Sony a57. Does the 'head' finally win?

I wrote in a previous post (here) about my desire to change systems and shake things up a bit in my photography. In that post, I concluded that my 'head' said I should go with a Sony a57, while my 'heart' really wanted the Fujifilm X-T20. And usually in these scenarios, my heart wins...

But not, I think, this time. This time, I might actually do the 'right' thing? I might actually go with the wiser option, and get the Sony a57. It's looking very likely...

Why is the a57 the wiser option? For a few reasons actually. First, if I did opt for the Fujifilm X-T20, then I would be purchasing the body only, and then having to source a lens elsewhere. For the money I would have left over after purchasing the more expensive X-T20 body, I could probably only afford the basic 16-50mm XC kit lens. So, in essence, I'd be trading in an Olympus E-M1 + grip, with 12-35mm f2.8, 40-150mm 4/4-5.6 and external flash - and getting an X-T20 with cheap kit lens as a replacement. Not very wise...

If, however, I opt for the Sony a57, then it already comes with a Sony 18-250mm super-zoom (not a stellar lens, but hey, better than nothing) for less than the price of the X-T20 body-only! I can probably also squeeze in a Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 as well, depending on how much they offer me for my Olympus gear. So that's an a57 body, with two lenses, for not much more than the X-T20 body on its own.

And it gets even better! Because, as I think I've previously mentioned, I already have a few stellar Minolta lenses just sitting here waiting to be used on a Sony a-mount body. Exotic lenses like a 16mm fisheye and 50mm macro. The 17-35mm f3.5 'landscape' lens. And a 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 Minolta power zoom. Add to these the aforementioned Sony 18-250mm and Tamron 70-300mm, and that's a pretty impressive line-up of glass! As opposed to the 16-50mm XC kit lens for the Fuji (sorry Fuji, no offence intended). 

So really the answer, in the end, is fairly obvious. I just have to go with the Sony a57. Especially if you also add in the fact that I still have a full-frame a99 on-loan, and can probably borrow even more glass to use with the Sony if and when I want.

The more I thought about it, the more my 'head' took over from my 'heart', the more complete and utter sense it made to go with the a57 over the X-T20. I was enamored by the Fuji because it has the 'newer' processor than was in my X-E2 - which means I could use grain settings and the Acros film simulation in-camera. Something I really wanted to be able to do on the X-E2 but couldn't.

But even then, the more I thought about that, the more nervous I became. Do I really want to go down the 'what film simulation will I use today' rabbit-hole!? It's fun - don't get me wrong. But I also found it a huge time-waster when I was using my Fuji's. It tied me up in knots more than once. My life is much simpler without film recipes to be programming.

And then there's the form-factor of the X-T20. It's small. Very small. Similar to the X-T1, but even smaller. And I really didn't like the X-T1. It was too small, too cramped, and I much prefer a more solid (larger) DLSR style camera. A lot like the a57...

The Sony a57, with its translucent mirror technology, also offers the best-of-both-worlds (as far as I'm concerned). DSLR-like handling, yet with mirrorless tech included - like the Tru-Finder evf. OK, so it's not the highest resolution evf you'll ever find, but it's an evf. And I like evf's. I love the ability to see changes in exposure through the viewfinder, in real time, with histogram overlays, levels, focus peaking - the whole works.

Yes, I've changed my mind. Or should I say, I've listened to my mind - and not my heart. If there is one thing that all photographers who have been doing this for a while agree on, it's that glass is king! Camera bodies come and go, but the glass is what makes the photo. Going 'cheaper' with the Sony a57 body makes perfect sense when you consider the lens lineup I already have access to. So it would seem that this time - finally - the 'head' has won.