Purchase camera for Lens?

[mmerry]

I have an older Minolta Maxxum 400si 35mm film camera. I have two lens for it. The Minolta AF 35-70 and the Minolta AF 70-210. Are these decent lenses? I am going to purchase a digital slr camera and wondered if these lenses were worth choosing the Sony Alpha for? I have been considering the Canon Rebel (highly recommended by a friend) and the Sony Alpha (because of the lenses I already have). The Canon seems to get better reviews everywhere I read, but I would need to purchase lenses.

Most everything I read says that the lenses that come with either of those cameras are mediocre and most recommend Tamron lenses and a friend loves his Sigma lenses. I've been doing research on lenses also and there are such a variety my head is spinning. Are the $200 Tamron lenses good lenses or do you need to purchase the $500 lenses? I am a newby to Digital SLR and though I've had the above film camera it hasn't had much use since digital cameras came on the scene. I'm now ready to jump to DSLR and can't make up my mind. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Some things I'd like to photograph are: My kids sports, wildlife, landscapes, portraits (not professional, just of my kids), and Candid shots of family.
Thanks in advance!
mmerry

[coldrain]

There are several versions of 70-210 lenses from Minolta.
What version do you exactly have? They are relatively cheap lenses.

The F4 version is the most worthwile, but it is not an exceptional lens.

Both the XTi and the Sony A100 are good cameras, but image quality wise the Canon wins. Whether you should go for the Sont or the Canon should depend a bit on your budget.

Tamron makes a few good lenses, but nothing exceptional. Some just recommend Tamron all teh time, without any real basis to it.
It very much depends on particular lenses. The tamron Macro lenses are fine, for instance. But cheap Tamron lenses are nothing great.

A Tamron lens that gets a lot of attention lately is teh 17-50mm f2.8 Di II, but the Sigma 18-50 EX DC f2.8 Macro is probably a tad better for instance, is better built, and allows for closer focussing to the subject.

So... it is not easy to put a blanket statement about lens makes, it is easier to recommend lenses in certain categories or give advice about particular lenses.

If for instance you want a cheap tele zoom lens, the Sigma 70-300 f4-5.6 APO DG Macro is the lens to go for ($220), the Tamron 70-300's are not as good at all, especially at 300mm.
The best lens in this class is the Canon EF 70-300 f4-5.6 IS USM, which costs between $500 and $600, and includes image stabilization.

For best image quality, the XTi and either a Canon Ef 70-300 IS USM, Canon EF 70-200 f4 L USM ($650?) or Canon EF 70-200 f4 L IS USM ($1000?) would better a Sony A100 with your 70-210.

If you do not have the f4 version of that 70-210, a Sigma 70-300 APO DG will already be a better lens than the one you have now.

I am guessing you also do not have the f4 version of the 35-70, but the f3.5-5.6 version, since this was the 400si's kit lens. It is a cheap but nice lens, but quite sharp if you stop down a bit. What it misses is a wide end, the 1.5x crop factor will push it to 350 x 1.5 = 52.5 mm.
So you will need a wider lens too on the A100.

All in all, the lenses are not something very special.
If your budget is limitted right now, the Sony way may seem the best choice.
If you can afford 2 lenses with the XTi, that would be preferrable image quality wise, especially at ISO 400 and up.

[mmerry]

Thank you for the great response!! I don't know how to tell which lenses I have. The only numbers on the lens are as follows "Minolta AF Zoom 35-70mm 1:3.4(22)-4.5 49mm" and the other is "Minolta AF Zoom 70-210mm 1:4.5(22)-5.6 49mm."

If I were to consider the 8mp Canon Rebel which is $200 cheaper than the Xti(and at least one new lens with $$ saved) would the picture quality be better than the Sony (which is 10mp) with my lenses? I can't imagine printing too many large print pictures. Maybe a 10x13 on ocasion, but I think 8mp can handle that can't it? Picture quality is pretty important to me if I am going to spend the money, then I want to see nice pictures.

Is is better to invest more money in lenses and then plan to upgrade a camera body later?