Will I buy an a77?

WHY NOT?

I don't want video

I am very happy with optical viewfinder

Don't need a top LCD

Don't care about JPG engine or issues as use RAW most of the time with LR

NOT VERY IMPORTANT

I can definitely live without liveview and swiveling LCD, but for very occasional difficult positions it would be good. It would be very helpful in keeping eye contact when I am taking shots of my grandsons.

WHY

Would definitely like the micro lens calibration feature

Would always like faster/more accurate focus (although the a700 in its day was tested by a German magazine as having better focus than competitive cameras...don't know where the idea that it has focus issues has come from?)

a700 ISO is almost always fine, especially with LR noise reduction. However if I could regularly use, say iso6400 instead of 1600, it would transform my consideration of my lens inventory. I could perhaps use a lesser lens at f8 instead of carrying an f2.8 lump around with me

Extra pixels would give me the opportunity to crop more. Perhaps I could also use shorter lenses if their resolution will support the greater sensor performance. Would my 200/2.8 on a77 give me the same results, cropped, as a 280/2.8 on a700?

CONCLUSION

I am unlikely to buy one just yet, unless the stock market does something remarkable, or my a700 breaks.

BUT.....having a decent replacement out there (assuming it is as good as we expect) gives me a great deal of confidence that my investment in glass is secure for the future (even if as noted above, I could possibly get the same results from lesser glass)

Anyone want to add to the debate?

good shooting

tom