Focusing in Low Light - Camera Reviews

Lately, it seems as if my camera is having more and more problems focusing correctly. We have recently come into a little bit of money, and now is the perfect time for me to buy a new camera and glass. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest, most of what I do is under low light conditions, something my Minolta has always had a problem with. So what I'm asking you all is, can you tell me what kind of cameras you've had experience with and what your opinion is of their ability to focus in low light situations.

sorry just noticing this.
My Nikons do really well in low light but not as good as the new Nikons.. [but six grand is a lot) The main trick to auto-focus in low light is getting enough light to the sensor. I carry a super bright LED flashlight (converted mag light) when I'm shooting in the dark with strobes. If I'm shooting with the f2.8 lens or the f1.8 it doesn't matter what the aperture is set to, the lens lets in more light.

I have shot with both the Sigma ex 70-200 f2.8 and the Nikkor 18-200 f3.5-5.6 both set at f8 in a slightly dim environment and the sigma focused faster. (I think its the speed of the lens not the brand)

So, erm, I guess I should just buy whatever camera I think is best (still deciding on whether a Canon on Nikon will be the one) and spend the rest of the, er,  $10,000 on glass. *runs*

Don't count out Sony in your considerations. A great price on a full frames sensor body, in camera stabilization, and Ziess glass.

I just read something that said my Minolta lenses won't be good for the a900 because they're not "full frame lenses".

Eh? What?

I wouldn't count on Sony going away anytime soon. They make the image sensors for Nikon and others, they teamed up with one of the absolute best lens companies in the world, and they have the photo background of Konica/Minolta in the fold with them. They may not be the powerhouses of Canon or Nikon anytime soon, but I think scare the bejezus out of them.

There's a few things I don't like about the Sony's, mainly their oddball hotshoe size, lack of fast glass, and a currently limited lens line-up. I see the last two problems changing in the next couple years. Why they can't get with the program on the hotshoe size with their Minolta holdover is beyond me. Sync cords are last line backup these days, and on camera flash just nukes things. People won't switch to a system just to save a couple hundred bucks on a camera body if they have to buy oddball radio triggers that may not be interchangeable with the other people they shoot with.

On the other hand, if your going to go with Canon might I suggest a used 5d if you can pry someone away from it, a 300 f2.8is with a 2x converter, 70-200 f2.8is, and a 24mm tilt-shift. Fill in the rest of the lens range to taste.

I guess I'm still confused. My Minolta is a 1.6 (I think), so the lenses are built for that format (I think). Wouldn't putting those lenses on a full frame camera create vignetting? Or am I waaaaaaaaay off base and confused as can be?

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh.