My long cherished dream of learning photography seems to be on track. After much thought and deliberation, I have finally managed to get on to the SLR ladder, through an entry level Sony Alpha 200. Last Sunday, I finally walked into an Argos store and picked up the camera, which kits out with a 18mm-70mm lens. As of now, I have no plans to invest in any accessories, lens or filters, other than the minimum necessities of a Compact Flash card and a carry case.

I haven’t really had an opportunity to explore the Camera as I am still expecting delivery of the memory card from Play.com. However, the first impressions of the camera are outstanding. Complete technical specifications of the camera are listed on the Sony website here. In the past, I had been advised by a couple of friends that I should go for a Canon EOS 400D. But I have always had an inclination to Sony cameras as I have previously owned a Sony T5 Compact. Sony is a new entrant in the SLR market and they have had a fair bit of success with their Alpha range (Ever since they launched the Alpha 100, I had always contemplated buying one). Also, since their acquisition of the Camera & Photo division from Minolta in 2006, the SLR market is braced up for a slew of Sony Cameras.

In 2006, Sony announced their entry to the SLR market through the Konica-Minolta based Alpha 100. At that point of time the camera, though affordable for entry level photography, was a bit out of my budget (I vaguely remember it’s price in the £600 bracket). Subsequently, the company introduced Alpha 700 for advanced photography. In February 2008, Sony announced the extension of their Alpha range by introducing the Alpha 200 & Alpha 350. Alpha 200 is a slighlty modified version of an Alpha 100 and has had favourable reviews.

Considering that am off to Paris, Amsterdam and Athens this Saturday for the big Easter Weekend…it is an ideal time to brush up my basics in photography, before I take it to the next level. Expect to see some good pictures from my trip here…