Sony Alpha 700 Review

Guide price: £729 body only

Digital SLR Photography Test: January 2008

Sony sees its 12.24-megapixel Alpha 700 as a strong challenger for best  DSLR under £1,000. It’s packed with plenty of innovation, but has it got enough in its arsenal to take on the big guns? Daniel Lezano finds out

Handling & ease of use:
The word 'chunky' sprang to mind when I first picked up the Sony Alpha 700. Its oversized handgrip in particular helps give the camera a rugged appeal and it has a very nice balance, thanks to its rubberised exterior and contoured shape. The body itself feels well put together and tough and you can feel confident that it's been designed to take the odd knock without complaint. With weatherproofing seals around its body, you can trust that it's safe from the elements. The control layout is different to the previous model, the Alpha 100, with an exposure mode dial on the left of the top-plate and on the right side, there is a selection of buttons for choosing important functions such as White Balance, ISO rating and drive options. On the rear, you'll find several more buttons, toggle dials and controls to get used to. Initially, the number of controls may seem quite daunting, but spend a bit of time playing with them and you'll soon find that you get used to the various functions relatively quickly. That said, unlike other enthusiast models like the Canon EOS 40D or Nikon D80, this isn't a model that we'd feel totally comfortable recommending to DSLR beginners looking for an advanced model to grow into, as there is so many functions to learn.
Where the Sony scores highly is with its 3in LCD, which is one of the very best (if not the best) that you'll find on a digital SLR. Its extremely bright and clear display is a joy to use, whether accessing the on-screen menu or reviewing images. Whatever you're using it for, you'll find the little toggle switch to its right really aids speed of operation.
You should have little complaint with the viewfinder, which is large and bright, with focusing points clearly marked and a comprehensive readout along the base.

Features:
One thing that this Sony is not short of features. It is absolutely jammed-packed with features to ensure that the Alpha user is never left wanting for a new mode or two to try out. At the heart of the camera is the APS-C sized sensor, which increases the effective focal length of lenses by 1.5x. Its 12.2-megapixel resolution delivers images with a maximum size of 4288x2856 pixels, which is more than suitable for making prints up to A3+ in size.
The exposure system is very comprehensive, with a wide choice of exposure modes to suit both beginners and advanced users, as well as three metering patterns, including 40-zone multi-pattern and spot. As you'd expect, there are numerous overrides including exposure compensation and autoexposure bracketing. The ISO range is very wide, allowing you to set between ISO 100 and 6400.
The built-in flash offers a good degree of sophistication in terms of modes and metering, while a hotshoe (identical to the Minolta shoe, rather than the more standard type) allows more powerful flashguns to be attached. The autofocus system is well specified, with an 11-point array that can be actvated by pressing the shutter button lightly or via a sensor on the viewfinder, which is activated when you place your eye to the finder to compose the image. There is no shortage of facilities for the advanced photographer with a top shutter speed of 1/8000sec and flash sync at 1/250sec, a five frames-per-second motordrive, PC socket for studioflash and depth-of-field preview. The Alpha 700 also offers 'Creative Styles', which allow you to alter how the colours are recorded (eg Landscape, Portrait or monochrome) as well as a D-Range Optimizer, which aims to increase the dynamic range to improve highlights and shadows in images. The Alpha 700 also boasts two cards slots, one for CompactFlash and another for Sony's Memory Stick, which can be used in a variety of Sony's electronics products. Other features that you almost expect to see and which are included on the Alpha include body-integral image stabilisation and an anti-dust system that vibrates the sensor at high speed each time the camera is switched off.

Performance:
The Alpha 700 really delivers on Sony's promise of a DSLR that can meet the needs of the advanced photographer. We found it to be a very strong performer in all the key areas – autofocus, exposure and general image quality. The 11-point AF system proved responsive and accurate with static subjects in all lighting conditions and handled subjects like running children well too. As for the exposure system, you won't find too many situations when the 40-zone metering struggles to deliver a good result, so you'll rarely need to call upon the spot meter unless your subject is strongly backlit or in an unusually bright or dark scenario. Images from the Alpha 700 show accurate colours and plenty of detail. In particular, skin tones are extremely well recorded with very smooth gradation. Sony's newly-developed noise reduction system works very well at keeping noise to a minimum and it's certainly very effective at all speeds up to ISO 800. Even at ISO 800 and 1600 it's very well controlled, while at faster speeds the noise is as coarse and prominent as you'd expect.
In terms of general handling, the Sony performs extremely well and as I used the camera more, I came to appreciate the positioning of the WB and ISO buttons on the top-plate, as well as how the toggle on the rear really does improve the speed of operation. There is very little to criticise on the Sony as it does perform extremely well. The autofocus is a little noisier than most and the size and layout of the camera may not appeal to all, but it's certainly a model that deserves attention as it represents a major step forward from the Alpha 100 and is definitely a camera with plenty to offer.

SUPPLIED in the box
Sony Alpha 700 with body cap; Battery charger and lithium-ion battery pack (NP-FM500H); Wireless Remote Commander;  USB lead; video cable; Software CD-ROM; shoulder strap: instruction manual

12.2-megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor
The Alpha 700 is the first to use Sony's new sensor. While the 12.24-megapixel resolution is impressive, it's the noise reduction system built into the chip that takes the headlines, as it's unique to this Exmor sensor, and promises to deliver images with minimal noise.

Bionz image processor
The Bionz processor works in conjunction with the Exmor sensor to handle  the large volume of data quickly and efficiently.

Test Verdict
The Alpha 700 is a serious statement of intent from Sony. It's a very well put together DSLR that offers a wealth of features for the enthusiast photographer and a very good performance. It certainly poses a strong challenge to its main rivals the Canon EOS 40D and Nikon D200, although the soon-to-arrive Nikon D300 looks set to give it its stiffest test yet. At around £1,000, it's a serious investment and some will probably wait until the Sony system's lens and accessory ranges expand further or until the Alpha 700's price drops over the coming months. However, anyone who decides on the Sony will get their hands on a DSLR that lives up to its promise as an exciting and capable camera.