www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Further, don't forget the additional cashback from Sony, £30, £40 and £50 for A200, A300 and A350 respectively.

Mike,

Thanks for that information. Unfortunately the Jesspos Christmas discount offer seems to have finished. I now have my new camera and lenses. All I have to do now is learn how to use them!

David

Oh well, never mind. Did you buy before December 31st? If so you'll be eligible for the £40 Sony cashback. They may extend it anyway so it'll be a good idea to keep an eye out on the Sony UK website if you missed out.

Good news! I've just checked the Jessops website and the cashback has apparently been extended to 31st January. You have to download the PDF form from the Sony UK website and print it out. Fill it in and send it off with your receipt and the European guarantee document.

Apparently the 'bundle price' already includes the discount. At least that is what Jessops say. I will try ringing Sony and see if that is their view as well!

The cashback is directly from Sony and nothing to do with Jessops. Assuming you have the European guarantee document that proves it's not a grey import, and the deal has been extended as Jessops suggest it has, you should be able to claim it.
I bought my A700 last Spring when there was a cashback deal on it. I downloaded and printed the relevant cashback PDF form, filled it out and sent it to the Sony cashback address at Diss in Norfolk with the receipt, the European Guarantee document and a cover letter giving my name, address and who the cheque had to be paid to. I used recorded delivery to make sure it got there. It took a while for the cheque to be delivered, around six weeks I think, as it was a very popular deal.
You can call the Sony number: 01379 649 499 to check whether the deal is still current.

Well I've got my form and the Jessops site says the cash back offer has been extended to 31 January 2009. I shall send all the information off and see what happens!

I would call the Sony cashback number first. I didn't realise that the A300 is a Jessops exclusive when sold in the UK, which means they can get special deals. Maybe the guy you spoke to was right. The latest cashback form has been loaded at Sony Style and it doesn't include the A300 in the current deal that ends January 31st.
It's here: http://www.sony.co.uk/res/attachment/fi ... 487479.pdf
Sorry about that.

That's interesting that the new leaflet doesn't mention the A300. The one I downloaded from the Jessops site yesterday did! Jessops site today still says there is £40 cash back on the A300. Oh well I shall try ringing Sony tomorrow.

Thanks again for your advice.

I've been studying the Jessops sale of lenes and I'm sorry Eccles I bought a Canon dslr 1000d because the lens are so much cheaper and there seems to be more second hand lens about. The lens that I have bought are Sigma 28-300mm and a Sigma 18-50mm, a Manfrotto tripod and a cable release.

I can hardly understand the logic of that, Shirley, saying that Canon lenses are cheaper, then you go and buy Sigma lenses which are the same price in either mount. But you're right that there is a greater range of s/h lenses and other accessories for Canon than for Sony, so if you intend to buy OEM lenses in future then there is some justification to your decision. I'm sure you'll be very pleased with your purchase, so the best of luck with it.

The Sigma lens were different price depending on which camera you have, sometimes it was as much as £20.
Shirley

I saw a sigma 105mm for Canon mount and it cost more than a Sony mount, but I saw the results of using it on a Sony A700 and that gave very good results on butterflies. I never really liked Sony until I saw the results and it was good. I could say that would be a good lens for butterflies, and the results should be as good on A200, 300 or 350 cameras

Dave
Let's face facts here.

Shirley didn't want to upset Eccles by saying that, on reflection, she had found that the Sony is pants.
So she quickly came up with an excuse for changing her mind that would cause Eccles the least upset.

Well done Shirley, a very wise decision. Now you must go the whole hog and get the Sigma 150mm. Then you can take pictures as beautiful as Gruditch's!

Welcome to the Canonista.

Roger
(Grand Poobah of the Canonista)

I'm looking forward to taking nice photos of butterflies and birds. I have the camera but the lenes haven't arrived yet.
Question to anyone. All the ladies smock plants were underneath the frozen pond, is it likely that the chrysalis of the Orange Tip will be dead.
Shirley

Not sure I understand, Shirley. If you mean the pupa was underwater for a prolonged period of time, irrespective of freezing, then the answer would be "yes"

Cheers,

- Pete

Shirley Roulston wrote:I'm looking forward to taking nice photos of butterflies and birds. I have the camera but the lenes haven't arrived yet.
Question to anyone. All the ladies smock plants were underneath the frozen pond, is it likely that the chrysalis of the Orange Tip will be dead.
Shirley

well, if the pupae was under the water and the water was frozen on top, I could give a hight probablity it was dead, although, I did find a meadow brown pupae in an old watering can and it was in the bottom of it and the bottom of the can was full of water, but I did manage to save it and it hatched into a butterfly, but I can't recall how long the pupae had been there for, it only took a few hours before I saved it until the butterfly hatched though.

Shirley didn't want to upset Eccles by saying that, on reflection, she had found that the Sony is pants.
So she quickly came up with an excuse for changing her mind that would cause Eccles the least upset.

Naughty, naughty, Roger. I'm not biting.

However, you might like to see my current birding setup. It is image stabilised APS-C with 500mm autofocus lens, works a treat, produces fine images and there is no equivalent in any other mount. Period.

Nice 'fridge!

It's a Bosch, and before you say it, no it's not worth more than the camera and lens.

What a week! Got the camera but the lens came, one was damaged the other had the lens cap firmly stuck it had been cross threaded and several people tried to free it but alas it was stuck. Right on the table in front of me was a camera which was really quite complicated and heavy, two expensive lens. I was so cross that both lenes and the camera have gone back. Now I am back to my Panasonic and Kodak and feeling very relieved, Sorry Roger, I also didn't rise to your bait and I am not in the canista club. I'm in the Compact club . Hope your cold is better Eccles.