Sony Alpha DSLR-A700K and 18-70mm lens Reviews: Digital SLR Camera

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Score 8.6/10 Read 13
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This digital camera is a good all rounder.

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Sony Alpha DSLR-A700K and 18-70mm lens: See full product description

Ease of use	8.7
Image quality	8.5
Features	8.6
Build Quality	9.1
Value for money	8.5
Overall rating	8.6

Some customer reviews of Sony Alpha DSLR-A700K and 18-70mm lens

Most helpful reviews

chris, welwyn gdn city Keen amateur

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: handles better than the latest ones out except for a850 or a900,good picture quality
Bad points:: Reviewer left no comment

Ease of use	9.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	8.0
Build Quality	9.0
Value for money	8.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Review date: 30 Jan 2010

Purchaser Keen amateur

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: Good in general
Bad points:: WB and high-ISO noise can be irritating

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	8.0
Features	10.0
Build Quality	9.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Review date: 22 Jan 2010

Alan, Braintree Experienced amateur

Score 8.0/10

Good points:: It has the added advantage of using Minolta lenses and it powers up quite quickly. The images are sharp.
Bad points:: It amazes me that you have not made the software compatible to Windows environment i.e. Windows 7 And Vista, unless they are pre-installed. I am sure that I'm not the only person who has installed these on my current system.Consequently any advantages of using The Sony software is totally negated. AND WHEN i TRIED TO INSTALL THE SOFTWARE IT TOTALLY WRECKED MY SYSTEM, WHICH I HABD TO RE-INSTLL FROM SCRATCH AND LOOSING NEARLY ALL MY DATA!! So I am far from impressed with the product in total.

Ease of use	6.0
Image quality	8.0
Features	8.0
Build Quality	8.0
Value for money	7.0
Overall rating	8.0

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Confirmed purchase: 14 Apr 2011

Ashley, Northampton Experienced amateur

Score 10.0/10

Good points:: Everything
Bad points:: Nothing

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	10.0
Build Quality	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	10.0

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Review date: 10 Feb 2010

Steve, Brighton Experienced amateur

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: High frames per second
High performance for price range
Wireless flash
Dual memory formats
Good battery performance
Bad points:: Base ISO is 200, would prefer 100.
Overall noise control could be better. I see lots of chroma noise in shadows even with low ISO.
Kit lenses not brilliant, especially compared to some of the old Minolta kit lenses such as the 35mm-80mm lens that came with the "si" film cameras.

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	9.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	9.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Review date: 07 Jul 2010

Purchaser Keen amateur

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: Great LCD, gerat image quality and very easy to handle. I've had it about half a year now and I've had no problem with it. Hints on the Sony site about taking good pictures has been really helpful. All in all I still like the camera.
Bad points:: Sometimes I want to make adjustments and it would require clicks before finding what I'm looking for. Would like a wider lens range; and cheaper as well. Also, auto-popup flash would REALLY be helpful; I sometimes forget to lift up the flash and then the moment is lost. This last point is a little annoying since lesser spec cameras from Canon and Nikon have this feature.

Ease of use	9.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	10.0
Value for money	9.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Review date: 02 Feb 2010

Stuart, Burton on Trent Experienced amateur

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: Bought the camera as an upgrade to my Alpha 100 and am delighted. Image quality and general build is a good improvement
Bad points:: No live view, but I traded this for image quality

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	9.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	9.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Review date: 02 Feb 2010

Read all 13 customer reviews

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Product Features

Camera Type	SLR
There are 2 main types of camera: The SLR and the Compact. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras use a prism to reflect the exact image as seen through the lens and so offers a more accurate viewfinder. SLR cameras have detachable lenses offering greater flexibility if you wish to take a variety of different photographs. Compact cameras have a built in lens and an ‘above lens’ viewfinder which is less accurate but they are often cheaper, more sleekly designed and easier to carry anywhere with you to capture that moment perfectly without having to fiddle with complex settings or a bag full of lenses.
Resolution (Megapixels)	13

Optical zoom ratio	1
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Screen size (Inches)	3
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Digital zoom ratio	1
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Type of image stabiliser	Yes
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Colour	Black
The main colour of the product.
Media format	Compact Flash
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
PictBridge	Yes
An industry standard allowing images to be printed from camera to printer, without needing a computer. CIPA PictBridge Standard Website
Macro Mode	Yes
This mode allows close-up photograpy of small objects such as insects and flowers.
Manual Focus	Yes
Almost all modern cameras have autofocus. Manual focus allows you to override the autofocus and set the distance yourself. This is especially useful if your camera is struggling to focus in a low-light or confusing scene.
Timer	Yes

Weight (g)	690
The weight of the product in grams.
Flash	Yes
Whether or not your camera has an in-built flash. Flashes are essential for fully capturing a low light image.
Body Only	No
dSLR cameras have detachable lenses and are sold in a variety of combinations. This facet lets you know whether the package your are considering comes bundled with a lens or whether it is just the body of the camera.
WiFi	No
Wifi allows you to connect your device to wireless routers or modems which allows you to connect to broadband internet.
Shortest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/4000
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Longest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/30
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
Waterproof	No
If your camera is waterproof you will be able to film under water which is perfect for diving and snorkeling.
USB port	Yes
Socket for connecting devices such as a computers and other components.
Dimensions (mm)	141.7x104.8x79.7
The size of the device in millimetres, in width x height x depth.
Resolution (Pixels)	4288x2865
A camera sensor, that captures the photograph, is measured in pixels. The number given here is the horizontal amount of pixels followed by the vertical quantity of pixels. The more pixels a camera sensor has, the bigger and higher quality the image will be.
Release date	2007-09-28
The date the product was originally made available for purchase.
Serial Shot Mode	Yes
Bluetooth	No
Bluetooth is a technology for the wireless transfer of data such as contacts, photos and music between mobile phones, computers and a host of other Bluetooth enabled devices. Read more about Bluetooth on Wikipedia
Autofocus	Yes
Changeable Lens	Yes

Also known as: Alpha DSLR-A700 + 18-70 mm lens

Digital Cameras Buyers' Guide

Manufacturer's Description

High performance Digital Single Lens Reflex (D-SLR) camera. Superlative HD picture quality from shooting to viewing. Ultra-responsive performance, ruggedly constructed and beautifully easy to use.

Sony ‘Exmor’ 12.24 effective megapixel CMOS
sensor with on-chip A/D conversion and dual
noise reduction
High speed BIONZ image processing engine for
superb image quality
Ultra responsive operation with fast,
high-accuracy 11-point autofocus and 5fps
continuous shooting
HDMI output for viewing on HD Ready display
plus PhotoTV HD mode for optimised Full HD
images on new BRAVIA televisions
3.0-inch Xtra Fine 921k dot resolution LCD
screen for critical shot evaluation
Compatible with full range of a-mount lenses
from Sony and Carl Zeiss plus Konica Minolta
lenses
Enhanced SteadyShot INSIDE optical image
stabilisation in camera body reduces camera
shake with all lenses*
New Quick Navi function for fast, easy access
to camera settings
Rugged magnesium body with aluminium alloy
chassis and controls sealed against dust and
moisture
Dual anti-dust system protects sensor during
lens exchange
SteadyShot INSIDE was previously known as
Super SteadyShot

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