Keeping up with the Joneses
photography
Because a friend has one, and I've been thinking of getting one for a while, I decided it was time to try a Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200. So I got one out of the warehouse and I'll try it this weekend.
Given my history with KM's repair department, you may be surprised to learn that I'm thinking of going for another KM model, but the truth is I've been very happy with the photos I've taken with the F300 (so much so that it's hard to choose a more recent camera, because nothing quite matches its quality and convenience), and KM continue to offer - on paper at least - a winning combination of features and quality at very competitive prices.
The A200 is a slightly dumbed-down version of the A2 from last year, but it's still an 8 megapixel model with a 7x zoom. The big selling point of this one for me is the manual zoom control (you twist the ring on the lens, as on a traditional SLR); and (optional) manual focus control (another ring, between body and lens). You'd get both of these options on a digital SLR, of course, and with a £100 cash-back offer (just announced) from Nikon on the D70, it's not too much more expensive to go that route.
But I know myself and my style of photography, and I've had SLRs in the past, so I know that I'm not that bothered. I owned SLRs, but never purchased any additional lenses, so in that respect the A200 is as SLR-like as I need it to be, and over £100 cheaper, even with the cash-back.
The real test will be in use, so I'll give it a go this weekend and see how I get on. Reasons I still love the long-in-the-tooth, F300: the lens is excellent, and it slips into a pocket very easily. Things it doesn't have that I wish I had: more manual controls, bigger zoom range, option to have an external flash. The A200 offers all these extras, plus the anti-shake mechanism that might allow me to take the kind of "available Light" pictures I prefer to take.
Because a friend has one, and I've been thinking of getting one for a while, I decided it was time to try a Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200. So I got one out of the warehouse and I'll try it this weekend.
Given my history with KM's repair department, you may be surprised to learn that I'm thinking of going for another KM model, but the truth is I've been very happy with the photos I've taken with the F300 (so much so that it's hard to choose a more recent camera, because nothing quite matches its quality and convenience), and KM continue to offer - on paper at least - a winning combination of features and quality at very competitive prices.
The A200 is a slightly dumbed-down version of the A2 from last year, but it's still an 8 megapixel model with a 7x zoom. The big selling point of this one for me is the manual zoom control (you twist the ring on the lens, as on a traditional SLR); and (optional) manual focus control (another ring, between body and lens). You'd get both of these options on a digital SLR, of course, and with a £100 cash-back offer (just announced) from Nikon on the D70, it's not too much more expensive to go that route.
But I know myself and my style of photography, and I've had SLRs in the past, so I know that I'm not that bothered. I owned SLRs, but never purchased any additional lenses, so in that respect the A200 is as SLR-like as I need it to be, and over £100 cheaper, even with the cash-back.
The real test will be in use, so I'll give it a go this weekend and see how I get on. Reasons I still love the long-in-the-tooth, F300: the lens is excellent, and it slips into a pocket very easily. Things it doesn't have that I wish I had: more manual controls, bigger zoom range, option to have an external flash. The A200 offers all these extras, plus the anti-shake mechanism that might allow me to take the kind of "available Light" pictures I prefer to take.
posted by Anonymous at
Thursday, February 03, 2005
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home