Sony Alpha A700 12.24MP Digital SLR Camera



A unique combination of superb picture quality, quick response, creative shooting and sensational viewing make the Sony Alpha 700 DSLR a superior value for serious photo enthusiasts. Its newly designed Exmor CMOS image sensor captures 12.24-megapixel resolution with on-chip noise-canceling before and after A/D conversion. Advanced performance features include continuous shooting at 5 frames per second, an 11-point center dual cross AF system with f2.8 sensor for enhanced precision, and the Super SteadyShot in-camera image stabilization system that works to minimize blur with every lens you use. For sensational viewing, there’s a photo-quality 3.0-inch LCD screen and direct HDMI output to Sony Bravia HDTV and other compatible HDTV screens -- and Sony puts all this together in a rugged magnesium-alloy body.

Alpha A700 Highlights

12.24-megapixel Exmor imaging sensor A newly designed APS-C size CMOS imager with on-chip noise-canceling before and after A/D conversion provides over 12 million pixels, drawing out the full image description power of the Alpha 700’s high-performance lenses and providing spectacular detail for making big prints. Advanced on-sensor A/D conversion yields rich tonal reproduction with high signal-to-noise ratio.

Professional lenses and accessories This kit includes a 16-105mm lens, but the Alpha 700 also accepts a superb array of precision optics, including new Sony wide-aperture zoom lenses that perform brilliantly over a broad range of focal lengths, Sony "G" Series lenses with advanced motorized autofocusing, amazingly bright Carl Zeiss T* coated lenses, and over 16 million Minolta a-mount lenses sold worldwide -- plus professional-quality flash units and system accessories to expand your creative horizons.

Super SteadyShot Image Stabilization Built-in technology moves the image sensor in response to camera shake, enabling every lens to benefit from automatic blur reduction -- and provides an advantage of up to 4.0 shutter speed steps to sharpen images in lower light, for hand-held shots that would normally require a tripod.

Bionz Image Processor At the heart of the Alpha 700 DSLR camera is the advanced Sony Bionz Image Processor, using hardware-based Large Scale Integrated (LSI) circuitry that improves camera response time, screens out noise before RAW data conversion, handles Dynamic Range Optimization processing and prolongs battery life.

Dynamic Range Optimizer To recover details in dark or bright areas of the picture, the Alpha 700 provides multiple levels of Dynamic Range Optimization: Standard mode, to improve shadow detail using standard gamma curves; Advanced Auto mode, allowing you to select any of 5 DRO correction levels, or DRO Advanced Bracketing, that automatically takes three shots at different DRO levels with a single shutter press.

Continuous 5 frames-per-second advance at 12.24 megapixels The high-speed processing power of its Bionz engine, a quick-response coreless motor to drive the shutter, and dual mirror stoppers to prevent mirror bounce -- they all enable the Alpha 700 to capture action more effectively at either 5 or 3 frames per second, even shooting at full 12.24-megapixel resolution. You can also shoot continuously to the limit of available memory in JPEG Fine and Standard modes.

Advanced pentaprism viewfinder With a bright focusing matte, an optical glass prism and glass lenses that prevent ghosts inside the finder, the Alpha 700’s viewfinder image makes it easier to see your subject, compose your shot and adjust focus manually.

Eye-Start autofocus system The Alpha 700 begins its precision autofocus adjustments the moment you bring your eye to the viewfinder -- so you’ll be ready to catch the perfect moment.

11-point center dual cross AF sensor A newly-developed Sony AutoFocus system with a large f2.8 sensor improves your ability to frame the subject and capture moving subjects with greater focusing precision -- and a focus drive clutch lets you switch seamlessly between auto and manual focusing by pressing a simple button.

Super-accurate exposure control A 40-segment honeycomb sensing system provides multi-pattern measuring for superior exposure control accuracy in a wide range of lighting conditions.

Simple camera control menus Even with all its high-tech features, the Alpha 700 is amazingly simple to operate -- and a quick press of the Function (Fn) button switches the LCD display from standard menu information to a new Quick Navigation screen for camera setup via joystick and forward-back controls. The menus are easy and intuitive -- and memory function lets you save and recall personalized camera settings.

Creative Custom Settings The Alpha 700 is designed to bring out your creativity with a wide range of auto preference settings, including four basic image styles (Standard, Vivid, Neutral and Adobe RGB) and three style-box memory settings for quick setup in special events like weddings and competitive sports.

Easy-to-use Exposure Mode dial The Alpha 700’s top-mounted dial gives you quick access to Program Auto, Aperture priority, Shutter-speed priority, Manual and full Auto exposure setting modes -- as well as six scene selection modes that optimize camera focus, exposure, brightness, contrast and other settings for Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports Action, Sunset and Night View/Portrait scenes.

Quick Setting Recall The "C" button allows you to make changes more quickly by calling up Creative Style settings, Exposure compensation, Flash compensation and many more operating modes and camera functions.

Stamina Power To give you confidence for long shooting sessions in the field, the Alpha 700 can take up to 650 shots on a fully-charged NP-FM500H InfoLithium battery -- with indication in percentage of about how much battery power remains.

Built-in flash The Alpha 700's flip-up flash covers a wide focal range, synchronizes at 1/250 seconds, supports red-eye reduction and slow flash features as well as manual flash mode to set flash intensity. A wireless flash signal is available for external flash synchronization.

Anti-Dust Technology Changing lenses in a DSLR can allow dust to enter the camera -- so to help keep the CCD imager cleaner for better pictures, the Alpha 700 utilizes both static-free anti-dust coating on the CCD filter and anti-dust vibration that automatically shakes the CCD to dislodge dust each time the camera is shut off.

Rugged magnesium-alloy body The Alpha 700 is built to very high standards of durability and performance -- so you can shoot on location in difficult conditions with confidence that your equipment can handle the challenge.

XtraFine 3.0-inch LCD screen with 921k Pixels With almost 1-megapixel performance, it’s like having a high-resolution photo viewer built into your camera -- and the Alpha 700’s amazing photo-quality screen displays sharp, bright images even outdoors with a wide viewing angle so you can share photos more easily.

PhotoTV HD viewing with HDMI output The Alpha 700 provides direct HDMI output to your Bravia HDTV and other compatible HDTV screens, so you can view and share photos in breathtaking clarity and detail. You can choose between standard 3:2 and widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio -- and with new Bravia HDTV models, photos are automatically optimized in sharpness, gradation and color reproduction for HD display.

Wireless remote control For shooting as well as viewing convenience, Sony supplies a multi-function wireless remote control with the Alpha 700 -- allowing you to control HDTV photo viewing and trip the shutter by remote to put yourself in the picture.

Versatile recording formats Images can be captured in RAW, cRAW (optimized for fast action), RAW+JPEG and three JPEG modes (Extra Fine, Fine and Standard), for greater versatility in every digital photo application.

Powerful supplied software The Alpha 700 comes with a powerful RAW conversion and image management system and newly developed RAW software that gives you the power to handle large volumes of RAW data while taking full advantage of the sophisticated imaging capabilities of the Alpha 700.

Dual media options For image capture with optional media you may already own, the Alpha 700 has built-in slots for both CompactFlash Type I/II media and Memory Stick Duo media or high-capacity Memory Stick Pro Duo media.

Customer Reviews

fantstic camera!5
great camera! solid build, very intuitive menus and controls, great images and high ISO capacity (after the new software update v4), and camera based sensor stabilization - all your lenses - including the old minotas that you can grab for cheap on ebay will be stabilized! (as opposed o paying premium prices to canon and nikon! at this price I am considering getting a second one!

Is every other review a company plant? Or did real photographers just not bother to review this camera?2
The Sony SLRs are toys designed to compete in a market in which they already failed. They are just re-branded Minolta DSLRS, and photographers were so unhappy with the Minolta DSLRS that no one ever purchased one except kids and old photographers with Minolta gear from the days of film back when they still produced quality products.

With the exception of some gimmick features like image stabilization, Sony does not offer anything with this camera that Nikon and Canon did not offer earlier and cheaper. Nikon and Canon both also offer image stabilization in their lenses, which is an alternative that provides better results when it really matters. When you use a Sony DSLR for any extended period of time, you will start to notice that it is missing buttons for commonly accessed features such as ISO and white balance, which are hidden deep within menus that take a long time to access and change, and you will notice that the high ISO performance being touted by other reviewers is grainy and extremely subpar when compared to the cameras being offered by Nikon and Canon.

Canon and Nikon offer better cameras, cheaper, with more lenses. In fact, if you buy the right Nikon or Canon DSLR, there is a good chance you can still use lenses going back to the 1950s (this is true for Nikon, I am not sure about Canon). These lenses are still extraordinary. You will be able to use lenses made into the far future. Will Sony still be around? Minolta isn't, and you're betting on the same technology that already failed once.

The Sony won't take bad pictures; any camera, even a cheap point and shoot, will take beautiful pictures. But a Sony DSLR will fight against you and try to stop you from taking those pictures, you want a good camera that knows what it is doing and is trying to help you along the creative process.

Great product.5
The A700 is stout. Solid construction and solid performance. High ISO performance that can be mated up to fast Sony or Minolta AF glass. I've got an F2.8 lens and it is unstoppable indoors even in mediocre lighting. I can only imagine if I had an f1.4 prime or something of the like mounted on this body! 3 shot bracketing is quick, metering is accurate, colors are great. I shoot in cRaw and am impressed with that format. I cannot pick up on any loss compared to RAW; but the camera will run RAW all day long with no problems either. The scary thing is that even JPEGS look great on this camera! It is a very serious camera and will sit atop the Sony line until they bring out a full-frame camera. Thoroughly impressed and definitely a worthy replacement for the venerable Maxxum/Dynax 5's 7's and maybe even the 9 depending on your use!