Con #1: Proprietary… incredibly proprietary

One of the things about Sony that really bothers me is their reluctance to embrace open standards.  Canon and Nikon own so much of the market share that they can produce proprietary file formats and lens mounts and still know that there will be plenty of products available for their customers.  On the other hand, Sony is tremendously proprietary even though they are the small fish in the DSLR pond.

For many years, Sony created its own memory cards (Memory Stick brand) that were the only memory cards that would work in their cameras.  That means if you had a point-and-shoot from another company and switched to Sony, you’d have to buy a bunch of new Memory Sticks that were then useless when you switched brands.  Also, their Memory Sticks were usually more expensive.

Sony has continued their proprietary regime with file formats.  Their cameras shoot their own proprietary file format (like Canon and Nikon).  Unfortunately, they are smaller than Canon and Nikon, so when you get a new Sony DSLR, you may find yourself unable to edit the RAW files with popular digital image editing programs until the companies update the software, which can take quite a bit longer than the updates for Canon and Nikon.

That’s not it!  Sony has recently released the NEX line of cameras.  The 4/3 lens mount was an open standard followed by Panasonic and Olympus.  Did they follow the open standard so that we could use the lenses from one manufacturer on the camera of another?   No.  This divided the market and made things tougher for photographers.  They had an opportunity to follow the standard and chose not to.  Unfortunately, Nikon has chosen to follow their lead with a proprietary lens mount on the V1 and J1.

But there’s more!  At least Canon and Nikon have stuck with the same hotshoe mount for flashes.  Sony…. chose a different route.  Ugh!  That means the third party flashes like the YN-560 won’t work with the Sony unless you buy the special YN-560 Sony version.  That’s all fine and dandy, but it means that Sony users also don’t have access to the multiplicity of cheaper flash triggers and other flash goodies that their Nikon and Canon buddies can use.  If you’re interested in flash photography, this is a HUGE drawback in my opinion.

In short, Canon and Nikon are into the proprietary thing, but Sony is proprietary to the extreme.  This problem is compounded by the fact that they are a smaller market and so third party manufacturers are less apt to design for them.  This may not seem like a big deal until you’re ready to get into flash photography, and then you’ll hate yourself for buying into Sony’s walled garden.

Con #2: Dramatically reduced lens options

I know I’ll draw comments on this one because Sony shooters love their Zeiss and Zuiko lenses.  I’m NOT saying that Sony has no good glass available, but it would be absolutely impossible to argue that there is as much good glass available for Sony DSLRs as there is for Canon and Nikon cameras.  It’s simply not true.

Sony has worked quickly to make more lenses available, but it is still way behind the 8 ball.  Also, many of the “Sony” lenses are simply re-branded lenses from other manufacturers such as Tamron.

The lens selection is a major drawback to moving to the Sony system.

Con #3: Fewer resources available for learning

I have taught dozens of in-person photography workshops and have taught photography through this website to hundreds of thousands of people.  One thing I hear CONSTANTLY from people who purchase Sony DSLRs as their first camera is that they are frustrated that few learning resources are available to them.  Photography bloggers simply cannot write articles that only apply to the 5% of the audience who use Sony DSLRs.  It doesn’t make sense.

While there are some learning resources available, it is much easier to find content on using Canon and Nikon cameras.

Camera manufacturers are always bickering about who is better. Canon and Nikon against Sony... cage match!

Con #4: Fewer available accessories

As I mentioned previously in the section on how proprietary Sony is, it is difficult to buy accessories for Sony cameras.  If you want a battery grip for your Nikon D7000 or Canon 60D, it is simple to find one for $50 made by a third-party manufacturer on Amazon.com.  If you shoot Sony, it is much more difficult.  In fact, even Sony doesn’t produce battery grips for all of its cameras.  Battery grips are only one example, but it can be a major headache.  If you want to get into flash photography, I would strongly suggest staying away from Sony.

Con #5: Electronic Viewfinders

This is a personal preference, but I just can’t stand electronic viewfinders.  I do not like that they never seem to show the highlights accurately, which is a big deal for landscape photographers especially.  The new AMOLED electronic viewfinders are a significant improvement, but they still don’t compare to the traditional prism and mirror schemes in DSLRs from Canon, Nikon, or any other manufacturer.

Con #6:  Unavailability of full-frame cameras

For photographers who wish to go full frame, you will find a dramatically reduced set of options.  Sony is coming out with another full frame camera in 2012 if all of the rumors are true, but the options are slim now.

watch the sony and nikon comparison and decide which is best


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_SShHCsuI94

 Claudio Miranda is a Chilean-born American cinematographer best known as the Academy Award winning director of cinematography on Ang Lee's film Life of pie.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ShHKXm92m-k

VDSLR(Video Digital Single-Lens Reflex) is especially designed for filming and video purpose with DSLR cameras and professional camcorders with corresponding mounts. Characteristic features of VDSLR include toothed gears compatible with follow focus systems and fluid aperture rings available in the film industry. Such modifications allow for extremely precise control over focus and aperture for video shooting. The Samyang VDSLR lenses offer the best optics with memorable experience and exceptional value to every videographer or photographer.
	8mm V-DSLR    Aperture Range (T-STOP) T3.8 ~T22 Exclusive Mount Canon EOS, Nikon, Sony, Sony-E, Four-thirds, Samsung NX
	14mm V-DSLR    Aperture Range (T-STOP) T3.1 ~T22 Exclusive Mount Canon EOS, Nikon, Sony, Sony-E, Four-thirds, Samsung NX
	35mm V-DSLR    Aperture Range (T-STOP) T1.5 ~T22 Exclusive Mont Canon EOS, Nikon, Sony, Sony-E, Four-thirds, Samsung NX
	24mm V-DSLR    Aperture Range (T-STOP) T1.5 ~ T22 Exclusive Mont Canon EOS, Nikon , Sony, Sony-E, Four-thirds, Samsung NX

The Ultimate EOS.
Canon has brought the best of the EOS-1D Series of digital cameras into one phenomenal model: the new flagship of the EOS line, the EOS-1D X. Its full-frame 18.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor and all-new Dual DIGIC 5+ Image Processors deliver high quality image capture at up to 12 fps (14 fps in Super High Speed Mode) and a powerful ISO range of 100 - 51200 (up to 204800 in H2 mode) provides sharp, low-noise images even in the dimmest low-light conditions. An all-new, 61-Point High-Density Reticular AF and 100,000-pixel RGB Metering Sensor that uses a dedicated DIGIC 4 Image Processor, makes the EOS-1D X reach new levels of focus speed and accuracy delivering advanced tracking even for the most challenging shooting situations. Taken all together, the EOS-1D X's improved HD video capture, numerous connectivity options, combination of processing power and durable construction, including shutter durability tested to 400,000 cycles, make it the ultimate EOS. 

In response to user requests, Canon has expanded the autofocus versatility of the EOS-1D X DSLR with Firmware Update Ver. 1.1.1. This update greatly enhances the sophisticated 61-point High Density Reticular AF System of the EOS-1D X DSLR. This firmware update adds two important autofocus capabilities: AF point illumination during AI Servo AF and cross-type AF support at f/8.

f/number

Definition: Setting of lens diaphragm that determines amount of light transmitted by lens. * Equal to focal length of lens divided by diameter of entrance pupil. * f/numbers are, for convenience and by convention, placed on a scale in which each standard f/number step (f/1, f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, f/32, f/45, f/64 and so on) represents a doubling in the amount of light transmitted e.g. f/4 transmits twice as much light as f/5.6; conversely, f/16 transmits a quarter of f/8. * Since f/number is usually calculated from simple physical dimensions, different lens designs, varying focus and the use of accessories may all affect the actual amount of light projected: one lens set to e.g. f/8 may not give quite the same exposure as another lens set to f/8.



T-number

Definition: f/number of a lens corrected for the light loss during transmission through the lens. * f/number of a perfectly transmitting lens which would give the same illuminance on the axis as that produced by the test lens. * Equals the f/number divided by the square root of transmittance (assuming a circular aperture) e.g. if transmittance is 50% (only half light entering system exits the system), square root of a half is 1/C2, so T-number is one stop more than the f/number, so a relative aperture of f/4 with transmittance 50% is a T/5.6 lens. * Also known as T-stop. Assuming the ideal The f/number of a lens is defined by simple geometry (one length divided by another) so it assumes that the lens passes all of the light entering it. But no lens does: each interface between media of different refractive indexes causes a loss. Modern lenses are amazingly efficient so losses are in practice very small and, at any rate, losses are automatically compensated by through-the-lens metering. T-numbers are important in film industry, where TTL metering is not common. 

Lines guide the viewer’s eye from one point to another through the photo. Look for lines that lead towards your main subject. Avoid lines that lead the viewer’s eye out of the photo. Remember, lines can be curved as well as straight

Don’t neglect the foreground in your photos. Make the foreground work for you. How do you do this? The best way is to make sure that there is something interesting to look at. The tricky part is finding something that’s interesting, but doesn’t compete with or distract attention from your main subject.

Your subject is the visual centre of your photo (it may not be positioned physically in the centre of the photo, but it’s the most important part of it). The elements around your subject, such as the foreground, should play a supporting role.

Negative space is the area around your subject. If this area is empty, like in the photo of the shell below, it’s called negative space because there’s very little in it. Negative space gives the subject room to breathe. It can also convey a sense of the subject’s environment.