Sony DSLR-A700 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: The Sony Alpha DSLR A700 is a 12.2 megapixel (CMOS) DSLR camera from Sony (announced September'07) featuring a new 23.5 x 15.6 mm (APS-C type) CMOS sensor, Sony Alpha mount; compatible with Minolta A-type bayonet mount. It features dust and moisture ...

Review summary: Sony's recent entry into the DSLR market has been greeted fairly positively. Its first effort, the A100, is on our A List, and its second, this A700, hopes to repeat the same trick. But the competition is tough, as its price pitches it squarely ...

Verdict: Excellent image quality, but let down by some irritating design quirks and the high price.

Review summary: Sony's first foray into the world of digital SLR cameras, the A100, was a solid effort let down by a comparatively poor sensor that couldn't deliver good images across a wide enough ISO spectrum. With the A700, Sony has been considerably more ...

Verdict: The A700 certainly feels the goods when you use it. Buttons are well placed, and despite using the rear LCD for displaying settings rather than a top-mounted LCD, as is the fashion now, the A700 still allows you to access most critical features via ...

Review summary: Sony's mid-size Alpha DSLR seems to be having an identity crisis - but does that make it a bad snapper?

Pros: Quick focusing. Great control layout. Excellent images up to ISO 800

Cons: Feels a bit flimsy. No top LCD. Unimpressive kit lenses. 'Scene' modes

Review summary: First impressions of the Alpha DSLR-A700, Sony's $1900 (as of 12/14/2007), 12-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, brings to mind terms like "massive," "brick-like," and "complex." With its deep right-hand grip and 2.75-pound weight (which ...

Pros: Sturdy magnesium body Extensive exposure controls

Cons: Inconsistencies with auto white balance Mediocre software bundle

Verdict: With its sharp, 12-megapixel imaging and with more exposure controls than most photographers--amateur or professional--will likely use, the beefy and finely designed A700 rises to nearly pro-level photography, making it well worth its $1900 price tag. ...