SONY make.believe

The Best

Pros: very fast and light.

Cons: the anti dust system could be improved.

I purchased this item and found it to be quite reliable and very fast. It feels very good in your hand and has many features that put it in a class by its self.

A Stunning Camera In Every Aspect

Pros: Fast, Image Quality, Reliability, Able to use Minolta Glass

Cons: Back Focuses on Occasion (a commom DSLR trait)

I have now owned this camera for a year. It replaced my 7D which was a gem in it's day. I have a collection of superb Minolta lenses that made going to Sony a no brainer. This was top of the line at time of purchase and honestly does the job in a more than adequate fashion. I simply love this camera and plan to own it at least until the a700 MkII surfaces. Thank You Sony for giving us old Minolta glass users a gem of a camera to mount then on.

Professional Quality

Pros: All around best for the buck

Cons: Not an 18 megapixel

Since my purchase of the A700 I have been very pleased with its performance and various settings which makes possible the production of great imaging. Sony did a great job with this camera and showed how serious they were about being in the DSLR game with canon and nikon. The A700 will allow your creativity to shine with its multiple settings and features and comfortable grip. With the right lenses the possiblilities of your photographic creations are endless this is just a ...great camera

The Best $900 Camera Anywhere!

Pros: All Around Excellence

Cons: None

After using this camera for 2 years, I am still excited by its image quality; even more so due to the firmware updates. Reliable is another word I would use to call the A700 because there has been no problems at all in the 2 years of shooting this camera nearly every day.

Thanks Sony

Pros: IS system, backwards compatability

Cons: A little small, older Minolta flash units not compatable

I have had my camera for about a month now and I am continuously amazed by this camera. I bought my first SLR in 1973 and have had several brands. I bought my Minolta Maxxum 7000i in 1991 and it has been a workhorse since then, I also have a Maxxum 9000 and 9XI and have loved them for several years. The Sony A700, though not a professional body, is perfect for 99% of my shooting and as I had the 9XI, I am very comfortable with the dual adjustment wheels though the A700 feels a little small in my hand due to the larger body on the 9XI but it is quickly becoming very comfortable to me. I had to upgrade my firmware from V1 to V4, thank you Sony for making this process easy and quick. I am thankful for the features and noise reduction adjustments that V4 added. I have shot this camera with both my old Minolta lenses and the 18-70 kit lens that came with my camera. I find that I am more comfortable with my Minolta lenses as I like the weight they have over the digital kit lens but as there is an adjustment factor of 1.5 due to the smaller sensor, I am glad to have the kit lens in my bag to take advantage of the wider angle it provides though it does loose a stop when compared to my Minolta 28-80 lens. I have shot side by side with the two lenses and the image quality is pretty good for a kit lens, while I can see a difference, many, perhaps most would not and it would serve a new shooter well for quite a long time indeed. I have shot this camera in some VERY dark situations, hand held and was amazed at how well the stabilization system works, KUDOS SONY! It is also nice to be able to have 2 memory cards installed in the camera (Memory stick and CF) at the same time, this gives the insurance of not running out of space without the hassle of switching cards. Coming from a solid film background, I don?t miss the live view at all. I find that for the most part, it would be a useless feature to me though I can see how someone just starting out or coming from a point and shoot could be disappointed with the lack of it, then there is the whole keeping up with the Jones?s thing as Canon and Nikon both have it (though any serious photographer does not need it). This is a solid camera that I look forward to many years of service from. I was waiting for Sony to work the bugs out of the buyout of Minolta before buying a new digital body and with this body, Sony did an excellent job of upgrading everything I liked about Minolta into the digital age. Thanks again Sony! One thing I wish Sony would NOT have done is put that orange ring around the lens, I find it looks hokey and the looks of the camera body would improve 200% without it.

Excellent Camera

Pros: simple controls, body stab, mp

Cons: tendency to over expose by 1/2 stop

I purchased the camera about a year ago and it has been my primary body from day 1. Easy to use (I used canon for 6 years) and the biggest selling point for me was body stab as getting all the stab lenses was getting expensive. I have taken approx 5,000 images with it and the camera exceeded my expectations. I have used the camera in harsh climates and conditions with zero problems other than dust control (clean every night) which is simple compared to the others out there. Battery life is considerably longer with out having to spin the lens stab constantly. In short a quantum leap ahead of the competition!

the best camera I ever used

Cons: there are no cons

this is by far the best i've ever used I still have a minotla 7D but will most likely never use it again

Wonderful Camera

I love this camera. It is fast and takes good quality pictures. If only if it has a live view to make my shooting easier. My friends wanted to buy one but changed their minds to another model with a live view.