Buying an A700 in 2012

[apq]

I am a film photographer with tons of old Minolta glass and a Maxxum 7/VG setup I would trade for no other (my heart! the ergonomics!), but alas, the price of film has me finally seeking a digital rig. My disinclination for articulated screens and EVF have led me to consider purchasing an A700, whose crop factor, features, viewfinder, build quality, and image output would accommodate the street photography I enjoy. (I have been keeping my eyes out for A850s, but they seem rare as hen's teeth! And, though I quite like its FF sensor, I fear it is perhaps too much camera for me at this time.)

But: the A700 is a five-year-old camera, and I am not sure how well this camera has aged. Of particular interest to me are how well the shutter, AF motor, stabilization system and sensor may be expected to perform today, after, say, five years of moderate usage. (I am not particularly concerned with how its specifications may compare with modern cameras; I am looking for a solid, simple device with no frills. Though many cameras today offer video, high burst rates, and live view, I am not interested in these features.)

If you operate an A700, I would really like to hear what you observe about its performance five years on.

Thanks,
APQ

 

[clarkt]

I have owned my a700 for 4 years. The acuation 'odometer' is on its third cycle. It is a solid performer and well-built for the price. And the price you can get it for now is very affordable.

My first lens was the Sony 18-250. This is a cropped sensor lens and it turned out to be PERFECTLY matched for this camera. The images are delicious.







I'd say more than half of my portfolio is done with this camera. Browse around in there and you can see all the EXIF data for each image. This will help you in your research.

--
-=C
http://cthompson.zenfolio.com

"The wind blows over the surface of the lake. In this way, the effects of the invisible are made visible." … I Ching

 

[EvilOne]

Ive owned the A700 for five years shooting with it about 200 days a year... Its is a good camera and perfect for your application... But then so is the 8 year old KM 7D.... the A700 is a big step up from the KM7D, but both cameras are perfect for your use... however, both of these cameras are yesterdays technology... I have had the Sony A77 for 7 months and its a quantum leap over the A700.. so much to the point that I could care less if I ever use the A700 or the KM 7D again... the A77 has just ramped up the fun and enjoyment I have with photography.... After 50 years of shooting, the Sony A77 is by far the best camera ( of the 16 )I have ever owned.,
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Bill aka EO

 

[clarkt]

Oh, and I forgot to mention: I've had no mechanical issues with it after 4 years. Except maybe one: the HDMI port is getting worn out. Probably my fault since I dropped the camera a couple of times when I had a cable connected. Now the connection is a bit loose and I have to wiggle the cable to get full transmission.

 

[Andrew Cruickshank]

I am looking for a solid, simple device with no frills.

That just about sums up the A700 perfectly.

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---------------
Andrew.

 

[grebedweeb]

I would heartily echo what previous members have said: A700 is (in my view) a solid, dependable camera with superb handling, an very good menu system, and all the basic features and options you need for digital imaging. I bought mine used three years ago and have put 20 or 30K cycles on the shutter in various conditions including high humidity and temperature, -30 winter conditions, and everything in between. My topmost favorite feature? The Super Steady Shot that turns all those lovely old Minolta AF lenses with their legendary color and build quality into image-stabilized resolution monsters (not unique to the A700, of course). You should be able to find a A700 for $500 or less.

 

[grebedweeb]

And if you need any inspiration, take a look at some of the amazing stuff members here are posting in their galleries. Go to this page http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/tags

and search for sony tags. Several members are posting amazing stuff with cameras like the A100 and A200, as well as the A700 and newer models.

 

[apq]

Thanks, all. Your responses are very encouraging. I have expanded my search to the Maxxum 7D, as its layout seems pulled directly from the camera I have been using.

Cheers,
APQ

 

[Steve West]

It's a wonderful camera. Despite owning the A77, I still have my A700, and always love using it. I have about 10,000 shots on it, and it never once gave me any problems. Except for the rear control dial which is a known problem. When that acts up, I push the control dial in hard and rotate under the load back and forth a few times, and that clears it up for a month or two. Some shoot some contact cleaner in there, but I have never tried that.

--
Steve W
weather photos: http://home.comcast.net/~scwest/atmo/

 

[Ralf B]

Thanks, all. Your responses are very encouraging. I have expanded my search to the Maxxum 7D, as its layout seems pulled directly from the camera I have been using.

With all due respect to the KM7D, the a700 is a huge step forward in daily use. The a700 has a much reduced shutter lag (it is snappy, the KM7D feels like a slouch in comparison), got rid of the flash "lazy eye", has a brighter OVF, a much better rear screen, a much better menu, a superb capability called DRO including specific hardware built into the cam, does not suffer from "first frame black", and after Firmware 4 also jpeg Hi ISO noise reduction was and still is acceptable. The KM7D has the fabed Minolta colors going for it.

I will never part from my a700 copy - I came from the Dynax 9 film SLR and never warmed up with the limited operational speed of the KM7D. The a700 made me feel "at home" again. The a700 user interface has a modest learning curve. so go for it or an a850/a900, basically the same camera just with an FF sensor. I would not consider the a850/a900 "too much camera" for any minolta 7 series shooter.

And get the Gary Friedman eBook on the a700, it is worth every penny!
http://friedmanarchives.com/alpha700/index.htm
--
Cheers,
Ralf (a700/a900/a55 shooter)
http://www.ralfralph.smugmug.com

 

[goetz48]

shortly before easter I think that handling of the A700 is better as long as one does not need any of the new featuers of A77. DRO switching e.g. is much faster than with A77. My A700 did some 60.000+ shots. The only problem is that the internal battery died that should keep the clock running during while changing of the main battery. So I have to enter date & time everytime when I change the battery.

But anyhow for me the A77 has a lot of helpful features against the A700. First I thought they were mostly gadgets, but now I use many of them.

 

[Allan Olesen]

The KM7D has the fabed Minolta colors going for it.

And has direct access to functions that a700 doesn't. As an example, it has 4 dedicated exposure dials:
Front dial
Rear dial
Exposure compensation dial
Flash Exposure compensation dial

But yes, First Frame Black is a problem. My 7D had the FFB repair done preemptively before the extended warranty for this problem ran out. And it still died 2 years later with an error which perhaps is a variant of FFB.

 

[Ralf B]

The KM7D has the fabed Minolta colors going for it.

And has direct access to functions that a700 doesn't. As an example, it has 4 dedicated exposure dials:
Front dial

a700 has that

Rear dial

a700 has that

Exposure compensation dial
Flash Exposure compensation dial

yep those two went missing, I have them on my Dynax 9 but hardly used them

But yes, First Frame Black is a problem. My 7D had the FFB repair done preemptively before the extended warranty for this problem ran out. And it still died 2 years later with an error which perhaps is a variant of FFB.

Given the KM7D was the first ever Alpha DSLR, it came with the highest learning curve on the manufacturer's side . Hence, a used a700 to me looks a much safer bet than a used KM7D.
--
Cheers,
Ralf
http://www.ralfralph.smugmug.com

 

[Bart7D]

I can agree completely with Ralf's comments + advise.

I have the Maxxum 7, the KM-7D, the Alpha700 as well as the Alpha77. Although the 7D was a great booster for my photography at the time , it can now hardly keep up with the other three. And at this moment in time, I will not part with my A700. It's a very good working horse, a really worthy digital step up from a Maxxym/Dynax 7, in it's liability, sturdiness, snappiness and (almost) no-nonsense approach of it's photographic tasks.

The A77, although being a very good camera with the new SLT technology, leaves me with the feeling (and that is less vague than it may sound) of 'not there yet' .

So if you have the choice: no KM-7D (unless as a nice classic, a collector's item), but instead go for the A700 for now - or wait for the new FF A99 to come out and see what that one could deliver.

Bart

 

[Allan Olesen]

Front dial

a700 has that

Rear dial

a700 has that

Wow. I would never have imagined that! Does it have a shutter release button too?

I am of course fully aware that the a700 had some dials, and I don't believe that anyone - including you - could be in doubt of that.

 

[splugnut2000]

oddly enough I put down my 77, dusted off my KM7D and used it the other day expecting to think something like "however did I get photos with this" but damn it was good! I dont know, maybe time distorts your memory and makes you believe that anything older than 2 years is useless, it certainly isn't, the KM7D was and still is a superb photography tool. Occasionally I get an inclination to sell of some of my older bodies, but to be honest I'm glad I manage to fight it. All of the camera bodies I have are still great cameras and still a joy to use even though they may lack the latest whizz-bang tech. Sometimes its just nice to use something without the complexity. IMHO ergonomically the KM7D was the best DSLR ever made. Basically I think any sony/minolta 7,8 or 9 series camera is worth owning no matter how old it may be

 

[garykohs]

I still have my 7D and it still works as it did when new. It's still slow and clunky with ugly menus, causes people to shut their eyes when shooting with flash, and produces delightful images.

The main problem is that when it breaks it is finished. You won't be able to find parts for a repair. So, unless you find one essentially for free, I don't think it's a good choice.

The a700, which I owned for three years, is a much better choice. I think you would be happy with it.

Thanks, all. Your responses are very encouraging. I have expanded my search to the Maxxum 7D, as its layout seems pulled directly from the camera I have been using.

Cheers,
APQ

--
Gary

 

[hapster]

If you can get one that was reasonably cared for and in decent shape; it should more than hold up for your needs.

Mine is 5 years old and I probably have about 50k+ on the shutter. Never had any issues with the body, VG, or batteries...

H

 

[Dennis]

Thanks, all. Your responses are very encouraging. I have expanded my search to the Maxxum 7D, as its layout seems pulled directly from the camera I have been using.

With all due respect to the KM7D, the a700 is a huge step forward in daily use.

I agree. While the A700 is a bit dated in terms of sensor performance and whiz bang features, it's not far off the mark (Nikon still gets $1500 for the D300s which uses the same sensor). The KM 7D in comparison is like a camera out of the stone age.

The A700 has vastly better autofocus. On the KM 7D, I would often choose to focus my 85/1.4 manually because the AF was slower and I would sometimes miss a shot. On the A700 it's no speed demon, but perfectly acceptable. As far as image quality, 12MP versus 6MP makes a big difference with detailed subjects like landscapes. I found 11x14" pushed the 6MP sensor a bit past its limits with a detailed landscape shot (and that's with a sharp lens stopped down, tripod, cable release). I'm much happier with medium-to-big prints from cameras I've used with sensors in the 12-14-16MP range. And high ISO on the A700 is better; low light and/or action/sports. ISO 1600 on the 7D was usable, but lacking in detail. The A700 is at least a stop better; ISO 3200 on the A700 is better than ISO 1600 on the 7D AFAIC.

The KM7D has the fabed Minolta colors going for it.

True, and I think that even made the high ISO results a bit noisier; I found that desaturating my high ISO shots a bit reduced noise and brought the results more in line with what I expected to see.

All of that said, the UI on the 7D is wonderful, it feels great in hand. At low to mid-range ISO settings, the image quality is perfectly fine, subject to that 6MP limit. If you find one at a good price, and don't need a speedy camera, it can be very satisfying. I'd want to try it out with the option to return it. I think it can be prone to getting a little buggy as it ages. Mine needed an image stabilization repair.

• Dennis

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Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com

 

[Michael Fritzen]

Hi,

owner of both A700 and A850 here. These are excellent photographic tools. I was thinking about trading the A700 for an A77 because of the improved AF system of the latter. But many of the features of the A77, especially video, don't interest me so I'm still hesitant. In my eyes the combination of both is ideal as one has the high resolution for landscape while the other is lighter, faster with less MP for general purposes.

Getting now one the those though perhaps isn't such a great idea because of the risc of spending money on an equipment of unknown usage history (amount of use as well as handling, storage). So fatigue of moving parts can be an issue as well as fatigue/aging of materials. OTOH perhaps you're lucky and find one of those, barely used and in almost like-new condition.

I should add that I owned too the KM 7D and from my experiences with the reliability of this in general very enjoyable camera I'd suggest to stay clear of it. I consider both A700 and A850/900 as largely improved heritage of the 7D.
--
Cheers,
Michael Fritzen