When I set out to buy a digital SLR I was first looking at the Nikon D40 ($499) and the Canon Rebel XTi ($599). I was turned off by the D40 due to it's 6MP sensor and lack of JPEG (fine) + Raw capabilities. I ended up passing on the Canon Rebel XTI because of the complaints about the low-quality kit lens which would've added costs beyond it's initial price tag.
Looking in various photography forums I discovered the Sony Alpha being recommended to other people looking in the same price range I was. It had a 10.1MP sensor, a good lens and was in the same price range as the Rebel XTi. I'm really happy with the purchase. Picture quality is excellent with the kit lens (SAL-1870). I also purchased the SAL-55200 telephoto lens and it is also a very nice lens for the money.
The battery life on the camera is excellent. The auto-focus is super fast and delving into the manual a bit will reveal many powerful configuration options (I don't think a lot of the Nikon and Canon fans who are critical of this camera ever did that because I've seen claims made on forums that just aren't true).
Some of the myths I've heard:
*No Shutter Lock (not true, just set the camera to "Manual" mode)
*Limited and expensive lens selection (Sony has a pretty decent selection on it's own but this camera can also use many Konica-Minolta lenses dating all the way back to 1985).
*Can't use standard flashes (while the Alpha does have a proprietary hot shoe which is lame, there are good adapters out there.
Lack of live preview a problem (this comes up a lot and apparently these people have never shot film before. most professionals I know do not need or use live preview)
There are many Pros but some that stand out in particular for this class are:
*Great bundled software (usually bundled software just sits in the box but the programs that Sony's included are actually quite good)
*3200 ISO (this is extremely rare in a camera in this price range)
*In camera image stablization
*Dynamic Range Optimization
All in all this camera is actually more in the class of the Nikon D80 as far as image quality goes but at nearly half the price.
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