Digital Trends

Sony Alpha DSLR-A700

November 27th, 2007 | by David Elrich

Testing and Use 

The Sony DSLR-A700 is easy to shoot right out of the box in Auto but it’s a shame to do so with all the variables at your fingertips. I started off in highest-res JPEG mode, Super SteadyShot on, center weighted metering and all other settings in auto. Initially keeping the D-Range Optimizer in Advanced Auto I moved to the five options while shooting indoors.

Taking photos with this camera is a joy. It felt solid, nicely balanced with the 16-105mm lens and, as noted, the controls are readily available. The large LCD makes it easy to move through the various options. Go to your local retailer and heft this baby and you’ll see what we mean. Good ergonomics is one thing but what about the images? Glad you asked. Since it was late fall, the leaves in New Jersey finally got some color and it was time to see if the new alpha could capture all the nuances. I also put the camera in continuous mode and it felt like it hit its 5 frame per second spec. This camera is fast and it was fun shooting falling leaves blowing in a stiff breeze. Beyond the outdoors, I also took many shots indoors with the various DRO options, using macro and so on.

Image Courtesy of Sony

Once done the images were transferred to a PC and 8.5x11 prints were made with zero tweaking from either the camera or the printer. I have to admit these were the best images I’ve gotten from a digital camera in a long time—probably since the Canon EOS 5D, a $3,000 USD full-frame 12MP D-SLR. Those prints were magical but the alpha’s came pretty close. The camera captured the rich blue skies with contrasting yellow leaves and puffy clouds with barely a hint of noise. A macro shot of an orchid was so natural it was tempting to sniff the print. Another of an artificial flower even showed the wisp of errant cat fur. Taken in available light the shots didn’t show any shakes thanks to the built-in stabilizer. Granted not everything was fantastic as the DRO should be used judicially as it introduced noise and dulled detail. Also the camera hits 6400 ISO but I felt that stopped being useful at 2500 (which is still very good).

Conclusion

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 40D ($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.


Pros

• Excellent photos
• Fast response (5 fps)
• Built-in stabilization

Cons:

• Expensive
• Heavy
• Noise at very high ISOs