A FREE color temperature analyzer included (which would cost $1,200 separately)! As I describe below, there is a little discussed feature that allows you to set the white balance for the ambient light practically perfectly.

I have had my Sony Alpha 700 for about six weeks now, have used it extensively on a vacation, and have tried most of the features.

I'm impressed with:

- the solid "feel" of the camera build

- the 5 frames per second continuous shooting until the card is full (many other more expensive cameras have a limit)

- autofocus is blazing fast, and as reviewed in PopPhoto, is faster than even the best Nikons and Canons in good light.

- there are several ways to access almost any setting or function, and seemingly endless customization of settings.

- Though the Auto white balance isn't always as accurate as I'd like, there is an amazing feature with will allow you to set an custom white balance in a mixed or difficult light situation by using a gray or white card and having the camera "read" the light. It not only gets the Kelvin temperature right, but also adjust to Green/Magenta filter color casts from G9 to M9. To get that quality ambient light sensing, you would have to buy a $1,200 Color temperature sensor (Minolta made one). So basically you get a color analyzer for free with the camera.

- I have quickly gotten used to the separate buttons for the setting I adjust most frequently: Drive setting (for bracketing or time delay), White Balance, and ISO.

- The Dynamic Range (DR) Capabilities are phenomenal. I've shot photos in horribly contrasty situations and been able to get detail in both shadows and highlights. There are 8 levels of adjustment for DR.

- The information you can get on playback is extensive and useful when you press the "C" button.

- I love having a % of battery life left, but I hated having to have to sell my old batteries from my Alpha 100 because they won't fit due to the new feature.

What I don't like:

- the little "joystick" control is difficult for me when I try to press it to confirm a setting. Otherwise it works fine directionally.

- I've found that I get better exposures with a -.5 EV compensation. The histograms are almost always perfect in that situation.

Overall, it's the best value in a semi-pro (bang for the buck) that I've come across after extensive evaluation. I'm also confident that Sony will continue to market it's DSLRs seriously and continue to offer a wider model line. Sony has staying power and marketing muscle. So far it only has about 6% of the worldwide DSLR market, but I'm confident that will grow due to the quality and value of it's camera product line, including the Zeiss lenses.

Another thing to note: Sony makes the 12 megapixel sensor for the Nikon D300, and most likely they are the same. Compare the price of the Sony A700 with the D300, and you will see the "bargain".

I have a Canon 5D and although it produces impressive pictures, I found too many of my pictures were blurred and I found myself not carrying my 5D around as it was a heavy camera (front heavy and hard to hold still IMHO) with the 24-105mm lens attached (hence the blurred shots). I started to look for a smaller and lighter camera - comfort was a major issue as was the size of the viewfinder and quality of the LCD as the 5D's LCD is frankly poor - very hard to tell if something was sharply focused or the appropriate colour. I tried out the following:

Pentax K20 - didn't like the focusing system or the LCD menu system, but otherwise impressed with the camera. Also, it's not a Nikon or Canon which is attractive given their saturation of the market - it's good not to go with the herd sometimes! Good range of lenses.

Nikon D80 - uncomfortably ergonomics for me, as with the D300, the thumb rest digs right into the lower joint of my thumb making it hard to hold firmly, I also didn't like the reversal of the focus and zoom rings on their lenses (focus at the back, zoom at the front).

Nikon D300 - very nice camera, but almost 100g heavier than the 5D!

Canon 40D - very similar to the 5D in terms of size, weight and shape. Comfortable but bland ergonomics and still on the heavy side. Nice big viewfinder, very impressive large information in the viewfinder too, compatible with my existing lenses. But it's a Canon (I have an aversion to monopolies or duopolies - it's not good for consumers or innovation!) and with their quality 17-80 lens it was going to weigh little less than the 5D.

Olympus 510 - brilliant size, weight and comfortable ergonomics, good kit lenses. I don't like the 4/3rds system (a smaller sensor just can't be better as I found with comparisons to the 5D and it makes the viewfinder very small) and their menu system is plain ugly. With a 900,000 pixel moveable screen and cleaner menu, Olympus would corner the small DSLR market.

I decided to buy an A700 with a Carl Zeiss 16-80 lens and have used it for a couple of weeks and overall I am very happy - I use it far more than the 5D as it is light and small and easy to carry. On the downside, the picture quality is not as good as the 5D especially at high ISOs where the Sony is noticeably grainy. Amateur Photographer has a review in their current issue which shows that in terms of IQ, resolution and noise the 5D beats the D300 and 40D, so the A700 really can't compete. But there's no point having the best camera sitting at home gathering dust.

Sony A700 Pros:

- Lightweight and small compared to others in class.

- Very nice ergonomics and comfort in the hand. Easy to hold very tight with very little camera wobble compared to the 5D which is front-heavy and less easy to hold still.

- Brilliant LCD, easy to check colour accuracy and sharpness - don't even need to zoom to check focus. Sony and Nikon are miles ahead of Canon, Olympus and Pentax here.

- Carl Zeiss lens is lightweight and small too, with a very useful range. Very sharp and colourful lens.

- Very bright and large viewfinder - which is so important and put me off Canon's 20D and 30D a few year's ago which have small, pokey viewfinders.

- Anti-shake device is superb, makes a huge difference and in my view is better than the lens version with Canon and Nikon. It applies to all lenses which is a major plus.

- I love the shake level meter in the viewfinder window. It is brilliant and almost on its own has made me a convert to the A700. A little chart fluctuates depending on camera shake, so you wait until the chart drops and then take the picture - it is so helpful.

- White balance settings have 7 variable settings (-3, 0, +3) which is very helpful.

- Lovely clean menu system, easier and quicker than Canon and up there with Nikon's which is also lovely to use. Olympus and Pentax really needs to take note, as their menus are cluttered and not intuitive. The A700's menu is a pleasure to navigate.

- Dedicated ISO, drive, WB and exposure buttons is very quick and useful, all are large and easy to press and can be used without even taking one's eye away from the viewfinder. Also a custom function button (NOT a direct printer button like Canon!). I don't miss the top LCD screen at all - big buttons are more helpful!

- Compressed RAW looks as good as RAW but takes less space and time.

- Outdoor shots are very sharp, very colourful and contrasty. I mainly take travel and outdoor pics so this camera really suits my style and needs.

Sony A700 Cons:

- Picture quality and resolution is not up to Canon 5D standards (but matches 40D and D80 etc). I appreciate they are not like-for-like cameras or in the same class, and the 5D is full frame etc, but it is 3+ years old. My experience is borne out by Amateur Photographer - full frame is best. I should add that at low ISOs (200 or below) and shooting RAW or cRAW the Sony output is almost as good as the Canon, which when coupled with the Sony's size, weight, LCD and anti-shake device is enough for me.

- Where the Sony suffers is at higher ISOs. At 800 the 5D has almost zero grain or noise whereas the Sony, to me, is noisy in the shadows and darkers areas of the pic. If you mainly shoot indoors or in low light, this may not be the right camera for you.

- Poor dedicated range of lenses. Not as many lenses as available for Canon and not the same quality either in terms of build and glass. Too many of the Sony lenses I have read about have had poor reviews. No problems if you have Minolta glass - but again, not the range or quality of Canon.

- Too few Sony lenses have USM/HSM/SSM etc motors. The Zeiss lens is quick but not as quick as my Canon lenses with USM motors. More importantly the Zeiss lens is very "squeaky" in use - when going from completely out of focus to focus there is an audible whirr and squeak as it is not an SSM lens. Only the high-end telephotos have SSM. Also, many of the Sigma lenses don't have HSM while they do for Canon and Nikon mounts making them also loud and slower.

- WB under incandescent light is poor - very orange cast and even with the parameters being changed, is still badly inaccurate.

- There is no ISO reading in the viewfinder info bar which would be helpful and is standard at this level of DSLR.

- The AEL button is very raised away from the body, as a result, when pressed, it is hard to keep my glasses close to the viewfinder and my view becomes distorted - this is actually quite annoying, but nevertheless not a deal breaker by any means.

- The rubber grips on the lens are very fine and are a dust magnet. It's a really minor point, but after one week my Carl Zeiss lens looked shabby because any dust and dirt gets stuck in the fine rubber ridges and is really hard to clean.

Overall:

Overall the Sony A700 is a really excellent camera if you shoot at low ISOs (800 or under), mainly shoot outdoors and want something light and compact to carry all day. If you are coming from film where shooting higher than ISO 400 was virtually unheard of, this is a great camera. I give it 4 stars not 5 as it is not perfect (though arguably no camera is perfect, and this comes as close as any) - to me it is a bit too noisy from ISO 400 up, certainly compared to the D300 with which it shares a sensor. But, it doesn't matter 90% of the time. V Highly Recommended.

I've now had the A700 for 8 months. Totally solid reliability, not a problem one. I use a Sigma 10mm wide angle and the Sony 18-200mm lens. The camera feels just perfect to hold. Image quality is of course terrific. The wireless flash system is great, with 2 H56's you can do lots of creative lighting and is fun to use. Complaint would be high noise level shooting in low light with DRO turned up, but of course just turning it down fixes it. Great high quality DSLR, I am very glad with the choice I made.

I think it is a foregone conclusion that if you are invested in Canon or Nikon, then you have no compelling reason to even look at this camera. But for the first-time SLR buyer, there are a lot of reasons.

I am a first-time digital SLR buyer. I was looking at the Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body only) for a very long time. I was also considering the Sigma SD14 14MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only), as I preferred its feel and ergonomics (and I love Sigma lenses, I had used them on film SLRs before). I wanted an APS-sized sensor for my camera, so I din't consider any of the Four-Thirds models. I wanted a full-size, rugged SLR. Nikon, Sigma, Fuji, and Canon were all on my initial list.

But then Sony announced last year that they were going to make CMOS sensors for themselves and Nikon. I knew that such sensors should improve a problem I have been suffering with CCD sensors for years, which is noise. When I saw the first product pictures online, I immediately put it on my list of candidates.

And when I finally got to hold an A700 in November, it was love at first shot. The ergonomics are better for me than anything I have seen with Canon or Nikon. The grip, shutter release button, and thumb and index finger wheels feel like they are in the perfect locations. I love the speed. You can turn it on and take a picture in under 3 seconds. That's fast enough for an amateur like me. And it has the sweetest shutter sound I've ever heard on a digital SLR. Small details, but very appealing.

At a practical level, the camera's rich list of features and sensor stabilization make it a better camera than the D80, for just a few hundred more. The only thing it lacks that pro photographers would want is an LCD status screen up on top. But Sony assumed that amateurs like me wouldn't mind having the settings displayed on the giant 3" LCD on the back, and in my case, they were correct.

If you want live view and a second LCD status display, then the Nikon D300 is a logical choice. It's a great camera for a little more money. As far as image quality is concerned, I have to agree with the pro users that the Nikon D300 has fewer noise issues, while the Sony A700 has better color reproduction. (The minor noise issues with the Sony can be fixed with some software updates, and we A700 users are waiting for both Sony and Adobe to address them.) It's interesting since both cameras have a very similar sensor. But the difference lies in how the images are processed in the camera. Sony has a series of processing technologies in this camera, most of which work great for the amateur photographers who don't want to spend a lot of time with manual processing (Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture, etc.). The pros out there are a little annoyed that this Sony assumes that they want advanced noise reduction and some extra preprocessing. After all, an image in RAW format can have the noise reduced later on a desktop or laptop, why have the camera interfere?

Again, it was a judgment call made by Sony that most A700 users would not be artists, but rather photojournalists and amateurs. I can see the photojournalist influence in the camera's design. By having separate buttons for White Balance, ISO, and Drive, the camera can be easily adjusted by a user who is in a hurry and/or wearing gloves.

This is a camera made for outdoor use. The Sigma SD-14, in comparison, is a camera that is best in a studio. The Sigma is renowned for its use in the fashion industry. But its menus are not as intuitive as the Sony. And once outside, the Sigma has noise issues at 800 ISO. I don't detect noise problems with the Sony until I get up to 1600 or 3200 ISO, depending on the light source.

I should mention that the menus in Sony A700 main LCD screen are beautiful, easy to access, and make sense. There are multiple ways to access the grid of settings including the three dedicated buttons mentioned above. Want to adjust ISO and then exposure? Just push the ISO button, make the change there, and then use the joystick to highlight the exposure control, then center-click to save. The wheels (one for index finger, one for thumb) can be programmed to adjust aperture and shutter speed however you wish. You will be shooting crisp, professional looking photographs soon after you take the camera out of the box and charge the battery. It immediately made me a better photographer.

And for lenses, the news is just getting better. Sony is releasing at least 4 new lenses this year, including a 'beercan' style 70-300 telephoto, and an amazing 24-70 f2.8 Carl Zeiss, which could be the ultimate full-frame portrait lens. This camera is not full-frame, as it uses an APS-C sensor. But Sony is getting ready to release the A900 full-frame professional SLR, and we're already seeing some lenses designed for it. Also, Tamron and Sigma both support the alpha-mount (formerly Minolta), and their lenses are worth a look. I highly recommend the Sigma 18-50 f2.8 as a great walk-around lens to start with. And Sony has the wonderful 16-80 Carl Zeiss as a walk-around choice. Sony also offers a lightweight 11-18 ultrawide zoom for architecture photography (indoor and outdoor). And there are others in the pipeline. All total, there are about 40 lenses you can purchase for this camera brand-new, and any used Minolta or other alpha mount lens will work as well (most notable is the famous Minolta 70-210 "beercan" from the 1980s).

But no digital SLR should be purchased without picking it up and trying it out. Get yourself a Compact Flash memory card, go to a camera store, and take some shots. You might understand why we Sony users are excited.

I am in love with my new A700. It is a wonderful camera that brings me into the digital world of SLR's quite nicely. On problem i did have was that the battery charger and cord were missing from the box when I received it, so if you order from Amazon, check your box first thing!

This camera was my Xmas present to myself this year. My previous 35 mm SLR was a Minolta Maxxum (film) and that is still a fine film camera.

The thing that blows me away about this Sony camera (especially as a rank amateur) is how easy it is to get familar with all of the more advanced features. Because it is a digital camera and because the LCD is SOOOO good and effective, you can really see right away how the different features work composing pictures in your own backyard. That is very convenient and educational.

As others have said, the quality and hand fit seem exceptional and so many of the screen features also have buttons. Very smart engineering by Sony on that.

This is a camera that will inspire someone wanting to get immersed in the hobby. This purchase seems to be well worth the money I believe at this point.

Update - Bought the book written by Gary Friedman on the A700. While the manual was pretty good teaching me about the camera, this book is excellent in showing you many examples how all the features work. It's pricey at $100 for the hard cover color edition but worth the money if you really want to learn the potential of this camera.

Sony Alpha A700 12.24MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Sony Alpha A700 12.24MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Lens

Some people are die-hard Sony fans...anything they purchase has to be a Sony. I don't fit into that catagory. In fact, when I was setting up my home theatre, I didn't even consider Sony. I could go as far as saying I really hate sony...proprietory memory cards and over priced products to name a few of my dislikes.

When I started searching for my first DSLR, I started at [...]. I have always found their site to be unbiased and not company sponsered. I noticed while there that the top picks included the A700. I Reluctantly read their review and then proceded to do more on-line research about this camera.

Having not owned a DSLR before, I was able to look at a lot of cameras without a specific brand(some folks already have lens so they tend to be brand specific). After lots of research, I ended up back at the Sony. I seriously considered the Nikon D300 but I found that for an extra $500, the Sony was the best buy for me. It doesn't have quite as many pro features but it was a lot of camera for less money. If you google a700 vs. D300 you will find people who have shot identical photos with both cameras and they post the results side by side. The honest truth is that in many of these samples, the D300 shoots a slightly crisper, sharper picture but not even close to $500 worth. Also, in my reading, a few sites have suggested that Sony is acually producing the sensor for both cameras just slight tweaked for the Nikon. I can't confirm that for sure but it was said by some reliable photography websites.

I picked up the A700, which I should mention was a replacement for my Minolta Dimage 5 purchased in 2001. Obviously we are talking totally different leagues if you know that camera at all (it was a digital camera with an LCD viewfinder simulating an SLR but not truely an Single Lens Reflex). I spent the extra cash and bought the SAL1680Z Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA Lens. I had a chance at Henry's Camera store to try out the different lens and upload samples to their computer and the Carl Zeiss lens produced a more accurate picture, particularly in the whites and light grays. Also the edge detail of items was cleaner. For the card, I bought a LEXAR 4GB UDMA 300x card which is the new highspeed format writing at 45 meg per sec. This card is fast and the camera fully supports it. I should note that if you tend not to use the camera to upload to the computer, you have to have a special UDMA compactflash card reader to enjoy the full benefits of a highspeed card.

My photography background is self taught, stictly a hobbiest and non-professional. My goal for this camera is to take some courses (staring in January) and learn how to operate a camera in more that just "Auto". Out of the box, I have to say that this is truely a camera that can be used by an amateur photographer like myself and obtain amazing results. The pictures in daylight are superb with crisp, sharp images and astounding colour accuracy. With my old camera, the challenge was taking night or reduced light shots. The image stabilization in this camera is amazing. I can actually take zoom shots at night, with no tripod with clarity and depth. The other thing that I really, really appreciate with this camera is the size and amazing detail of the LCD screen. I remember with my old camera, going to Chicago to Navy Pier on a beautiful night waiting for the fireworks. During that wait, we took some beautiful shots of the sunset, the city at night and the fireworks...but we didn't have a tripod. Pictures looked great on the tiny little low resolutiuon 1.5" screen...but then we uploaded them to the computer, what a disappointment...only a small handfull turned out. The Sony A700 makes this problem history. To me, it makes a lot of sense to have the stabilization on board the camera rather than have to "buy" it with each lens or compensating by always lugging a tripod. Even if there is a slight blur in a photo, the high quality LCD lets you see the picture is not clear and it allows you to reshoot.

The manual that came with this camera was actually really good. Some manuals are nightmares but not this one. It not only goes over the description, it shows comparison samples of different settings. The on-screen menu on the LCD is easy to navigate but many common features of the menu can also be accessed by buttons on the top of the camera (Drive, white balance etc.) Even the pre-set features like "Vivid", "Portrait" and "Night" perform extremely well. My last camera didn't always perform well with these settings.

D-Range is another really neat feature. This is a setting that allows the camera to adjust to those photos where a dark object is in front of a light background. Like a person standing in front of a window on a sunny day. It can be set to auto adjust or by manual increments. I took a photo the other day of a home decor item hanging in the window. With d-range turned off, the item and the wall around the window was too dark to make out. Turn it on to auto and the item was more visible while still maintaining the detail of the trees in the background of the window. Then by tweaking the setting in manual D-Range, the item hanging in the window was perfectly focused while the highlights of the exterior were still visible with a subtle blur.

The battery life is not as long as some of its competitors, rated at 650 shots per full charge based on a mix of flash and non-flash use. What is really great is that the battery tells you exactly how much charge is left in percentage value.

Something that was included that I really like is the remote control. Yesterday our family got together for Christmas and for the first time in many years, we were able to get a family shot with everyone together. Usually for us the camera person is missing. Also, my wife and I like to take trips to areas where we can go hiking. We have lots of photos of nature and lots of photos with one of us but now we will have shots with both of us. The remote can also control the camera's slide show if hooked to a tv. While on the topic of TV's the HDMI output to HDTV is available (I haven't bought the cable yet). If you are shooting photos for tv use only, the camera can be set to take in wide screen format which is nice for certain applications.

As mentioned, I am taking a part-time course at our community college. I am looking forward to discovering the full potential of this camera. Based on reviews I have read and my limited experience thus far, the A700 has put Sony as a worthy competitor in the Advanced Amateur/Semi-Pro catagory. It is also nice to see Sony cameras with CompactFlash slots which are cheaper to buy and just plain faster.

Bought this camera yesterday from the SonyStyle retailer store. This DSLR is AWESOME!!! I was conducting thorough research comparing it mainly with Canon 40d (I previously used Canons only). Sony has many features Canon does not have, in particular - internal stabilization, which makes lenses price cheaper, and HD output. Sony is a bit slower in burst shooting: 5 fps against Canon 6.5 fps, but if you are not exclusively into sports, that really does not matter. And, of course, Sony LCD display is much superior.

Well done, Sony! A+

P.S. Don't buy it with a kit lens - it is ok, but not the best choise. Start with Sony 50 mm 1.4f lens or Carl Zeiss 16-80 lens!

Late last month I had the good fortune to try the Sony Alpha 700 camera at Sony's Photo Plus East booth. I found the camera easy to use, with the controls well-laid out from an ergonomic perspective. I was surprised that I could activate autofocusing via my eye movement. I was also quite impressed with the camera's built-in image stabilizer. And yet, what impressed me most was how well the camera performed with two Zeiss lenses I borrowed; a zoom lens and the Zeiss 85mm f1.4 Planar (Both lenses, along with the 135mm Sonnar, are built in Japan by Sony using not only Zeiss designs, but also stringent Zeiss quality control. As an aside, I heard incorrectly from a Sony representative that Zeiss doesn't build its own lenses, but allows others to manufacture them under the Zeiss name. This is an incorrect statement since Zeiss builds several lenses for its ZM rangefinder camera system and the Hasselblad V series medium format cameras at its Oberkochen, Germany factory.). Both lenses produced crisp, high contrast images of the kind I've come to expect from Zeiss lenses, having used both discontinued Contax/Yashica SLR Zeiss lenses and Zeiss Ikon ZM rangefinder Zeiss lenses recently.

The Sony Alpha 700 is a true professional grade digital SLR, built to similar exacting standards as those from its key competitors; Canon and Nikon. While the camera reminds me most of an updgraded version of late, lamented Minolta Maxxum flagship professional digital SLR cameras, there are ample new features built within the camera that demonstrate Sony's commitment to technical innovation, beginning with the built-in image stabilizer. Therefore, this new digital SLR will appeal to those who are either advanced amateur or professional photographers, especially those who are familiar with the Minolta Maxxum system (However, I predict that Sony's new innovations, including its autofocusing Zeiss lenses, will draw some interest from photographers who might otherwise consider only Canon or Nikon digital SLRs.). Believe the hype about this camera which you may have read in Popular Photography, American Photo or Shutterbug. It is hype that is indeed well-earned.