Sony A330??

[andrew.abercrombie88]

What accesories are available for this DSLR??

I have a A330 with 18-55mm lens kit. I also have a Minolta 70-210mm lens.

[DonSchap]

Originally Posted by andrew.abercrombie88

What accesories are available for this DSLR??

I have a A330 with 18-55mm lens kit. I also have a Minolta 70-210mm lens.

If you are interested in accessorizing your DSLR ... get a DSLR that is at least worth doing it to.

Look more toward an A500/A550/A700/A850/A900 ... NOT an introductory camera. If you are looking to spend money, at least put it where it will do some good. Why insist on being crippled from the get-go?

[andrew.abercrombie88]

Umm...thx for the feedback but i LOVE my 330, i love the tilt LCD it is very helpful for me. I am also on a very limited budget this is why i don't have a high priced one. My Minolta lens i got on ebay for $60. It sounds like you are not interested in helping me and are only intent on bringing me down for having an "introductory" DSLR.

[BryanC]

Originally Posted by andrew.abercrombie88

Umm...thx for the feedback but i LOVE my 330, i love the tilt LCD it is very helpful for me. I am also on a very limited budget this is why i don't have a high priced one. My Minolta lens i got on ebay for $60. It sounds like you are not interested in helping me and are only intent on bringing me down for having an "introductory" DSLR.

I'll have to agree, it was a pretty ignorant reply. Don't take it as the normal attitude on this site, though. As for accessories...lenses, flash/strobe, remotes, straps, etc...are there particular things that you are interested in? It all depends on what kinds of photography, what kinds of images you are looking to achieve. If your just starting out with a DSLR, it looks like your lenses have a decent range covered. Concentrate on learning the camera and it's settings, and what they do. Practice composition and things of that nature. You have the equipment right now to learn and better your photography skills. When it comes to a point that you are being held back because of equipment or accessories, you'll know it. If you have any other questions, don't let the above reply discourage you. Ask away...there are plenty of members here more than willing to help.

[DonSchap]

close to being done, yet. I just had a few OTHER things to do.

My advice, for what it is worth, is if you really, really want to spend money on accessories, SONY is absolutely, without question, the right bunch to do it with. Their proprietary, high-priced line of accessories should keep your wallet well-drained for quite some time. But, if you think you have SAVED money by just buying a cheaper DSLR, you have only fooled yourself. Anyone supporting such a rather limited position is also in ERROR. This is not a put down of intro-DSLR cameras ...but, if you have money to burn ... instead of buying silly, no-value-added accessories, I contend that you would be FAR better off by investing this extra coin in a better base-level DSLR ... and quit making imprudent overtures by, quite literally, putting "lipstick on a pig."

lipstick-on-a-pig.jpg

I have been at this long enough to know exactly what I mean and say, thank you very much. It may not be the most popular thing in the world, but the REAL truth rarely is.

If you are on limited funds, the intro-DSLR may be your only choice to get yourself started. On the other hand, if you actually have a bit of serious 'coin' to add to it (otherwise known as "accessory money" ... just rebox and return the intro-camera ... add this "accessory money" that is apparently burning a hole in your pocket to its refund price ... and get yourself the better, upscale model camera. The price-delta is not that wide. Your photography will ultimately thank you for it. As for me, there's no money in this advice for me ... it is just some cautionary advice. Take it or leave it ... I figure, in for a penny, in for a pound.

I am going assume you have already made your call, though, and are sticking with it.

Anyway, here's to hoping and "Good Luck" with your "step-up" DSLR ... next time.


And you can be sure I do not know much about accessories ... (psst - if you need a shopping list, knock yourself out and check out My Gear List, below.)

[Sime]

Don, the fellow already has a 330... So going on about getting a different camera isn't helpful at all... I know you have everything that Sony has ever made, but in this case you're not really helping...

If YOU had a 330 and wanted to buy an accessory for it, what would it be?

[Billy27]

I guess, according to some, I'm worse off than you. I only have an A200.
But I went out and picked up somethings to help me learn better.
The best investment, so far, was in getting a 50mm lens. Really helps you learn basic skills you need to take better photos.
Also picked up a good external flash. Sometimes you just need it.
Another great investment is more memory and an extra battery or two so you can get out there and shoot, shoot, shoot. Practice makes perfect.

And just a comment, some of us are only able to afford basic DSLR's and after we've gotten to know them(cameras) and want to expand our abilities, we can't afford to go out and plop down another small fortune on a better camera, so we try to get what we can out of as little as we can afford. For some of us a couple of hundred bucks is a big thing.

[andrew.abercrombie88]

Originally Posted by billy27

and just a comment, some of us are only able to afford basic dslr's and after we've gotten to know them(cameras) and want to expand our abilities, we can't afford to go out and plop down another small fortune on a better camera, so we try to get what we can out of as little as we can afford. For some of us a couple of hundred bucks is a big thing.

amen brother!

[DonSchap]

Originally Posted by Sime™

Don, the fellow already has a 330... So going on about getting a different camera isn't helpful at all... I know you have everything that Sony has ever made, but in this case you're not really helping...

If YOU had a 330 and wanted to buy an accessory for it, what would it be?

I did not mean to be elitist in this posting and I apologize if I came off that way. What I have been trying to convey is IFyou have money to toss at a brand new DSLR camera you bought ... just for accessories, use that money to buy a better DSLR instead.

I can only HOPE that some people might read this as kind of "thought-provoker" BEFORE they plunk down the cash for the intro-DSLRs. For just a little more $, you can get a whole lot richer experience out of the "next-level" of camera.

Basically, stepping up to an a700 puts a whole lot more "usable" camera (e.g., better ISO control and shutter speed options) in your hands than trying to force an a2xx or a3xx series DSLR to try and solve your image solution. The cost is, as you mentioned, a couple hundred, but the difference in overall performance is truly remarkable. I am assuming you have this EXTRA couple of hundred for those accessories.

Stepping back from the conflict, I can offer this "generic" advice for a short term solution to basic photography:

Lens: The best one lens solution for the SONY DSLRs (non-a850/a900) is the TAMRON AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di-II LD Aspherical (IF)

Second lens to accompany the 18-250, for low-light and MACRO shots (best of both worlds in one lens):
TAMRON SP AF 60mm f/2 Di-II LD 1:1 MACRO

Flash: Start off with an SONY HVL-F42AM and if you choose an additional one, make it an SONY HVL-F58AM.

This is the killer starter package for any APS-C sensor camera. If you had to give a gift, this would get the ball seriously rolling.

I hope this helps, in spite of the advice to get a better foundation camera.

For a bit more on accessories ... go to this posting and enjoy a decent and informative read. A bit more time was spent putting it together for just this purpose.

If you want advice, do not condemn it when it is given. I came here to help. Anything less is silly.

@ SIME - BTW: If you really take a few moments and go down My Gear List, you will actually note that I really do not have all that much "SONY" equipment. I have A-mount lenses, of course ... but, the bulk of my gear (~80%) does not have a "SONY" label on it. I know how to spend my money reasonably and still get what I want from the gear, but there are minimum standards to everything if you want some level of image quality back from the equipment. That certainly does not mean it has to say "SONY" to get it. In fact, there are some SONY-elements I would never elect to shoot through.

One of the main reasons I put up such a thorough GEAR LIST was to keep track of what I had, so when I went shopping, I always had my list available, quickly, right on the Internet. Then there were questions about what I was shooting with, and the settings, so the GEAR LIST took care of a lot of that, too. There is nothing worse than coming home and finding that you already have something in your bag that you just bought ... AGAIN! Or ... that the specifications are so close ... it is effectively the SAME thing. It is just handy to have from time to time. Do not deny me a bit of convenience.

I would also suppose that OTHERS might just find it helpful/useful when they need clarification of something discussed, also. There is a lot of good info on that page.

But, I digress ...

@ andrew ... don't take any time to bother thanking me for all the supportive information. It is just a common courtesy that I extend, despite my overindulgence in my hobby.

[Drakeprimeone]

This is a bit of a late reply but here are my suggestions. If you are looking at accessories other than expensive lenses, you may want to work on getting filters. Even if you upgrade your camera the filters are still usable. I too have an a330, and while its an intro camera it was right within my budget. My best friend works for sony and I ended up getting the a330 with the 55-200mm lense included at a substantial discount.