Now I look good - Sony a700 (Sony DSLR-A700)

Member Name: sim721

Product:	Sony DSLR-A700
Date:	02/06/09 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Way too many to mention in such a small box

Disadvantages: Screen is very easily scratched

I'm not exactly the best photographer in the world. I've been interested in taking photos for years now and have struggled never knowing which camera to buy because of all the jargon used, ISO, WB, aperture; the list goes on.

After using the fuji S9500 for the past 3 years I felt it was time to upgrade and so my next hunt for the right camera went ahead. Since I had used that camera I felt I was ready to upgrade to a proper DSLR camera and after being left dissatisfied with the colour reproduction I got from the fuji brand I decided to look elsewhere, this is when the Alpha 700 caught my eye.

I'd say it took me about 4 months slowly researching all the specification and what it all meant before I finally took the plunge and forked out for it and I haven't regretted that day since.
Probably not fair to say because it's only been 4 weeks since I got this camera but in that short time I have been able to take some stunning shots with just the most basic settings on the camera meaning anyone can pick this up and use it.
However if you want to take better shots you've got to leave auto mode and start experimenting yourself.

The camera has a wide range of ISO settings ranging from 100-6400 and a good selection of White balance settings, each of which has a setting within them.
I won't go in to too much detail of the specifics because this can be easily found online, but this camera is great for amateur enthusiasts, the super steady shot is a great function and the results are strikingly different when you try taking shots with and without it on.

The screen is a great size and brilliant quality so you can easily look through your photos and delete accordingly without the need of seeing them on a big computer screen.

Unfortunately no live-view function is incorporated in to the camera, this is when you can take photos looking at the screen, meaning you do have to look through a view finder, but this tends to get better shots and the inclusion of live-view would of slowed down the extremely fast shutter speeds.
The battery is probably just about big enough to last a couple of days unless you're shooting a lot which is a shame but more battery packs can be bought, and I would recommend it.

As for the lenses, yes they can be expensive but Minolta lenses do fit and these can be picked up more cheaply (but do not offer the same quality).

Overall the A700 is a great introductory camera to people new to DSLRs and it offers many of the features you would expect from a serious professionals camera and offers stunning quality photos combined with an easy to use camera.

Summary: Thanks for reading

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