Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Review
Compared to...
Studio scene comparison (RAW)
For a (more) level playing field for comparison we also shot our studio scene in RAW mode with each camera and converted it using Adobe Camera RAW. Because Adobe Camera RAW applies different levels of sharpening to different cameras (this confirmed) we had to use the following workflow for these conversions:
- Load RAW file into Adobe Camera RAW (Auto mode disabled)
- Set Sharpness to 0 (all other settings default)
- Open file to Photoshop
- Apply a Unsharp mask: 80%, Radius 1.0, Threshold 0
- Save as a TIFF (for cropping) and as a JPEG quality 11 for download
Sony DSLR-A700 (RAW) vs. Canon EOS 40D (RAW)
Sony DSLR-A700 (RAW) |
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| 3.4 MB JPEG (4272 x 2848) |
3.1 MB JPEG (3888 x 2592) |
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Using our benchmark RAW converter (Adobe Camera RAW) means that the image processing pipeline becomes standardized between the two cameras and better allows us to see the true performance of the camera sensor. It's fair to say that the A700's image looks considerably more detailed and sharper from RAW and that its extra pixels are now beginning to demonstrate more detail (although in reality you'd have to be printing very large images to see this difference).
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Dec 18, 2010
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Dec 1, 2010
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Dec 19, 2007
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Feb 16, 2009
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Turning ten years old this week is the A700, Sony's first high-end DSLR after fully taking over Konica Minolta's camera business. With plenty of Minolta DNA, it debuted in September 2007 to take on the likes of Canon's 40D and Nikon's D300.
Nearly two years after Konica Minolta transferred its camera division over to Sony, and over a year after Sony's first DSLR (the A100), today is the day that the curtain is finally lifted on the long-awaited 'high end' Alpha digital SLR (in principle the replacement for the Konica Minolta 7D). The new model sports an impressive specification including magnesium alloy construction, 12MP CMOS sensor (with on-chip A/D conversion), 5fps shooting and a wealth of features and customization options, though interestingly (given the recent spate of announcements) no live view option. There's also a couple of new lenses and a new vertical shooting grip.
We've had a pre-production A700 for a couple of weeks in order to produce a detailed hands-on preview, available now.
No Nikon camera we've tested to date balances stills and video capture as well as the Nikon Z7. Though autofocus is less reliable than the D850, Nikon's first full-frame mirrorless gets enough right to earn our recommendation.
Nikon's Coolpix P1000 has moved the zoom needle from 'absurd' to 'ludicrous,' with an equivalent focal length of 24-3000mm. While it's great for lunar and still wildlife photography, we found that it's not suited for much else.
As a stills camera the Fujifilm X-T3 is a pleasant update to one of our favorite APS-C cameras, significantly improving the autofocus. If you're interested in stills and video, though, it's knockout.
The Nikon Z7 is slated as a mirrorless equivalent to the D850, but it can't subject track with the same reliability as its DSLR counterpart. AF performance is otherwise good, except in low light where hunting can lead to missed shots.
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Whether you've grown tired of what came with your DSLR, or want to start photographing different subjects, a new lens is probably in order. We've selected our favorite lenses for Sony mirrorlses cameras in several categories to make your decisions easier.
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