Sony DSLR-A700

Reviewed November 2007

Characteristics

Using an APS-C format CMOS with a total of 13 million pixels, the Sony A700 uses 12.2 million of these to capture images. The sensor is mounted on an image sensor-shift mechanism — called Super SteadyShot image stabilizer — that counteracts the involuntary movements of the photographer. The same system is used to shake loose any dust particles that might have settled on the low-pass filter positioned in front of the CMOS each time the camera is turned off.

The A700 is able to capture images in the standard 35 mm aspect ratio of 3:2, and in the aspect ratio of HDTV, 16:9. A total of three image sizes are offered for each aspect ratio:

Each of these image sizes can be saved in JPEG format, using any of 3 compression levels:

• ExtraFine, which compresses the image the least and offers the highest JPEG image quality;
• Fine, which uses a stronger compression that makes it possible to store more images at a slightly lower image quality; and
• Standard, which uses a stronger compression, reducing the image quality further, but allowing more images to be stored in a given memory space.

RAW files have a proprietary format and have to be opened with the software Sony includes with the camera (Image Data Converter SR), or with a program such as Adobe Photoshop CS3, which is able to read all RAW and cRAW formats.

As always, the RAW/cRAW formats record the output of the CMOS sensor without any digital processing, a task left up to the user and the software, allowing for the adjustment of white balance, colour saturation, contrast, etc.

The A700's CMOS sensor has sensitivity settings of 100 ISO, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, 1600, 2000, 2500, 3200, 4000, 5000, and 6400 ISO. In addition there is also an Auto setting covering a range of 100 to 6400 ISO in some modes, and 200 to 800 ISO when the camera is set to P, S, or A modes.

Irrespective of the lens used, the A700's CMOS sensor is smaller than a 35 mm frame, and therefore the focal length of any lens mounted on the camera has to be multiplied by 1.5. The A700 reviewed here was tested with a SAL1680Z Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T DT 16-80 mm f3.5-4.5 ZA lens, equivalent to a 24 to 120 mm, and with a Sony SAL100M28 100 mm f2.8 Macro lens, equivalent to 150 mm.

While the apertures available to the photographer depend on the lens in use, the A700's shutter speed range is constant. Covering from 1/8000 second to 30 seconds in all modes, and with the addition of a Bulb (B) mode in the Manual mode that provides an untimed exposure to a maximum of 4.5 hours, the length of time a fully charged battery will last.

While the A700 has 24 controls on the outside to set various functions, it also provides a menu — the same menu is shown whether the camera is in a capture mode or in playback mode — that is composed of 4 sections.

The first section, , contains options related to image capture:

• Image Size: offers the three image sizes mentioned above, according to the aspect ratio in use.
• Aspect Ratio: serves to select either 3:2, or 16:9.
• Quality: serves to choose RAW/cRAW or RAW/cRAW + JPEG or one of the three levels of JPEG compression, Superfine, Fine, Standard.
• D-Range Optimizer, which digitally enhances the darker parts of an image, has three settings:
  • Off.
  • D-R (Standard): adjusts brightness and contrast for the whole image.
  • D-R+ (Advanced): optimizes the contrast and colour reproduction area by area.
  • D-R+ (Advanced: Level) optimizes the contrast and colour reproduction of the image area by area, with an optimization level selected over a range of L1 (weak) through L5 (strong).
• Creative Style: provides preset image styles (Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Adobe RGB, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait Landscape, Sunset, Night View, Autumn Leaves, Black and White and Sepia). In addition, each can be tweaked for Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness, Brightness, and Zone Matching, although the precise settings vary according to the Image Style.
• Custom Button: serves to assign a function to the C button: AF Lock, AF/MF Control, DOF Preview, ISO, White Balance, Exposure Compensation, Flash Compensation, Drive Mode, AF area, Image Size, Quality, Creative Style (default), D-Range Optimizer, Flash mode, or Memory.
• Exposure Step: serves to choose exposure increments of 1/2 or 1/3 EV.
• Flash Mode:
  • Auto Flash automatically uses the flash if needed. The flash must be opened.
  • Fill Flash fires whenever the flash is opened.
  • Rear Sync. fires the flash before the end of the exposure (second curtain flash).
  • Wireless allows controlling an off-camera flash wirelessly.

• Flash Mode:
  • ADI Flash (uses a pre-flash to measure the amount of reflected light and the distance from the camera to the subject, then sets the flash output);
  • Pre-Flash TTL (uses a pre-flash to measure the amount of reflected light to adjust the output of the flash. Distance information is not used);
  • Manual Flash: the built-in flash fires with a certain amount of light (user selected) regardless of the brightness of the subject.

• Flash Compensation: allows setting the Flash exposure compensation over a range of ±3 EV, in 1/3 or 1/2 EV increments, as selected in the Exposure Step option above.
• ISO Auto Maximum (P, A, or S modes): allows setting the maximum ISO setting when Auto ISO is used: 400, 800 (default) or 1600 ISO.
• ISO Auto Minimum (P, A, or S modes): allows setting the minimum ISO setting when Auto ISO is used: 200 (default) or 400 ISO.
• AF-A Setup allows changing the function of the A position of the Focus Mode Lever on the front of the camera:
  • AF-A: is automatic AF and the default setting.
  • DMF: Direct Manual Focus, allows making a fine adjustment to the focus after the auto focus has worked.
• AF Area serves to choose the auto focus area:
  • Wide uses any of 11 AF areas.
  • Spot forces the focus to the centre of the frame.
  • Local: allows selecting the focus point manually using any of the 11 AF areas.
• Priority Setup decides the priority for the shutter release to operate:
  • AF: the shutter cannot be released until the subject is in focus.
  • Release: the shutter can be released, even if the subject is not in focus.
• AF Illuminator: offers two choices to control the AF assist lamp, Auto or Off.
• AF with Shutter: On or Off. On if the default, starting the AF when the shutter release is pressed halfway. When set to Off, the AF must be started by pressing the Multi-selector, or pressing the AF/MF if is assigned to AF Lock, or by assigning the AF Lock to the C button.
• Long Exposure Noise Reduction: On or Off. Decides whether noise reduction is performed on long exposures.
• High ISO Noise Reduction: serves to select the amount noise reduction processing applied to images captured at high ISO (Low, Normal, High).
• Memory: serves to save current settings — a total of 29 — into any one of 3 memory locations that can then be recalled by turning the Mode Dial to MR.
• Rec Mode Reset: resets the main functions of the recording mode when the camera is set to P, A, S, or M.

The next tab of the menu, , contains the Custom options:

• Eye-Start AF: On or Off. Automatically adjusts the focus if the user holds the grip — which has a built-in sensor — and brings his or her eye to the viewfinder. This option consumes more power.
• EyeStart Trigger has 2 options: With Grip Sensor, and Without Grip Sensor. Serves to choose whether the grip has to be held to start the AF.
• AF/MF Button also has two settings: AF/MF, the default, and AF-Lock, which allows assigning the AF Lock function to the AF/MF button.
• AF/MF Control allows changing how the button operates when it is set to AF/MF: Hold (button must be held to operate), or Toggle (pressed once for On, pressed again for Off).
• AF Drive Speed: Fast or Slow. Decides the speed of focusing. Slow is intended for difficult to auto focus subjects, such as macro shooting.
• AF Area Display: decides whether or not the selected AF area lights in red.
• Focus Hold Button: allows changing the function of a lens that has a Focus Hold Button so it acts as a Depth of Field Preview instead.
• AEL Button serves to decide the operation of the AEL button:
  • AEL Hold: (default) locks the exposure while held down.
  • AEL Toggle: locks the exposure when pressed once, and releases it when pressed again.
  • Spot AEL Hold: allows the camera to temporarily perform Spot metering while the button is held down.
  • Spot AEL Toggle: the camera temporarily performs spot metering when the button is pressed once, and stops when the button is pressed again.
• Control Dial Setup serves to decide how the Front and Rear Control Dials operate in the P and M modes:
  • Front = shutter speed and Rear = aperture (default).
  • Front = aperture and Rear = shutter speed.
• Dial Exposure Compensation: allows adjusting the exposure compensation using either the Front or Rear control dials while still retaining their other functions.
• Control Dial Lock: On or Of. Allows locking the control dials unless the exposure metering is active, preventing accidentally changing settings while carrying the camera.
• Button Ops.: normally the ISO, WB, Expo. Comp. Drive and C buttons display exclusive screens. This option offers an alternative, displaying the Quick Navi screen.
• Release without Card: Enable or Disable. When Enabled the shutter can be released without a memory card being present in the camera.
• Release without Lens: Enable or Disable. When Enabled the shutter can be released when no lens is mounted on the camera.
• Red Eye Reduction: On or Off. Controls the red-eye reduction system, which uses pre-flashes.

• Exposure Compensation Set: decides the way exposure compensation is performed when the flash is used.
  • Ambient and Flash: varies the aperture, shutter speed and amount of flash light produced.
  • Ambient Only: only varies the shutter speed and aperture, the flash output being fixed.
• Bracket Order: decides the bracketing order (0/-/+ or -/0/+).

• Auto Review: serves to select the length of time an image is shown on the monitor post capture (2, 5 or 10 seconds or Off).
• Auto Off with VF: On or Off. Allows turning off the LCD monitor automatically when the photographer's eye is detected at the viewfinder.
• Rec. Info. Disp.: Auto Rotate or Horizontal. Decides whether or not the Information display screen automatically rotates to follow the orientation of the camera.
• Image Orientation: Record or Not Record. Decides whether or not the image orientation is recorded when the image is saved.
• Custom Reset: Ok or Cancel. Returns all Custom settings to their defaults.

The third section of the menu, , contains Playback options, most on one screen with only a single option on the second screen:

• Delete: to erase unwanted images, either one at a time, or all, or those selected for deletion from an index view.
• Format: formats the memory card, removing all images, including protected images.
• Protect: prevents the accidental erasure of images. Images can be protected one at a time, or all at once, or unprotected all at once.

• DPOF Set serves to select images for printing, and has 2 related options:
  • Marked Images: Specifies DPOF settings only for selected images.
  • All Images: Sets DPOF tags for all images on the card.
  • Cancel All: clears all DPOF tags.
  • Date Imprint: prints the date on top of the image when it is printed.
  • Index Print: makes an index print of the images selected for printing.

• Playback Display: Auto Rotate, or Manual Rotate. Decides whether images are played back with the same orientation as they were captured (landscape or portrait) or have to be rotated manually.
• Slide Show: presents images in an automatic slide show with a selectable on-screen time for images (1, 3, 5, 10, or 30 seconds)

The fourth section of the menu, , contains the Setup options. These options are detailed in the Interface and Software section of the review.

The A700 is equipped with a CompactFlash slot and with a Memory Stick Duo Slot positioned next to the CF slot. The CF slot is compatible with Type I & II cards and with microdrives. The card slots are located on the right side of the camera, behind a solid door that must be slid back first so it can be opened. As always, CF cards are ejected using a lever, and Memory Stick Duos are ejected by pressing on their edge.

The chart below indicates the number of images that can be captured using an optional 4 GB card:

Next to the place where the tether of the Flash Synch Terminal cover is attached, another door covers the HDMI Type C Mini jack, that allows the camera to be connected to a Sony Bravia HDTV's HDMI input and which delivers a high definition signal. Regrettably, Sony did not see fit to include this cable in the kit, and sells it as an option.

Below the HDMI Out is a dual function connection — these cables are included — for USB (2.0 Hi-speed) which serves to connect the camera to a computer or to a PictBridge compliant printer. The same port also serves as Video Out, to connect the camera to a standard television (NTSC or PAL).

Directly below the Flash Synch Terminal, another rubber door covers the Remote jack provided for the optional wired remote control, RM-S1AM Remote Commander.

And finally, below the Remote jack, yet another door covers the DC-IN jack. The jack is designed for exclusive use with the optional AC adapter (AC-VQ900AM).

The A700 is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery (NP-FM500H), which is housed in the grip and covered by a latching door. A charger (BC-VM10) is supplied along with the camera, and it requires approximately 4 hours to fully recharge a depleted battery.