Sony Alpha DSLR-A700

Great camera if you take the time to get to know it. If you are looking for an easy step-up from a point and shoot camera, there are cheaper options out there that will give you the results you are looking for. If you like to do fine adjustments and want to take the time to get a shot just right, this is a great tool for you.

Many have knocked this camera at first glance, trying to use it at it's most basic defaults. At these settings, the results are a little lackluster. However, making a few adjustments either in camera, or when processing the RAW files, and you'll see that this camera stands up well to others in it's price bracket, doing some things better, and others just different.

Late bonus, due to firmware upgrades (v4), better exposure bracketing and high ISO Noise reduction changes make for even better image quality from 1600 on up...

Works with most all modern A-Mount AF lenses built for the Minolta / Konica-Minolta and now Sony cameras. Adapters available for easy use of older manual m42 lenses as well as the MD mount lenses from Minolta, but of course these are not automatic in any way.

All lenses are stabilized thanks to Sony's built in "Super Steady Shot". It works! When other brands need to raise ISO to get a sharp shot on a long lens in low light, you won't. Yes, even that Pentax / Asahi Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 manual focus lens can be used at less than 1/8s speeds handheld with sharp results..

DRO - Sony's Dynamic Range Optimization works great at balancing out extremely high contrast shots that might loose detail on other cameras.

5.0 Frames per second bursts with large buffers allowing 11 to 100+ frames before slowdown, depending on settings and CF card used...

Class leading AF speed in good to average light with an in body focus motor. Even better results with newer SSM (motorized) lenses from Sony and soon from Tamron.

New Carl Zeiss lenses to bring out the best detail and color accuracy in any camera. As good if not better than any other "Pro" level glass for Canon, Nikon, or other...

Great menu/button system allowing quick access to most any features you'll need to change on the fly..

CF card & Memory Stick slots so you can have a backup memory card in at all times in case you run out of room, and don't have time to swap cards.

Slow AF in bad light with average lenses... Good lense (f2.8 or better) no problems..

Not the strongest in-store support yet - Working on it, but not there yet.

Not all lenses from all 3rd parties are made for Sony yet.

VERY High ISO (3200+) just isn't quite up to the results the latest offerings from Nikon and Canon currently offer.

Default Jpeg settings are "soft", most users will want to add some in camera sharpening and shoot in Vivid or Landscape modes to get the "pop" they are used to seeing in other cameras.

General bias against Sony by many due to their consumer electronics background, unfairly dismissing the Minolta heritage they acquired when they took over the camera business from Konica-Minolta.

Owned: Sony A100, Minolta Maxxum 600si, 7xi, various point and shoots...
Tested: Canon 5d, Digital Rebels; Nikon D3 & D300

Poor knowledge at SonyStyle stores last year, better this year.
Until recently, getting any kind of serious support in high end photography stores was difficult due to the Sony name, but this is getting better now, especially with the A900 release.

I origionally learned to shoot on some old Canon film bodies back about 13 years ago. I always hated shooting on film though because I was a poor student at the time and all my experiements usually just ended up costing me money in materials for no satisfactory results. The handling of my equipment always got in my way too. As I moved along, I got to borrow a friend's Minolta 7 and several great lenses, and I fell in love with the Minolta glass.

Fast forward to 5 years ago, and I started shooting digital. I loved the flexability and the fact that I could try anything without wasting money (though I have more to waste now too!) and I could see my composition, lighting, and shot planning skills growing much more rapidly. I bought a top of the line bridge cam (F-828) and kept picking up friends SLR's looking for the 'right one' at the right price. Canon blew the doors off the price barrier with the 300D Rebel, and I shot with one for a time but hated the super cheap build, the terrible control layout, and just about everything else about it. I remembered the Minolta lenses, but at the time the 7D was too much for me and rumors were real strong that they were going under. Years slipped by, I used a 20D, I used a D200, I checked out Olympus and Pentax in the store. Nothing fit me, but I was interested to see Sony buy out Minolta. The A100 was interesting, but still not 100% what I wanted.

Then came the A700. It is a fantastic tool, fast, efficient, and infinitely more rugged than anything else. It has dedicated buttons for every possible shooting parameter that I could possibly need to adjust when out shooting events or concerts. It has fantastic dynamic range, and if I just want JPEG, the DRO system does things I cannot manage in photoshop (Those that complain about noise likely have their DRO settings to high since it effectively boosts ISO on a per-pixel basis). With a cRAW file, results are definitely as good as your skill will allow you to capture. As for build, I actually feel that Sony seriously under-rates it's level of sealing. I have had it out in the waterfalls of Havasupai, in the splash and surf off Mexico, bouncing along on 4x4 trips throughout the desert, and taking knocks and spilling beer at concert venues all around. No, it isn't water-proof, but I would call it as splash proof as any other SLR out there.

When it comes to image quality, it definitely shines. True, there isn't much practical difference in IQ between any of the brands, but I do think some make you fight against their programing more than others. In most situations, with just a couple quick button presses, the A700 will adapt and match your requirements and not look back. Logical, simple, and very transparent are the best descriptions of it's overall interface. The stunning screen makes image review instant, sure, and clear. The only fault of the screen at all is a slight yellow tint in bright light. Even non-photographer friends pick the camera up, and without reading a single manual page, are promptly taking great photos and figuring out what they need to change. Enough cannot be said about clear big, ergonomic controls and very fast performance. If you don't want to be waiting for shutter lag, want to fire off 5FPS indefinitely, flip through a couple hundred images, and want to offload several gigabytes of imagines in just a couple minutes, you will be hard pressed to find another camera capable of these speeds under $1900. I am very happy to never be waiting on my camera again.

But an SLR is more than just a single body, it's the brain of a system. If that's the case, the glass is the heart. True, Sony is behind for the moment. Canon, Nikon have had how many years? What Sony does have so far though is good solid stuff, and there is such a wealth of great Minolta glass out there to tide one over as more and more Sony lenses become available. Shortly after buying my body, it had only taken me 1 month and $200 to build a lens kit that covers 24-70MM at F2.8 or faster, 70-210 at F4, and 210-300 at F5-5.6. 5 great lenses, much speed, and very little cost to allow me to shoot, while I save and watch more of that fantastic Zeiss glass start to come on out. Canon and Nikon might be the biggest, most complete at the moment, but I am glad to be riding an upward trend.

Great IQ up to ISO 800, very acceptable at 1600, still better DR and color despite the noise at ISO 3200 compared to the competition

Very robust, durrable build that so far has taken very rough treatment with only a few scratches.

Very fast, intuitive interface that allows for changing anything quickly, and most things without taking one's eye off the viewfinder.

Very effective stabilization on each and every lens you ever buy, from the most expensive pro glass, to the lowly little $5 manual lens.

Great ergonomics; the body curves in such a way that most hand sizes/types have enjoyed holding it so far.

Wireless flash with Sony or Minolta units! It is so nice not to have to keep track of extra triggers, remotes, poppers, or anything else. If you want a fast and light wireless strobe set, Sony comes straight out of the box on all bodies/units.

One of the best exposure systems I have used over the years.

DRO works incredibly well for those wide DR range scenes and it's effects take a whole lot of work to attempt to duplicate, so it's great for those shots that need to be good, but you might not have enough time to process by hand.

Fast AF that tracks well, and is more accurate than most other cams I have used.

Less than steller means to access to the three user definable settings sets.

ISO only displayed in VF during changing, so it is possible to forget one's setting at a critical moment.

Twin memory cards cannot be used at the same time (i.e. no RAW on one while JPEG on another or automatic backup between cards)

Slight glitch that eye sensor wakes camera up too easily

Canon 300D (Rebel)
Canon 20D
Canon 40D
Nikon D80
Nikon D200
Sony A100
Sony F828
Minolta 7
Minolta 430si
Canon AE-1
Canon AF Rebel (film)

I bought a Canon 5D 12 months ago and although it produces impressive pictures, I found a significant proportion of my pictures were blurred or out of focus, far more than I experienced with mr Canon film cameras. This was mainly down to camera shake on my part I think - though I did think the focusing was idiosyncratic too. Also, I found myself not carrying my 5D around as it was a heavy camera with the 24-105mm lens attached.

I started to look for a smaller and lighter camera - comfort was a major issue as was the quality of the LCD as the 5D's LCD was frankly poor - very hard to tell if something was sharply focused or the appropriate colour. I tried out the following:
Pentax K20 - didn't like the focusing system or the viewfinder, but otherwise impressed with the camera, bit on the weighty side and not super comfortable in the hand. Also, it's not a Nikon or Canon which is attractive given their saturation of the market!
Nikon D80 - very uncomfortably for me, as with the D300 the thumb rest digs right into the lower joint of my thumb making it hard to hold firmly, I also didn't like the reversal of the focus and zoom rings on their lenses (focus at the back, zoom at the front).
Nikon D300 - very cool camera, but almost 100g heavier than the 5D!
Canon 40D - very similar to the 5D in terms of size, weight and shape. Comfortable but heavy. Nice big viewfinder, very impressive large information in the viewfinder too, compatible with my existing lenses. But it's a Canon (I have an aversion to monopolies or duopolies!) and with their quality 17-80 lens it was going to weigh little less than the 5D.
Olympus 510 - brilliant size, weight and comfort, good kit lens. I don't like the 4/3rds system (no rational reason really, but don't like 4/3 size, and smaller sensor just can't be better as I found with comparisons to the 5D).
Sony A700 - instant comfort - brilliant grip and contours, half a kilo lighter than the Canon, large and bright viewfinder etc. I took some shops in store and was impressed. What really convinced me was of a shot taken of someone walking past outside - it was clear and sharp, even his cigarette tip. I have no doubt my 5D would not have captured this sharply (mainly due to me) - the A700 was just faster to use to capture the shot.

I bought an A700 with a Carl Zeiss 16-80 lens (got a very good deal and with the rebate paid about £1,000) and have used it for a couple of weeks and overall I am very happy - I use it far more than the 5D as it is light and small and easy to carry. On the downside, the picture quality is not as good as the 5D especially at high ISOs where the Sony is noticeably grainy.

Overall it is an excellent camera if you shoot at low ISOs, mainly shoot outdoors and want something light and compact to carry all day.

- Lightweight and small compared to others in class, looks like a bridge camera compared to my friend's Nikon D3!
- Very nice ergonomics and comfort in the hand. Easy to hold very tight with very little camera wobble compared to the 5D which was front-heavy and less easy to hold still.
- Brilliant LCD, easy to check colour accuracy and sharpness - don't even need to zoom to check focus. Miles ahead of Canon here. (As an aside the 5D pics through the Sony LCD look stunning - Canon's failure to provide a <1m pixel LCD is a mistake - it makes a HUGE difference to my digital photography experience).
- Carl Zeiss lens is lightweight and small too, with a very useful range.
- Very bright and large viewfinder - which is so important and put me off Canon's 20D a few year's ago which has a small, pokey viewfinder.
- Anti-shake device is superb, makes a huge difference and in my view is better than the lens version with Canon. It applies to all lenses which is a major benefit over the Nikon and Canon versions too.
- I love the shake level meter in the viewfinder window. It is brilliant and almost on its own has made me a convert to the A700. A little chart fluctuates depending on camera shake, so you wait until the chart drops and then take the picture - it is so helpful.
- White balance settings have 7 variable settings (-3, 0, +3) which is very helpful in overcast days (for instance) which fluctuate from bright to very gloomy.
- Lovely menu system, easier and quicker than Canon and up there with Nikon's which is also lovely to use. Olympus really needs to take note, as their menus are cluttered and ugly and one reason I steered clear of their system. Sony's menus just look "cool" and are a pleasure to navigate.
- Dedicated ISO, drive, WB and exposure buttons is very quick and useful, all are large and easy to press and can be used without even taking one's eye away from the viewfinder. The Canon has buttons with 2 functions, each button is very small and they are all close together in a row. Sony's design is far superior and I don't miss the top LCD screen at all - big buttons are more helpful!
- Compressed RAW looks as good as RAW but takes less space and time.
- Outdoor shots are very sharp, very colourful and contrasty. I mainly take travel and outdoor pics so this camera really suits my style and needs.

- Picture quality and resolution is not up to Canon 5D standards. (I appreciate they are not like-for-like cameras or in the same class, and the 5D is full frame etc, but it is 3+ years old and would have expected IQ to have improved to match the 5D by now) I should add that at low ISOs (200 or below) and shooting RAW or cRAW the Sony output is almost as good as the Canon, which when coupled with the Sony's size, weight, LCD and anti-shake device is enough for me.
- Where the Sony suffers is at higher ISOs. At 800 the 5D has almost zero grain or noise whereas the Sony, to me, is very noisy in the shadows and darkers areas of the pic. The comparable ISO in the Canon is probably 1,600 to the Sony's 800. A lot of reviews rave about Sony's lack of noise, but I have perhaps been spoiled with the Canon 5D, as it really cannot compare to the Canon. If you mainly shoot indoors or in low light, this may not be the right camera for you.
- Poor dedicated range of lenses. Not as many lenses as available for Canon and not the same quality either in terms of build and glass. Too many of the Sony lenses I have read about have had poor reviews. No problems if you have Minolta glass.
- Too few Sony lenses have USM/HSM/SSM etc motors. The Zeiss lens is quick but not as quick as my Canon lenses with USM motors. More importantly the Zeiss lens is very "squeaky" in use - when going from completely out of focus to focus there is an audible whirr and squeak as it is not an SSM lens. Only the high-end telephotos have SSM and I think that is a mistake, a quick quiet lens shouldn't be a luxury. Also, many of the Sigma lenses don't have HSM while they do for Canon and Nikon mounts making them also loud and slower.
- WB under artifical light is poor - very orange cast and even with the parameters being changed, is still inaccurate.
- There is no ISO reading in the viewfinder info bar which would be helpful and is standard at this level of DSLR.
- The AEL button is very raised from the body, as a result, when pressed, it is hard to keep my glasses close to the viewfinder and my view becomes distorted - this is actually quite annoying, but nevertheless not a deal breaker by any means.
- The rubber grips on the lens are very fine and are a dust magnet. It's a really minor point, but after one week my Carl Zeiss lens looked shabby because any dust and dirt gets stuck in the fine rubber ridges and is hard to clean.

Canon 5D

Not used.

I was looking at the best digital SLRs I could buy for my budget of around $1000. I settled on the Sony A700 because my old digital (Cybershot f717) is still working after 5 years & exceeded my expectations. And the A700 got great reviews, & uses all my Minolta lenses.

My background is an experienced amateur who has taken college classes in visual arts. My goal are just pleasure : lots of outdoot shots, fast moving shots such as events, and low light.

I paid about $1250 for the A700 with lens on sale at Circuit City. I cashed in my Sony Rewards points and for free got the external flash designed for the A700, MS-PRO-HG 4 gigs,& extra battery.

I personally am a believer in the extended warranty because I take so many pics & drag the camera everywhere, that I literally wear cameras out. I paid $299 for an all inclusive insurance deal through a Circuit City provider: it replaces the camera NO MATTER WHAT even if I dropped it in the toilet. Only exception is theft or fire. Full coverage for 4 years. It's expensive but all it takes is one drop just the right way and your SLR is dead (this is how I killed my film SLR Minolta). It's peace of mind.

I've only used it for a few weeks. So far it's been great. I've gotten wonderful shots of galloping horses and scampering cats. Menus are easy to use and rear LCD easy to read. Newer joystick replaces old touchpad to tab through images, and it's so much easier to use (and FAST!). Pretty well balanced and nice feeling in the hand. Looks professional, especially once I snap on the extra flash unit. The on camera flash isn't bad, and it's neat how Sony now turns flash on and off (you can flip it up rather than flip through menus), but with the optional external flash it's even better. Sony camera also supports wireless flash, so I can put external flash on its holder off to the side and use the on-camera flash from the front. Neat!

1. Uses standard lenses (Minolta). Despite being older I had no problems using my old Quantaray and Sigma Minolta-compatible lenses. It was so nice to be able to snap on my 300mm and shoot! And since I'm using normal lenses, all my old filters, hoods, etc also fit.
2. Is actually an improved version of the Minolta digital SLR that Sony bought out, so you're getting the best of Sony & Minolta
3. Sony electronics and sensor are usually top quality, so you're getting a good brand
4. extremely fast. I haven't missed a shot. Shutter lag very tiny, and I can shoot several pics in series without waiting for a camera who has to slowly save each one to memory (faster memory). AF is also pretty fast.
5. Came with a pretty decent lens which meeds the needs of most beginners
6. Lets you use MS-PRO or Compact Flash. I can put one of each in the camera for twice the storage.
7. Good value for the money. Try to find a 12+ Megapixel digtal SLR with all the same features and the good lens for under $1500.
8. Came with a remote including a shutter control. Now if you're shooting off a tripod and are afriad of bumping the camera pushing down the shutter, you can do it hands off (or without spending more $$$ on a remote shutter control). AND it uses Minolta's standard remote wired shutter control. I took the one I used on my old Minolta SLR and it worked perfectly on the sony.
9. External camera grip is nifty and holds 2 batteries (though pricey). Also, a bunch of other neat accessories.
10. Newer memory cards are so much bigger so I can fit about 700 images if I put in both 4 gig cards, even in x-fine mode. WOW!

Too many features to mention!

1. My Photoshop CS2 is giving me trouble reading their version of the RAW files the camera produces. Not sure why and the info that came with the camera didn't help. Maybe it's just a setting, who knows? Their included "lightbox" software is a little lame.
2. Unable to use anything from my former Sony camera. The A700 won't take the standard Memory Sticks. The AC adapter for some reason is a teeny bit different on this camera. The battery is identical but this one has a notch, so I'm stuck buying a new battery fi I wanted a 2nd. Even the USB cable isn't standard nor is it the mini-USB from the Cybershot... but they don't tell me what it's called so I can't order a spare except from SONY.
3. Tough to find on sale, at least right now. I had to wait and wait, comparison shop, and then also use a AAA 10% off coupon. The good news was since I picked it up in store there was no shipping or sales tax. Most places still show the body and lens for $1500 +/-
4. Some people won't take it seriously, even know it's as good if not better as other prosumer digital-SLRs... even though it's basically a Minolta SLR with improvements Sony electronics brought to the table. As Rodney Dangerfield used to say "No Respect!"
5. It's a little on the heavy side but I got spoiled by the lighter weight non-SLR digital so I guess this is normal... though admittedly some of my attached lenses are quite heavy.
6. Battery must be removed from camera to charge. You can spend $$$ and special order an AC charger, but it's kind of expensive... and the AC charger that hooked right intot he camera was included with my old Sony Cybershot. Now you have a little black box with an AC cord and each time to charge you snap batter onto box, wait, then put back into camera.
7. Ended up special ordering a bag for it. The Cybershot's old bag was too small. SLR bags aren't congifured well for digital SLRs, eg no pockets for memory cards & cables. So I found a really neat Case Logic backpack that holds it along with 3 lenses and my laptop for $53.

Sony Cybershot f717 (my previous camera, bought 5 years ago as their former prosumer model for $1000)
several brands of digital SLRs at the college photography dept
several brands of regular [film] SLR cameras

n/a

I bought a Sony a100 because it was cheap and just needed a camera but then i really got into photography. soon the A100 wasn't good enough and i was disappointed because i had bought lenses but there was no upgrade. But then the A700 came out and i was thrilled. I bought it and I love it! It's a lot better than the A100.

12 megapixels, 5 fps, very fast auto focus! bigger body makes it more durable and better for bigger lenses, has vertical grip add on!, 3inch screen and many more!

be careful in dim light, i have had problems with graininess but it can be fixed just be aware.

I have used a Nikon D200 and D300 and the Sony A700 is a lot better than the D200 and can compete with the D300!