Bestbuy: Sony A300 (Liveview) 2 Lens Kit $580

[Skipper]

Best Buy has, in their print ad (also viewable online) the DSLR Sony Alpha 300 + 2 kit lens (18-70, 70-300) for $580. This model has (a good) implementation of live view. Note that I can't find the package price for order on their website, but it is on the ad.

It is a great alternative to the Canon's that ppl may be looking at. Note that it does take all Minolta AF lenses, which includes some pretty nice glass. Also has a 2 year warranty.

Sigh... if only it was this price 6 months ago when I got my A200 pkg for the same price...

[mxz600]

anybody buying a DSLR and plan on using liveview.. your kidding yourself, just buy a point n shoot for 99$

Live view slows the dslr to PnS speeds which defeits the purpose of DSLR. Novilty marketing ploy for people to upgrade to DSLR's from PnS

[Maro15]

anybody buying a DSLR and plan on using liveview.. your kidding yourself, just buy a point n shoot for 99$

Live view slows the dslr to PnS speeds which defeits the purpose of DSLR. Novilty marketing ploy for people to upgrade to DSLR's from PnS

How (and what??) does it slow down?

While this might be indeed a selling point for people used to P&S, adding a live view on a screen that you can tilt enables one to easily shoot from uncommon positions, such as mini-tripod on the ground or shooting from above the head (concerts?). I agree though, that for first-time SLR user it might boil down to P&S in auto mode.

EDIT: If anyone doesn't need the live view, BLACKs has Sony A200 on sale for $450. The Sony 75-300 Lens is also on sale for $130. Funny how at BLACKs A200+75-300 costs as much as A300+75-300 at BestBuy... Personally I'd get A200 and save the $130 to get some better lens than the Sony's 75-300, as I don't want live view.

[minilarkie]

Sony Liveview is very good. Compare to Cannon.

[Viper98]

anybody buying a DSLR and plan on using liveview.. your kidding yourself, just buy a point n shoot for 99$

Live view slows the dslr to PnS speeds which defeits the purpose of DSLR. Novilty marketing ploy for people to upgrade to DSLR's from PnS

actually the sony alpha SLR's have live view that is just as good as any P&S and substantially better than any other SLR

[deppiz]

Best Buy has, in their print ad (also viewable online) the DSLR Sony Alpha 300 + 2 kit lens (18-70, 70-300) for $580. This model has (a good) implementation of live view. Note that I can't find the package price for order on their website, but it is on the ad.

It is a great alternative to the Canon's that ppl may be looking at. Note that it does take all Minolta AF lenses, which includes some pretty nice glass. Also has a 2 year warranty.

Sigh... if only it was this price 6 months ago when I got my A200 pkg for the same price...

Just bought it yesterday, no regret! Truely impressed.... Same price can't even get a Canon Xsi...

[Stabilo7]

I got the A200 because I didn't really like the a300/a350 viewfinder. It is smaller than the A200. The Liveview is nice, but for a dslr, you should be relying on it anyways.

[KorruptioN]

anybody buying a DSLR and plan on using liveview.. your kidding yourself, just buy a point n shoot for 99$

Live view slows the dslr to PnS speeds which defeits the purpose of DSLR. Novilty marketing ploy for people to upgrade to DSLR's from PnS

Get a clue. Sony's live-view implementation is by far the best for the average consumer. It is miles ahead of any other manufacturer in terms of speed, because it uses the fast phase-detect AF system, rather than the slow contrast-detect system everybody else uses.

[lorenzo1000]

Try this link:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodde...88&catid=20222

[Rx-87]

too bad FS doesn't sell this.. so no price match

=(

Clever FS.. in not stocking the A300.. but only the A200 & A350

[jumoyolin]

Get a clue. Sony's live-view implementation is by far the best for the average consumer. It is miles ahead of any other manufacturer in terms of speed, because it uses the fast phase-detect AF system, rather than the slow contrast-detect system everybody else uses.

Exactly, its by far the best live-view system out there.
Doesn't even have to flip the mirror, unlike other DSLRs which uses the sensor for live-view which is like a point-n-shoot.

Just check the bottom of this page @ dpreview:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydslra350/page9.asp

[bluga]

anybody buying a DSLR and plan on using liveview.. your kidding yourself, just buy a point n shoot for 99$

Live view slows the dslr to PnS speeds which defeits the purpose of DSLR. Novilty marketing ploy for people to upgrade to DSLR's from PnS

True if you use Canon, Nikon, Olympus....etc.

However Sony's live-view is ultra FAST, it performs just like an DLSR.

[night_day]

It's just a stupid comment in general. There is always situations where live view is useful. Certain angles where you can't see the viewfinder, etc. It's a good feature even for 1 off shots. I hate camera snobs

[lewdvig]

Poor Sony and their memory cards. I love these cams but hate CF.

A SD card would be better, in my case (probably rare) even a MS would have been better.

[deppiz]

Poor Sony and their memory cards. I love these cams but hate CF.

A SD card would be better, in my case (probably rare) even a MS would have been better.

There's DUO/CF adaptor as well as SDHC/CF adaptor.