-F36?

And where can you get the RM1300+- worth of vouchers with an A200 purchase? The total price of my budgeted kit + HVL-F36 will go over-limit without the flash voucher, that's for sure...

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 12:08 PM

Tarita, Boieng noted, thanks guys... But I read earlier that some forumer here had a bad experiance with Tarita? I hope my haggling skills are up to speed...

I was thinking that the vouchers will only be given with purchase from a SonyStyle shop or something... So buy anywhere also can get ah?

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 12:21 PM

Hmm, for the extra (deleted in A200) features (MLU, DMF, DOF Preview, AEL Spot Toggle), do you guys think getting an A100 is still worth it?

I know the A200 autofocuses faster and has better dynamic range... Do you guys think that MLU, DMF, DOFP and AELST are features worth trading more vivid pics for?

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 01:09 PM

I've been waiting for someone to come over and say that... I kinda suspected it myself, plus the whole "Sony-says-they've-damped-the-mirror-vibrations-enough-not-to-need-MLU" hoo-hah at dpreview forums...

And I don't think I'm not gonna go up the ISO scale, as I shoot at 400-800 most of the time with my bro's K100D... Plus the RM350 voucher for the F36AM is a REALLY interesting preposition...

Zone System? Gotta google that pronto... Thanks!

And, flicking the AF/MF switch after/during autofocusing does not break anything on the cam? Then the lack of DMF is not much of a problem...

Thanks albnok!

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 01:41 PM

Hey guys, one of my friends was just moping about the A200 not being able to wirelessly trigger the F36AM, any truth in this?

He was crapping around about only the D80 having a commander unit or something like that... Cause I was planning to take the F36AM off and use it in my hand - soulfly style...

If all goes well, I'll be joining the Orange Legion around next week...

Blu-ray (now that HD-DVD is officially dead), The Alphas, VAIOs (no matter how crappy some of 'em are), SE phones, the PS3... Is it just me or is Sony hell bent on taking over the world?

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 03:49 PM

Thanks again for the clarification, albnok (now I have some idea what that large red window in front of the A200 is for)!

*NARRATOR* Thus nothing stands in his way from getting himself his first DSLR, muahahahahah....

Anybody with any clue as to how much shutter life the A100/A200 series has? And how much the shutter would cost to replace post warranty - cause I'm planning to use it for a long, long time (with the meagre earnings I get monthly - minus all the glass I'm sure gonna be poisoned to buy - it'll probably be some long years before I can even consider an A700).

And this is what photography should be, not some equipment contest, rather a comparison of results...

*GLARES AT FANBOIS*

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 05:59 PM

Probably 15,000 - 20,000 as per rated on the "Meriam" 350/400D? Something I found on the net is of more interest... It seems that KM designed their shutters to live long and die hard...



Taken from http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/...for-pixels.html

Though Sony, being Sony... You never know...

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 06:18 PM

Only redeemable at SonyStyle, or at authorized distributors/anywhere you buy the camera also can redeem?

For instance, the beforementioned Tarita/Boeing Sg. Wang (or Fotokem, or Foto Shangri La or etc...)?

Haggling is probably in order for the extras...

CF Cards size? It depends... What speed?

For slow 40x CFs (no continuous shooting, that's for sure), 32GB is available (only 16GB locally though) from A-Data.

For slow (relatively, slow write, fast read) 133x Transcend, 16GB is the current maximum.

For crap fast cards (200x above - no bottleneck, continuous or not), 16GB is the current maximum.

I say current maximum coz 32/64GB is on the way as we speak...

Take your pick... I got my Transcend 8GB 133x for around RM220 (PDA use)... But with the slow write and read, I don't think its quite usable with the A200...

Nope, I mean, where can I use the vouchers? Only can use at Sony Style or any Sony Authorized Dealers?

For instance, can I use the voucher after buying at Tarita/Boeing, meaning if I buy the A200 there, can I simply use the voucher at Tarita/Boeing and get myself a F36AM at the discounted price? Or I buy the camera from anywhere, THEN bring the voucher to Sony Style or somewhere to get the F36AM cheaper...

Because there was this one forumer that explicitly stated that the voucher is valid WITH PURCHASE OF THE CAMERA ONLY....

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 09:46 PM

I'm a burst junkie... So might need to get a faster CF somehow...

But I agree, for most of the others who only like to take single shots, slower CFs are much cheaper... I mean, you can get 16GB 40x A-Data for RM260+-...

Hmm, probably... But, I'll try my luck with the vouchers, plus is there any way I can stack 2 flash vouchers together (rm350+rm350)... My friend is also going to buy an A200 at the same time, but minus the flash or anything else... Imagine the possibilities if the flash (or any other vouchers in the A200) box was stackable?

RM700 off the F36AM? RM700 off any normal lens? RM700 off a CZ lens? Sounds like a dream, and might very well just be one...

The Kingston x133 should be fast enough for bursts, but don't take my word for it... Search the net for some comparisons/reviews...

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 09:58 PM

Hahaha... Thought so... Thanks for the info williamngwl!

It seems that Sony's "lets-price-the-a200-cheap-enough-to-let-everyone-use-a-dslr" strategy, "lets-slap-live-view-plus-a-swivel- screen-on-the-a200-and-call-it-the-a300" strategy and "lets-just-jam-a-14MP-sensor-on-the-a300-and-call-it-the-a350" is working in their favour...

It might not be instrumental in creating more "ultra-power-everything-also-inside" cameras, but surely their market share is going nowhere but up (unless we're gonna face some exploding sony batteries in DSLRs also), and this might just create more creative photographers from our midst... Now that the entry price to the coveted DSLR world has tumbled down past the RM2k mark...

For one there's sure a heck of a lot more interest in Sony DSLRs now then there was ever before, and they only have 3 models out...

The lack (or should I say, devious omission) of certain features aside (but hey, to be fair, there's no MLU on the D40 - or a wireless flash controller for that matter, there's no spot metering on the 400D, and there's no in body IS in both OR in the new D60/450D), who can argue that Sony drove the DSLR price wars to under RM2k, and thus, into "reasonable-for-normal-people-not-just-photographic-gearheads" territory?

Sony's future, as always, seems assured... And, due to the same reason, Sony users seem to be forever destined to be treated with disdain by SOME users from the "pure" photographic companies camp - treated as owners of toy, "consumer-centric" cameras...

Myself the biggest card I have is a 8GB CF... Plus the fact that I'm at least 5 days away from getting an A200 in the first place... LOL

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 10:51 PM

Now that looks divine... Literally...

With prices of DSLRs going where it is, I won't be surprised if they formed new regulations against "snap-n-drive"... Used to do it all the time (even now sometimes) with my Eiten-Tan (Sony E W810i)... Looks like she's gonna get a new Sony stable-mate soon too, hmm, Alphy-Tan?...

But seriously... Put a customized, swivelling mount on the dashboard... Catch pics of police officers catching you speeding - just because you can... Hail cheap in-body IS!

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 20 2008, 11:07 PM

That's what we are here for, to warn the next generation Orange Legion potential members of such trickery...

BTW, maybe we should think of creating a proper Orange Legion thread soon? With a good, info packed first post (pricewatch?)!

No, no, not White... Paint it Orange! That will show them that the Orange is strong within us...

don't forget, the mid end HVL-F46AM is also incoming...

Opinion seconded...

Trust me, you're gonna love the A700 much more then the A200 - helluva much more room for growth...

And I thought I was the only moon-crazy (ie. lunatic) guy here?

Yep, more or less... It's either that or Red Eye reduction (also known as exorcism, chasing the devil out of people's eyes) editing in Photoshop/Picasa/Aperture/Lightroom...

LOL LOL LOL LOL...

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Feb 21 2008, 10:15 PM