Anyone feeling the A700 replacement on the horizon?

Just looking for some input , hype, or excitement. I know when the 7D first came out, it was almost a year later than its original launch date.. many of us were anxiously awaiting this launch into the digital SLR age , with many of us having all the glass we needed. The excitement built for a years and many of us jumped in as soon as it became available. When the A700 was announced from Sony, those of us who were Minolta loyalists were happy that Sony was going to keep us and our A mount gear in business. Many of us jumped on the A700 as soon as it came out. Now that the A700 has a rep-placement coming in the next few months , is anyone excited about it? I see 10 FPS.. and HD Video live view and articulating 3"LCD, and a translucent mirror. I see Sony is getting into the DSLR market more and more each year.. they are not just putting their toe in the water. This camera also has a grip, which for me is an important feature when it comes to balance and feel. I see the A55 is too small for many people, while its a nice camera, people are whittling wood to try to make a grip that feel good even if it has no function.. I suspect some Chinese company will make a grip for the A55, but for now there are no plans.. but the new A700 ( A77 or A800 ) has plans for a grip.. It looks like it could be my next camera.,. I like the idea of having an HD video camera . I have been using my Android smart phone which has HD video and a decent still camera all in one but its not a balanced semi pro offering.. the Android is an a,amazing piece of technology..

OK is anyone getting hyped at all about this new offering from Sony to replace our 700?????
--
Bill
Capturing memories, one at a time.

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Hi Evil, the only hype I'am feeling is to jump ship because its taking way too long to announce the A700 replacement.

I would love an A850 but no way do I need 25mp. A Nikon D700 clone from Sony would be great...

Sony... anyone there...

Regards.

Stephen.

Im with Stephen on this one. Wayyyyyy too long.

Sony has made it clear they are in the DSLR business and seem to have their sights set on beginners. IMO though, they have little interest in catering to the pro or advanced photographer. Sure that have tossed out the A900 and A850, but many people have wanted an upgrade to the A700 or something beyond the A900.

I started using minolta almost 30 years ago, and when they made a shift to the A-mount I made a decision to stick with Minolta because of the glass and quality of cameras. If I had to do it over though I think Id go with Nikon. While HD Video would be fun I dont desire it. I want better color (like minolta) and better IQ in low light. My ideal camera would be the D700, but would love it in a Sony. Seems like thats a long way off, if its ever in the plans. And someday something like the D3 would be another step I'd like to make, but really dont think thats in the cards from Sony. If Sony is in this for the pro I dont understand why they dont give us more of a vision for the direction they'd like to go.

Maybe it comes down to the fact that its been so long in the making that I am so discouraged. At this point though I'd be really surprised if there actually is a replacement for the A700 coming out in the near future. We'll see.
--
Rich

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never be pointing the wrong direction



http://richunland.zenfolio.com

think, at this point, Sony has to make a better camera than either Nikon or Canon in their target markets.. I don't think Sony is poised at the pro market just yet, but need to make a camera that is a step up from the competition. It just can't be a clone. I think this new A 77 might be that step up from the A700.. the A700 has turned out to be a step up from the KM 7D, and with the right tweaking,, you can get very warm Minolta like colors from the A700. I also think that Sony is taking its time to get it right...Sony has brought out a lot of cameras in the last two years... they have been hitting a lot of singles...I think the A700 replacement might just be a double... they wont be going for Home runs for another couple of years... but I think they have their sights set on the long ball. You have to walk before you can run...Doing it too soon can cause you to fall flat on your face.. and I don't think Sony wants to do that. I know when I'M out shooting, I often wish I was able to capture a video with sound etc..Im now doing that with my phone..and its in HD too. I have been very happy with my 7D and my A700.. I expect the next camera I purchase to be a Sony, and this new offering may have enough upgrades and features to make me buy one. Its all about the fun factor, and capturing memories.
--
Bill
Capturing memories, one at a time.

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its called a Canon 5dmk2

great hi iso, industry changing video capability, wide selection of lenses

i too "didn't need" more than 20mp but now i have it i find the ability to crop in certain situations very useful indeed.

the only thing Sony can do to make me interested is implement an electronic shutter which would make it a silent camera ideal for weddings, sports events like golf, public speaking engagements but only if used with the silent focussing lenses.
--
Praise be to Sony for saving the A mount.

EvilOne said:

... Now that the A700 has a rep-placement coming in the next few months , is anyone excited about it? I see 10 FPS.. and HD Video live view and articulating 3"LCD, and a translucent mirror. ...

Click to expand...

Hey Bill:

I'll probably get A77 to replace my A700 for (in no particular order): articulating LCD (no more on-my-belly macro pics ), 10FPS (horse jumping), EVF live view (manual focus magnification for macro), PDAF HD video, 24MP (another 1.4x digital zoom), EVF with artificial horizon and, I assume: better ISO 3200, faster AF. Certainly nothing wrong with my A700 but time (and technology) marches on.

FWIW, I have no interest in FF because APS-C offers better IQ than any 35mm (Nikon F100) or MF (YashicaMat TLR) that I have ever owned. I can work around the three advantages of FF: (1) shallow DOF (CS5 blur the background), (2) UWA (stitch/pano), (3) lower noise (not an issue for my type of photography). Any improvement in my photos will have to come from better Bert technique.
Cheers,
Bert

I'm feel'n it EvilOne, I'm psyched! I have only recently moved from k&m 5D to my a700 an year ago. I purchased it after it was already discontinued, and boy I am so glad I did.

I belong to a camera club and feel that the image quality I get from my a700 is as good or better than that of many of our Cannon & Nikon members.

So it sounds like the a77 will have even better IQ approaching medium format territory. I'm also liking all the other new features announced.

Sony has made some great cameras for the market they were targeting. I agree with you on that. I, along with many others, am not in that target area though :-( And I honestly dont think we will be targeted for a very long time. I understand the market is much smaller for a higher level camera and I'm sure that plays a big part in it. I dont think its at all a priority for Sony. They have the technology, money, tools, and know how to already have put out higher level cameras, and high quality ones too. They just dont seem to (at this point) see the need to produce this type of camera. While you and others say they just want to get it right, I am thinking they just dont want to get it at all.

You may be right about HD Video. At this point I say I dont need it, but there was a day when I thought I would never want or need a microwave oven either. LOL And about a year ago my microwave died and my world was VERY upset and I realized I cant live without it ha ha ha. I'm sure once I had nice HD video I wouldnt want to go back. I guess we'll see.

At this point I dont know if I am willing to wait and if I will still be around when Sony does decide to target us. It seems every day Sony is losing people on this end. They are adding more costumes then they are losing at the other end though and so they are being successful at what they are wanting. Good for Sony, not so good for me.

EvilOne said:

think, at this point, Sony has to make a better camera than either Nikon or Canon in their target markets.. I don't think Sony is poised at the pro market just yet, but need to make a camera that is a step up from the competition. It just can't be a clone. I think this new A 77 might be that step up from the A700.. the A700 has turned out to be a step up from the KM 7D, and with the right tweaking,, you can get very warm Minolta like colors from the A700. I also think that Sony is taking its time to get it right...Sony has brought out a lot of cameras in the last two years... they have been hitting a lot of singles...I think the A700 replacement might just be a double... they wont be going for Home runs for another couple of years... but I think they have their sights set on the long ball. You have to walk before you can run...Doing it too soon can cause you to fall flat on your face.. and I don't think Sony wants to do that. I know when I'M out shooting, I often wish I was able to capture a video with sound etc..Im now doing that with my phone..and its in HD too. I have been very happy with my 7D and my A700.. I expect the next camera I purchase to be a Sony, and this new offering may have enough upgrades and features to make me buy one. Its all about the fun factor, and capturing memories.
--
Bill
Capturing memories, one at a time.

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Click to expand...

--
Rich

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never be pointing the wrong direction



http://richunland.zenfolio.com

I have been a photographer for well over 50 years.. I still consider it a hobby. I'm far from a professional even though I have a degree in Photography. I like a camera with the feel I have learned to like. One that fits me ergonomically... added featured for a sport shooter are frames per second. Being able to go from 3 fps (7D ) to 5 fps (a700) to 10 frames (A77)).. makes all the difference in the world when it comes to picking the "money Shot". Image stabilization in the body is something others seem to forget. Having the choice to shoot a nice sports event, capture to sights " and Sounds" via HD Video, only makes my hobby that much more successful. Articulating LCD for those over the head shots at a wedding all add up to a reason to upgrade.. The A77 will have much greater ISO values and better noise control. This camera is suppose to be out early this summer...Sony wants the thousands of us amateur semiprosumers, and they know they have to walk before they can run.. This camera meets the same criteria for me as did the 7D when it came out, and the A700 when it came out...24 MP only insures that I can crop more image. I don't need or want FF.. I'M always looking for longer not wider.
This new camera offering hits a lot of my buttons...

I am also looking at this offering for " What it is" and not for " What it isn't"
--
Bill
Capturing memories, one at a time.

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I don't see any advantages of an SLT for my type of photography and a number of potentially serious issues. I'll read the reviews, search (probably in vain) for one to try, and wait and see. Sony's new direction does have a silver lining - I had $5k set aside for an A700 upgrade, the 70-400, and the STF. But now I'll use it for travel instead, and just plan on buying used A700's as I need to replace my current one. I was really looking forward to some simple improvements in the A700 such as the improved AF of the later models.

tom

As I just purchased a new to me A700 last fall to replace my KIA Minolta 5D, I will not be buying the new replacement for quite a while yet. The A700, and my A350 are more capable of capturing images than than I am behind the viewfinder. Regardless, the 10 fps capture rate would be great in taking aviation photos! I am happy with my A700 and have quite a way to go before I will need to buy the next version.

Lance

For some users.

I found the A55 was pretty horrible with the EVF sure it's big..it's bright it's lacking in detail entirely (esp for landscapes) and the DR of the EVF is pretty lousy.

Even with a better EVF frankly it's not even on the maybe list.

Sony could and should make a D7000/K5/7d type rival with a nice 100% OVF but they won't so that's that then!

Mr Scary was right to get a Canon 7d ;-)

Barry, like I said... I'm looking at the A700 replacement for what it is, and not for what it isnt...

As far as Scary is concerned, everyone.. I mean everyone on this forum is extremely happy he made the choice to go with Canon.

I started this thread with the idea that some people might be feeling the same excitement they did when the 7D was introduced, and I was looking to discuss that very emotion.. BUT

True to form I fully expected a few people to come out of the woodwork and take the opportunity to slam Sony again for what they have not done.,

EG .. what does the A55 or any other previous Sony camera have to do with the topic of this thread? The only camera comparison was the KM 7d introduction, and the A700 . For many of us, both of these cameras made a significant impact on the fun factor of our hobby. Ive taken hundreds of thousands of pictures, mostly captured memories, over the last fifty plus years, and for me it was alway about the picture and not the photographic purity and the fun factor taking the shot.
--
Bill
Capturing memories, one at a time.

Visit my Smug Mug Galleries at:
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EvilOne said:

Barry, like I said... I'm looking at the A700 replacement for what it is, and not for what it isnt...

As far as Scary is concerned, everyone.. I mean everyone on this forum is extremely happy he made the choice to go with Canon.

I started this thread with the idea that some people might be feeling the same excitement they did when the 7D was introduced, and I was looking to discuss that very emotion.. BUT

True to form I fully expected a few people to come out of the woodwork and take the opportunity to slam Sony again for what they have not done.,

EG .. what does the A55 or any other previous Sony camera have to do with the topic of this thread? The only camera comparison was the KM 7d introduction, and the A700 . For many of us, both of these cameras made a significant impact on the fun factor of our hobby. Ive taken hundreds of thousands of pictures, mostly captured memories, over the last fifty plus years, and for me it was alway about the picture and not the photographic purity and the fun factor taking the shot.
--

Click to expand...

My suggestion is to try an A55 you might like it..personally I thought the EVF was pretty wretched.

It's not about being negative it's simply practical you have to call it as it is. As for the A700 a nice camera but sadly Sony let that line die off.

Sony don't understand about photographers or what they want..nor do the grasp the concept of model continuation. The A700 should have been updated years ago..but wasn't and they wasted a lot of time effort and resources bringing some pretty mediocre cameras to the market.

As this is a KM forum Sony IMO have almost nothing in common with the thinking or philosophy of Minolta with recent models (bar the FF ones soon to die I imagine) SLT is frankly the last nail in the coffin..

I still have and enjoy my Minolta stuff..and I know Scary got a far better camera in the Canon 7d than anything Sony will ever put on the market.

EvilOne said:

As far as Scary is concerned, everyone.. I mean everyone on this forum is extremely happy he made the choice to go with Canon.

Click to expand...

I'm not. I miss his posts.
--
Karen Brittan, Minnesota, USA



'The trouble with having an open mind is that people keep
coming along and sticking things in it.' Berkely Breathed

{" Correction"....Most of us, got tired of the fact that Scary did nothing but cry and complain about a camera he had set on auto everything... he never once posted anything positive... MANY of us invested many hours with him trying to help him and to no avail.. after many people gave him advice , he still was shooting in auto everything mode. It was almost as if he was reaching out for friends under the excuse there was something wrong with his camera. I also remember when Barry would slam the A700, now he says it was a great initial offering and sadly was not followed with a successor.. Well the successor is on the horizon. For the life of me , I can not see why anyone would miss Scary's constant crying and complaints about a camera that was simple way over his head. Cant remember one single post where there was any assemblance of happiness from him. The rule applies, I guess that anyone can post anything they want in any thread.. Im now done with this thread, any thoughts of a discussion on the New Sony offering has been blown away by OFF topic soap opera opportunity to slam Sony, or to be so blind by the consequences of ones actions.
--
Bill
Capturing memories, one at a time.

Visit my Smug Mug Galleries at:
http://evil-twin.smugmug.com/

EvilOne said:

{" Correction"....Most of us, got tired of the fact that Scary did nothing but cry and complain about a camera he had set on auto everything... he never once posted anything positive... MANY of us invested many hours with him trying to help him and to no avail.. after many people gave him advice , he still was shooting in auto everything mode. It was almost as if he was reaching out for friends under the excuse there was something wrong with his camera. I also remember when Barry would slam the A700, now he says it was a great initial offering and sadly was not followed with a successor.. Well the successor is on the horizon. For the life of me , I can not see why anyone would miss Scary's constant crying and complaints about a camera that was simple way over his head. Cant remember one single post where there was any assemblance of happiness from him. The rule applies, I guess that anyone can post anything they want in any thread.. Im now done with this thread, any thoughts of a discussion on the New Sony offering has been blown away by OFF topic soap opera opportunity to slam Sony, or to be so blind by the consequences of ones actions.
--

Click to expand...

Let's clear a few things up..

I've met Scary in person when I was in Swansea..a nicer fellow you could not wish to meet...also quite upbeat as well and not the doom and gloom some might wish to convey. Making a judgement on a person based on forum posts isn't a wise idea..whichever side of the fence you are on.

Talking to Mr Scary over a nice breakfast it was apparent to me that he was having some issues with AF on the Sony and a few other things too. Not wishing to speak for him but that's what I got from him and I'm not entirely sure it was a lens problem (at least one lens was causing problems) but that's for Scary to clarify on that one.

He's into birds quite a lot and I know almost nothing about that type of photography nor do I have a lot of knowledge on the lenses that folks who shoot that are into.

Overall I think Scary mostly liked his 5d (flawed but good in many ways) and he honestly seemed very pleased with the Canon 7d. I don't think he ever really warmed to Sony much as he could see (as could more than a few of us) how things were heading...and I'm not sure he really got on with the A700 that well. That's fine as it's all down to personal taste.

Just to nail this one down..the A700 was a pigs ear of a mess release wise for Sony they stupidly applied massive NR to raw files and took over a year to correct that. The A700 never was bad or awful it was the company who screwed up what should have been a very successful release for the company. Sony apparently don't like doing FW updates which really makes many people question their commitment. )

Since then they spent more time removing some very nice small but neat Minolta features from other bodies and completely hosed the entry level models to the point they were more objects of mockery than serious purchase choices. Fragmented the flash system so lower end bodies were crippled from full functionality

It was not all bad news if you could afford to stump up £1500 for a FF body and didn't mind weaker high ISO shooting you might be ok..the A700 was left out to dry and Sony played about with the yawn inducing A550 model/s before finally caving in to "soccer mom" and the 2 SLT ones. Of course the A580 was mildly interesting to me..but the news of no more OVF killed that one stone dead. This isn't a company I have any confidence in nor have I ever really even less so now

I'd like to carry on but I'm keeping the best bits for my new E book cos yes I could write a book on what went wrong! ;-)

I'm not into bigger heavier bodies myself so I'm not a Canon 7d fan but even with a brief play around it was very obvious this is what Sony should be aiming for. Not goofing around with some pretty weak crippled entry level bodies.

EvilOne said:

{" Correction"....Most of us, got tired of the fact that Scary did nothing but cry and complain about a camera he had set on auto everything... he never once posted anything positive...

Click to expand...

Correction again- This applies to EO and maybe one or two others at most. Not "MOST". And he did post many great things along with some very nice bird shots.

EvilOne said:

MANY of us invested many hours with him trying to help him and to no avail.. after many people gave him advice , he still was shooting in auto everything mode.

Click to expand...

Correction again- Scary was giving everything a go with no luck. He had a lemon and not even someone with a degree and has shot for 50+ years can get orange juice from a lemon.

EvilOne said:

It was almost as if he was reaching out for friends under the excuse there was something wrong with his camera.

Click to expand...

Correction #3- He reached out for help to a group of helpful people. And from a few of us he also received friendship. This is a great thing

EvilOne said:

I also remember when Barry would slam the A700, now he says it was a great initial offering and sadly was not followed with a successor.. Well the successor is on the horizon. For the life of me , I can not see why anyone would miss Scary's constant crying and complaints about a camera that was simple way over his head. Cant remember one single post where there was any assemblance of happiness from him. The rule applies, I guess that anyone can post anything they want in any thread.. Im now done with this thread, any thoughts of a discussion on the New Sony offering has been blown away by OFF topic soap opera opportunity to slam Sony, or to be so blind by the consequences of ones actions.

Click to expand...

So let me see if I can get this right. Bill wanted a thread where people were jumping up and down in anticipation of the upcoming A7X. Those of us that have anything to say other then applause are not welcome. We have been instructed not to "slam Sony" by the man that is "slamming" a friend and past poster almost in the same sentence (refer to 9 lines up). Seems a bit out of order to me. It's OK to slam a person but not a brand???

Scary is a good man and I miss him too. And from what I've seen he has more knowledge of photography then the OP and the A700 was not "way over his head"

Bill, you asked for opinion on the up coming camera and you got it. Suck it up. Everything at this point is hearsay. you are excited about the possibility of options and what you want, but until the production model is out anything is possible. you want comments on what it is and not what it isn't. You don't even know the answer to that because you don't know what it will be. What you are really asking for is excitement about your opinion. Sorry you didn't get it.
P.S. Quite "slamming" people on here and keep it to photography.

--
Rich

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never be pointing the wrong direction



http://richunland.zenfolio.com

H Bill

Long time no talk! I suppose I spend less time on this forum these days, and the other place doesn't get any better!

Direct answers to your question

I am very interested in the new a77 or whatever...mostly to give me confidence that Sony is in it for the long haul and my lens investment is secure.

I am not likely to get it until one of my bodies packs up (camera that is, the other body is showing signs of age!). Reason, although I would like higher iso for the flexibility it gives in choosing shutter speed, the other features are of limited value to me. (If I get some of my money back from the Lehman fiasco, I may change my mind).

I applaud Sony for moving on the SLR concept with the DSLT, but wonder if this is just a half way step to future camera design with electronic shutter, Contrast AF which does not need a mirror at all (mind you that probably blows all my existing lenses) and a few other goodies.

So long as I am getting good service from my 5D and a700 I will sit and wait.

(However once it is announced I may not be able to keep my hands off one!)

cheers

tom

tomhongkong said:

I applaud Sony for moving on the SLR concept with the DSLT, but wonder if this is just a half way step to future camera design with electronic shutter, Contrast AF which does not need a mirror at all (mind you that probably blows all my existing lenses) and a few other goodies.

Click to expand...

Of course it's a half way stop..

That's the problem with SLT the idea is great but you just know it's an interim technology. And don't think for one moment the fixed mirror is going to help sell it to some users...I know plenty of EVF fans who simply won't go near it based on that.

Trying to be different is great unfortunately Sony gave up trying to make good DSLR's but everyone else seem to be able to do that..what gives?