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707 issues affecting you?

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TimM

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The 707 seems like an amazing camera with great functionality. However, I am concerned about several issues brought to my attention reading this forum. I am concerned about the LEVBFS problems and and the new found dark stripe down the left side of pictures (very noticable in panoramas). My question is, how are these issues affecting you 707 owners? Are the 707 quirks easy to get around? Do you expect Sony to fix these issues with firmware in the near future? My heart is torn between the G2 and 707--the G2 for the great picture quality, and the 707 for the great features (particularly the speed and zoom). I have decided to make my purchasing decision by mid-week and stick to it. What are your thougts?
---Tim
 
Tim McDonald said:
The 707 seems like an amazing camera with great functionality.
However, I am concerned about several issues brought to my
attention reading this forum. I am concerned about the LEVBFS
problems and and the new found dark stripe down the left side of
pictures (very noticable in panoramas). My question is, how are
these issues affecting you 707 owners? Are the 707 quirks easy to
get around? Do you expect Sony to fix these issues with firmware
in the near future? My heart is torn between the G2 and 707--the
G2 for the great picture quality, and the 707 for the great
features (particularly the speed and zoom). I have decided to make
my purchasing decision by mid-week and stick to it. What are your
thougts?

--
-Tim
Click to expand...
Tim, I just got my 707 for just about a week and I love it! Focusing is fast, the long lens allows me to take pictures not possible on short lens.

Have not tried looking for LEVBFS, but did not find any dark stripes on my panaroma shots.

I think if you run thro this forums you will find that whatever shortcomings the 707 has does not bother the owners much. More than that, I find most to be very passionate about their 707.

For me, I think 707 is definately a GREAT camera.
 
Tim do what I did. Make a list of your needs and then print out both the G2 review and 707 review. You cannot go wrong with either camera.

FOr me, I needed low light focusing, fast start up and the 5x zoom. I didn't care about incamera saturation controls (would've been nice though) or RAW mode or the flip out screen.

What sold me was going to my local Best Buy and taking shots with all threee cameras. Best Buy will lend you a compac flash card and memory stick. I chose the D7 and G2. I tested shots between the both of them and was not impressed. The D7 couldn't find it's focus fast enough (for me). The G2 3x was a joke (to me) plus the slow start up times (IMO). I need something that would be ready in under two seconds. Yes 7 seconds is too long for me. I take very fast shots that need a fast starting camera. When I see a shot I need the camera to be ready when I am.

So when Sears carried the 707 with a 30 day no charge return policy, I figured I couldn't lose. I bought and tried and fell in love with it. The memory stick BS is just that, BS. Now the 128 are $50! So price is not an issue.

LEVBFS is an easy fix if I ever get, I do not have the dark band on the side, nor do I have the blown out reds and neon green. This all changed when I sent mine in for the BFS fix.

I also wanted a camera that I could use like my old SLR. If I wanted a polarizer attached, I would just screw it on, no attachements no adpaters nothing. If I wanted an IR filter, I would just screw that on too. If I wanted a UV filter all the time, well guess what, JUST SCREW IT ON AND LEAVE IT. No lens adpaters, no nothing.

Like I said both are great cameras in their own categories. So find your need, try out both cameras, have the store print samples for you and jump into the digital realm.

Hope to see you back here ;-)

Feel free to email me with more questions.--David http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292111925 'If you ain't g0t r00t, you ain't g0t nuthin'
 
Thanks David,

A quick system is definitely one of my requirements. I had actually been in the “digital realm” for about three weeks, until my Nikon Coolpix 995 was stolen out of my car. It wasn’t even in plain view, it was underneath the seat! Anyway, although the 995 took stunningly beautiful pictures, I learned that one could only use it for still objects because of its sluggishness. Additionally, in low light, it would take an eternity to get a focus lock. I lost many great moments because of those issues.

Thanks for your comments. It has been very difficult to get completely “sold” on just one camera because each one has something the other lacks.

-Tim

BTW - You have some great pictures on your site!
r00t said:
Tim do what I did. Make a list of your needs and then print out
both the G2 review and 707 review. You cannot go wrong with either
camera.

FOr me, I needed low light focusing, fast start up and the 5x zoom.
I didn't care about incamera saturation controls (would've been
nice though) or RAW mode or the flip out screen.

What sold me was going to my local Best Buy and taking shots with
all threee cameras. Best Buy will lend you a compac flash card and
memory stick. I chose the D7 and G2. I tested shots between the
both of them and was not impressed. The D7 couldn't find it's
focus fast enough (for me). The G2 3x was a joke (to me) plus the
slow start up times (IMO). I need something that would be ready in
under two seconds. Yes 7 seconds is too long for me. I take very
fast shots that need a fast starting camera. When I see a shot I
need the camera to be ready when I am.

So when Sears carried the 707 with a 30 day no charge return
policy, I figured I couldn't lose. I bought and tried and fell in
love with it. The memory stick BS is just that, BS. Now the 128
are $50! So price is not an issue.

LEVBFS is an easy fix if I ever get, I do not have the dark band on
the side, nor do I have the blown out reds and neon green. This
all changed when I sent mine in for the BFS fix.

I also wanted a camera that I could use like my old SLR. If I
wanted a polarizer attached, I would just screw it on, no
attachements no adpaters nothing. If I wanted an IR filter, I
would just screw that on too. If I wanted a UV filter all the
time, well guess what, JUST SCREW IT ON AND LEAVE IT. No lens
adpaters, no nothing.

Like I said both are great cameras in their own categories. So
find your need, try out both cameras, have the store print samples
for you and jump into the digital realm.

Hope to see you back here ;-)

Feel free to email me with more questions.
--
David
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292111925

'If you ain't g0t r00t, you ain't g0t nuthin'
Click to expand...
 
Tim McDonald said:
The 707 seems like an amazing camera with great functionality.
However, I am concerned about several issues brought to my
attention reading this forum. I am concerned about the LEVBFS
problems and and the new found dark stripe down the left side of
pictures (very noticable in panoramas). My question is, how are
these issues affecting you 707 owners? Are the 707 quirks easy to
get around? Do you expect Sony to fix these issues with firmware
in the near future? My heart is torn between the G2 and 707--the
G2 for the great picture quality, and the 707 for the great
features (particularly the speed and zoom). I have decided to make
my purchasing decision by mid-week and stick to it. What are your
thougts?

--
-Tim
Click to expand...
This is my second 707, I exchanged my first because of BFS. And while BFS and LEVBFS are easily and quickly corrected post processing the only time I will ever use flash is for snapshot type stuff and I didn't want to take the time correcting snapshots. So LEVBFS(which my camera has) is a none issue for me. My camera does not have a dark stripe down the left side. Though in certain circumstances it will exhibit visible vignetting which is almost perfectly circular. Awhile back I went out and shot a lot of blue sky and skies with a lot wispy white clouds and was able to achieve a slight reddish cast in one photo in the areas that can darken due to vignetting. I don't shoot panos but the vignetting might be a problem though I doubt it. It's fixable if I ever find it detracting to a photo but so far I haven't. And I am happy exchanging the big bright lens for occasional darkening of the corners.

I am constantly delighted by the camera. I was considering holding out for the Nikon 5000 (I've always used Nikon film cameras) but having read the reviews I'm glad I didn't.

The 707 is fast, the resolution is stunning and surprising it has it's quirks but they are definitely and decisively(for me) outweighed by the images it can capture. The battery charge lasts forever. The only time I have had any problems with reds clipping is with flash and certain reds(and bight artificial greens), like those semi fluorescent ones in kids toys(Christmas photos). And that issue reminds me of the old days shooting with Kodachrome.

I haven't had a moments regret in getting the 707. The choice of camera is a pretty individual one. What do you want to do with it?. For me the ability to shoot low light with great resolution was primary and the 707 fits the bill.
--Anorfir
 
Neither of the problems you mention has caused me any trouble. My biggest problem with the 707 has been that when you enable the built in flash, it continues to use the same slow shutter speed for any given aperture that it would use without the flash. The result is that you have to switch to full manual mode to use the flash effectively, and even then you have to live with a dark viewfinder that makes framing difficult. That said, the flash does a good job as a fill to supplement the available light. Also, the 707 does better than other digicams in it's price range at available light photography.

I considered the G2 as well. I liked the combination of a light weight compact body and a reasonably bright lens. What I didn't like was the slippery feel of the grip, the poor optical viewfinder (very difficult for me to use while wearing glasses), and the slow startup procedure (remove lens cap first, then turn on camera, then twist out LCD display, then wait for it to extend the lens and boot up).

The 707 viewfinder works well, but I find the LCD display is actually usable in most situations, and I prefer to use it for most shots. You can turn it on and remove the lens cap while it boots up. Likewise, you can restore the lens cap before or after you power off the camera. The result is a quick camera. It is somewhat bulky, but not too heavy. I'd love the RAW format and Compact Flash of the G2, but I can live without them.--Peter Epstein
 
AN AMAZING FEAT,...WHERE CAN U PURCHASE A 128 MEMORY STICK FOR $50.00. IF THIS IS POSSIBLE,.PLEASE EMAIL ME THE DETAILS,..THANKS
r00t said:
Tim do what I did. Make a list of your needs and then print out
both the G2 review and 707 review. You cannot go wrong with either
camera.

FOr me, I needed low light focusing, fast start up and the 5x zoom.
I didn't care about incamera saturation controls (would've been
nice though) or RAW mode or the flip out screen.

What sold me was going to my local Best Buy and taking shots with
all threee cameras. Best Buy will lend you a compac flash card and
memory stick. I chose the D7 and G2. I tested shots between the
both of them and was not impressed. The D7 couldn't find it's
focus fast enough (for me). The G2 3x was a joke (to me) plus the
slow start up times (IMO). I need something that would be ready in
under two seconds. Yes 7 seconds is too long for me. I take very
fast shots that need a fast starting camera. When I see a shot I
need the camera to be ready when I am.

So when Sears carried the 707 with a 30 day no charge return
policy, I figured I couldn't lose. I bought and tried and fell in
love with it. The memory stick BS is just that, BS. Now the 128
are $50! So price is not an issue.

LEVBFS is an easy fix if I ever get, I do not have the dark band on
the side, nor do I have the blown out reds and neon green. This
all changed when I sent mine in for the BFS fix.

I also wanted a camera that I could use like my old SLR. If I
wanted a polarizer attached, I would just screw it on, no
attachements no adpaters nothing. If I wanted an IR filter, I
would just screw that on too. If I wanted a UV filter all the
time, well guess what, JUST SCREW IT ON AND LEAVE IT. No lens
adpaters, no nothing.

Like I said both are great cameras in their own categories. So
find your need, try out both cameras, have the store print samples
for you and jump into the digital realm.

Hope to see you back here ;-)

Feel free to email me with more questions.
--
David
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292111925

'If you ain't g0t r00t, you ain't g0t nuthin'
Click to expand...
 
buy.com , but it's on backorder now.

You'll need to feed the $15 Lexar rebate cert. somewhere, check the past postings, you'll find it.
MARVIN CHERPAK said:
r00t said:
Tim do what I did. Make a list of your needs and then print out
both the G2 review and 707 review. You cannot go wrong with either
camera.

FOr me, I needed low light focusing, fast start up and the 5x zoom.
I didn't care about incamera saturation controls (would've been
nice though) or RAW mode or the flip out screen.

What sold me was going to my local Best Buy and taking shots with
all threee cameras. Best Buy will lend you a compac flash card and
memory stick. I chose the D7 and G2. I tested shots between the
both of them and was not impressed. The D7 couldn't find it's
focus fast enough (for me). The G2 3x was a joke (to me) plus the
slow start up times (IMO). I need something that would be ready in
under two seconds. Yes 7 seconds is too long for me. I take very
fast shots that need a fast starting camera. When I see a shot I
need the camera to be ready when I am.

So when Sears carried the 707 with a 30 day no charge return
policy, I figured I couldn't lose. I bought and tried and fell in
love with it. The memory stick BS is just that, BS. Now the 128
are $50! So price is not an issue.

LEVBFS is an easy fix if I ever get, I do not have the dark band on
the side, nor do I have the blown out reds and neon green. This
all changed when I sent mine in for the BFS fix.

I also wanted a camera that I could use like my old SLR. If I
wanted a polarizer attached, I would just screw it on, no
attachements no adpaters nothing. If I wanted an IR filter, I
would just screw that on too. If I wanted a UV filter all the
time, well guess what, JUST SCREW IT ON AND LEAVE IT. No lens
adpaters, no nothing.

Like I said both are great cameras in their own categories. So
find your need, try out both cameras, have the store print samples
for you and jump into the digital realm.

Hope to see you back here ;-)

Feel free to email me with more questions.
--
David
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292111925

'If you ain't g0t r00t, you ain't g0t nuthin'
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Tim McDonald said:
The 707 seems like an amazing camera with great functionality.
However, I am concerned about several issues brought to my
attention reading this forum. I am concerned about the LEVBFS
problems and and the new found dark stripe down the left side of
pictures (very noticable in panoramas). My question is, how are
these issues affecting you 707 owners? Are the 707 quirks easy to
get around? Do you expect Sony to fix these issues with firmware
in the near future? My heart is torn between the G2 and 707--the
G2 for the great picture quality, and the 707 for the great
features (particularly the speed and zoom). I have decided to make
my purchasing decision by mid-week and stick to it. What are your
thougts?

--
-Tim
Click to expand...
The only issue affecting me is the lack of cold hard green-backs because of all the neat gear thats available for the 707. Also, im really tired of the 707's ability to constantly produce good shots. Dang...i hate it i tell ya...i hate it. I wish this thing would screw up and take bad shots. Gotta find another camera that will do this.... guess ill just trade it in for a gee...doh!

heehee--cheersZip:P - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -BFS: NOSticker Status: ON...but on upsidedownPie Chute: UnCorked Lens Cap: No dangle at any angle - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - http://www.pbase.com/lafalot
 
First off, let me say that I think that the 707 is an amazingly wonderful camera.

Like most folks, I did a lot of searching and comparing before deciding how to spend my $1,000 bucks. Happy to have had the help of STF members who delight at testing, reporting, complaining(?). What it comes down to is how the camera fits the use you have intended for it.

To me, one of the most important features was the often overlooked interface considerations. How does the camera feel in your hand (the tilt-screen of the 707 is great)? How much of a pain are the control actions that you do over and over again? How predictable is the performance? etc.

By all means, borrow a camera for an hour or so and see how it feels to you. I think you'll find the 707 is tops.

In this computer age we have come to accept less than perfection in our hardware and software. Useability is what we want, and the 707 is a very,very useable camera! The issues of BFS, LEVBFS, stripes, will quickly fade once you start to use the camera.
Tim McDonald said:
The 707 seems like an amazing camera with great functionality.
However, I am concerned about several issues brought to my
attention reading this forum. I am concerned about the LEVBFS
problems and and the new found dark stripe down the left side of
pictures (very noticable in panoramas). My question is, how are
these issues affecting you 707 owners? Are the 707 quirks easy to
get around? Do you expect Sony to fix these issues with firmware
in the near future? My heart is torn between the G2 and 707--the
G2 for the great picture quality, and the 707 for the great
features (particularly the speed and zoom). I have decided to make
my purchasing decision by mid-week and stick to it. What are your
thougts?

--
-Tim
Click to expand...
 
Not a problem. Thanks for the compliment. I know this Sony won't be my last, but I am sure glad it was my first becuase it's exactly what I needed. I am sure that you too will find one that meets your needs. It is definitely a l-o-n-g road. But that is why we are all here, to help. So ask away!
Tim McDonald said:
Thanks David,
A quick system is definitely one of my requirements. I had
actually been in the “digital realm” for about three weeks, until
my Nikon Coolpix 995 was stolen out of my car. It wasn’t even in
plain view, it was underneath the seat! Anyway, although the 995
took stunningly beautiful pictures, I learned that one could only
use it for still objects because of its sluggishness.
Additionally, in low light, it would take an eternity to get a
focus lock. I lost many great moments because of those issues.
Thanks for your comments. It has been very difficult to get
completely “sold” on just one camera because each one has something
the other lacks.

-Tim

BTW - You have some great pictures on your site!

--David http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292111925 'If you ain't g0t r00t, you ain't g0t nuthin'
Click to expand...
 
I love the new features but really miss the size and weight of the f505. I also miss the lcd backlight switch. With the switch I never had any trouble with viewing the lcd in bright sunlight, now I have to use that inferior EVF in bright sun. I personally would prefer Sony drop the EVF and bring back the LCD backlight switch if it would make any difference in size and weight.
Tim McDonald said:
The 707 seems like an amazing camera with great functionality.
However, I am concerned about several issues brought to my
attention reading this forum. I am concerned about the LEVBFS
problems and and the new found dark stripe down the left side of
pictures (very noticable in panoramas). My question is, how are
these issues affecting you 707 owners? Are the 707 quirks easy to
get around? Do you expect Sony to fix these issues with firmware
in the near future? My heart is torn between the G2 and 707--the
G2 for the great picture quality, and the 707 for the great
features (particularly the speed and zoom). I have decided to make
my purchasing decision by mid-week and stick to it. What are your
thougts?

--
-Tim
Click to expand...
 
Gerrit Pang said:
I love the new features but really miss the size and weight of the
f505. I also miss the lcd backlight switch. With the switch I
never had any trouble with viewing the lcd in bright sunlight, now
I have to use that inferior EVF in bright sun. I personally would
prefer Sony drop the EVF and bring back the LCD backlight switch if
it would make any difference in size and weight.
Click to expand...
Gerrit,

Wow, this has not been my experience at all. I love the LCD and am continuously surprised at how well I can see through it in bright light levels. It beats any other LCD I've used in this regard. I'd say I use it 90% of the time and frequently orient my camera "Hasselblad style" (frame the picture vertically). I also like the flexibility to be able to use the finder for certain shots and it is occasionally easier for me to focus from that view.

Just another opinion...

cyberslave
 
cyberslave said:
Gerrit Pang said:
I love the new features but really miss the size and weight of the
f505.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
To anyone who has worked with hi-speed pro zooms for 35mm SLRs, the astonishingly SMALL size and weight of the 707 borders on magic. Don't believe me? Stop into your pro camera shop and ask to see a Tamron 28-105 F2.8 zoom. It's considerably slower AND has less reach than the 38-190 F2.0 Zeiss on the 707... but it's the closest thng in 35mm to the lens on the Dark Angel, and the Tamron lens alone easily outweighs the whole 707.

I guess if you're coming from the world of point & shoot 35mm, the 707 feels like a handful--but I continue to be amazed at how Sony crammed such a high-performance lens into such a small, lightweight package.

The 505 was a slower lens with a much smaller CCD and a plastic/metal hybrid body. Hence, the smaller, lighter package. And get ready for an even larger, heavier camera when we make the jump to 6MP... even if the lens speed and focal length specs stay the same, you will still need larger diameter lens elements to accomodate the larger CCD.

There is no free lunch in the world of lenses--size and weight are proportionate to speed and focal length. But the 707 lens is as close to "free" as I've seen.

By the way, Gerritt: the LCD backlight is not the difference between the 505 and the 707... the 707 still has a backlight, but it's controlled via the menus rather than a separate switch. However: the LCDs on the 505 and 707 use completely different technologies. The 505 used a hybrid LCD, specifically designed for use in outdoor ambient light, without the use of a backlight. (Though the backlight could still be used, if desired.) It inspired a love it or hate it reaction from most 505 owners, and clearly you're in the former camp. That said, I believe most 707 owners are happy with the move to a conventional backlit TFT LCD, and the addition of an EVF for bright ambient light. (Though, personally, I use the EVF full-time.)
 
Tim,

Haven't had any of the problems you mentioned. The camera is in my opinion the best in its prosumer class. Great resolution, smooth gradations of tonality, easy to use, good in low light, fast shutter response.

I tried the Nikon 5000 - wasn't happy with resolution and found contrast a little harsh. I tried the G2 and found that the picture didn't look sharp.

If you've been reading this forum you'll notice that most owners love the 707 and even affectionately nicknamed it the Dark Angel (shoots in low light).

Here's my gallery on the sony 707 -- judge for yourself. http://www.pbase.com/arlene/root

Love, Arlene
Tim McDonald said:
The 707 seems like an amazing camera with great functionality.
However, I am concerned about several issues brought to my
attention reading this forum. I am concerned about the LEVBFS
problems and and the new found dark stripe down the left side of
pictures (very noticable in panoramas). My question is, how are
these issues affecting you 707 owners? Are the 707 quirks easy to
get around? Do you expect Sony to fix these issues with firmware
in the near future? My heart is torn between the G2 and 707--the
G2 for the great picture quality, and the 707 for the great
features (particularly the speed and zoom). I have decided to make
my purchasing decision by mid-week and stick to it. What are your
thougts?

--
-Tim
Click to expand...
 
I particularly have a problem with the fixed 1/40th shutter speed at full aperture for flash taken in the auto mode. I have a lot of otherwise great shots of my kids which are ruined because of ambient light blur. I would move to manual settings for a getaround but the software doesnt recognize forced flash in manual mode and darkens the viewfinder after focus acquisition.

The combination of these features makes this camera must less usefull as a family point and shoot - and even less usefull in other controlled flash situations.
 
Because of my previous camera, I tend to shoot in aperture priority most of the time. The effect is similar. You can easily control the depth of field, but the shutter speed gets too slow. I sometimes forget to switch to manual mode to force a suitable shutter speed and aperture. I find I can frame shots effectively in manual mode, but it isn't nearly as easy as it should be. I agree with your conclusion that the 707 isn't a great choice for a family point and shoot. However, I still consider the 707 to be an excellent choice for those of us who prefer to shoot with available light whenever possible. The flash also does a fine job as a fill to supplement the available light.--Peter Epstein
 
I agree that this camera does a wonderful job in available light - however it seem to want to use flash in circumstaces where it really diodnt need it. For this reason I often force the flash off.
 
Tim McDonald said:
The 707 seems like an amazing camera with great functionality.
However, I am concerned about several issues brought to my
attention reading this forum. I am concerned about the LEVBFS
problems and and the new found dark stripe down the left side of
Click to expand...
I waited a long time before moving up to the 707. I watched the fourm and read all the post about bfs, dark stripe and so. I've had the 707 since Christmas and I have been thrilled with. It is everything my s75 was not. The size is great, the swivel lens is verry handy and the pictures...Well just look at the challenges. Callisto
 
Here's a shot taken with in camera flash auto exposure at night with the kids squiggling all over the place - works fine



Here's another with the Hv 1000 -- Now that really works great. You can use manual on any setting.


Glenn said:
I particularly have a problem with the fixed 1/40th shutter speed
at full aperture for flash taken in the auto mode. I have a lot of
otherwise great shots of my kids which are ruined because of
ambient light blur. I would move to manual settings for a
getaround but the software doesnt recognize forced flash in manual
mode and darkens the viewfinder after focus acquisition.

The combination of these features makes this camera must less
usefull as a family point and shoot - and even less usefull in
other controlled flash situations.
Click to expand...
 
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