Sony DSLR a33 / a230 (Refurbished) for EPP $386/$256

what are the main diff between a33 & a55? i think a55 has been on sale a few times for close to 550 maybe?

assuming i have no other lenses, between t3i & a33/a55 which one should be preferred? no i am not planning on spending big bucks on lenses.. actually, lol.. good luck to me with that

Quote from deshwasi : what are the main diff between a33 & a55? i think a55 has been on sale a few times for close to 550 maybe? assuming i have no other lenses, between t3i & a33/a55 which one should be preferred? no i am not planning on spending big bucks on lenses.. actually, lol.. good luck to me with that

I would go with the a33/a55 as they have image stabilization in the camera which makes it much cheaper for lens later. Also you can get some great old Minolta lens that work perfectly. But you will pay more for a flash probably because of the proprietary hot shoe. You can find lots of lens info here [dyxum.com] Of course that is just my opinion.

Quote from dwirsz : I would go with the a33/a55 as they have image stabilization in the camera which makes it much cheaper for lens later. Also you can get some great old Minolta lens that work perfectly. But you will pay more for a flash probably because of the proprietary hot shoe. You can find lots of lens info here [dyxum.com] Of course that is just my opinion.

All flashes are proprietary these days. The electronics that control exposure are all unique, regardless of the physical interface. True, it's a bit simpler to use "dumb" manual flashes and adapters with a standard hotshoe, but that's a rare situation for entry level users.

Coincidentally, just saw this flash...reviews around the web are decent.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/...481DT7OI14

If I weren't loaded with flashes already, I'd give it a try.

Quote from deshwasi : what are the main diff between a33 & a55? i think a55 has been on sale a few times for close to 550 maybe? assuming i have no other lenses, between t3i & a33/a55 which one should be preferred? no i am not planning on spending big bucks on lenses.. actually, lol.. good luck to me with that

The A55 was $430 new, but without lens. I grabbed one. The kit lens is pretty decent, so it's a good combo purchase.

Get whichever fits your hand better and preferably which brand your friends have to share glass.

The jury's still out for me and the A55. I get great results with the 18-55mm on my A550, and I think the A55 works fine with other lenses. But I seem to get some really poor sharpness and low contrast (veiling haze) in backgrounds with the A55/18-55mm combo. Might just be my imagination.