Sony DSLR-A700 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: The Alpha A700 is the highly anticipated second DSLR from Sony and the first to be entirely designed by Sony itself. Announced in September 2007 it fills a gap above the original A100 body, targeting serious enthusiasts and semi-pro photographers with ...

Pros: Good build quality and ergonomics., Superb quality VGA screen., Built-in sensor-shift stabilisation., HDMI port., Good build quality and ergonomics., Superb quality VGA screen., Built-in sensor-shift stabilisation., HDMI port.

Cons: 12 Mpixels not much better than 10., Default settings benefit from sharpening., No Live View, upper screen or Wifi option., 12 Mpixels not much better than 10., Default settings benefit from sharpening., No Live View, upper screen or Wifi option.

Verdict: The Alpha A700 tested here was a final production model, running the latest version 2.0 firmware. Following our convention of testing cameras using their factory default settings unless otherwise stated, the A700 was set to Large Fine JPEG quality, ...

Award: Recommended!

Review summary: Sony's second digital SLR is taking on semi-pro cameras from the market leading makers. How does it stand up to the competition?

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 ...

Pros: Excellent RAW image quality up to 640 ISO ; 11-point AF system ; Bright TTL viewfinder ; Super Steady Shot image stabilizer ; Enhanced Dynamic range optimization ; Anti-dust system ; 3 JPEG quality levels ; Superb LCD monitor ; Excellent ergonomics

Cons: No Live View mode ; Fairly bulky and heavy body ; Manually opened flash ; HDMI compatible, but no HDMI cable included ; AF points LEDs hard to see in daylight

Review summary: The Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 has a very un-Sony-like design, but it holds its own against its competitors with loads of features, including a moisture and dust-resistant body and Eye-Start AF, which detects your eye and begins autofocusing. With great ...

Pros: Broad, functional feature set, including sensor-shift image stabiliser ; excellent photo quality ; generally fast performance

Cons: A few design quirks ; proprietary hot shoe

Verdict: 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

Pros: Exceptionally streamlined, comfortable shooting design ; broad, functional feature set, including sensor-shift image stabilizer ; excellent photo quality ; generally fast performance

Cons: A few design quirks ; proprietary hot shoe