Lens suggestions for a digital slr camera?

I love the new Sony SLT a77. The reviews of it are amazing. It's a leap forward in camera technology and if you read the reviews out there you'll see that even some of the old fogies and canikon fans have been forced to admit it's awesome.

It uses an OLED electronic viewfinder which takes the best of the EVF they used in previous SLT models and amps it up to a whole new level. It gives you 100% coverage unlike optical viewfinders which are like looking down a tunnel. It also gains a ton in quality and performance over any other EVF out there.

The translucent mirror gives you fps in continuous shooting faster than any other DSLR out there even the top of the like canikons. Plus you get continuous autofocus during video and you can look through the viewfinder while recording video which you also can't do with any other DSLR brand out there ... only the Sony SLTs. The best part is the lenses .... Carl Zeiss with autofocus and some zooming Zeiss available too.

All the other Zeiss lenses for DSLRs are manual focus primes. That kit lens that comes with it on the link I'm going to give you is very nice ... but if you don't want it the body only is $400 cheaper but that lens is worth way more than that. The Zeiss I would suggest for you to start with is this one and it would make a nice complement to that kit lens: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SAL-1680Z-16-80mm-3-5-4-5-Vario-Sonnar/dp/B000JE5CKA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328941435&sr=8-1 This is a cheap lens for Sony that gets you results far beyond its price tag and it's well worth picking especially at the limited time discounted price: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Alpha-SAL35F18--mount-Angle/dp/B0042GHI8U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328941474&sr=8-1 Here's the camera on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Translucent-Mirror-Digital-16-50mm/dp/B005IHAIC0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328941447&sr=8-1 If you want the body only just click on the box that says "body only" at the top but I am telling you that kit is a sweet deal.

If you get all I showed you, you can have a lovely three lens setup to start you out within your budget. Btw, everyone on here is going to suggest the brand of camera they personally have an affinity for and try to convince you why it's better. I tried out all the major brands - Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Olympus and even Panasonic - and out of all that I tested I loved the Sony a77 best and those Zeiss lenses put me over the top.

You can also pick up some great used Minolta Maxxums that fit the a mount perfectly for chunk change. Some people who have never used an OLED electronic viewfinder will whine about that but as soon as I looked through it I was in love with it. You can even have levels, grids, aperture and shutter speed and ISO info right there in the viewfinder so you don't even have to use the LCD while shooting.

Hmm.. sharpness: http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/... http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/... both shot with the cheapest lenses nikon makes. A professional camera doesn't have auto mode, doesn't have scene modes, it just does what you tell it to and does so precisely. If you're an uninformed and untrained newbie then this will be an impressive exercise in frustration.

But hey, go ahead. That money buys you a gently used D3 and a 24-70 f2.8 with plenty left over for a flash or three.

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