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Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Review, Phil Askey & Simon Joinson
Review based on a production Alpha DSLR-A700 with firmware version 2.0
It's been almost two years since Konica Minolta pulled out of the photo business and transferred its entire camera division to Sony, and well over a year since the first Sony DSLR (the DSLR-A100) was announced. Two years is a long time in the digital SLR market, but the three years Minolta (latterly Konica Minolta, now Sony) SLR users have been waiting for a high end model to replace the innovative Maxxum (Dynax) 7D must have felt like a lifetime. But, finally, it's here, and it looks very much like the mockup shown earlier in the year.
Like the A100, the new camera still wears its Konica Minolta heritage very much on its sleeve, and when you start to look a little more closely at the specification it's obvious that there's still an awful lot of Konica Minolta DNA in the A700. This is hardly surprising given that the circumstances behind its development.
And, just as the A100 was obviously based on - and designed to be a successor to - the KM 5D, the A700 follows on from the 7D, and - despite lots of Sony touches and an attractive new design - 7D users are likely to find using the new model reassuringly familiar.
But of course Sony doesn't only have existing system users in its cross hairs; the A700 is designed to go head to head with the latest 'prosumer' models from Nikon, Canon and Pentax. Whether the A700 offers enough to really put Sony on the DSLR map will be decided when we get to look properly at the image quality, but on specification, features and handling it certainly seems to have what it takes to play with the big boys.
Interestingly the one thing the A700 doesn't have is any form of live view; when we spoke to Sony about this the answer was simple; they believe that the compromises involved in current systems are satisfactory, and they won't implement live view until they can 'get it right'. Whether the lack of live view has any real relevance in a camera at this level remains to be seen; we doubt it.
The A700 shares many technologies with earlier Konica Minolta models (including, naturally, the lens mount), plus all those introduced in the A100 - though virtually all have been uprated or upgraded in one way or another (we've been told the A100 and A700 share virtually no components). From the sensor to the construction of the body to the GUI to the extensive feature set, this is a very different camera to the entry-level A100 (more of which later in this review). We'll start by looking at what's specifically new to this model:
What's new (highlights)
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12.2 megapixel APS-C 'Exmor' CMOS |
Bionz Image Processor |
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| New AF Sensor The A700 features an 11 point focus system with a newly developed Center Double Cross AF sensor, claimed to offer 'the highest precision AD ever in a D-SLR'. The center focus point has two horizontal and two vertical sensors plus a new high precision (horizontal) sensor in the middle. This sensor has a baseline that is about twice as long as earlier AF sensors, enabling in theory, twice the focusing accuracy with lenses with a maximum aperture of F2.8 or larger. | |
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| Faster focusing Sony has also redesigned the focus mechanics, AF algorithm and microprocessor to offer faster AF. The target, apparently, was the fastest AF in any SLR, and to match Minolta's Maxxum 7 film SLR. |
New High Speed shutter |
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| Anti-Blur Refinements to the Super SteadyShot CCD-shift stabilization system are now claimed to deliver up to 4 stops advantage. |
Optical Pentaprism |
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Aluminum chassis/Magnesium body |
Environmental Sealing |
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| X-Fine 3.0" LCD One of the first things you notice about the A700 is the stunning 3.0 screen. With 922,000 (well, 640 x 480 x RGB) pixels it has a resolution of 267ppi, plus high contrast and a wide viewing angle. A new high resolution GUI takes full advantage of the new screen. |
Full 1080 HD output |
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| Wireless remote control The A700 includes a wireless remote control offering a fairly comprehensive set of controls (though all but the shutter release only work when the camera is attached to a TV). |
Dual Storage Formats |
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| New kit lens Along with the A700 comes a new compact wide range bundle lens, the DT 16-105mm F3.5-5.6. The lens covers a range equivalent to 24 to 160mm and has internal focusing (though not zooming). |
New Vertical Grip |
Other new / upgraded features of note:
- New advanced Dynamic Range optimizer functions (also supported in RAW)
- New software bundle with all-new raw converter
- Dedicated AF illuminator (red LED)
- New Creative Styles (expansion of color modes function on A100)
- 0.3 EV steps (or 0.5 EV if you prefer)
- ISO 3200-6400 expanded range
- Compressed Raw mode and X-Fine JPEG mode
- High ISO noise reduction control
- Grip sensor (optional trigger for eye control)
- RGB histograms
- New 'Quick Navi' control system
3 years on: A700 vs Konica Minolta Maxxum (Dynax) 7D
Before we look at the A700 and how it compares to Sony's first DSLR (the A100) and the rest of the market it's worth having a quick look at how it compares with the Konica Minolta 7D. Our first impression of the A700 was that in spirit (and very much in reality when you look closely) it is the successor to KM's first (and only) high-end digital SLR, introduced almost exactly 3 years ago at PMA 2004. it's obvious that the A700 contains a lot of Minolta DNA (there are elements of the D7D and the Maxxum/Dynax 7 film SLR in its design and control layout) and it's fair to say that - for users of Minolta's lens system - it can be considered a (long awaited) successor.
Although the styling has been given a modern twist and the D7D's button / switch overkill has been toned down a little, it's not hard to see where Sony's designers started from, and there are many features from the D7D that made it almost unchanged into the A700. These include the basic control layout (the second dial has been lost and replaced by a simpler on-screen 'Quick Navi' system), the magnesium alloy construction, the eye-start focus, CCD-shift IS and high level of customization and the optional vertical shooting grip. For potential upgraders looking for a reason to trade up from a D7D to Sony's new 'Advanced Amateur' model here's just a brief taste of what three years difference makes:
- Twice as many pixels: 12MP CMOS sensor (vs 6MP CCD)
- New shutter with higher maximum speed and higher sync speed
- Bigger screen with three times the resolution
- Improvements to focus speed and accuracy
- Faster (5 fps) continuous shooting capabilities and better buffering
- New 40 segment honeycomb metering
- Better GUI and huge range of new features
- HDTV output
- Creative Styles and lots of new parameters to play with
- HDTV output
Exmor CMOS sensor
The A700 is the first DSLR to feature Sony's new CMOS sensor (now christened 'Exmor' - apparently not named after the national park in Devon or its eponymous ponies). Actually to be more accurate it's the first DLSR that we know of to use the new sensor (other manufacturers tend not to boast about using Sony technology in their flagship cameras, but there has been some conjecture about the Nikon D300, for example).
But I digress. The interesting thing about the new Exmor sensor - announced a couple of months ago (see news story) - is that it takes a very different approach to A/D conversion (turning the analogue output of the sensor into the digital 0's and 1's that will be processed and turned into the final raw or JPEG file). Instead of using a separate A/D processor further down the imaging pipeline, the Exmor has lots of them built into CMOS sensor itself (there's one per column - that's over 4000 in this chip).
The advantage, in theory, is lower noise (though Sony's original technical documents talk about a big boost in speed too), since the analog pathway is greatly reduced and analog signal noise reduction can happen a lot earlier in the process. I'm not going to go into any more detail here about the technicalities of the Exmor sensor's unique design (mainly because the information we have is quite sketchy), but it is certainly an interesting development. We will be interested to see how well it performs in the real world (the proof, as with all these things, is in the pudding).
Below is how Sony makes this all seem very simple and friendly using evil spiky noise bugs getting mixed in with lovely golden balls of analog signal:
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| The A700's process in simple terms - the key thing here is that the job of turning each pixel's analog output into a digital file is split between the Exmor sensor (with on-chip column A/D conversion) and the Bionz processor (raw data NR and image processing). |
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| In a conventional CCD-based system noise in the the analog output from the sensor builds due to the (relatively) long signal path before digital conversion. |
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| The A700's sensor produces a digital output because there is an A/D converter on every column, meaning the analog signal path is short. This in theory means less noise in the analog signal and a cleaner output for the digital NR systems to work with. |
Compared to Alpha 100 - key differences
Although the A700 and A100 are clearly aimed at very different parts of the market (entry level and advanced amateur) the mere fact that this is only Sony's second DSLR model means that many potential purchasers will be looking closely at what the key differences are. In the hand the design and construction gap between the two models is huge, but there are also some significant differences in the key spec - the cameras share very few components and only the metering system appears to be identical. The key differences be summed up simply as follows (there's a more detailed list in the table below):
- New 12MP CMOS sensor with on-chip A/D
- New 3.0" high resolution screen
- 'Semi pro' construction and environmental sealing (bigger and heavier too)
- Upgraded Autofocus system
- Faster continuous shooting (5fps)
- Additional Color Modes (now renamed Creative Styles)
- Pentaprism finder (vs Pentamirror) and interchangeable focus screens
- Vertical Grip option & remote control
- Hugely improved interface and ergonomics; more control, more customization options
- Scores of minor (and some major) feature enhancements
 Sony Alpha A700  |
 Sony Alpha A100 | |
| Body material | • Aluminum chassis • Magnesium Alloy body shell • high grade plastic exterior • Environmental seals |
• Plastic (interior construction unknown) |
| Sensor | • 23.5 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor 'Exmor' • RGB Color Filter Array • Built-in fixed low-pass filter • 13.05 million total pixels • 12.25 million effective pixels • On-chip Column A/D Conversion & NR |
• 23.6 x 15.8 mm CCD sensor • RGB Color Filter Array • Interline interlaced CCD • Built-in fixed low-pass filter • 10.8 million total pixels • 10.2 million effective pixels |
| Image sizes (3:2) | • 4288 x 2856 (L RAW ) • 4272 x 2848 (L) • 3104 x 2064 (M) • 2128 x 1424 (S) |
• 3872 x 2592 (L) • 2896 x 1936 (M) • 1920 x 1280 (S) |
| Aspect ratios | • 3:2 • 16:9 |
3:2 |
| File Formats | • Raw • Compressed Raw • Raw + JPEG • JPEG |
• RAW • RAW + JPEG Fine • JPEG |
| JPEG compression | • Three level |
• Two level |
| Auto Focus | • TTL CCD line sensors (11-points, 10 lines with center dual cross sensor) • EV 0 to 18 (ISO 100) detection range • Predictive focus control for moving subjects |
• TTL CCD line sensors (9-points, 8 lines with center cross-hair sensor) |
| AF assist illuminator |
• Yes (built-in LED lamp) • Range approx 1m - 7m |
• Via internal flash, must be raised • 1.0 - 5.0 m range |
| Custom modes | Three | None |
| ISO sensitivities | • Auto (200 - 1600) - upper/lower limit selectable • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • Up to ISO 6400 (expanded range) |
• Auto (100 - 800) • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • Lo80 (ISO 80, Low key) • Hi200 (ISO 200, High key) |
| Exposure compen. | • -3.0 to +3.0 EV • 0.3 or 0.5 EV steps |
• -2.0 to +2.0 EV • 0.3 EV steps |
| Bracketing | • Single or continuous bracketing • 3 or 5 frames • 0.3, 0.5 or 0.7 EV steps |
• 3 frames • 0.3 or 0.7 EV steps |
| Shutter speeds | • 30 to 1/8000 sec • Bulb |
• 30 to 1/4000 sec • Bulb |
| Flash X-sync | • 1/250 sec • 1/200 sec (with Super SteadyShot on) |
• 1/160 sec • 1/125 sec (with Super SteadyShot on) |
| Custom WB memories | Three | One |
| Color modes | • Standard • Vivid • Neutral • Clear • Deep • Light • Portrait • Landscape • Sunset • Night view • Autumn Leaves • B&W • Sepia • Adobe RGB |
• Standard • Vivid • Portrait • Landscape • Sunset • Night view • B&W • Adobe RGB |
| Image parameters | • Contrast (-3 to +3) • Saturation (-3 to +3) • Sharpness (-3 to +3) • Zone Matching (-1 to +2 steps) • Brightness (-3 to +3 steps) (Available in all color modes) |
• Contrast (-2 to +2) • Saturation (-2 to +2) • Sharpness (-2 to +2) (Available in all color modes) |
| Noise reduction | • Long exposure for exposures longer than 1 second • High ISO NR High/Normal/Low at ISO 1600 or higher • User controllable: On / Off |
• Long exposure for exposures longer than 1 second • User controllable: On / Off |
| Continuous | • H: Approx 5fps max • L: Approx 3fps max • RAW: Up to 18 frames • cRAW (compressed): Up to 25 frames • RAW+JPEG: Up to 12 frames • JPEG (XFINE): Up to 16 frames • JPEG (STD/FINE): Unlimited (to card capacity) |
• RAW: 3 fps, up to 6 frames • RAW+JPEG: 3 fps, up to 3 frames • JPEG: 3fps, unlimited |
| Viewfinder | • Optical glass pentaprism • Spherical Acute Matte focusing screen (interchangeable) • Magnification approx. 0.9x • Eye-relief 25 mm from eyepiece, 21 mm from frame |
• Pentamirror • Spherical Acute Matte focusing screen (not changeable) • Magnification approx. x0.83 • Eye-relief 20 mm from eyepiece, 16 mm from frame |
| LCD monitor | • 3.0 " 'Xtra Fine' TFT LCD • 920,000 pixels • 270 ppi • Anti-reflective coating |
• 2.5" TFT LCD ('Clear Photo LCD Plus') • 230,000 pixels • Anti-reflective coating |
| Control dials | Two | One |
| Video Out | • AV (Selectable NTSC or PAL) • HDMI (1920 x 1080i, 1280 x 720p, 720 x 580p, 720 x 576p) • 'PhotoTV' HD settings applied with BRAVIA TV |
• AV (Selectable NTSC or PAL) |
| Storage | • Compact Flash Type I/II • Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo |
• Compact Flash Type I/II |
| Vertical Grip | Optional vertical Grip VG-C70AM | None |
| Dimensions | 141.7 x 104.8 x 79.7 mm | 133 x 95 x 71 mm (5.2 x 3.7 x 2.8 in) |
| Weight | • No battery: 690 g (1.5 lb) • With battery: 768 g (1.7 lb) |
• No battery: 545 g (1.2 lb) • With battery: 638 g (1.4 lb) |
| Other |
• New GUI and improved control |
Design compared to the A100
Although there is a vague family resemblance, the A700 is a very different camera to the A100 (the second dial has gone, for one thing). Yes, there are elements of (Konica) Minolta in there (particularly the Maxxum/Dynax 7 and 7D), but the Sony styling cues introduced with the A100 have developed significantly giving the A700 a real identity of its own. To my eyes it's not the most handsome camera ever built, but it's certainly a big step up from the first Sony DSLR (which looks and feels a little 'cheap' for want of a better word) - even if it lacks the finesse in detailing (such as surface textures and finishes) of something like the NIkon D200/D300. And in use it did start to grow on me.
Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Specifications
| Price (body only) |
• $1400 [check] |
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| Body material * | Magnesium Alloy chassis, high grade plastic exterior |
| Sensor * | • 23.5 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor 'Exmor' • RGB Color Filter Array • Built-in fixed low-pass filter • 13.05 million total pixels • 12.25 million effective pixels • On-chip Column A/D Conversion & NR |
| Image sizes * |
• 4288 x 2856 (L RAW ) |
| File qualities / formats * | • RAW (.ARW 2.0) • Compressed or uncompressed RAW option • RAW + JPEG Fine • JPEG Extra Fine • JPEG Fine • JPEG Standard |
| Dust reduction | • Static-resistant anti-dust coating • CCD-shift dust reduction mechanism |
| Lenses | • Sony Alpha lenses (also compatible with Minolta A-type bayonet mount lenses) |
| FOV crop | 1.5x |
| Super SteadyShot | • CCD-Shift 'Super SteadyShot' system • Five level LED shake indicator in viewfinder • Claimed equivalent to 2.5 – 4 steps in shutter speed * |
| Auto Focus * | • TTL CCD line sensors (11-points, 10 lines with center dual cross sensor) • EV 0 to 18 (ISO 100) detection range • Predictive focus control for moving subjects |
| AF area selection |
• Wide AF area |
| Focus modes | • Single-shot AF • Direct Manual Focus • Continuous AF • Automatic AF • Manual focus |
| AF assist illuminator * |
• Yes (built-in LED lamp) • Range approx 1m - 7m |
| Eye-start AF | Yes, selectable from menu (optionally with grip sensor trigger*) |
| Shooting modes |
• Auto |
| Scene modes | • Portrait • Landscape • Macro • Sports Action • Sunset • Night view/portrait |
| Sensitivity |
• Auto (200 - 1600) - upper/lower limit selectable * |
| Metering modes | • Multi-segment (40 segment Honeycomb pattern) • Center-weighted • Spot |
| Metering range | • EV 0 to 20 (Multi-segment / Center-weighted) * • EV 2 to 20 (Spot metering) * (at ISO 100 with F1.4 lens) |
| AE Lock | • AEL button (customizable) • Half-press shutter release |
| AE Bracketing | • Single or continuous bracketing • 3 or 5 frames • 0.3, 0.5 or 0.7 EV steps * |
| Exposure compen. | • -3.0 to +3.0 EV * • 0.3 or 0.5 EV steps * |
| Shutter | Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane Shutter |
| Shutter Speed * | • 30 to 1/8000 sec • Bulb |
| Flash X-sync * | • 1/250 sec • 1/200 sec (with Super SteadyShot on) |
| Aperture values | Depends on lens, 0.3 EV steps |
| DOF preview | Yes, dedicated button |
| White balance |
• Auto |
| White balance fine tuning | • Auto (none) • Preset WB: -3 to +3 • Fluorescent WB: -2 to +4 • Color temperature WB: G9 to M9 (Magenta to Green) |
| White balance bracketing | • 3 frames • Hi or Lo steps |
| Dynamic range optimizer |
• Off |
| Color space | • sRGB • Adobe RGB |
| Color modes | • Standard • Vivid • Neutral * • Clear * • Deep * • Light * • Portrait • Landscape • Sunset • Night view • Autumn Leaves * • B&W • Sepia * • Adobe RGB |
| Image parameters * | • Contrast (-3 to +3) • Saturation (-3 to +3) • Sharpness (-3 to +3) • Zone Matching (-1 to +2 steps) • Brightness (-3 to +3 steps) (Available in all color modes) |
| Noise reduction * | • Long exposure for exposures longer than 1 second • High ISO NR High/Normal/Low at ISO 1600 or higher • User controllable: On / Off |
| Viewfinder * |
• Eye-level fixed optical glass pentaprism |
| LCD monitor * | • 3.0 " 'Xtra Fine' TFT LCD • 920,000 pixels (640 x 480 x 3 (RGB)) • 270 ppi • Anti-reflective coating |
| Flash | • Built-in pop-up flash (manual release) • Metering: ADI, Pre-flash TTL, Manual flash control • Guide number 12 (ISO 100/m) • Angle of coverage 24 mm (35 mm equiv.) • Flash sync 1/250 sec, 1/200 sec (SteadyShot on) * |
| Flash modes |
• Auto |
| Flash compensation * | -3.0 to +3.0 EV in 0.3 or 0.5 EV steps |
| External flash (optional) | • Sony HVL-F56M (guide no. 56) • Sony HVL-F36M (guide no. 36) • Macro Twin Flash Kit HVL-MT24AM • Ring Light HVL-RLAM • Off camera flash shoe FA-CS1 AM |
| Drive modes | • Single-frame • Continuous (H/L selectable) * • Self-timer (10 or 2 sec) • Continuous bracket • Single-frame bracket • White balance bracket • DRO bracket * |
| Continuous shooting * |
• H: Approx 5fps max • L: Approx 3fps max • RAW: Up to 18 frames • cRAW (compressed): Up to 25 frames • RAW+JPEG: Up to 12 frames • JPEG (XFINE): Up to 16 frames • JPEG (STD/FINE): Unlimited (to card capacity) |
| Self-timer |
• 10 sec |
| Orientation sensor | Yes, for shooting, playback and control panel display |
| Connectivity * | • USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mass storage, Multi-LUN or PTP) • Video out (NTSC or PAL) • HDMI type C mini jack • DC-IN • Remote terminal • PC control (with supplied software) |
| Remote control * | • Wired: with optional RM-S1AM or RM-L1AM • Wireless: with included remote control |
| Video out | • AV (Selectable NTSC or PAL) • HDMI (1920 x 1080i, 1280 x 720p, 720 x 580p, 720 x 576p) • 'PhotoTV' HD settings applied with BRAVIA. |
| Storage * | • Compact Flash Type I/II • Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo • Supports FAT12 / FAT16 / FAT32 |
| Power * | • NP-FM500H Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (1650 mAh) • Battery charger included • Optional AC adapter • Batter life Approx 650 shots (CIPA standard) |
| Vertical grip * | • Vertical Grip VG-C70AM • One or Two NP-FM500H batteries with auto switchover for power (additional battery is optional). |
| Dimensions | 141.7 x 104.8 x 79.7 mm (5.6 x 4.25 x 3.25 in) |
| Weight (body) | • No battery: 690 g (1.5 lb) • With battery: 768 g (1.7 lb) |
Design
The A700 is a pretty successful combination of the old and the new, with the control layout showing heavy Konica Minolta influence (as mentioned earlier, the spirit of the original Maxxum 7D lives on in this camera) but the styling taking a considerable step forward. 7D users will immediately notice the lack of a second dial on top of the camera, though we can happily report that we don't miss it, thanks to the A700's new GUI and control system. As with the 7D the camera positively bristles with buttons, switches, levers and dials, which can seem a little daunting at first. The advantage of retaining the Konica Minolta ethos of putting as many dedicated controls on the body as possible becomes more and more apparent the more you use the camera, and having so much control (quite literally) at your fingertips pays real dividends in situations where you need to react quickly to changing conditions.
Build quality is very solid; a real step up from the A100 and certainly a match for the Canon 40D, though if we're being brutally honest the plastics used still feel a little insubstantial, especially when compared to a true 'semi pro' model like the Nikon D300. The grip has a fine-grained rubber coating that could do with a little more 'grip', but overall the impression - in the hand - is very positive.
In your hand
The great news is that ergonomics are excellent; the A700 is not only very comfortable to use, but the key controls (shutter release, dials and multi selector) are perfectly positioned. As mentioned above I'd prefer the body to have a little more grip (a stickier rubber) to give that added bit of reassurance when holding the camera in one hand, but from a design point of view it's hard to fault the shape, balance or overall 'feel'.
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Side by side
We'll look more closely at how the A700 compares with its direct competitors when we complete our full review, but as the shot below shows this is a bigger, more serious looking camera than the A100 - and it's a good 130g heavier too. Interestingly the A700 is around 100g / 0.2lb lighter than the 7D was, and it is actually the most lightweight in its class, though size-wise there is isn't a huge difference between the A700 and any of its nearest competitors.
| Camera | Dimensions (W x H x D) |
Body weight (inc. battery & card) |
|---|---|---|
| Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 | 133 x 95 x 71 mm (5.2 x 3.7 x 2.8 in) | 638 g (1.4 lb) |
| Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 | 142 x 105 x 80 mm (5.6 x 4.2 x 3.2 in) | 768 g (1.7 lb) |
| Pentax K10D | 142 x 101 x 70 mm (5.6 x 4.0 x 2.8 in) | 793g (1.7 lb) |
| Canon EOS 40D | 146 x 108 x 74 mm(5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 in | 822 g (1.8 lb) |
| Nikon D300 | 147 x 114 x 74 mm (5.8 x 4.5 x 2.9 in) | 925 g (2.0 lb) |
LCD Monitor
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The A700 features a new 3.0 inch 'XFine' TFT monitor that boasts 922,000 pixels (640x 3 (RGB) x 480) and appears to be the same unit used on Nikon's new D300. We have to say, it's very, very impressive; sharp, detailed and contrasty, but it's the resolution that really catches your eye. At 270 ppi it's basically impossible to see the pixels with the naked eye, and the visual effect is similar to a good photo print. This makes checking focus in playback a lot easier without the need to zoom right in, and simply makes viewing saved pictures a real treat. We've seen LCD sizes creeping up over the last few years but the latest screens (featured on cameras such as the A700 and the D300) represent a breathtaking step forward in quality. Very, very nice.
The new GUI uses high resolution, beautifully aliased fonts and graphics to give an almost 'print like' quality that is easy on the eye even if it doesn't really make any difference to the actual taking of pictures (nothing wrong with that - I like the 11 speaker system in my car, but it doesn't make it go any faster).
Like the A100 the A700's screen has a pretty effective anti-reflective coating, and like the A100 you'll find yourself wiping smears from it pretty much every time you look at it.
Recording mode display
As per previous Konica Minolta digital SLR's and the A100 before it, the A700 doesn't have any control panel LCD displays, instead it uses the LCD monitor to provide a virtual control panel which summarizes camera settings (there are two levels of detail) and rotates automatically when the camera is placed in the portrait orientation. The big difference is that you can now access the information shown in the display and change settings directly from there (more of which later).
A full breakdown of available information is shown in the diagrams below (camera in horizontal orientation on left, vertical orientation on the right). Note that the diagrams are in the most detailed mode.
Information (advanced mode)
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Viewfinder
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The A100 had a pretty bright viewfinder but the A700's is a big improvement, as it uses a solid glass prism (rather than a pentamirror). The view, for a cropped camera, is big, bright and very clear, and you don't need to touch the eyepiece with your eyeball to see the entire frame, which is nice. No surprise to see Minolta's eye-start sensor below the viewfinder. |
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Viewfinder view
Through the viewfinder you will see the center spot-metering circle and 11 AF areas indicated. The selected / in-use AF area is indicated on a half-press of the shutter release with a red glow. The 'Anti-Shake scale' indicates how much the camera is having to compensate for movement, this is obviously a combination of the current actual movement, focal length and shutter speed, ideally you should be aiming to keep this as low as possible. The viewfinder display is very similar to the A100, though it has been tidied up a little, and there's a few new icons - though still, annoyingly, no ISO in the viewfinder. Note the 16:9 framing guide for those advanced SLR users who prefer to view their pictures on the TV.
The focusing screen image in the diagram above is simulated.
Battery / Battery Compartment
The A700 features yet another slight battery variation. The new NP-FM500H InfoLITHIUM is exactly the same size as the NP-FM55H used by the A100, but it has a very slightly different spec (1650 mAh). Though the battery itself is backwardly compatible (the new battery will power the A100), the reverse isn't true - you can't use the A100's battery to power the A700. The battery is charged in around 175 minutes (235 minutes for a 'full charge') using the supplied charger (which can also act as a mains adapter for the camera if you buy an optional cable). Battery life is quoted as 650 shots (using the CIPA standard) but our experience would seem to suggest that is a little on the optimistic side (using the main LCD for status display draws a lot of energy).
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Compact Flash Compartment
The A700 sees the return of Memory Stick (DUO) compatibility - poor A100 users had to make do with CompactFlash alone (I'm sure there'll be a huge sigh of relief from semi professional photographers that their SLR can now accept the same slow, pricey memory cards as their PlayStation). The card compartment door is located on the right side of the camera and forms part of the hard grip. The door is spring loaded and flips open once slid back. Inside is the Compact Flash Type II card slot which can accept Type I or Type II cards (including FAT32 cards) and a smaller Memory Stick DUO slot. If both are inserted a menu option allows you to choose which is used for recording/playback.
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Connections / Accessory shoe
The A700's connectors are gathered together on the left side of the camera (looking from the rear) under very sturdy (and quite rigid) rubber flaps on proper hinges. At the front you'll find the x-sync socket (for studio flash), remote commander port (for the optional Minolta-standard remote) and DC-in socket. Behind these are a mini USB port (combined data and video out) and the mini HDMI socket for HDTV. On the top of the camera is the Minolta standard accessory shoe. The A700 supports USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (up to 480 Mbps).
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Tripod Mount
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On the bottom of the camera you'll find the metal tripod socket which is aligned exactly with the center line of the lens. Although there's no rubber foot there is plenty of 'real estate' available for a stable location on a tripod mount. |
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Internal Flash
The A700 has a pop-up flash on the top of the viewfinder prism, it is opened manually by flicking it up. When raised the flash is approximately 100 mm above the center of the lens, which is about 10 mm more than the A100. The built-in flash unit has a guide number of 12 and a maximum sync speed of 1/250 sec (1/200 sec with AS on).
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Lens Mount
No surprises here, a standard Minolta A-type bayonet lens mount (now re-named the Sony Alpha mount of course, and given a rather garish orange trim). As usual there is a red indicator dot for aligning the lens and lock by rotating clockwise. Just like other Minolta AF SLR's the camera goes through a priming process when a len is attached by spinning the focus motor connector to ensure it has connected correctly to the lens. This mount supports either body driven focus or lenses with built-in focus motors.
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Vertical Grip
With the introduction of the A700 comes with one very welcome optional extra, a very solid (but surprisingly lightweight) vertical grip, the VG-C70AM. The grip powers the camera using one (or optionally two) NP-FM500H batteries (again, no luck for owners of NP-FM55 batteries) and is attached by removing the battery from the camera. There is a small slot in the body of the grip to accommodate the A700's battery compartment door (in other words you don't have to take the door off). The grip has a vertical shutter release that is positioned lower than normal so it still lines up with the top of the lens and the viewfinder, meaning the camera feels remarkably similar whichever orientation you use it in. I have to say, handling with the VG-C70 attached is excellent.
The grip has a full complement of switches and buttons to replicate those on the rear of the camera, meaning when it is attached the A700 has well over 30 buttons, switches and dials on the exterior of the body
Controls built into the Vertical Grip
- Fn (Function) button
- C (Custom) button
- Multi Controller
- AEL / Slow Synch / Spot meter button
- AF/MF button
- AE-Compensation button
- On/Off switch
- Twin (front and rear) control dials.
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Shutter Release Sound
In some of our digital SLR reviews we now provide a sound recording of a continuous burst of shots. Below you can see waveforms of a recording made of the DSLR-A700 shooting continuously JPEG Large/Fine for 30 seconds. The storage card used was a 2 GB SanDisk Extreme IV Compact Flash.
JPEG continuous, 30 seconds
Sony DSLR-A700 JPEG continuous 30 seconds; MP3 470 KB
Top of camera controls (left)
On the top right of the camera we have the exposure mode dial and the main power (on/off) slider switch.
Exposure modes
| Position |
Mode |
|---|---|
 |
Auto Program Exposure This is essentially the camera's "point and shoot" mode. When you select this mode various settings return to their defaults (with most defaulting to 'auto'). However unlike other digital cameras in Auto mode they are not locked and can be adjusted (apart from creative style, which is fixed to 'standard'). |
| P |
Program Exposure (with shift) |
| A |
Aperture Priority |
| S |
Shutter Priority |
| M |
Full Manual Exposure |
Scene exposure modes
Most of the settings in any of the scene exposure modes are the same as 'Auto' mode, that is Auto ISO, Multi-Segment metering etc. However there are obviously other parameters which vary with each mode, including the Creative Style mode, metering and white balance. You cannot change the Creative Style mode in any of the scene exposure modes.
| Position |
Mode |
|---|---|
 |
Portrait Selects large apertures (small F numbers) to reduce the depth of field and make the portrait subject stand out from the background. |
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LandscapeSelects small apertures (large F numbers) to enlarge the depth of field and ensure more of the image appears to be sharp and 'in focus'. |
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Macro |
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Sports Selects faster shutter speeds to capture moving action, also engages continuous drive mode. Uses Continuous AF and Continuous (burst) drive mode. |
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Sunset Selects small apertures (large F numbers) to enlarge the depth of field and sets the white balance to preserve the warm colors. |
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Night view / portrait Uses slow shutter speed and exposure / color settings suited to night photography. The difference (between night view and night portrait) is that one is without and the other with the flash. |
Top of camera controls (right)
The majority of the A700's photographic controls are clustered around the top right-hand corner of the body within easy reach of your thumb. We'll look first at those found on the top plate. Here you'll find the shutter release and front control dial plus buttons giving direct access to AE compensation (+/-), White Balance, ISO and Drive mode.
Control Dials
Unlike the Alpha 100, but like the Konica Minolta 7D, the A700 has two control dials that are used to adjust exposure or settings after a button has been pressed. The "front control dial" is mounted in front of the shutter release button and the "rear control dial" is mounted horizontally on the rear right corner of the camera just under your thumb. The dials are also used to control shutter speeds and apertures, for scrolling images in playback and (if configured to do so) to offer direct, instant AE compensation control.
Buttons (shooting mode)
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|
| Changing ISO (not all settings shown) | Changing WB (not all settings shown) |
|---|
As mentioned a couple of pages back the A700 offers more than one way to access and control the various options and settings commonly used when taking pictures. The top panel buttons (white balance, AE-C, drive and ISO) offer direct control over settings using a 'hold down the button and turn the dial' process (incidentally you can disable this so pressing any of the top buttons always brings up the 'exclusive' menu for that item'.
| Button |
Action |
|---|---|
| DRIVE | Drive mode (turn front dial whilst pressed to change setting) • Single frame advance • Continuous advance (turn rear dial to swap between L and H modes) • Self-timer (turn rear dial between 10 or 2 seconds) • Continuous bracketing (press up/down to select exposure step) • Single frame bracketing (press up/down to select exposure step) • White balance bracketing (press up/down to select Hi / Lo step) • DRO bracketing (press up/down to select Hi / Lo step) • Remote control (using supplied wireless remote) |
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Exposure compensation / Flash Output control |
| ISO |
ISO (turn front dial whilst pressed to change setting) |
| WB |
ISO (turn front dial whilst pressed to change setting) |
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Front dial Used to change settings and navigate menus, by default also used to select shutter speed in M modes and for direct access to AE compensation in all auto modes. The function of the front dial can be customized to a certain degree. The front dial is also used for scrolling through images in playback mode. |
Rear of camera controls
The rear of the camera is dominated by the large 3.0 " LCD monitor and is absolutely covered in switches and buttons. Running down the left side of the screen are a column of four buttons (Menu, Display, Delete and Play). To the right of the viewfinder are the AE lock (surrounded by a circular dial for changing the metering pattern) and AF/MF buttons, and the rear control dial. Below these is the new Multi Selector - a 'joystick' style four-directional controller with a central OK button. Below this are a customizable 'C' button and the new Fn button (used to activate the quick select functions of the information display). Finally the prominent Super SteadyShot switch sits at the bottom right of the body.
Shooting mode controls
| Control |
Function |
|---|---|
| MENU | Menu Enters or leaves the current mode menu, all menus are accessible once in the menu system but pressing this button in Play mode will take you directly to the Play section. |
| DISP |
Display |
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Delete (record review). During record review (image playback immediately after taking the shot) you can press this button to delete the image. This displays a Delete / Cancel confirmation box. |
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Play Enters play mode, displays the last image taken or the last image browsed. |
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Multi Selector The multi selector is used to navigate menus and make selections (using the center button). If the AF area is set to 'Local' the controller is also used to select your focus point when shooting. Pressing the center button forces the camera to focus on the center spot (irrespective of the focus area or spot currently in use). |
| AF/MF | AF/MF button If auto focus is active, pressing and holding this button temporarily switches to manual focus mode (and vice-versa). Alternatively the custom menu allows you to change the operation to a toggle mode (press once two switch between AF and MF, once again to switch back) |
| C |
Custom button |
| Fn | Function button Activates the Quick Navi screen, allowing direct control of all settings shown on the information display. |
| AEL | AE Lock button / Slow Sync / M-Shift By default acts as a standard AEL lock button (hold it down to lock the exposure), though you can change the behavior to 'Hold' (press once to activate AEL). If the flash is on and you are not in M or S mode this button also activates the slow sync mode. It can also be customized to act as a spot meter button. In manual exposure (M) mode holding this button down activates a 'Manual Shift' option, which allows you to retain a fixed exposure but to change the aperture and shutter speed combination by turning the front dial. |
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Super SteadyShot Used to enable or disable the 'Super SteadyShot' CCD-shift anti shake system. |
Metering mode switch
| Button |
Action |
|---|---|
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Multi Segment Metering (40 segment) Uses a honeycomb-pattern with 39 segments (plus one metering element that covers the rest of the frame) to calculate the best possible exposure. The metering is linked to the autofocus in order to ensure the main subject is correctly exposed |
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Center Weighted Metering Measures light over the entire area of the image extra emphasis given to the center area. |
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Spot Metering Uses a circular area in the center of the frame (as indicated in the viewfinder) to calculate the light value. This is used to meter individual subjects in the frame. |
Play mode controls
| Control |
Function |
|---|---|
| MENU | Menu Enters or leaves the current mode menu, all menus are accessible once in the menu system but pressing this button in Play mode will take you directly to the Play section. |
| DISP |
Display |
|
Delete (play only) In play mode press this button to delete the currently displayed / selected image. This displays a Yes / No confirmation box. |
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Play Leaves play mode and returns to shooting. Note that you can achieve the same function by simply half-pressing the shutter release button. |
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Histogram Switches to a histogram display view of the current image. |
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Multi Selector Press left or right arrows to browse through the images, note that you can also use the control dial to achieve the same function. When magnified the controller is used to scroll around the image. |
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Rotate Allows you to rotate the displayed image through 90, 180 or 270 degrees. |
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Magnify (zoom in) In play mode enters the camera's magnify mode, press again to magnify the image further (up to 16x). Interestingly the A700 memorizes the last magnify 'level' used and returns to that when the button is pressed. |
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Index |
Front of camera controls
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On the front left of the camera located on the side of the lens mount surround is the Depth-of-Field preview button (press to temporarily stop the lens down to the metered or selected aperture). On the front right of the camera is the lens release button, below this the Focus mode switch which allows you to select between Single, Auto, Continuous and Manual focus modes. On the front of the grip is a new sensor that is used (optionally) to ensure the eye start focus system only activates if you're actually holding the camera.
Record mode display
As with the A100 (and the the Konica Minolta SLRs that came before it) the A700 does without a traditional LCD control panel information display and instead employs the more flexible (though more power hungry) method of using the LCD monitor as a record mode display for camera settings, exposure etc. In record mode you can press the Display button to toggle between the full recording mode display, 'enlarged' recording mode display (which has less information) or no display.
Note: apologies for the rather poor quality of some of the screen grabs on the next few pages - we had some problems with the composite video output on our A700.
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| Detailed recording mode display |
Enlarged recording mode display |
|---|
Using the Quick Navi menu
A key difference between the A700 and its predecessor(s) is that you can now change most settings directly from the info screen by pressing the 'Fn' button, which turns the screen into a 'Quick Navi' menu (similar to many other modern DSLRs). Using the multi-commander you simply move the highlight from one setting to another. Pressing the central button brings up a mini menu for that item, allowing you to change settings. It works well and my only complaint is that you can't change the button used to activate the Quick Navi menu - odd when so much customization is on offer - and the Fn button is too much of a stretch for your thumb (so changing settings is impossible if you're not holding the camera with both hands (and it feels unnecessarily fiddly). There is, however, a way to overcome this (see next section).
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| Pressing the Fn button turns on the Quick Navi screen. The left, right, up and down arrows on the multi-controller are used to move from one setting to another. | Press the middle button on the controller and a menu appears allowing you to change the setting. |
|---|---|
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| Selecting a Creative Style |
Changing Exposure Comp. setting. |
Using the direct access buttons
By default you see a dedicated menu - as shown above - when you press one of the external buttons (ISO, DRIVE, WB and +/-) on the top of the camera. An option in the custom menu allows you to change settings directly on the Quick Navi screen by pressing one of these buttons and turning the front control dial. For settings - such as white balance - with additional options, the rear dial cycles through the parameters. The table below shows the (default) function of each dial/button combo:
| Button | Front Dial | Rear Dial |
|---|---|---|
| ISO | Change ISO (1 EV steps) | Change ISO (0.3 EV steps) |
| WB | Cycle through WB presets | • Presets: Change WB adjustments (+3 to -3) • Kelvin: Change Kelvin value and color filter • Custom WB: choose from 3 saved settings, create new setting |
| DRIVE | Cycle through drive, bracketing, self timer, remote control modes | • Continuous: Hi or Lo • Self timer: duration • Bracketing: EV step and number of frames |
| +/- | AE compensation | AE compensation (same as front dial) |
One big advantage of using the Quick Navi screen in this way is that once you've pressed one of the direct access buttons you can use the multi-commander to move to any of the other on-screen settings (thus overcoming the rather awkward positioning of the Fn button).
The screens below show the front dial being turned (not all options shown)
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| AE comp. | Drive |
|---|
Record review / Play display
The A700 has four different record review (instant playback) / play displays; Image only, Image & information, Image & histograms (including blinking highlights/shadows) and a hybrid filmstrip/image view (shows last 5 shots as thumbs across the top). Record review will use the last selected play mode display format. During record review you can press the delete button to delete the image or the magnify button for a quick close-up view (useful for checking focus / blur). Note that blinking highlights / shadows are only shown in the histogram display mode (which is a pity).
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| Image only |
Image and basic information |
|---|---|
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| Image, full shooting data and histogram (note there are now RGB and Luminance histograms) | 'Film strip' thumbnails + image |
Magnification
Press the 'magnify in' button to display the image at the previously used magnification level. Use the controller to scroll around the image, the rear dial to change the magnification, the center button (on the controller) to switch to loupe mode (example below) and the front control dial to browse through images while remaining magnified.
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| Initial magnification (previous used) | Turn the rear control dial to change the magnification level (fro 1.1x to 16x) |
|---|---|
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| Press the button in the middle of the controller to switch to loupe mode; move the loupe using the controller, change the magnification level using the rear dial again. | Press the center button again to return to magnify mode, press the magnify button to exit |
Thumbnail index
The play mode menu allows you to select between 4, 9 or 25 thumbnails in index view. You can jump one page at a time using the rear control dial and you can jump from folder to folder (if you have more than one folder created) by pressing the button in the middle of the multi controller.
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| Four image index | Nine image index |
|---|---|
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| 25 image index |
Camera Menus
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The A700's menus (accessed by pressing the MENU button in any mode) are grouped into four sections; Record (4 pages), Custom (4 pages), Playback (2 pages) and Setup (3 pages). The menus are navigated using either the multi-controller or the control dials (rear scrolls horizontally through the menus, front scrolls up and down individual menus). It's a fast and efficient system. |
|---|
Record menu
The record menu provides for configuration of settings which will affect the final image file as well as the behavior of some of the automatic settings. Many of the more common options can be accessed using the Quick Navi function or by pressing one of the external buttons, so there's not much need to visit this menu on a regular basis in everyday photography. The options for each item are revealed by pressing the center button on the multi-controller.
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|---|---|---|
| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Page one | ||
| Image size | • L: 12M • M: 6.4M • S: 3.0M |
- 4272 x 2848 |
| Aspect Ratio | • 3:2 • 16:9 |
|
| Quality |
• RAW • cRAW • RAW & JPEG • RAW & JPEG • Extra Fine • Fine • Standard |
- uncompressed RAW |
| D-Range Optimizer |
• Off |
[clip] |
| Creative Style [clip] | • Standard • Vivid • Neutral • AdobeRGB |
'Unswitcheable Styles' |
| • Standard • Vivid • Neutral • AdobeRGB • Clear • Deep • Light • Portrait • Landscape • Sunset • Night View • Autumn Leaves • B/W* • Sepia* |
'Switcheable Styles' | |
| Custom Button | • AF Lock • AF/MF control • D.O.F Preview • ISO • White Balance • Exposure Comp. • Flash Comp. • Drive Mode • AF Area • Image Size • Quality • Creative Style • D-Range Optimizer • Flash Mode • Memory |
Define the setting controlled by the 'C' button [clip] |
| Exposure Step | • 0.5 EV • 0.3 EV |
|
| Page two | ||
| Flash Mode |
• Autoflash |
- AUTO / scene modes only |
| Flash control | • ADI flash • Pre-flash TTL • Manual Flash |
|
 Power Ratio |
• 1/1 (GN12) • 1/2 (GN8.4) • 1/4 (GN6) • 1/4 (GN4.2) • 1/16 (GN3) |
- manual flash output power |
| Flash Compens. | • +3 to -3 slider | |
| Flash default | • Auto flash • Fill-flash |
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| ISO Auto max. | • 1600 • 800 • 400 |
[clip] |
| ISO Auto min. | • 400 • 200 |
[clip] |
| Page three | ||
| AF-A setup |
• AF-A |
- adjusts function of 'AFA' position on focus mode dial |
| AF area | • Wide • Spot • Local |
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| Priority Setup . | • AF • Release |
Choose whether the camera will release the shutter without focus lock |
| AF Illuminator | • Auto • Off |
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| AF w/ shutter | • On • Off |
– determines whether half-press activates the AF. |
| Long Exposure NR | • On • Off |
- exposures of 1 second or longer |
| High ISO NR | • High • Normal • Low |
- ISO 1600 and higher |
| Memory | • Select Register (1,2 or 3) | Allows you to save current settings to one of three custom memory registers |
| Rec mode reset | Displays a 'Reset recording mode? OK /Cancel dialog box. | |
Custom menu
In addition to the record menu options the A700 also has four pages of custom menu options which allow for personalization of the camera to a very high degree.
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|---|---|---|
| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Page one | ||
| Eye-Start AF | • On • Off |
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| Eye-Start trigger | • w/ GripSensor • w/o GripSensor |
determines whether the eye start AF requires you to be holding the grip to activate. |
| AF/MF button | • AF/MF control • AF lock |
|
| AF/MF control | • Hold • Toggle |
Choose if the AF/MF button must be held or toggles focus mode. |
| AF drive speed | • Fast • Slow |
Focus speed can be reduced for awkward subjects such as macros |
| AF area Disp. | • 0.3 sec display • 0.6 sec display • Display off |
Controls how long the selected AF area is illuminated in the viewfinder |
| Focus Hold Button [clip] | • Focus Hold • D.O.F preview |
Determines function of focus hold button (on lenses that have one). |
| Page two | ||
| AEL button [clip] | • AEL hold • AEL toggle • Spot AE hold • Spot AE toggle |
Choose if the AEL button must be held or toggles AE lock, additionally this can be set to spot meter. |
| Ctrl dial setup | • Front SS / Rear F/no • Front F/no / Rear SS |
Sets the function of the control dial in P and M modes [clip] |
| Dial Exp Comp. | • Off • Front dial • Rear dial |
allows you to set one of the dials to offer direct access to exposure compensation. |
| Ctrl dial lock | • On • Off |
When selected (on) the control dials only function when the shutter speed and aperture are displayed on-screen / in the viewfinder |
| Button ops. | • Exclusive Display • Quick Navi |
Determines whether pressing the external buttons (ISO etc) brings up a dedicated menu or allows you to change settings directly on the Quick Navi screen. |
| Release w/o Card | • Enable • Disable |
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| Release w/o Lens | • Enable • Disable |
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| Page three | ||
| Red Eye Reduction | • On • Off |
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| Exp. Comp. Set | • On: no lens • Off: no lens |
• Ambient & flash |
| Bracket order | • 0, -, + • -, 0, + |
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| Auto Review | • 10 secs • 5 secs • 2 secs • Off |
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| Auto Off w/ VF | • On • Off |
When set to on the eye sensors are used to switch off the LCD |
| Rec. info. disp | • Auto rotate • Horizontal |
Controls whether the recording information display is rotated or not |
| Img. Orientation | • Record • Not Record |
|
| Page Four | ||
| Custom Reset | Enter |
Displays a 'Reset custom functions? OK /Cancel dialog box. |
Menus cont..
Play menu
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|---|---|---|
| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Page one | ||
| Delete | • Marked frames Selection index • All images  YesNo |
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| Format | • EnterYesNo |
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| Protect | • Marked images Selection index • All images • Cancel all |
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| DPOF setup | • Marked images Selection index • All on card No. of copies?• Cancel all |
|
| Date Imprint |
• On • Off |
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| Index print |
• Create Index • Delete Index |
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| Playback Display | • Auto Rotate • Manual Rotate |
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| Page two | ||
| Slide show | • Enter |
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| Interval |
• 30 sec • 10 sec • 5 sec • 3 sec • 1 sec |
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Setup menu
The last menu is the Setup menu which allows you to configure general camera settings (mostly digital related) such as USB transfer modes, video output etc. This menu is split across three pages.
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|---|---|---|
| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Page one | ||
| LCD brightness | • EnterLow (-5) to High (+5) |
|
| Info. disp. time | • 1 min • 30 sec • 10 sec • 5 sec |
How long the recording information stays displayed on the LCD if no buttons are pressed. |
| Power save | • 30 min • 10 min • 5 min • 3 min • 1 min |
The amount of time before the camera enters 'sleep' state, it can be woken by a half-press of the shutter release or one of the LCD buttons |
| Video output | • NTSC • PAL |
|
| HDMI output | • HD (1080i) priority • HD (720p) priority • SD priority |
[clip] |
| Language | • English • French • Spanish • Italian • Chinese (Simplified) • Chinese (Traditional) |
Varies by region |
| Date/Time set | • EnterDateTimeDate format |
|
| Page two | ||
| Memory Card | • CompactFlash • Memory Stick |
[clip] |
| File number | • Series • Reset |
|
| Folder name | • Standard form • Date form |
|
| Select folder | • 100MSDCF • 101MSDCF • etc. |
|
| New folder |
• Enter | Creates a new running number folder |
| Transfer mode | • Mass storage • PTP • Remote PC |
- USB 'mass storage device' - For PictBridge etc - For Remote Camera Control |
| MassStrg.card | • Both cards • Selected card |
Which cards appear in the PC when connected via USB |
| Page three | ||
| Menu Start | • Top • Previous |
Lets you choose to always display the last selected menu screen when you next hit the MENU button. |
| Delete confirm | • "Delete" first • "Cancel" first |
Set the default option for the delete confirm box |
| Audio signals | • On • Off |
|
| Cleaning mode | • EnterYesNo |
Enables manual cleaning of the sensor by locking up the mirror and opening the shutter. |
| Reset default | • Enter | Displays a 'Reset Default? OK /Cancel dialog box. |
Timings & File SizesThe DSLR-A700's overall performance was extremely good, compared to other similar level digital SLRs the only noteworthy difference may be the subtle one second startup time (although off to shot is just 0.7 seconds, nothing which would ever get in the way). In our continuous shooting test the A700 proved to have a good buffer and fast processor and was limited only by the performance of the storage card, we got some amazing figures using a SanDisk Ultra IV CF card but had some strangely lacking performance from the Lexar 133x CF card (although a Lexar 300x CF was ok). The A700 also produced the highest USB transfer speed we've seen to date. Timing Notes: All times calculated as an average of three operations. Unless otherwise stated all timings were made on a 3888 x 2592 JPEG Fine (approx. 3,200 KB per image). The media used for these tests were:
Media comparison
Continuous Drive modeTo test continuous drive mode the camera had the following settings: Manual Focus, ISO 200, Shutter Priority (1/2000 sec). Measurements were taken from audio recordings of the tests. Media used were the same as above. The tests carried out below measured the following results for JPEG and RAW:
Burst of JPEG Large/Fine images
Burst of JPEG Large/X.Fine images
Burst of cRAW images
Burst of RAW images
The specified shooting speed of a full five frames per second wasn't quite achievable although I don't think anyone is going to miss the fractional 0.1 fps difference. Overall an impressive performance, especially using the SanDisk Extreme IV card which provided unlimited shooting in 'JPEG Fine' mode and almost 180 frames in 'JPEG X.Fine', the Lexar card performed less well (see below for more). While not aimed at sports photographers the A700 can still fire quickly enough and for long enough to be used for most purposes. File Flush TimingTimings shown below are the time taken for the camera to process and "flush" the image out to the storage card. Timing was taken from the instant the shutter release was pressed to the time the storage card activity lamp beside the compartment door went out. Media used were the same as above.
As you can see there's quite a large performance differential between the SanDisk Extreme IV and the Lexar Pro 133x . Further testing produced figures of 34 MB/sec for the SanDisk Extreme IV and just 8 MB/sec for the Lexar Pro 133x. We also tested an 8 GB Lexar Pro 300x (UDMA) CF card which produced the same 34 MB/sec performance as the SanDisk IV (so the 'problem' appears to be only with Lexar Pro 133x cards). USB transfer speedTo test the DSLR-A700's USB transfer speed we transferred approximately 320 MB of images (mixed RAW and JPEG) from a SanDisk Extreme IV 2 GB CF card.
The DSLR-A700 in 'Mass storage device' mode delivered the fastest USB 2.0 transfer times of any camera to date, a mighty impressive 21.6 MB/sec means that which means two gigabytes of images would take just over ninety seconds to transfer. Kudos Sony. |
Image parameters
The A700 provides four basic 'Creative Styles' (renamed from Color mode on the A100) as well as three user definable modes which provide the option to select a baseline Creative Style from one of no less than fourteen options. Each Creative Style modifies the color mapping and tonal appearance of the image (for A/B examples see Color in our Photographic tests). In the four basic Creative Style modes (Standard, Vivid, Neutral and Adobe RGB) you can adjust contrast, saturation and sharpness. Additionally in the three user definable modes you can also adjust brightness and zone. Sony has also improved the latitude of adjustment with seven levels for each setting (apart from zone which has four settings).
Image parameter adjustments
- Creative Style: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Adobe RGB, User def. 1 - 3
- User def. modes: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Adobe RGB, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape,
Sunset, Night, Autumn, B/W, Sepia - Image parameter adjustments
- Contrast: -3 to +3
- Saturation: -3 to +3
- Sharpness: -3 to +3
- Brightness: -3 to +3 (User def. only)
- Zone: -1 to +2 (User def. only)
Contrast adjustment
Adjusting the tone alters the shape of the 'S curve' used to map the linear image data captured by the sensor into the correct gamma. A lower contrast setting maintains more of the original data's dynamic range but leads to a flatter looking image. A higher contrast setting stretches the grayscale (dark to light) of the image and could lead to clipping of both shadow detail and highlights. Kudos to Sony for expanding the range of adjustment, you now have three levels either side of 'normal'.
| Thumbnail | Luminosity histogram | |
|---|---|---|
| -3 |  |
  |
| -1 |  |
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| 0 |  |
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| +1 |  |
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| +3 |  |
 |
Brightness adjustment
A brightness adjustment is fairly unusual, in fact I can think of only one or two other cameras which provide this option. Adjusting the brightness appears to shift the mapping of the 'black point' which could be useful for 'lifting' shadows on a bright day or delivering a more definite black in a studio situation.
| Thumbnail | Luminosity histogram | |
|---|---|---|
| -3 |  |
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| -1 |  |
 |
| 0 | |
|
| +1 |  |
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| +3 |  |
 |
Zone adjustment
The zone adjustment enables you to perform zone matching which effectively stretches or compresses the shadow or highlight areas of the grayscale. Use a negative setting to lift shadows for low-key shots or a positive setting to compress (and maintain) highlights for high-key shots. You can see this in effect in the histograms below.
| Thumbnail | Luminosity histogram | |
|---|---|---|
| -1 |  |
 |
| 0 |  |
 |
| +1 |  |
 |
| +2 |  |
 |
Image parameters (contd.)
Sharpness
The A700's default sharpness setting of zero is just enough to deliver good detail but not so much as to introduce any noticeable sharpening artifacts. Obviously if you prefer your images a bit crisper straight out of the camera you could opt for the +1 or +2 setting.
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| Sharpness: -3 |
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| Sharpness: -2 |
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Sharpness: -1 |
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Sharpness: 0 (Default) |
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| Sharpness: +1 |
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| Sharpness: +2 |
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Sharpness: +3 |
Saturation adjustment
Saturation adjustment allows you to control the strength of color in the final image. As you can see the A700's default color saturation (level zero) already delivers fairly punchy colors, for a more neutral response we'd recommend dropping down to -1.
| Thumbnail | 25% crop | |
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Super SteadyShot (Sensor-shift Image Stabilization)
The DSLR-A700 features Sony's 'Super SteadyShot' sensor-shift image stabilization system (a development of the 'Anti-Shake' system we first saw on the Konica Minolta 7D). This system works by moving the sensor in the opposite direction to the sensed shake movement of the camera.
The stabilization test
This test is designed to produce a determination of the relative improvement you should expect using the SteadyShot system compared to with it switched off. Twenty hand-held shots are taken of a static scene at reasonable shutter speed (1/80 sec in this case), ten without stabilization, ten with. The shutter speed is then decreased by a stop and twenty more shots taken, this is repeated down to 1/10 sec. The test chart was approximately 1.2 m away from the camera.
The resulting eighty images were then inspected and given a blur score from zero to three where zero represented a very blurred image and three a sharp image with no noticeable blur (see crop examples below). Obviously the amount of blur which is acceptable will depend on your personal taste and the final image size (for instance a '2: Soft' will still look fine as a 4x6 print or in a web gallery). Example crops from these four blur scores can be seen below.
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| 0: Very blurred | 1: Blurred |
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| 2: Soft | 3: Sharp |
Hand-held, no stabilization (75 mm equiv. FOV)
The results here show that at 1/80 sec all of our shots were sharp, but this dropped to just six at 1/40 sec and after that only a few 'acceptable but soft'.
Hand-held, with Super SteadyShot (75 mm equiv. FOV)
With 'Super SteadyShot' switched on you can see an immediate improvement. At 1/40 sec we had a total of seven sharp images, at 1/20 sec an impressive four sharp images and six other 'acceptable but soft' and even two sharp images at 1/10 sec. Overall a good performance.
Software
The DSLR-A700 is provided with a software CD which contains:
- Picture Motion Browser 2.1.02 (Windows) - An easy to use and fast image and video clip
cataloging and browsing application with a fairly unique calendar based animated interface.
- Image Data Lightbox SR 1.0 (Windows / Mac OS X) - An image browsing and workflow
application designed for rating and selecting images from a large collection. Provides synchronized
side-by-side comparison of images in 2, 3 and 4 images per screen views.
- Image Data Converter SR 2.0 (Windows / Mac OS X) - A further development of the previously
seen Image Data Converter SR, provides advanced RAW conversion capabilities, adjustments
include Creative Style, Sharpness (including overshoot / undershoot tuning), Highlight Color
Distortion reduction and Noise Reduction.
RAW conversion
As is normal in our digital SLR reviews I like to compare the supplied RAW conversion software, any optional manufacturer RAW conversion software and some third party RAW converter. In the case of the A700 we had the supplied Image Data Converter SR as well as Adobe Camera RAW 4.3 beta.
- JPEG - Large/Fine, Default settings
- IDC - Image Data Converter SR 2.0.01.09280
- ACR - Adobe Camera RAW 4.3 beta
Color reproduction
Place your mouse over the label below the image to see the color from a GretagMacbeth ColorChecker chart produced using each RAW converter. As you can see Image Data Converter matches the color response of the cameras internal image processor very closely (there are some very subtle differences but it's unlikely you'd see these in real life). As usual Adobe Camera RAW has its own 'different' color response, deeper blues but slightly paler reds.
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| JPEG Standard | RAW Sony IDC | RAW Adobe ACR |
Sharpness and Detail
As you can see from the 100% crops below there's really very little difference in this comparison between JPEG from the camera, RAW converted using Image Data Converter and RAW converted using Adobe Camera RAW. If anything the ACR image perhaps has slightly crisper edges around high contrast (black on white) detail.
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Resolution
The differences between these three are pretty obvious, and stark. The JPEG from the camera demonstrates good resolution beyond absolute resolution which would mean good representation of texture and distant detail. Adobe Camera RAW (as usual) delivers great per pixel sharpness and resolution. The biggest disappointment however is the output from Image Data Converter which produced a large amount of moire as well as blurring anything beyond 2500 LPH.
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| JPEG from camera | Image Data Converter SR (RAW) |
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| Adobe Camera RAW 4.3 beta (RAW) |
ISO / Sensitivity accuracyIn a new addition to our reviews we are now measuring the actual sensitivity of each indicated ISO sensitivity. This is achieved using the same shots as are used to measure ISO noise levels, we simply compare the exposure for each shot to the metered light level (using Sekonic L-358), middle gray matched. We estimate the accuracy of these results to be +/- 1/6 EV. Like many recent digital SLRs all four in this comparison proved to be right on the spot with their indicated sensitivity, that is to say an indicated sensitivity of say ISO 200 was exactly that (unlike some older digital SLRs which were slightly more or less sensitive than indicated).
ISO Sensitivity / Noise levelsISO equivalence on a digital camera is the ability to increase the sensitivity of the sensor. The works by turning up the "volume" (gain) on the sensor's signal amplifiers (remember the sensor is an analogue device). By amplifying the signal you also amplify the noise which becomes more visible at higher ISO's. Many modern cameras also employ noise reduction and / or sharpness reduction at higher sensitivities.To measure noise levels we take a sequence of images of a GretagMacBeth ColorChecker chart (controlled artificial daylight lighting). The exposure is matched to the ISO (ie. ISO 200, 1/200 sec for consistency of exposure between cameras). The image sequence is run through our own proprietary noise measurement tool (version 1.4 in this review). Click here for more information. (Note that noise values indicated on the graphs here can not be compared to those in other reviews). Room temperature is approximately 22°C (~72°F), simulated daylight lighting. Sony DSLR-A700 vs. Canon EOS 40D vs. Nikon D300 vs. Olympus E-3
From ISO 100 to 400 there is virtually no difference from a noise point of view between any of these cameras, none exhibit noticeable any noise. At ISO 800 the DSLR-A700 begins to exhibit some chroma (blotchy color) noise, the cleanest of the remaining three appears to be the D300 followed by the EOS 40D and then E-3. At ISO 1600 the DSLR-A700's noise reduction appears to become stronger and while noise is still noticeable it's less pronounced, although this at the expense of image detail which is beginning to soften. By this point the E-3 is beginning to look quite grainy and has also lost some image detail to noise reduction, the EOS 40D has some chroma noise and the D300 remains fairly clean and detailed (thanks to Nikon's emphasis on chroma noise reduction). At ISO 3200 the DSLR-A700 image has become quite soft from noise reduction and large blotches of chroma noise can be seen across the image. Again the cleanest image at this sensitivity comes from the D300 with the best detail coming from the EOS 40D (although distracting chroma noise is visible), the E-3 is struggling at this point. Surprisingly at ISO 6400 the D300's image could be considered 'usable' although very noisy, the same could not really be said for the DSLR-A700. Overall the DSLR-A700's performance trails both the Nikon D300 and Canon EOS 40D although does seem better than the Olympus E-3. What's clear is that Sony are using a fair amount of luminance noise reduction (too much) but probably not enough chroma noise reduction. * It's worth noting that these results are with the cameras in their default modes, the EOS 40D for example does have an optional stronger chroma noise reduction option which delivers images with almost no chroma noise. Noise graphsNote that we normally show both gray and black results on the same graph, comparing four cameras this became too difficult to read hence we have two separate graphs, one for the gray patch (middle gray) and one for the black patch (shadows). Luminance noise graph (gray patch)As you can see the A700's gray noise takes a fairly predictable line through the sensitivity range, staying fairly low at all times although as you can see from the crops above this is at the expense of image sharpness.
Indicated ISO sensitivity is on the horizontal axis of this graph, standard deviation of luminosity on the vertical axis. Luminance noise graph (black patch)On the A700 line you can see a noticeable increase in noise reduction (a sudden dip) at ISO 1600.
Indicated ISO sensitivity is on the horizontal axis of this graph, standard deviation of luminosity on the vertical axis. Chroma (color) noise graph
Indicated ISO sensitivity is on the horizontal axis of this graph, standard deviation of color on the vertical axis. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ISO Sensitivity / Noise levels (contd.)In-camera High ISO noise reductionThe DSLR-A700 provides three different levels of noise reduction; Low, Normal and High. As you can see from the graph below using the High setting doesn't reduce noise by very much more and using the Low setting doesn't reduce noise reduction very much.
Indicated ISO sensitivity is on the horizontal axis of this graph, standard deviation of luminosity on the vertical axis (note that the standard deviation scale here has been extended 1.5x compared to the graphs on the previous page). Noise reduction crop comparisons (ISO 800 - 6400)
Noise reduction on 'RAW' image filesOur normal understanding of 'RAW' image files is that they are literally a record of the measured light levels (converted from an analog signal by the analog-to-digital converter) of each photosite on the sensor. However the A700's sensor design apparently (supported by official documentation - see page two of this review) includes noise reduction 'on the sensor' which means that the A700's RAW data is 'less raw' than we're used to. Worse still there's no option to disable this noise reduction circuit which means like it or not all RAW images have some noise reduction already applied to them. Below we have a comparison of in-camera JPEG to RAW converted using Adobe Camera RAW with its Noise Reduction options set to zero (effectively 'no noise reduction'); RAW NONR. As you can see the Nikon D300's RAW images are just that, warts and all (but at least this means you can run your own noise reduction on them if you wish and you are getting the 'digital negative'). The A700 on the other hand clearly already has some luminance noise reduction applied to its RAW data which leaves the photographer with no option other than to simply accept Sony's decisions on noise reduction.
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Dynamic Range
Our new Dynamic Range measurement system involves shooting a calibrated Stouffer Step Wedge (13 stops total range) which is backlit using a daylight balanced lamp (98 CRI). A single shot of this produces a gray scale wedge from (the cameras) black to clipped white (example below). Each step of the scale is equivalent to 1/3 EV (a third of a stop), we select one step as 'middle gray' and measure outwards to define the dynamic range. Hence there are 'two sides' to our results, the amount of shadow range (below middle gray) and the amount of highlight range (above middle gray).
To most people highlight range is the first thing they think about when talking about dynamic range, that is the amount of highlight detail the camera can capture before it clips to white. Shadow range is more complicated, in our test we stop measuring values below middle gray as soon as the luminance value drops below our defined 'black point' (about 2% luminance) or the signal-to-noise ratio drops below a predefined value (where shadow detail would be swamped by noise), whichever comes first.
Dynamic Range Optimization feature
One feature we first saw introduced with the DSLR-A100 is 'Dynamic Range Optimization', designed to deliver lighter shadow areas by boosting the lower end of the tone curve. The A100 provided just three options (Off, Standard and Advanced), the A700 expands this to Off, Standard, Advanced Auto and then five manual levels (Lv1 - Lv5). The A100 also imposed limits on when you could use DRO (certain metering modes, not RAW etc.), the A700 has no such limitations.
As you can see from the graph below (using our standard step wedges test shot) the A700 actually achieves this brighter shadow response by modifying the tone curve, each of its five levels enhancing this shadow boost (we were only able to plot the first three levels as the last two lifted our reference black levels too high for measurement to be made accurately). As you can also see from these plots the Standard and Advanced Auto settings produced slightly lighter midtones but didn't affect shadow response. Note that the big advantage to doing this kind of tonal manipulation in-camera is that it is applied to RAW data before it becomes a JPEG.
Dynamic Range Optimization studio samples
Sony's DRO system appears to be able to work at either end of the tonal range (lifting / maintaining highlights as well as boosting shadows). The most likely scenario for use however is to boost dark shadow areas of the image. We designed simple studio test scene to test DRO's ability to lift shadow detail. Half of the scene is directly lit, the other half in direct shadow. Looking at the first shot in the sequence below (DRO Off) you can see how the histogram looks in this scenario, a large gap in the center.
Take a little time to look down this sequence and you'll see that Sony's DRO options really do work (for this kind of scene). What didn't work in this scenario were the 'Standard' and 'Advanced Auto' options.
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When DRO Standard works
The two images below have identical exposures (1/100 sec, F8 @ ISO 200) however the second image which has the DRO 'Standard' setting is clearly lighter, in this scenario DRO is apparently looking at the histogram and deciding that the image is slightly underexposed and adjusting the tone curve accordingly.
| Thumbnail | Luminosity histogram | |
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DRO Advanced Level 5 comparison across the ISO range
Of course one disadvantage to lifting the shadows is that you are also amplifying noise by the same amount, and because so few bits 'describe' the dark areas of the image this means that at its highest setting the DRO level will inevitably lead to increased noise in those lifted areas. As you can see from the crops below noise levels in these lifted areas becomes pretty much unacceptable from ISO 800 upwards.
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| 1 0 0 |
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Dynamic Range Optimization real world samples
As you can see from the samples below (this mirrored our experience using this feature numerous times in the field) the 'Advanced Auto' mode seldom made any difference to shadow brightness, instead we would recommend using the manual ('Advanced') DRO option which can be surprisingly successful for scenes like this with huge differences in brightness.
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| DRO Off | DRO Advanced Auto |
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| DRO Advanced Lv5 | |
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| DRO Off | DRO Advanced Auto |
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Dynamic Range (contd.)
Create Style options
The graph below shows the dynamic range response from each of the A700's fourteen Creative Styles. As you can se each has a very slightly different curve mostly due to changes in contrast and brightness for each. The important point to note here is that no single Creative Style delivers more dynamic range than the 'Standard' mode and of course because of more contrasty responses some actually deliver less.
ISO Sensitivity and Dynamic Range
Due to engineering and design constraints some sensors optimum base sensitivity isn't ISO 100, we have seen this many times on various digital SLRs with base sensitivities of ISO 200. In our normal evaluation of dynamic range we discovered that in actual fact the A700's optimum base sensitivity is actually ISO 200, that using ISO 100 will lead to less highlight range (by 0.7 EV; two thirds of a stop).
What's more concerning is that the only reference to this fact in the A700 user manual is hidden in the following sentence: "The larger the number from the standard (ISO 200), the higher the sensitivity". The other hint being that if you factory reset the camera it defaults to ISO 200. There is also no indication on the camera display that sensitivities lower than ISO 200 (ISO 100, 125 and 160) are not optimum, however it does indicate this (with borders around the numbers) for ISO 4000, 5000 and 6400.
Understanding that ISO 200 is optimum we can see that at this sensitivity the A700 delivers almost nine stops of dynamic range, more importantly that almost four stops of this are highlight range (compared to the more typical three and a half stops for most DSLRs).
| Sensitivity | Shadow range | Highlight range | Usable range |
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| ISO 100 | -5.1 EV | 3.2 EV | 8.3 EV |
| ISO 200 | -4.9 EV | 3.9 EV | 8.8 EV |
| ISO 400 | -4.9 EV | 3.9 EV | 8.8 EV |
| ISO 800 | -4.9 EV | 3.9 EV | 8.8 EV |
| ISO 1600 | -4.3 EV | 3.9 EV | 8.2 EV |
| ISO 3200 | -3.7 EV | 3.9 EV | 7.6 EV |
| ISO 6400 | -3.4 EV | 3.9 EV | 7.3 EV |
Dynamic Range compared
Despite ISO 100 not being the A700's optimum it still manages to deliver about the same highlight range as the Canon EOS 40D and Nikon D200. At ISO 200 the A700's highlight range extends about half a stop further than the EOS 40D and two thirds of a stop further than the D200.
| Camera |
Shadow range |
Highlight range |
Usable range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony DSLR-A700 (ISO 100) | -5.1 EV | 3.2 EV | 8.3 EV |
| Sony DSLR-A700 (ISO 200) | -4.9 EV | 3.9 EV | 8.8 EV |
| Canon EOS 40D (ISO 100) | -5.7 EV | 3.4 EV | 9.1 EV |
| Nikon D200 (ISO 100) | -5.0 EV | 3.2 EV | 8.2 EV |
The wedges below are created by our measurement system from the values read from the step wedge, the red lines indicate approximate shadow and highlight range (the dotted line indicating middle gray).
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RAW headroom
Experience has told us that there is typically around 1 EV (one stop) of extra information available at the highlight end in RAW files and that a negative digital exposure compensation when converting such files can recover detail lost to over-exposure. As with previous reviews we settled on Adobe Camera RAW for conversion to retrieve the maximum dynamic range from our test shots.
As you can see the default Adobe Camera RAW conversion delivers less dynamic range than JPEG from the camera (a more contrasty tone curve and less noise reduction in shadows). The best we could achieve was just over ten stops (10 EV) of total dynamic range - at the optimum ISO 200, more importantly almost a stop of that is in highlights (although with no guarantee of color accuracy).
- ACR Default: Exp. 0.0 EV, Blacks 5, Contrast +25, Curve Medium
- ACR Best: Exp. -2.5 EV, Blacks 1, Brightness + 50, Contrast -50, Curve Linear
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WARNING: Although ACR was able to retrieve the 'luminance' (brightness) of wedge steps which were previously clipped there's no guarantee of color accuracy as individual channels may clip before others. This can be seen fairly clearly in the examples below, on the right the negative digital exposure compensation has revealed some more detail in the background but this soon turns into gray as one or more of the color channels clips.
| Adobe Camera RAW default conversion | Adobe Camera RAW with -2.5 EV digital comp. |
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Color reproduction
Here you can see a generated GretagMacbeth ColorChecker chart, place your mouse over any of the labels below it to see the color reproduction in that mode. Select a camera/setting combination from the 'Compared to' drop-down to comparative boxes inside each patch.
The A700 delivers a very similar color response to the Canon EOS 40D except for its rendition of the blue patches which have less red in them (hence the very slight purple tinge to the 40D patches). As you can see the A700's huge number of preset image 'Creative Styles' do provide a wide range of canned color and tone responses.
| Sony DSLR-A700 | Compared to: |
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| Standard | Vivid | Neutral | Adobe RGB |
| Clear | Deep | Light | Portrait |
| Landscape | Sunset | Night | Autumn |
| B+W | Sepia |
Artificial light White Balance
I'm truly beginning to wonder if I'll ever be able to say anything good about automatic white balance in artificial light for digital SLRs. With each new model we see no real improvement and in some cases the camera's "best guess" is way off the mark, as you can see from the results below. Even the preset WB options on the A700 don't do a particularly good job at hitting the right color temperature.
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| Incandescent - Auto WB Red: 16.2%, Blue: -24.9%, Very Poor |
Incandescent - Incandescent preset WB Red: 4.3%, Blue: -8.6%, Average |
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| Fluorescent - Auto WB Red: 13.4%, Blue: -23.2%, Poor |
Fluorescent - Fluorescent preset WB Red: 5.8%, Blue: -9.6%, Average |
Long Exposure noise reduction / Night shots
Our usual 30 second exposure test produced no hot pixels from the A700, so the optional long exposure noise reduction option (dark frame subtraction using an equal exposure with the shutter closed) made no difference here.
| Noise reduction Off | Noise reduction On |
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| ISO 100, 30 sec, F20 | ISO 100, 30 sec, F20 |
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Flash
The A700's built-in flash unit performed well delivering correctly exposed images (it even nailed middle-gray on our color patches tests shot) without any hint of color cast or white balance problems. With a human subject skin tones were natural and again well exposed.
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Overall Image Quality / Specifics
It would be fair to say that as a baseline (at lower sensitivities) the A700 delivers very good images which demonstrate good resolution a 'standard' tone curve and natural color. My primary concern about image quality was the way in which Sony have implemented higher sensitivity noise reduction on the sensor. This implementation appears to produce two issues; firstly it's not possible to turn off this noise reduction or reduce it to a level where it does not interfere with image quality. Secondly that because it can't be turned off and that it occurs so early in the image pipeline that RAW images always have some amount of noise reduction applied to them; this is very obvious when converting higher sensitivity RAW files. Frankly I was pretty surprised to discover this and would have expected Sony to realize that most photographers expect RAW image files to contain exactly that; a 'raw' representation of the data from the sensor (one measurement per photosite) with no image processing, enabling them to process the image as they like with as much or as little noise reduction as they prefer.
Other noteworthy observations are the differences in dynamic range between ISO 100 and 200, with ISO 200 actually being 'base sensitivity' for the sensor but without any indication that this is actually the case on the camera (or clearly in the user manual), virtually useless automatic white balance in artificial light (although to be fair this is no different than most other digital SLRs today) and no difference in tonal balance using DRO Standard or DRO Advanced Auto options (although manual settings do work).
When ISO 100 isn't really ISO 100
So we've already established that there's a dynamic range difference between ISO 100 and 200 and that the sensor's base sensitivity is actually ISO 200 (although this isn't indicated on the camera). What this means in reality is that in ISO 100 mode the camera is effectively over-exposing and relying on the headroom available from the sensor to 'pull down' to a normal response. This can be seen clearly if you shoot RAW+JPEG at ISO 100 and process using a third party converter such as Adobe Camera RAW. The ISO 100 RAW image appears over-exposed and requires approximately -1.0 EV digital exposure compensation to achieve normal tone (note that ISO 200 RAW also required a -0.3 EV digital exposure compensation).
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| ISO 100 JPEG, 1/30 sec, F8 | ISO 200 JPEG, 1/60 sec, F8 |
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| ISO 100 RAW, 1/30 sec, F8 | ISO 200 RAW, 1/60 sec, F8 |
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| ISO 100 (as above but with -1.0 EV digital comp.) | ISO 200 (as above but with -0.3 EV digital comp.) |
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