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5 MP Sony 707 for $585.00

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johnd1

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I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well. I printed out the $585.00 internet price from Alien Photo and Sears matched it with no question. They acknowledged that it was the lowest they had matched yet. Most were over $700.00.They do add in shipping charges and again they were astonished over the low $37.47 shipping cost.

Surprisingly the 707 is a bit longer in the snout than the UZI but very comfortable to hold. The detail is simply incredible at 5 Mp and even at 3 MP. The one touch white balance on the outside of the camera is so easy and quick to use.The battery is phenominal with regards to lasting all day plus. An extra one would surely be just extra baggage , really no need for one.I estimate it to be equal to at least 2 sets and maybe 3 sets of AA's.Best of all you always know how much power is there.

The flash is good and quite powerful ,adjustable and good to about 17ft. The proprietary flash is about $100.00 with the syn cord and works TTL.
Mem stick is a bit more than SM or CF and the Batteries are around $50.00.

It takes good pictures in total darkness and low light focussing is fast and very reliable.Shutter lag is almost nil.

If you are thinking about this camera you had better lose the anti proprietary sentiments. Not having to carry another set or two of AA's is nice , with a lot less less battery handling .
This camera is fast and accurate in all respects.
Mine was made in April and so far seems free of any problems.

At 5X it doesn't equal the UZI and the digital zoom isn't any better than the one on the UZI.

It's easy to see why this camera is so popular and highly rated . If you are using any other camera except the UZi this camera will absolutely stun you, however you would not be impressed as much if already having a UZI.
Like anything else in life, if you never had one you won't miss it.
I'll have more fun with it today to determine if it's a keeper or not.
John

--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
 
If I'm not mistaken (I thought I was once but I was wrong), the 707 only has the rear LCD to frame shots.

Do you find this a drawback compared to the 2100?

--
John M
 
johnD1 said:
I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually
i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and
anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well. I printed out
the $585.00 internet price from Alien Photo and Sears matched it
with no question.
Click to expand...
Please post the Allen Photo and Sears URLs.

Phil
 
johnD1 said:
I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually
i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and
anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well. I printed out
the $585.00 internet price from Alien Photo and Sears matched it
with no question. They acknowledged that it was the lowest they had
matched yet. Most were over $700.00.They do add in shipping charges
and again they were astonished over the low $37.47 shipping cost.
Surprisingly the 707 is a bit longer in the snout than the UZI but
very comfortable to hold. The detail is simply incredible at 5 Mp
and even at 3 MP. The one touch white balance on the outside of the
camera is so easy and quick to use.The battery is phenominal with
regards to lasting all day plus. An extra one would surely be just
extra baggage , really no need for one.I estimate it to be equal to
at least 2 sets and maybe 3 sets of AA's.Best of all you always
know how much power is there.
The flash is good and quite powerful ,adjustable and good to about
17ft. The proprietary flash is about $100.00 with the syn cord and
works TTL.
Mem stick is a bit more than SM or CF and the Batteries are around
$50.00.
It takes good pictures in total darkness and low light focussing is
fast and very reliable.Shutter lag is almost nil.
If you are thinking about this camera you had better lose the anti
proprietary sentiments. Not having to carry another set or two of
AA's is nice , with a lot less less battery handling .
This camera is fast and accurate in all respects.
Mine was made in April and so far seems free of any problems.
At 5X it doesn't equal the UZI and the digital zoom isn't any
better than the one on the UZI.
It's easy to see why this camera is so popular and highly rated .
If you are using any other camera except the UZi this camera will
absolutely stun you, however you would not be impressed as much if
already having a UZI.
Like anything else in life, if you never had one you won't miss it.
I'll have more fun with it today to determine if it's a keeper or not.
John

--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
Click to expand...
John, I'm starting to like this camera. You got a good price match. About $100 cheaper than mine. Here are some examples that I took this weekend. These are some early evening low light shot's.
http://www.pbase.com/chopper/f707
--
C-2100 + TL-55 and a brand spanking new F-707
http://www.pbase.com/chopper
 
johnD1 said:
I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually
i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and
anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well
Click to expand...
John, I think you'll be disappointed with the sharpness and level of detail of the Fuji compared to the 707.
 
Hi John

I noticed that in your post 2 weeks ago you seemed pretty down on the 707. You mentioned about "Darking" and a few other issues. I have been looking at this camera for awhile and just wondered what changed your mind.
--
Jeff S
UZI 21OO, C2OOO, B3OO, A2OO
WB9ZPO
Pbase Supporter
 
Phil,
Here is the Alien photo URL. For the Sears Url you will have to search.
John

http://alienphoto.com/
Phil Wheeler said:
johnD1 said:
I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually
i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and
anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well. I printed out
the $585.00 internet price from Alien Photo and Sears matched it
with no question.
Click to expand...
Please post the Allen Photo and Sears URLs.

Phil
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
 
Good shots.HG.Just like the UZI huh? Hard to get a poor image?
John
HG said:
johnD1 said:
I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually
i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and
anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well. I printed out
the $585.00 internet price from Alien Photo and Sears matched it
with no question. They acknowledged that it was the lowest they had
matched yet. Most were over $700.00.They do add in shipping charges
and again they were astonished over the low $37.47 shipping cost.
Surprisingly the 707 is a bit longer in the snout than the UZI but
very comfortable to hold. The detail is simply incredible at 5 Mp
and even at 3 MP. The one touch white balance on the outside of the
camera is so easy and quick to use.The battery is phenominal with
regards to lasting all day plus. An extra one would surely be just
extra baggage , really no need for one.I estimate it to be equal to
at least 2 sets and maybe 3 sets of AA's.Best of all you always
know how much power is there.
The flash is good and quite powerful ,adjustable and good to about
17ft. The proprietary flash is about $100.00 with the syn cord and
works TTL.
Mem stick is a bit more than SM or CF and the Batteries are around
$50.00.
It takes good pictures in total darkness and low light focussing is
fast and very reliable.Shutter lag is almost nil.
If you are thinking about this camera you had better lose the anti
proprietary sentiments. Not having to carry another set or two of
AA's is nice , with a lot less less battery handling .
This camera is fast and accurate in all respects.
Mine was made in April and so far seems free of any problems.
At 5X it doesn't equal the UZI and the digital zoom isn't any
better than the one on the UZI.
It's easy to see why this camera is so popular and highly rated .
If you are using any other camera except the UZi this camera will
absolutely stun you, however you would not be impressed as much if
already having a UZI.
Like anything else in life, if you never had one you won't miss it.
I'll have more fun with it today to determine if it's a keeper or not.
John

--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
Click to expand...
John, I'm starting to like this camera. You got a good price match.
About $100 cheaper than mine. Here are some examples that I took
this weekend. These are some early evening low light shot's.
http://www.pbase.com/chopper/f707
--
C-2100 + TL-55 and a brand spanking new F-707
http://www.pbase.com/chopper
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
 
Misha,

You could be right. I have had a hard time finding super sharp image samples of the Fuji 6900 and the S602 and I posted this conclusion in their forum. Strangely, I got very little, (almost none) arguement. If I did that in the Oly forum I would have had a barrage of users to refute my conclusions and tons of Oly images to back it up.
John
misha said:
johnD1 said:
I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually
i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and
anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well
Click to expand...
John, I think you'll be disappointed with the sharpness and level
of detail of the Fuji compared to the 707.
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
 
johnD1 said:
misha said:
johnD1 said:
I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually
i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and
anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well
Click to expand...
John, I think you'll be disappointed with the sharpness and level
of detail of the Fuji compared to the 707.
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
Click to expand...
Oly users are very loyal and for good reason. They are also more willing to help when needed and give opinions when asked and willing to just chat and share thoughts. That's why I like this forum, info, help and some fun thrown in.
--
C-2100 + TL-55 and a brand spanking new F-707
http://www.pbase.com/chopper
 
Hi Jeff,

Yes ,I did acknowledge/ and give my opinions on the left side darkening ,the blue flash syndrome, proprietary batts, and mem sticks.

If there is one thing I found in life ,it's that stubborness and taking a staunch position with any issue can prevent you from realizing the benefits of compromise and being open to suggestion. I may be wishy washy at times but I'd rather be that than unable to bend and accept reasoning, compromise or change.Never have I considered stubborness an attribute.
Enough about that ,now:

If you(meaning anyone) wishes to upgrade there will undoubtedly be some concessions somewhere. (10X lens with IS?) And if you go to Sony products there may be more than many of us want to make .But after spending weeks researching in detail literally every good camera s features and pricepoints I failed to consider or explore the 707 because my mind was closed to the idea of having to change memory and battery.

Finally, perplexed and ready to reluctantly consider a D30 and an arsenal of very expensive lenses that I would probably never get the proper value or use out of, I decided to at least check out the 707 in depth with a more opened mind simply because the more I researched and read about this camera the more obvious it became that this camera does almost everything better than the rest in it's class. It's not perfect but neither is the D30 or the D1X.

Now for instance, I love AA batteries but always having to carry 3 charged sets of charged ones is more fuss than having the one battery in the Sony. This became readily apparent yesterday after I fooled with and used this camera all afternoon and it still had 28 minutes to go before i recharged it. One battery is all you will need .(by most users for most occasions for most of the day) Regardless, I will still get a spare if I keep the camera.

The memsticks are Ok ( a bit higher priced than sm or cf) and at present I don't think they are any better than smart media but they do have the promise of 256 and 512 in the future.

You really have to get beyond these two issues or you will be limiting your choices and ruling out Sony just for these reasons .

Actually the 707 is quite fast and easy to use ,once you get used to it. I find it a lot like the UZI in many respects. The EVF, the weight and size and similar comfort level holding it. Of course the color is the same lousy silver . I always disliked the shape of this Sony but after a few minutes you realize how nice it is to handle. It's an L shape , more like the UZI than you may imagine.
,
Jeff S said:
Hi John

I noticed that in your post 2 weeks ago you seemed pretty down on
the 707. You mentioned about "Darking" and a few other issues. I
have been looking at this camera for awhile and just wondered what
changed your mind.
--
Jeff S
UZI 21OO, C2OOO, B3OO, A2OO
WB9ZPO
Pbase Supporter
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
 
And after checking out hundreds/thousands of image samples from all makes, I conclude that Olympus makes some very nice glass.
John
HG said:
Oly users are very loyal and for good reason. They are also more
willing to help when needed and give opinions when asked and
willing to just chat and share thoughts. That's why I like this
forum, info, help and some fun thrown in.
--
C-2100 + TL-55 and a brand spanking new F-707
http://www.pbase.com/chopper
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
 
johnD1 said:
http://alienphoto.com/
Phil Wheeler said:
johnD1 said:
I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually
i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and
anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well. I printed out
the $585.00 internet price from Alien Photo and Sears matched it
with no question.
Click to expand...
Please post the Allen Photo and Sears URLs.

Phil
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
Click to expand...
--
Paul Moore
C 2100 UZ, reptile fanatic and PBase Supporter!!!!

http://www.pbase.com/psmoore
 
Nice gallery Paul.
John
Paul Moore said:
johnD1 said:
http://alienphoto.com/
Phil Wheeler said:
johnD1 said:
I price matched a Sony 707 yesterday at the local Sears . Actually
i am waiting for the new Fuji 602 but out of boredom and
anticipation I have been reseraching the D7i as well. I printed out
the $585.00 internet price from Alien Photo and Sears matched it
with no question.
Click to expand...
Please post the Allen Photo and Sears URLs.

Phil
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
Click to expand...
--
Paul Moore
C 2100 UZ, reptile fanatic and PBase Supporter!!!!

http://www.pbase.com/psmoore
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
 
John,

Lots of good info, but I am an UZI owner (as are probably over 75% of those reading this)... Battery is nice.... and it is a bit annoying to have to carry several sets of AA cells.

Will I get better photos with the 707???

I shoot lots of kid pics, and my main complaint with the UZI is that if I crop down so only 1/4 of the pixels are left, then blow it up to 8x10, it don't look so good.

If I took the same pic, say at 5x zoom on my UZI, then at 5x zoom on the 707, cropped the UZI so only 1/4 of the pic is left, cropped the 707 so that the same sized kid is left (i.e. more pixels on the 707 will be left) then printed at 8x10, is the 707 going to look noticeably better...

Don't give me theories or numbers of pixels... just does it reallly look better.

And yep, I already know that at wide angle landscape shots with the 707 are better... but I don't take those kind of shots much....

Inquiring UZI owners want to know....

Thanks
Holland
 
Holland,

Not having done any comparisons yet and not too interested in doing any either, I will elaborate my thoughts on this as best I can . I have grandchildren to photograph on a daily basis and the same limitations of the UZi and other concerns are with me too.

Theoretically we should get much better photos with a 5 Mp camera, but will it be so evident in 8X10 prints? My guess is that only when held side by side for a direct comparison would it be noticeable. Would it be worth it then? Probably not.

If the UZi was a typical 3 Mp camera there would be a big difference but that 10X lens is a great equalizer.

Without going out on a limb I am going to say that unless the UZi lens is used at the tele end to get your subject to fill the frame it can't make a nicely detailed 8X10 because of the lack of pixels. No big secret. Take away the wonderful big zoom lens with IS and you have an Olympus C 2000/C2020 camera with 1.9 MP resolving power.

The 707 at only 5X will be a compromise in reach vs detail but the 707's sharpness will be quite obvious on a computer screen and less in an 8X10 print.

I don't suppose for a minute that all the images I take with the 707 will better the ones taken with the UZi but I fully expect that the ones taken from 35mm up to 190 mm reach will have a hell of a lot more detail in them to allow some prudent cropping..

After 2 years ,maybe 15,000 images,5 or 6 digicams, 3 printers, reading tons of information, and my hands on experience I can honestly say that I'm really less interested in pixel count than I am in shutter lag, and focus speed, battery life, and overall handling of the camera.(I'm looking forward to the users comments about the Fuji 602 also.)
The Sony is pretty quick. Not a lot but still quicker than the UZI.

So far on the screen this camera produces the sharpest images yet. However I do have some that I took with the UZi that still knock my socks off but again they are usually only like that when the subject fills most of or the entire frame. IMO, Thats the only way to use the UZI effectively.

I'm not much into cropping as you already know the UZI doesn't allow for much. If I do find the need with this camera then I would wholly expect some leeway to crop. I mean ,if the 707 won't allow for good cropping at 5 MP, then what camera might you suggest?

If and when I do get around to compare better, I would be more than happy to let you and others see the results. Presently I have only the 16MB crapstick that came with the camera and it's been raining since I bought it, so I hesitate to promise too much at this time. But as it stands so far it is, at least IMO, almost everything the reviewers have said it was.

It's also apparent that the UZi is far better than most of it's competition too.But we already know that, don't we?
John
Holland said:
John,

Lots of good info, but I am an UZI owner (as are probably over 75%
of those reading this)... Battery is nice.... and it is a bit
annoying to have to carry several sets of AA cells.

Will I get better photos with the 707???

I shoot lots of kid pics, and my main complaint with the UZI is
that if I crop down so only 1/4 of the pixels are left, then blow
it up to 8x10, it don't look so good.

If I took the same pic, say at 5x zoom on my UZI, then at 5x zoom
on the 707, cropped the UZI so only 1/4 of the pic is left, cropped
the 707 so that the same sized kid is left (i.e. more pixels on the
707 will be left) then printed at 8x10, is the 707 going to look
noticeably better...

Don't give me theories or numbers of pixels... just does it
reallly look better.

And yep, I already know that at wide angle landscape shots with the
707 are better... but I don't take those kind of shots much....

Inquiring UZI owners want to know....

Thanks
Holland
Click to expand...
--
Seabee MCPO (ret)
 
John,

I've been eyeing the 707 for a couple of months, your price match almost got me to get one..... then looking at the Sony forum apparently Sears price match policy is to price match internet dealers that are only on the Sears approved list, and Alien Photo isn't on the list. Apparently the camera salesman at the Sears you went to didn't know that... Lucky guy..

Holland
 
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