Sony A700 - anyone have one?

[Efergoh]

I'm considering putting up my A100 for sale to purchase an A700.
I initially purchased the 100 because I could use all of my Minolta lenses.
I've heard rumor and conjecture that Sony abandoned the Maxxum mount with the A700...does anyone know if this is true or not?

 

[skieur]

I'm considering putting up my A100 for sale to purchase an A700.
I initially purchased the 100 because I could use all of my Minolta lenses.
I've heard rumor and conjecture that Sony abandoned the Maxxum mount with the A700...does anyone know if this is true or not?

No, it is not true. The A700 is an upgrade in almost all areas over the A100 and it retains the Minolta Maxxum mount.

It has seals against moisture and dust, a more robust body, better dynamic range and stabilization, and most importantly much better control of noise...as in very good quality ISO 3200 shots. The LCD on the back of the camera is 640 X 440 pixels, 900K pixels and 3 inches and the viewfinder is a pentaprism and brighter than that of the A100 too.

skieur

 

[lordson]

from one review i've read i heard that its not that good for the price, might as well buy a Canon

and also it has a very small number of lenes with limited availability

but appreantly Sony will soon vamp up its lens production

 

[skieur]

from one review i've read i heard that its not that good for the price, might as well buy a Canon

and also it has a very small number of lenes with limited availability

but appreantly Sony will soon vamp up its lens production

Well, Popular Photography tends to compare it to the Canon 40D, so perhaps you consider the Canon 40D not that good either.

It really depends on what features you are used to, and what features make a difference. Live preview makes a difference to some but not to others. Five frames per second versus 6 frames per second may be a big deal for tech junkies but for most users..? Sony's in camera stabilization which has been improved over the A100, means that lenses are cheaper.

By the way, with all the Minolta lenses out there, the number of lenses is not a problem. I saw a used Minolta with 2 Alpha compatible zooms for a combo price of $150 in the kind of used store you find in many small towns.

skieur

 

[Augphoto]

I purchased the A700. Lens availability is no problem for me. I only need a few lenses, I don't need a massive quantity of them.

Don't ask me to review this camera (just yet anyway), because I've barely had time to use it. I've been deer hunting the last 11 days and then have come home to a very, chaotic work schedule.

One thing I can say, however. After charging and inserting it's battery I turned her on and WOW. The first thing that hit's you is it's view screen. It's awesome. Nothing compares to it. Now, I realize you don't purchase a camera on this merit but, the screen is very impressive.