Sony DSLR-A700 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: It's been over two years since Sony released the Alpha DSLR-A100K, its first digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. The DSLR-A100K was a good camera based on technology that Sony acquired from Konica Minolta's DSLR division, but two years is a long ...

Verdict: The DSLR-A700 lens kit includes a 16mm to 105mm f/3.5-f/5.6 lens

Review summary: The a700 is a 12 megapixel camera with a CMOS sensor, tested here with an optional 24-70mm Zeiss lens with constant f2.8 maximum aperture. There is in-camera image stabilisation and automatic dust removal. It has eye-proximity start-up - when an eye ...

Pros: Picture quality is consistently superb. The camera itself is responsive, producing well exposed, high resolution images. The lens focuses quickly and is mechanically superior in every way. The constant maximum aperture of f2.8 is the mark of a high ...

Cons: The only reservation we have is to do with the price. $2000 for the body is a bargain, several hundred dollars less than its obvious rival, the Nikon D300. But the price of avoiding the indifferent Sony standard lenses in favour of the superb Zeiss ...

Verdict: We had an important little job to do, for which we would normally use our own camera. It is usually too risky to pick up a new camera for such a project, but the Sony felt so right in the hand and the lens was so seductive that we said "What the heck! ...

Review summary: Sony has released the latest product in its Alpha line, the Alpha DSLR-A700. With some important upgrades and a number of changes, the DSLR-A700 aims at a different type of photographer than the type that would use the DSLR-A100K. Hoping to lure ...

Pros: Great build quality ; good image quality ; fast performance ; beautiful LCD screen

Cons: No status LCD ; no live view ; cumbersome button placement ; in-viewfinder status display doesn't show ISO ; rear LCD screen turns on at inappropriate times

Verdict: The Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 is close to being a strong competitor in the DSLR market. It can produce good images, but it's obvious when using the camera that Sony does not have the legacy of interface development that Canon and Nikon have. The DSLR-A700 ...

Review summary: A complex, well-made camera with tons of controls, the A700 takes exceptionally sharp, well-exposed shots.

Review summary: With the Alpha DSLR-A700, Sony shows that it still has much to prove as a manufacturer of DSLR cameras. While the camera produces good-looking images, it has several usability quirks that will frustrate experienced photographers.

Pros: Great build quality ; good image quality ; fast performance ; beautiful LCD screen

Cons: No status LCD ; no live view ; cumbersome button placement ; in-viewfinder status display doesn't show ISO ; rear LCD screen turns on at inappropriate times

Verdict: The DSLR-A700 lens kit includes a 16mm to 105mm f/3.5-f/5.6 lens