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Sony Alpha DSLR-A700
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: DSLR-A700
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- A top-of-the-line amateur digital SLR camera, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 will delight Konica Minolta diehards and makes a great choice if you don't already have a stake in other lens systems.
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Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 price range: $1,599.95
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 10/11/2007
- Released on: 09/27/2007
The good: Exceptionally streamlined, comfortable shooting design; broad, functional feature set, including sensor-shift image stabilizer; excellent photo quality; fast burst-shooting performance.
The bad: A few design quirks.
The bottom line: A top-of-the-line amateur digital SLR camera, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 will delight Konica Minolta diehards and makes a great choice if you don't already have a stake in other lens systems.
User reviews
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She would have loved it if it were a Nikon...
by optika_hawaii on December 11, 2008
Pros: Everything about this camera is beyond excellent. It doesn't have any overkill B.S. that comes standard on Nikon and Canon. Sony cuts straight to quality and intuitive user-friendliness.
Cons: Doesn't have the gauche appeal of Nikon or Canon. You need to really love photography and stick to your guns.
Summary: If somebody had told her this was a Nikon with a Nikon label on it...her review would have been glowing, with an excellent rating. She would have gone on ...
Summary: If somebody had told her this was a Nikon with a Nikon label on it...her review would have been glowing, with an excellent rating. She would have gone on and on about how wonderful the new "Nikon" is and how all of its feature sets are so much simpler now...take my advice. I've owned full-frame "pro" cameras by both Nikon and Canon...and I'm sick of them both. I'll take Sony anytime. Easy to use, professional quality imaging and ergonomis galore. Intuitive? My God YES!!! The lenses you can use with this camera are great, and no other vertical grip can compare to this one and the one for the A900. Be the future of professional photography. I'm an ALPHA!!!
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best SLR Camera of any type I ever owned!!
by edwalker on October 29, 2007
Pros: Quick focus and shutter reaction, very good resolution below 1600 ISO, good resolution above 1600 ISO, all the frequently used controls are just a button push away, good weight and solid grip
Cons: I don't really have any
Summary: My father has the Alpha DSLR-A100 and this has easier access to frequently used controls. This is a very enjoyable camera to hold and shoot. You will never regret this ...
Summary: My father has the Alpha DSLR-A100 and this has easier access to frequently used controls. This is a very enjoyable camera to hold and shoot. You will never regret this purchase.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent camera. Nothing amateur about this camera.
by dove-7 on April 21, 2009
Pros: The camera takes me back to the Maxxum 7 auto focus focusing in the dark years. Excellent quiet focus and high iso low noise level rivals Nikon D300 that to the firm V4. DRO is a blessing and excellent when it comes to highlights. Semi pro.
Cons: Nothing that I can think of, but there is no perfect camera. I'd like to see more glass coming from Sony.
Summary: The camera is an excellent camera that competes with Nikon and Canon Canon 50D and D300 in every area minus the live view and video. But I'm a photographer ...
Summary: The camera is an excellent camera that competes with Nikon and Canon Canon 50D and D300 in every area minus the live view and video. But I'm a photographer that shoot fashion and commercial, I don't need a video on my camera. Sony has made this camera and the A900 for the serious photographer and hobbyist. Don't be fooled by the Cnet review, this is not an amateur camera by a long shot. This a semi and pro. camera that should be taken very serious. Even my Minolta 7D isn't an amateur camera and that camera can't compete with this camera. The images are breath taking, navigation is user friendly, quiet auto focus, big difference from Minolta's loud focusing noise. I don't struggle shooting with this camera, the dynamic range is awesome on this camera. No more clipping highlights like on my 7D and some of the older dslr cameras. The firmware via V4 was the best thing that Sony added, after seeing the noise result at 800 and up, I feel confident in shooting at those high speed while not sacrificing quality.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best of the Best for Wedding Jobs
by olomina2 on October 22, 2009
Pros: PC SINC ADAPTER, GREAT HIGHLIGHT RANGE,,FAST FOCUSING AND CAN USE ANY MAXXUM LENSES,GREAT PICTURE QUALITY BETWEEN 100 TO 640 ASA,MANUAL WHITE BALANCE, CAN BE USED COMPLETELLY MANUAL, 3 DIFFERENT MANUAL BALANCES CAN BE SAVED FOR THE EVENT
Cons: i WHICH IT HAD A FULL SCREEN HIGHLIGHT CLIPPING AND INSTEAD OF THE SONY HOT SHOE A REGULAR FLASH HOT SHOE.
Summary: I OWN 2 CANON CAMERAS, STILL I WILL NOT CHANGE MY SONY FOR MY WEDDING JOBS AS THE QUALITY BEATS THE ONE FROM THE CANON CAMERAS THAT I OWN WITH ...
Summary: I OWN 2 CANON CAMERAS, STILL I WILL NOT CHANGE MY SONY FOR MY WEDDING JOBS AS THE QUALITY BEATS THE ONE FROM THE CANON CAMERAS THAT I OWN WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OR MORE OF PIXELS.
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Control accessibility, ease of use, excellent images.
by hjarmitage on May 24, 2009
Pros: Excellent features and first class images. The controls are very easy to learn and all are easily accessed. Uses Minolta glass.
Cons: Vertical grip duplicates main camera controls making the grip cluttered. It's easy to use controls even holding vertical without grip. With grip it's too easy to hit controls accidently.
Summary: I already own a Maxxum D7 Minolta and lenses so Sony is a natural choice since they took over Minolta imaging. As with the D7 the controls are well thought ...
Summary: I already own a Maxxum D7 Minolta and lenses so Sony is a natural choice since they took over Minolta imaging. As with the D7 the controls are well thought out and easy to use. It's not a beginners camera but with a decent knowledge of photography it is very controllable and the settings make creative images a lot of fun.
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A fantastic camera that is fun to shoot and easy to use
by jmcoa on February 7, 2009
Pros: Built in anti shake. Environmental seals on controls. Excellent image quality (be sure you install the latest firmware which fixes all the earlier issues and complaints! Some new A700s come with the older firmware). Takes Minolta, Sony, & Zeiss glass
Cons: The flash shoe is proprietary but, thankfully, Sony flashes are really nice and other flash makers sell for this shoe. No screen preview but I have found that I don't use it anyway on bodies I have that do preview.
Summary: Adding to "Pros": the ergonomics is the best of any camera I have ever used. The vertical grip is absolutely the best design out there. Sony is the company that ...
Summary: Adding to "Pros": the ergonomics is the best of any camera I have ever used. The vertical grip is absolutely the best design out there. Sony is the company that has been making sensors for Nikon and other camera makers for years. They are also an important company in video and HD equipment for professionals. Many of the Minolta engineers came over to Sony. Minolta was a great innovator in SLRs and lens technology. The Minolta and Sony lenses available are extensive and equal in quality to Nikanon. Look for "G" and Zeiss lenses if you are a pro. But even some of the "D" lenses are equivalent and a few regular Sony lenses are superb. Like the 50 mm macro. This is simply a very nice camera.
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All you need (and more) for your semi-pro experience.
by danieldotcom on October 25, 2008
Pros: Non-plastic core, features, 12 Mpixels, Decent built-in flash, battery consumption.
Cons: No live screen (although you wouldn't need it for a camera like this), cannot automatically switch memory cards when one is full.
Summary: I wanted to update myself leaving my old Nikon D40 and, even while I was a little sckeptical about Sony, took the advise of a friend. I don't regret ...
Summary: I wanted to update myself leaving my old Nikon D40 and, even while I was a little sckeptical about Sony, took the advise of a friend. I don't regret any single penny I spent in this camera!
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This is a great DSLR
by smoors on March 10, 2008
Pros: Quick focus and shutter reaction, very good resolution below 1600 ISO, good resolution above 1600 ISO, all the frequently used controls are just a button push away, good weight and solid grip
Cons: May be a little pricey
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Great "amateur" camera
by egstudioco on February 26, 2008
Pros: Solid construction; weather seals; fast focus; lens options
Cons: Still fairly noisy at ISO 400 and above
Summary: I love my A700 and wouldn't trade it for any competitor's equivalent model, even though I've always wanted a Nikon camera. Controls are easy to navigate, and ...
Summary: I love my A700 and wouldn't trade it for any competitor's equivalent model, even though I've always wanted a Nikon camera. Controls are easy to navigate, and I love that it can sync studio lights (haven't had a chance to utilize that feature yet). My 3500i flash (BTW, the onboard flash produces better results than any other built-in I've ever seen), and 3 lenses from my Minolta 7xi film camera all work on the A700. Not having to shell out the cash to replace those items mitigates its $1,500 price tag. No space to go into great detail, but suffice it to say that you can take advantage of the A700's myriad of features, use it as a fully manual camera, or even a simple point-and-shoot -- all with great results.
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Simple and Fantastic Speed
by jmendell on November 13, 2007
Pros: Very Quick and Light Weight
Cons: Lens Mount - why cant the whole world use Nikon's F
Summary: Overall superb, I jumped ship leaving my Nikon F5 to the moth balls, first digital SLR, and so far I am truly impressed, I love my Leica point and shoot ...
Summary: Overall superb, I jumped ship leaving my Nikon F5 to the moth balls, first digital SLR, and so far I am truly impressed, I love my Leica point and shoot digitals, but I cannot get it to go fast enough to catch the great expressions my kids make, or enough contrast from the scenery - this camera though, handles it very well. I splurged for a few lenses, Sony 50mm and 75-300mm, as well as a Tamron 11-16 and feel I need at least one more to make it a solid kit – 16-80mm from Zeiss/Sony. Although it is not touted as a professional camera, I would put it right up there in their class, for the weight to quality ratio – it is the pack leader the Canon and Nikon are just too heavy for a digi cam – the speed is with a 40x+ CF card and with 8gigs I can easily put a couple of thousand images on one card – the battery though rated for 605 shots has lasted for me thus far delivering about 1100 on one charge – the biggest negative I have it the lack of an f-mount converter for the Sony system , that would have been cool. It has only been here for two weeks, but I am confident enough at this point to write this review and add it to the stable.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: DSLR-A700
- Description: Sony ; (alpha) DSLR-A700 -- The DSLR for More Creative Shooting. Superb imaging from a powerful 12.24 MP Exmor sensor with on-chip noise reduction before and after A/D conversion, BIONZ high-speed processing for quick response, high-speed 5 fps shooting, precision AF and creative shooting modes combine to bring out all your creativity. SteadyShot INSIDE in-camera image stabilization reduces blur with every Sony, Carl Zeiss and Minolta a-mount lens. You’ll also have a photo-quality 3.0" LCD screen and direct HDMI Output to your Sony Bravia HDTV for PhotoTV HD viewing -- plus Sony Anti-Dust Technology, rugged magnesium alloy body, up to 650-shot Stamina power.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Digital camera - SLR
- Enclosure Color Black
- Resolution 12.24 megapixels
- Optical Sensor Type Exmor CMOS
- Total Pixels 13,053,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 12,246,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 15.6 x 23.5mm
- Field of View Crop Factor 1.5
- Sensor Dust Reduction Yes
- Sensor Features Anti-Dust technology
- Image Processor BIONZ
- Image Stabilizer Optical (Super Steady Shot)
- Auto Focus TTL phase detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) Qty 11
- Image Recording Format JPEG,
RAW,
RAW + JPEG - AV Interfaces HDMI,
Composite video/audio Exposure & White Balance
- Light Sensitivity ISO 5000,
ISO 3200,
ISO 1600,
ISO 4000,
ISO 800,
ISO 100,
ISO 200,
ISO 160,
ISO 400,
ISO auto - Exposure Metering Multi-segment,
Center-weighted,
Spot - Exposure Metering Zones 40
- Exposure Modes Program,
Bulb,
Automatic,
Shutter-priority,
Manual,
Aperture-priority - Shooting Programs Sunset,
Night portrait,
Portrait mode,
Landscape - Special Effects Portrait,
Landscape,
Vivid,
Black & White,
Sepia,
Neutral,
Sunset,
Clear,
Light,
Deep,
Night View,
Autumn Leaves - White Balance Automatic,
Presets,
Custom - White Balance Presets Daylight,
Tungsten light,
Shade,
2500K - 9900K,
Fluorescent,
Cloudy,
Flash - Max Shutter Speed 1/8000 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 30 sec
- Exposure Compensation ±3 EV range, in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps
- White Balance Bracketing Yes
- X-sync Speed 1/250 sec
- Exposure Range EV 0-20 ( ISO 100 )
Lens System
- Lens System Mounting Minolta A-type
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Flip-up
- Guide Number (m / ISO 100) 12
- Flash Modes Rear curtain sync,
Fill-in mode,
Auto mode,
Flash OFF mode,
Red-eye reduction - Features Flash exposure bracketing,
Wireless off-camera control,
Flash +/- compensation,
AF illuminator Additional Features
- Continuous Shooting Speed 5 frames per second,
3 frames per second - Self Timer Delay 2 sec,
10 sec - Flash Terminal PC terminal,
Hot shoe - Additional Features Display brightness control,
Brightness control,
Depth-of-field preview button,
PRINT Image Matching,
Saturation control,
AF lock,
DPOF support,
RGB primary color filter,
AE lock,
Auto power save,
Digital noise reduction,
Histogram display,
Dynamic Range Optimizer,
PictBridge support,
Sharpness control,
Contrast control,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Direct print,
Eye-Start AF system Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type Optical - Fixed eye-level pentaprism
- Field Coverage 95%
- Magnification 0.9x
- Dioptric Correction Range -3 to +1
- Viewfinder Frames Autofocus frame
Display
- Type 3 in LCD display
- Resolution 921,600 pixels
- Display Features Built-in
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x HDMI output,
1 x Composite video output,
1 x USB,
1 x Remote control,
1 x DC power input Software
- Software Sony Remote Camera Control,
Sony Image Data Lightbox SR,
Drivers & Utilities,
Sony Image Data Converter SR,
Sony Picture Motion Browser
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support Apple Mac OS X 10.1.3 or later,
MS Windows XP,
MS Windows 2000,
MS Windows Vista - Peripheral Devices USB port,
CD-ROM drive Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Battery charger,
Eyepiece cover,
Video cable,
USB cable,
Lens cap,
Shoulder strap,
Dust cap,
Body cap,
IR remote control,
Lens hood,
Shoe cap - Body Material Magnesium alloy
Battery
- Supported Battery Sony NP-FM500H
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 1650 mAh ( Included )
Memory / Storage
- Memory Card Slot Memory Stick PRO Duo card,
CompactFlash Card - Supported Memory Cards Memory Stick Duo,
CompactFlash,
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo,
Microdrive,
Memory Stick PRO Duo - Image Storage RAW JPEG,
RAW 4288 x 2856,
4272 x 2848,
3104 x 2064,
2128 x 1424,
4272 x 2400,
3104 x 1744,
2128 x 1200 Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 5.6 in
- Depth 3.1 in
- Height 4.1 in
- Weight 1.5 lbs
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Main Features
- Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom. This camera utilizes built-in Super SteadyShot stabilization to assist in taking sharper pictures.
CNET Labs' Benchmarks
- Labs information All values are expressed in seconds. Please visit our <ref type="link" url="http://reviews.cnet.com/Labs/4520-6603 7-1014358-1.html">labs information page</ref> for information on how digital cameras are tested.
- CNET Labs Flash shot to shot time 0.9
- CNET Labs Raw shot to shot time 0.6
- CNET Labs Shot to shot time typical 0.5
- CNET Labs Shutter lag bright 0.5
- CNET Labs Shutter lag dim 1.2
- CNET Labs Typical burst speed 4.8
- CNET Labs Wake up time 0.5
Product series
-
Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 (with 16mm-105mm lens)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: SLR,
12.24 megapixels,
6.5 x,
24 - 157.5mm F/3.5,
15.6 x 23.5mm,
Exmor CMOS,
Optical (Super Steady Shot) -
Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 (with 18mm-70mm lens)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: SLR,
12.24 megapixels,
3.9 x,
27 - 105mm F/3.5,
15.6 x 23.5mm,
Exmor CMOS,
Optical (Super Steady Shot) -
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: SLR,
12.24 megapixels,
15.6 x 23.5mm,
Exmor CMOS,
Optical (Super Steady Shot)
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Sony
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790
