P13

Look at lenses not cameras.

Sony Alpha Cameras have lens compatibility right back through to Minolta.

That goes a long way when you are setting up. As the older Minolta lenses are superb.

Something like the Sony A58 (older 20Mp DLSR) can be had for £200 ish.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-Alpha-SLT-A58-20-4MP-Digital-SLR-SLT-Camera/352664138790?epid=144298956&hash=item521c6bb426:g:~8cAAOSwD4Nc2sbm&frcectupt=true

A set of minolta primes can be had very cheap to go with that.

28mm £45.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Minolta-AF-Lens-28mm-f-2-8-Wide-Angle-Lens-for-Sony-A-Mount/123773294118?hash=item1cd1769626:g:xToAAOSw-oJc4YEM&frcectupt=true

 

50mm £52
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Minolta-50mm-F-1-7-AF-Prime-Lens-Sony-for-SLR-SLT-A99-A77-A68-A58-A57-A33-A350/222694478466?epid=102490794&hash=item33d9a01282&enc=AQADAAADAFjVrDbVsZ8oH%2F8PNHtt9VX4%2Fw7FZcmMuqsX8uaFEduVTcHA53AoRgXU6SNai0pRzzrXf9Y1Rf5TqHHtybi4RwzQEZaqefQMnm1wLyH5CVFwQUfp%2FJPjOIGbrFizEciEh4bIZT6UPSFekNvA5o%2FAJjfg1HxzqVkibNe%2FJJwgKmUtPP%2BFCyRhkdpEJpeWGGWTArAy%2Ft9u4XpCruKnBYc9Mg9Y%2FT4ZqWhUFU%2BKbGWgR4N8mtVttTYyPOC5eOlj91HBgaZbJrIpAOQyc0j2GzRokj3xxOwuuqC%2BB7ofGB20Kf5kKrjzNj%2F8aUa031ugCBqatBOIaPYpEVzvpQ3Mg%2BoEBKYoc9PPuYm1j9NLgFFIncS5Hma4bpDJToOwmgo9JppMGKwt%2BEFcQWvNBiPjccSGgx3nXZjZu7ER26SPYN23KiHm07b5JAMMi7ZNRkjJIs7lzFcmEfZS55NUeovp%2FTsDNEqZp%2B2v7aTUYWU7Ai%2BgoZ0WpVnB5UZBjKajBgPBi8ZOtootJQYkDTsirG7v4xZ61pv27ZSg6fDFd3RtpHNiFJc7YWG%2BkOwhiZGnpzJOWOh8djj3JL3xmRNch3jGhZ1UWJqxtwp%2BskXS3GWy6jlxedDrCrZs%2BkJtvoavFHkUqktPFw1jBq1EjFgjt6Y%2FSoXxqFdsyH8zIOG%2BVB269jS6w%2BX1V7BNuNNz4ghfuSRtE5DXbvnAy2nDAcNXBiSRPgoB04EGEjmljMAZkEDVH6v3Vg8R7QITByWZf1%2FMRrcVW6x3%2FxRGt8xnddRTuyA%2BdtXH%2FSNXxiVN3Yr6XKYF5Ae3T4PVP7g5CzGm%2FH9wtgv%2ByaedeveIhx4fqFOHO2uAttJFD12L%2FQTjvoMWXE%2BDnEsyzmCXQKkJOppdYJfROPYNlcPgZ5qkyjzGbayeAM7gVoToPtaEBKunD0ilX3zdVr23oFX12zYtJwNZud%2B2uLiFGvtAJF%2BP5Bd4mJDPjuINRlOqVNINxzERi6rmYDaUIzaXlUrwQO4I9VTdvepuPu0fJU5K6Q%3D%3D&checksum=2226944784662578b07458d340f2a0288ead983e3b6a&frcectupt=true

Those prime lenses are absolutely stunning lenses.

Perfect for portraits, Landscapes, and close up nature photography like flowers.

Absolutely useless for zoom as they only have 1 fixed focal range.

Wide open they will blur a background extremely well. Stopped up there sharp as anything else on the market.

Very very versatile, And perfect for learning photography with.


Look at how much the lenses are for the system you are looking at first. The lenses make the camera good. If you can't get cheap glass that works well then you will be having to make compromises all the time.


Another Key feature is image stabilisation. If it's on the camera body rather than the lenses then your old glass will function like modern glass. Sony put image stabilisation on the body. Nikon put it on the lenses.

Wow thank you for the detailed response, that camera looks almost perfect. 

But i I like the idea of the fully articulated screen as seen on the g3/5. 

Also like the mic mic input on the Sony you’ve recommended. 

Hmmm decisions decisions 

The Sony a58 has some screen articulation. It doesn't pull to the side and spin round for selfies. But it does pull out for it you want to take pictures at ground level, or from waist height standing.

For video the screen articulation might be nice, but for regular camera pictures, you will be looking through the viewfinder. It's digital on the A58 like a little screen inside the viewfinder. It's not like a regular viewfinder, there is a lot more information regarding the image, and because it's a screen it's backlit so when you use the A58 at night you can actually see through the viewfinder. A regular DLSR viewfinder generally just looks black when taking pictures at night and you have to revert to using the rear screen.

Another tool that might help you is the Dyxum lens database.

https://www.dyxum.com/lenses/results.asp?chbLensType=3

Just about every lens for the Minolta/Sony A mount is reviewed in it. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of older lenses.

https://www.dyxum.com/lenses/Minolta-AF-28mm-F2.8_lens12.html

https://www.dyxum.com/lenses/Minolta-AF-50mm-F1.7_lens17.html

 

There the reviews for the 2 primes I listed above.