Sony a700 at a glance

According provided by Sony a700 camera many thanks the store ProFotoSale, where you can find many new and used ones. cameras of different systems, including similar SLR cameras.

The Sony a700 (Sony Alpha [α] DSLR-700) was introduced 6 September 2007 years. It second digital SLR camera under the Sony brand... And also this Sony's first digital SLR with CMOS sensor.

Sony a700 belongs to Sony's advanced amateur line of cameras, some users consider this line to be semi-professional. This line includes only four cameras: Konica Minolta Alpha 7D (aka Konica Minolta Dynax 7D or Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D), Sony α700, Sony a77 и Sony α77 II... This class of cameras includes four full-frame digital SLR cameras Sony a850, a900, a99 и a99II, but they are usually ranked a little higher.

Sony a700 has many features that trace its progenitor Konica Minolta Alpha 7D.

If in short, then for its time the Sony a700 was a chic advanced amateur camera with an APS-C sensor.

Main properties to look out for:

  • Sony a700 has a built-in image stabilizer Super Steady Shot (aka STEADYSHOT INSIDE). It is stated that the stabilizer allows you to compensate for up to 4 steps in shutter speed.
  • 12 MP CMOS sensor... The maximum size of the created image is 4288 X 2856 pixels. The Sony Bionz processor is responsible for working with the image. The sensor has an additional anti-static dust coating.
  • RAW files only use 12-bit color depth... Available RAW uncompressed and compressed (cRAW). Uncompressed RAW files average 18MB.
  • The camera works in the main range ISO 100 to 3200 expandable to ISO 6.400. For our time, the noise level at high ISO is not happy, but the camera holds up well to around ISO 800. There are opinions that the base ISO of the camera is 200 units, and ISO 100 is achieved through software implementation. Auto ISO has an upper threshold of 1.600.
  • Buffer frames about 12 uncompressed RAW files, and a burst of frames with a fast memory card is about 15-18 shots. A burst with cRAW is about 25 shots, which is very, very good.
  • Shutter can use minimum shutter speed 1 / 8000 with, and the maximum burst speed is 5 fps
  • The camera has no Live View
  • JVI based on a pentaprism with a magnification of 0.9 X and 95% frame coverage.
  • Sony a700 uses an 11-point phase focusing module. Center point double cruciform, has a rather complex structure, which allows it to very accurately and tenaciously keep the subjects in focus. True, the sensitivity of the sensor is only from zero to + 18 EV
  • For measuring exposure a 40-cell sensor is used, arranged in the form of honeycombs.
  • The main display is 3 inches and 920.000 points (640 X 480 X 3 RGB), which has become a certain norm for a huge number of subsequent models, not only by Sony, but also by other manufacturers of cameras. When working with the camera, it seems that there should be another additional monochrome display on top, which for some reason was not installed on the a700 and which later appeared on a77.
  • a700 has two memory card slots Compact Flash (CF) and Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo and easily digests memory cards of almost any size.
  • Weight 690 grams.
  • The rugged case, which is based on an aluminum chassis, many parts of the case are made of magnesium alloy.
  • Since this is an advanced amateur camera, there are many different functions in the middle of its menu that help in the life of the photographer. But I will not touch on them in this brief overview.

In the gallery below the Sony a700 is shown with a lens MINOLTA MAXXUM AF 50mm 1: 1.7 (22).

Sample photos, Elena Brezhitskaya

Photo examples on Sony a700 shared by photographer Elena Brezhitskaya (Instargam)... You can look at many other wonderful photos of Elena. in your FaceBook profile, or in the profile on the website 35photo.

Sample photos, Andrey Ulyashev

Photo examples on Sony a700 shared by photographer Andrey Ulyashev (Instargam)... You can see many other wonderful photos of Andrey in his profile on the website 35photo.

All digital SLR cameras

APS-C (with cropped sensor):

Full Frame (with full frame sensor):

All mirrorless cameras

Sony E, APS-C (with cropped sensor), Sony E Full Frame (with full frame sensor).

My experience

I did not work with the camera for long, but only the most positive impressions remained from it. I used three lenses with the a700: Sony 11-18 / 4.5-5.6Sony DT 18-70 / 3.5-5.6 и Minolta AF 50 / 1.7, you can find source RAW files in their reviews.

Fun fact: Nikon switched to CMOS sensors three years earlier than Sony. The first Nikon CCD with a CMOS sensor was a camera Nikon D2x, presented on September 16.09.2004, 700, and the first Sony digital control center with a CMOS sensor was the Sony a06.09.2007, which is discussed in this review, presented only on September XNUMX, XNUMX. This is ironic enough, since most Nikon CCDs use Sony sensors (details here).

Sony a700 is the same age Nikon D300... The difference in announcements Nikon D300 and Sony a700 is only 2 weeks old. Cameras use very similar image sensors, with very similar image quality characteristics. Most likely the same sensor is used IMX021-BQR... I want to note that similar 12 MP sensors in Sony a500, Pentax Kx, Pentax Kr, Nikon D90Nikon D5000 Nikon 300s и Fujifilm FinePix X100 are newer and more advanced (most likely Sony IMX038 sensor is used). I also want to note that the older sensor Nikon D2x и D2xs not like the Sony a700 sensor. In general, the image quality with the Sony a700 is close to Nikon D300.

About a month before the announcement of the Sony a700, the camera was announced Canon EOS 40Dwhich is, in fact, a competitor for the Sony a700. But a similar model from Pentax, represented by the Pentax K-7, appeared only in 2009.

It was very interesting and pleasant for me to work with Sony a700. It is a pleasant and balanced camera. You can ask me about some little things and nuances about Sony a700 in the comments. Like any other advanced (semi-professional camera), the Sony a700 has a lot of different subtleties.

I remember in 2009 when I was choosing my first advanced camera (after an amateur Nikon D40), then looked with great interest at the Sony a700, Nikon D300 и Canon 50D.

According provided by Sony a700 camera many thanks the store ProFotoSale, where you can find many new and used ones. cameras of different systems, including similar SLR cameras.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.


Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 27, on the topic: Short review Sony a700

  • Jury

    Sony does not make the worst cameras, but not the best ones either. For amateurs - the very same time. For the pros, no

    • Vsevolod

      what nonsense)) sony makes and has made wonderful cameras for both amateurs and pros)

      • Eugene

        I agree! I myself am fond of photography for 16 years, I worked as a photographer with Alpha a700. I still don’t have tea in this cell, although it’s outdated. It is really pleasant to work with her, she is malleable and attuned to the user, and not like Canon ... I will not say anything about Nikon, I had a chance to work with one representative, swearing on what is worth)))

        • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

          Likewise Eugene. I have been photographing for a long time, but weddings, there was a case, I bombed with a video camera. Sometimes the orders were resubmitted from the photo, it was necessary to borrow from friends and colleagues. And it took me 20 minutes on the way to the registry office to remember the settings of Kenon or Pentax, Sony. But when I was asked to take pictures of Nikon on my trip…. m .. well, it was a serious check. Right now, you can go to the Internet on your phone and understand something, and then by touch. So - it is very difficult to figure it out, and even in an hour. And then the frames from Nikon with a purple tint, then something else. Everything must be edited in the editor. Maybe now that has changed, although not. I went to buy a D800 for my beloved wife as a gift, turned it over and tried it and realized that she would never master it, although she would have taken it for herself.

    • Eugene

      You are wrong, dear)) For the pros, these cameras are also just right. And if you get hold of lenses ... Alpha will create what is not available in this segment from Canon and Nikon. And it is not always there, frankly, even in the higher segment.

      • Dmitry Kostin

        As for me, the A850 / A900 were interesting. They are still not cheap in good condition with low mileage.
        А850 / А900 were popular with those who worked during the decline of glossy magazines (2009-2012 (possibly 2013)).
        They were praised for their good color reproduction and high resolution at the time. There were persistent rumors that the D3x matrix and these Sonek had a lot in common. There were people who assured that the D3x had worse color rendition than these Sonya. I read several stories about the migration from the D700 to such Sonya (just people, mostly studio people, who needed permission and normal color without dancing with a tambourine). There was a semi-mythical story about the transition from the extremely expensive D3X to one of these cameras.
        Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to buy one like the Kodak DCS Pro SLR. There was money and tempting lots for Avito, but something stopped me.

        • Dmitry Kostin

          And if you ask about “color” cameras in the photo_ru, then the old-timers, as usual, will advise Fuji S3Pro / S5Pro, Kodak DCS Pro SLR, Sigma cameras on Foveon, Sony A850 / A900, Canon 1Ds Mk2 / Mk3, well, there will be those who will say that something good about the Pentax 645D.

    • Victor

      "For the pros - no"

      It is true, and indeed, if the system had been in demand, it would not have been blown away.

  • Vsevolod

    I chose my first advanced camera (after the amateur Nikon D40), then I looked with great interest at the Sony a700, Nikon D300 and Canon 50D.

    but in the end I chose not dormouse. what helped to decide? because even then there was a successful technology with the movement of the mirror

  • Vladimir

    I used this camera for about a year with a set of Minolt glasses. I want to highlight a few nuances that I didn’t like the most:
    1. Screen. He is wonderful. But the resulting image is always displayed with camera processing and I still could not find how to disable this. That is, only after viewing it on a computer, you can understand what actually happened in terms of exposure, contrast, sharpness.
    2. Viewfinder. It is very light, but very small. Much less than, for example, on the D200. Personally, I was very upset with its size.
    3. AF points. They are very small and dimly lit. Immediately and do not understand which point is selected.
    Otherwise a great camera. I recommend everyone to buy the original Bat Block for it. It's very comfortable! I have never seen a more convenient BB!

    • B. R. P.

      according to claim 1 - So no camera is able to display raw on the display.

    • Michael

      All have an image on the screen with camera processing. Dancing with profiles usually helps)) On Olympus and Pentax, similar problems

    • Vladimir

      You don't quite get it. The camera stretches exactly the exposure. On Nikon, I can turn off this function and if the frame is overexposed, then the camera will show me so. On the 700, it will give you the most aligned frame.

      • Victor

        Perhaps you did not understand the settings and forgot to disable the d-range optimizer, which works very similarly to the one described. The screen shows the jeep, and all the settings applied to it.

    • Igor

      The difference in viewfinders for these cameras (Nikon D200 and Sony A700) is small, for D200 - x 0.62, and for Sony - x 0.60 ...
      yes, Nikon has more, but not very much ...

  • Dmitriy

    Once I chose between this device and the 40d. I chose Canon because of the presence of an additional display, Live View, albeit primitive without autofocus, but for manual optics and this is good, well, and a more “iron” body. However, I still look at this camera with a certain delight, it is painfully balanced in terms of parameters, although so many years have passed. 12 MP - no more, no less, just as much as needed, good autofocus, speed, ergonomics

  • Pokemon

    It would be interesting to read the review of Sony a580 and Sony a57 :-)

  • Bogdan

    Chim the system is happy, so there is a great number of reasonably cheap optics from AF)

  • Vladimir

    I have had this camera for many years. Every time I take it in my hands, I admire how comfortable it is in them. All the necessary buttons in convenient places, smart autofocus. The only fly in the ointment is the lack of a monochrome display. But that's not the point ... Its color rendition causes rejection. No matter how much I struggled, I could not get pure transparent colors, such as from cameras with SSD matrices. :(
    The picture from the A700 can be easily recognized by the dirty and somewhat rough colors of the sky (especially cloudy). Have you encountered this? Are there any recipes for fighting?

    • Sergos

      I bought a used a2 700 times, no matter what lenses I cling to - soft, soapy shots. I thought that unsuccessful specimens came across .. but in the pictures presented in the review, in my opinion, all the pictures are also slightly soapy, very different from, for example, pictures from a77. I think that maybe a thick aa filter was stuffed there. I read somewhere in the reviews that there was a thinning of the filter to increase sharpness ... .. one of these days I will get into the hands of 3 copies of the a700, I will look.

    • Sergos

      Sony a350 is the last camera with an SSD MATRIX -14MP. You can buy it on the secondary for ridiculous money without a lens - (1500-3000r) .. the market collapsed - you can see it on Avito. I bought it, let it be, the pictures are really different - I will figure it out in the summer. .by the way, the sharpness is better than on the a700. by the way, it’s out of place: I’m amazed at the quality of the pictures from the RX100 series, in particular the rx100m6 with a 20mpix inch matrix (I’m looking at the pictures on a 4k monitor) ..24 -200mm - in my pocket, this is not 70-200 for with your shoulders - you’ll think until smartphones come up with 200mm, or rather, it’s already been invented, who will insert it more successfully. You’ll have to leave the equipment to your grandchildren for later as technical antiques ..

  • Jury

    How does the A700 work with the memory stick? Which ones does she digest and which ones she doesn't? Which ones are optimal for this old camera?

  • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

    Tell your colleagues; But the MD optics can somehow be adapted to this autofocus bayonet through an adapter? Or is it just a complete rework?

    • Nicholas

      Yes, you can, I bought a Pixco express adapter on Ali with an infinity lens and a focus confirmation chip.

  • Igor

    CNN And I like camera JPEG. He's at 700, some kind of special. I took pictures of cars, the colors and the look of the glass are very pleasing to the eye.

  • Viktor

    Sony started cameras using CMOS sensors with the R-1, not the A700. This is 2005.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      What is it, does it have interchangeable optics?

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