Coming full circle back to this thread, I used the Sony A100 DSLR all year and just as I was starting to get the hang of it and really producing some nice results, I tripped over the tripod (camera attached) and down it went. Of course, it hit right on the corner where all of the technology resides. Hubby fooled with it and it still works, but the frame sensor is all screwed up. When I look in the view finder, that is not what comes out on the display screen.
Because of this, I have to bracket in order to get in frame. When I am at home it is no biggie, but when I am trying to photograph for the judging center it is a lot of pressure.
So after 3 months of trying to make it work, I decided to upgrade. I found a nice deal on eBay for a Nikon D5200 that had less than 5 shutter clicks. Standard kit lens Nikkor 18-55mm. Plus it had a 32GB SD card, wireless remote, wireless adapter, extra battery, and the Nikon D5200 field manual. $450 and included a case as well.
I decided on the Nikon instead of the Pentax because of the price and lens availability for the price. I love Pentax, but the Nikon was so significantly less expensive for very close in the quality based on reviews. I am hopeful that the Nikon is more user friendly than the Sony.
I looked at the Sony A300 first and decided against it because of the extreme proprietary nature of Sony. This really limits the lens availability. We will keep the A100 as a backup for now, but likely I will list it for parts on eBay at some point in the future.
I have looked into the macro lenses for the Nikon and there are many reviews. Not sure yet what I will get. I want to see what the limits are on the 18-55mm lens. I hope that I have made a good choice. It should arrive on Wednesday.
