Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony Alpha A700 12.24MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Aspherical ED Lens

I have ordered this camera twice now from the same vendor. In both cases the camera showed as being in stock on the Amazon order page but then two weeks later I received a cancellation notice.

I thought that maybe I was misremembering the first experience so I went back to the page, and reordered the camera which showed 7 in stock.

This time I emailed and called the vendor to make sure that this order would be filled but I did not receive a response from the vendor in either case.

Again, the order has been canceled after being active for two weeks and showing a ship date of the 26th of January.

I looked again at the promotional page and it still shows this unit being in stock and available for immediate shipment.

Obviously there is a disconnect between their inventory and their advertising. My bigger issue was the lag in time from the order to the cancelation and the lack of any response from the vendor.

I will not purchase from this 3rd party vendor again.

Great for causal use, good performance/price ratio.

Back focus issue with SAL50F14 (50mm/1.4F) & SAL18200 (18~200mm) depending on aperture & zoom settings, couldn't be fixed after 3 repair trips, tired of it, now stuck with blurry quick shots (some of them); if you are slow shooter and have more time to adjusting focus (compensating the back focus) for every photo, it's still a great camera.

Many complain on web about A700 back focus issue, be aware!

I'm very pleased with the Sony Alpha 700.
(1) PLEASANT SURPRISE: the Sony (Alpha) A700 is only slightly bigger than my Minolta Maxxum 7 film SLR. Many digital SLR's are big and clunky; the A700 is almost as easy to carry as a film SLR.
(2) EXCELLENT CONTROLS! Three buttons on the top right of the A700 give immediate access to Exposure Compensation, ISO setting, and White Balance - each of these can be adjusted quickly, for each shot. (ISO setting is like being able to change film speed, for each shot; White Balance is like setting film type - Daylight, Tungsten, or other - for each shot)
(3) EASY, QUICK MENUS. I never imagined I would praise the menus on a digital camera. On my 3 megapixel Olympus point-and-shoot, changing a setting requires laborious searches through stacks of submenus. The menu layout on the Sony A700 is head-and-shoulders superior to any point-and-shoot I have used. Two or at most three clicks suffice to change any setting. Using menus on the A700 is almost a pleasure.
(4) PHOTO QUALITY. The Sony Alpha 700 uses essentially the same photo-sensor that Sony supplies to Nikon for the top-of-the-line Nikon D300. Its picture quality is at the top of the class.
I first bought a digital camera 8 years ago, but never enjoyed using point-and-shoot digital cameras. Poor controls, really lousy viewfinders, sloppy and inaccurate autofocus, long shutter lags which make action photography impossible, all made me dislike point-and shoot digital cameras. For photography where the pictures mattered, I continued to use a high-quality film SLR camera. The Sony Alpha 700 is the first digital camera I have used that performs as well as a top-quality film SLR. This is the first digital camera that I enjoy using.

SONY 18-200mm LENS: the Sony 18-200 mm lens may very possibly have the optical system of the Tamron 18-200mm lens, mounted in a Sony lens mount (Sony owns Tamron). Tamron introduced a newer 18-250mm lens in 2007, which also comes in a Sony version, and the 18-200mm has become essentially a closeout item. Originally priced at $499, the 18-200mm lens is now offered for only $200 extra when bought with an Alpha 700 body (the newer Sony 18-250mm lens now costs $549). But the 18-200mm is close in optical quality to the highly praised Tamron/Sony 18-250mm, it is very sharp at most focal lengths, and my copy is mechanically perfect, with smooth zooming and no `creep.' For only $200 extra with a camera body, the Sony 18-200mm lens is not just a bargain, it's a steal.

This camera is a pleasent suprise after using the sony alpha 100 that I bought several years ago. I was a little bit disapointed in it , but this camera does'nt come up short so far. On board flash is strong, controls are simple and easy to get to, and it is very fast. Like I said , I am pleasently suprised.

The A700 is Sony's declaration that they can play in the big leagues (as they showed us with the A900).

Even though it may be a year and a few months old, this camera enjoys the benefits of the recent launch of firmware version 4 which enhances the noise reduction in both JPEG and RAW among other things. It practically reinvogorated this camera.

It's 12.24 megapixels will work well for large prints (although if you're gonna print wall size, you're better off with the A900).

This camera is fast, responsive, easy to use and highly customizable. You can chose from a variety of options to make your photography faster and more enjoyable with this camera.

It may be heavy for some people, but thats due to the magnesium casing which protects the inside. This camera is meant for hard work and serious business.

For those people who used Minolta SLRs and still keep their lenses, they can use them on this camera, since the Alpha DSLR line benefits of the A-mount that Minolta and KonicaMinolta cameras used.

It doesnt have live view, if you need it, you should get the A300/350.

This camera however, shares one feature along with its A100/900 sisters, the Depth Of Field button, which in few words, closes down the lens to the selected aperture so you can see how sharp the image will be. This is a VERY important tool to have if you care about composition and want absolute control of how your pictures will come out.

Don't be thrown off by the fact this is the oldest camera in the range right now, if you really want and need all the features this camera has to offer, get it, the replacement model for this camera wont be arriving before Fall 2009, thats a lot of time to wait and you will miss a lot of shots during that time. At the prices this camera has right now, its a great deal. You wont regret getting this camera.

The great advantage of this kit is that it comes with a 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom lens. You will read a lot of negative reviews about this lens, about how unsharp it is, how this, how that. Dont pay attention to it. If you're on a budget and you need this camera and a decent lens to start with, get it. The unsharpness issues you can correct by setting the camera's sharpness levels. Besides, its the photographer that makes the picture, not the lens. Having an expensive lens wont make you take better pictures.

Ive shot a lot of photos with this camera and lens and Im extremely happy so far. This lens may not be exactly a fast lens, but its a great lens to begin using a DSLR.

The A700 gives you a great value for your money, lots of options and excellent results at an affordable price.

Don't hesitate, if you want/need this camera, get it. You wont be disappointed.