Latest – Review by DevHardware (added 17 May ‘08)
Sony Alpha A700 features:
- 12.1 megapixels
- Magnesium alloy body
- Supports most Minolta and all Sony lenses
- Dust reduction system
- 3 inch LCD
- Optical viewfinder with 0.90x magnification and 95% frame coverage
- Full manual controls
- Takes 18 RAW and an unlimited number of JPEGs at 5 frames/second
- 11-point wide area autofocus system
- Dynamic range optimizer
- Dual memory card slots
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Read More Reviews – (updated 17 May ‘08)
DevHardware has reviewed the Sony Alpha A700 and they write -
“A big advantage of the A700 over its competitors is its ability to display full 1080 or 720 HD photos on any HDTV via HDMI cable. The A700 has an HDMI cable input hidden beneath one of the rubber flaps right next to the USB port. This feature works well for viewing photos at home on your HDTV or even for creating slide shows for business purposes.”
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PCAuthority has reviewed the Sony Alpha A700 and they write -
“The A700 takes excellent pictures. Colour reproduction is faithful, and Sony has done a good job of keeping image noise down. Even at the maximum sensitivity of ISO 6400 (the highest the A700 goes), image noise is some way short of wildly disruptive. It isn’t as good as the Nikon D300 or Canon EOS 40D, but it still produces excellent, competition-quality images. It’s helped by the stock 18-70mm f/3.5-f/5.6 lens. It’s made of plastic and is discouragingly small, but in our tests it produced good, clean images with minimal chromatic aberrations. We also appreciate the way that every lens you can fit to the A700 has full-time manual focusing thanks to the AF/MF button on the back – press and hold it to disengage the focus motor in AF mode and you can focus yourself.”
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DPExpert – 28 March’08 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and thought the only thing that was not outstanding was the price. Here is a summary of their review -
“Sony’s A700 is a mechanically outstanding camera that produces consistent high quality images. It is super easy to use mainly because of the intuitive control and menu system. The reviewer liked the viewfinder and thought it was clear and bright. It’s a fast performer and is easy enough for even beginner photographers.”
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Macworld – 20 March’08 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and thought the LCD screen was beautiful. Here a summary of their review -
“The most obvious feature the A700 does not have is “Live View” and because most of its competitors have it its lack of is pretty glaring. Another problem is you cannot see the ISO status in the viewfinder, you need to move to the LCD which is not only frustrating it takes longer. Not much was discussed about image quality other than it was good.”
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I’m a little confused by this review because they spend quite of time on the negatives of the camera and in the end award it a very high score, hmm….
PPMag – 02 March’08 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and felt it was more a professional model than a consumer camera. Here is a summary of their review -
“The cameras Dynamic Range Optimization was pretty cool. It lets you bring out detail in otherwise darker or shadowy areas. When you look at the camera it’s a little deceptive in that its magnesium alloy body is fairy heavy for its size but because of the design the review felt the camera was easy to hold and maneuver. Another appreciate feature was the in camera images stabilization that operates with any lens attached and allows you to pick up an extra 2 to 3 stops without pumping the ISO up.”
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PCAdvisor – 12 February’08 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and thought the cameras white balance was a little erratic. Here is a summary of their review -
“This near pro quality camera is definitely worth the price notes the reviewer. The cameras images are first rate and in particular the macro shot images were outstanding. One pretty cool features is the two levels of dynamic-range bracketing comes in handy in situations with high contrast. Clearly the reviewers favorite the function button. Pressing the function button lets you directly select and change any of the displayed settings right on the screen. Nice!”
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PCWorld – 05 February’08 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and notes it’s a complex camera yet easy to use. Here is a summary of their review -
“Here’s a camera that has more exposure controls than any other DSLR comments the reviewer. One of the their favorite features is the function button located on the back of the camera which when pressed allows quick and easy control over exposure controls. Photos are sharp and well detailed making this almost professional level camera worth its price tag.”
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PhotographyBlog – 17 January’08 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and because of so many refined features finds the A700 easy to recommend. Here is a summary of their review -
“According to the reviewer this camera deserves a better lens than the DT 18-70mm that it comes with primarily because at default settings it tended to display soft images. Other downsides were the lack of a top LCD panel and Live View. Concerning image quality digital noise does not show itself until ISO 800and actually is reasonable up to 1600. The reviewer drug the camera into the sands of Dubai and fully appreciated the A700’s sensor vibrating cleaning system. All in all this is an exceptional camera notes the reviewer.”
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Shutterbug – 10 January’08 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and indicates image quality at ISO 100 – 400 is simply outstanding. Here is a summary of the review -
“The dynamic range optimizer worked really well when trying to increase shadow detail, however, a more natural looking picture was obtained when when it was set to a moderate level. This camera has a lot of features that will appeal to a wide range of photographers. Features like a PC cord socket which allow shooters to connect to studio lights and a long list of TTL flash options. It does not have live view but it should be a strong contender in the mid-range DSLR market.”
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ThinkCamera – 03 January’08 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and was impressed with the dynamic range optimization feature. Here is a summary of the review -
“There’s a lot of competition in this cameras bracket. For example the Canon 40D offers live view and it even costs less. What really stood out is the array of “1 touch” buttons which makes this camera easy and fast to operate. Combined the speedy autofocus and the ultra fast options toggling capability make this one of the fastest DSLR on the market. Cool! “
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DPReview – 19 December’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and noted it has some quirky design features. Here is an excerpt from the review conclusion -
“With the gripes out of the way I have to say that overall image quality was very good, with the A700 producing as much resolution / detail as the competition at lower sensitivities and noise reduction keeping noise levels in check at higher sensitivities without losing too much detail (although we personally would prefer less luminance reduction and more chroma reduction, which is Nikon’s approach). Color was predictable and neutral and tonal response was good without ever being over contrasty (nice roll-off in highlights from ISO 200 upwards).”
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What Digital Camera – 10 December’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and really didn’t like the Eye-Start AF because when the camera is left on the Eye-Start sensor keeps activating the AF which drains the camera battery. Here is an excerpt from the review -
“There’s very little to complain about on the Sony Alpha 700. The time spent with it was an absolute pleasure – we found it very intuitive. Everything you need is easily to hand, so you can concentrate on picture taking rather than scrolling through menus.
Images have excellent resolution and good exposures and tone. Auto-exposure and autofocusing are pretty much faultless, and on the rare occasions when they do get it wrong, the Sony has all the tools available to fix things.”
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Luminous-Landscape – 04 December’07 – has published a field report on the Sony Alpha A700 and liked the large bright easy on the eyes viewfinder. Here is an excerpt from the review -
” The A700 is a beautifully crafted photographic instrument. In my time with it I grew quite comfortable with the camera and found it’s output to be very dependable.
It’s tough, ergonomically well designed, intuitive to use (I still haven’t read the manual and yet managed to instantly come to grips with and even customise a lot of the camera’s features)
In action it’s fast and responsive. Changes are easily made as all of the important control inputs are via buttons and physical interfaces rather than menu-driven. The focusing is near instantaneous and very accurate.”
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DCResource – 01 December’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and felt there were an array of buttons positioned around the camera body making certain adjustments hard to locate in a hurry while you’re shooting. Here is an excerpt from the review -
“With their Alpha DSLR-A700, Sony has created a midrange digital SLR that keeps up with the “big boys”. The A700 offers an excellent mix of photo quality, performance, features, and build quality — not to mention support for legacy Minolta lenses. Yes, it’s lacking the live view feature of its competitors, but I don’t really miss it, to be honest. While I don’t see Canon and Nikon owners rushing to eBay to sell their gear to buy the A700, it’s a great D-SLR for those with a collection of Minolta lenses. I enjoyed my time with the DSLR-A700, and can recommend it without hesitation.”
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DigitalTrends – 27 November’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and thought this was a fun to camera to use straight out of the box. Here is an excerpt from the review -
“Let’s welcome Sony to the top ranks of the D-SLR universe. The alpha DSLR-A700 is an excellent camera and I recommend it without reservation. Although I used it with a killer lens available in a $1,800 USD kit, the camera performed at those nose-bleed prices. In other words, you won’t feel stiffed if you lay down that much cash. I really want to get my hands on the 10MP Canon EOS 4D ($1,299 USD body only) and the new 12MP Nikon D300 ($1,799 USD body only) to see if Sony really has a tops in class camera on its hands. In the meantime, if you don’t have a major investment in Canon or Nikon glass put this one at the top of the list. “
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Megapixel – 14 November’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and didn’t like the fact the camera is HDMI capable but no HDMI cable is included. Here is an excerpt from the review -
“Heavy and big, the Sony Alpha 700 nevertheless has a good ergonomic design that makes it feel like a professionals tool. The external controls are well-positioned and easily remembered, and even the On-Off switch is well placed.”
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TrustedReviews – 09 November’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and felt it was a bit of a memory hog. Here is an excerpt from the review verdict -
“Having produced what is arguably the best entry-level DSLR on the market in the A100, Sony has followed it up with another outstanding camera. The A700 is a superb tool for the enthusiast or semi-professional photographer, providing high quality results in almost any conditions. The combination of rugged durability, fast performance, a class-leading AF system, on-board image stabilisation and great handling will prove hard to beat.”
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CameraLabs – 07 November’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and was impressed by the camera. Here is an excerpt from the review verdict -
“If after weighing up the pros and cons you decide the A700’s the best overall package though, then you won’t be disappointed. It’s an excellent DSLR and one we can Highly Recommend, especially with the Carl Zeiss 16-80mm. But it’s crucial to also handle its rivals in person and think carefully about the entire feature-set and system as a whole.”
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Neocamera – 05 November’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and points out that buttons are well organized and easy to use. Here is an excerpt from the review conclusion -
“There were only two disappointing areas for the Sony Alpha A700. First off, long-shutter noise reduction is too aggressive and destroys details even at low ISO. Secondly, the ultra-sharp 3″ LCD on the camera’s back has accuracy problems. The most significant problem is that images are too yellow. This makes it impossible to check that the correct white-balance was chosen. The second problem is over-sharpening which means that some unsharp images may appear sharp.”
ePhotozine – 02 November’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and notes that because of the lens selection limitation it’s a more pricey choice. Here is an excerpt from the review conclusion -
“There’s no doubt about it, Sony have pulled out the stops on the A700, it’s a fast, well-built camera with plenty of photographic features for the enthusiast. The handling is good and would have been better overall than the Canon EOS 40D, if there had been a top plate LCD. Sony’s decision to omit this because everything could be placed on the rear LCD smacks of cutting corners because the other cameras at this price point have one. If you don’t mind, then it isn’t a problem, but it’s the small things that can make the difference when deciding to commit yourself to a camera brand.”
PopPhoto – 30 October’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and writes that the camera controls and performance is nearly perfect. Here is an excerpt from the review -
“The Alpha 700 will most likely appeal to photographers who value fast response — namely sports, news, and wildlife shooters. Available-light photographers also will like the upgraded image stabilization and ISO 6400 setting that maintains resolution of more than 2000 lines.”
LetsGoDigital – 28 October’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and notes the camera is finished perfectly and has an ideal hand fit. Here is an excerpt from the review conclusion -
“Sony’s Alpha 700 is a beautiful DSLR and offers the demanding photographer as well as the amateur a perfect tool to practice photography on a high level. The camera is not perfect but if you put some effort in getting to know the camera and making it part of your digital work environment, you will soon find that you have a refined DSLR camera in your hands. If you are looking for a new DSLR or ready to get acquainted with an advanced camera system you definitely ought to put the Sony Alpha 700 on your wish list.”
CNET – 11 October’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and acknowledges the camera lacks live view and sutomatic sensor cleaning. Here is an excerpt from the review -
“All in all, I’m very impressed by the Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 as an all-around midrange digital SLR. Though more expensive than the Canon EOS 40D, the built-in image stabilizer and higher resolution are worth the extra bucks, unless you really need the little extra oomph in continuous-shooting performance that the 40D delivers. Of course, it remains to be seen how the forthcoming yet pricier Nikon D300 will stack up relative to the A700. If you want to buy now, however, the A700 is a great choice.”
Steve’s Digicams – 10 October’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and acknowledges that Sony now produces one of the higher quality prosumer DSLRs. Here is an excerpt from the review conclusion -
“Don’t let all its high-tech features put you off, the DSLR-A700 is simple to operate. You can always use the scene presets on the mode dial for fast point-and-shoot photography. And if you need fast access to the most used settings just press the Function (Fn) button and the LCD menu switches to the Quick Navigation screen for camera setup via the joystick-style Multi-selector. A memory function lets you save and recall personalized camera settings.”
PhotoReview – 18 September’07 – reviews the Sony Alpha A700 and writes;
“Despite taking a while to produce this camera, in the DSLR-A700 Sony has delivered a camera that enthusiasts can enjoy with features that will be of value to many professional photographers. A nice step up from the A100, it goes head-to-head against Canon’s recently-released EOS 40D and Nikon’s D300, which is expected in November.
The only feature missing from the A700 that its rivals have is live viewing using the camera’s LCD screen. However, this is of only marginal benefit for most photographers and only provides an advantage over viewfinder-based shooting when the camera is tripod mounted and in situations where precise frame coverage is required. Outside of those occasions, the viewfinder gives a more accurate rendition of the hues and tonal intensities that will be recorded and it’s easier to read the shooting data on the viewfinder’s screen.”
TrustedReviews previews the Sony Alpha A700 and writes;
“For advanced creative control the A700 features a much wider range of colour parameters, with 14 pre-set Image Styles available at the press of a button. The main mode dial has the usual settings of program, aperture and shutter priority and full manual, as well as a range of program settings and a memory recall mode in which up to three user settings can be instantly recalled. The menu system has also been radically changed, and the camera now has a Quick Navigation user interface system similar to the one pioneered by Olympus on its digital SLRs, where the shooting data display on the monitor doubles as a fully navigable menu. The monitor screen itself is one of the biggest improvements. It is a three-inch display with an astonishing 920,000 dots, making it by far the sharpest camera monitor on the market.”
ePhotozine previews the Sony Alpha A700 and writes;
“Well you’ll have to wait for the extensive review of the Sony a700 for our final ratings but the early, hands on testing was promising. One feature that wasn’t very clever was that there are two memory card type slots but the camera didn’t automatically detect which one was being used. It was set in the depths of the menu system – something Sony was very keen to avoid with all the other settings. This was brought to Sony’s attention at the press event and they promised to fix this with a firmware update. When we do our review, we’ll check to see if this has been implemented.”
Imaging Resource has a hands on preview of the Sony Alpha A700 and writes;
“The Sony A700’s design is an unusual blend of angles and curves that does not attempt to imitate the more organic shapes used by Canon and Nikon. It is a high quality machine, and absolutely not ashamed of it; yet it conforms well to the human hand. Though the Sony A700 doesn’t quite bristle with the analog dials I so enjoyed on the Maxxum 7D, its controls are thoughtfully placed for easy visibility and quick adjustment.”
DCResource previews the Sony Alpha A700 and writes;
“The other feature I want to describe is called Creative Styles, which is a whole lot like Picture Styles on Canon’s D-SLRs. There are four unchangeable options (standard, vivid, neutral, and Adobe RGB) plus three customizable options (1 – 3). For those custom options you can start with various presets, including the four I just listed plus clear, deep, light, portrait, landscape, sunset, night view, autumn leaves, B&W, and sepia. If you want to further tweak the settings, you can: contrast, saturation, sharpness, brightness, and zone matching can all be adjusted. If you’re shooting RAW, you can adjust all of these items when you’re post-processing.”
PopPhoto has field tested the Sony Alpha A700 and writes;
“Being the conservative type (at least as far as memory card space goes), I first opted for 3 fps, but, as the stunt pilot buzzed the boat at progressively closer distances (you could clearly see the evil grin on his face), I went to 5 fps, with AF set to autotrack across the 11 points of the frame. Those were shots you couldn’t get with your kid’s pocket compact. Yet all of us came away with keepers. With a 5 fps JPEG burst rate limited only by the capacity of the card, this new camera never choked on those 12.2MP shots.”
DPReview previews the Sony Alpha A700 and writes;
“Interestingly the one thing the A700 doesn’t have is any form of live view; when we spoke to Sony about this the answer was simple; they believe that the compromises involved in current systems are satisfactory, and they won’t implement live view until they can ‘get it right’. Whether the lack of live view has any real relevance in a camera at this level remains to be seen; we doubt it.”
Videos
Sample Photos
[Sample Test Photos at DevHardware]
[Sample Test Photos at PhotographyBlog]
[Sample Test Photos at Shutterbug]
[Sample Test Photos at DPReview]
[Sample Test Photos at DCResource]
[Sample Test Photos at Megapixel]
[Sample Test Photos at TrustedReviews]
[Sample Test Photos at CameraLabs]
[Sample Test Photos at Neocamera]
[Sample Test Photos at PopPhoto]
[Sample Test Photos at LetsGoDigital]
[Sample Test Photos at Steve's Digicams]
[Sample Test Photos at Imaging-Resource]
[Sample Test Photos at PhotoReview]
[Sample Test Photos at TrustedReviews]
[Sample Test Photos at flickr]
[Sample Test Photos at Fotopolis]
[Sample Photos at PopPhoto]
Specifications
[Official Sony Specifications]
Firmware Updates
[Firmware Version 3 Released - 19 December '07]
[Performance Upgrade (Sony Website)]
Owners Manual
Press Release
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 5, 2007 Sony is expanding its a (Alpha) digital SLR system with the introduction of the DSLR-A700 camera, which is aimed at photo enthusiasts or serious photo hobbyists. The new model features advanced imaging technologies and ultra-responsive operation, as well as a lightweight, dust- and moisture-resistant, magnesium alloy construction common to enthusiast-class D-SLR cameras.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
CNET got it wrong – the A700 does have automatic sensor cleaning plus a manual cleaning menu choice. Otherwise I agree with all the reviews. It’s a great camera, liveview is not very useful, etc.