Sony Unveils ?700 DSLR

September 6, 2007: Sony has added a new model, the DSLR-?700, to its Alpha digital SLR range, offering features that include a 12.25-megapixel “Exmor” CMOS sensor and the first HDMI compatibility in a DSLR camera.
The ?700’s ‘Exmor’ CMOS sensor combines Sony’s original On-Chip Column AD Conversion Technology with a Dual Noise Reduction Circuit, enabling the camera to read out the image signals at high speed with reduced image noise. The HDMI terminal supports a new “PhotoTV HD” high quality playback on large screen Full HD TV screens, with Sony’s Bravia TV screens offering a special photo mode that provides top viewing quality at 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. (An optional HDMI cable and a TV supporting HD input are required for viewing HD still images.)

High quality HDTV playback is possible directly from the camera on Sony’s Bravia widescreen TV sets.
The new camera comes with the latest “BIONZ” image processing engine, which delivers natural color reproduction and rich tonal rendition and can also process large quantities of digital data at high speed. Thanks to a new coreless motor and double-stopper anti-bounce mirror mechanism, continuous shooting speeds of up to five frames/second are supported. The ?700 also claims a start-up lag of only 0.2 seconds. Image files can be recorded as ARW-RAW files, JPEGs or RAW+JPEG and high speed shooting of Raw files is possible for up to 25 frames, thanks to a cRAW mode, which compresses the images.

Top view of the A700 fitted with the new DT 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.

Rear view.
Dual slots are provided for Memory Stick Duo and CompactFlash cards and users can select which card to record to. The Memory Stick Duo slot supports Memory Stick PRO Duo and Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, the new high-speed-transfer product. The CF slot supports the UDMA(Ultra Direct Memory Access) standard and accepts 300x (high speed data transfer type) cards.
Like the ?100, the ?700 comes with “Super SteadyShot inside”, a built-in anti-shake function that works with all Alpha lenses. A gyroscope in the camera body detects camera motion and shifts the sensor to counteract it, giving a 2.5-4 stop shutter speed advantage over unstabilised cameras. A new autofocusing system combines a pair of central cross-type AF sensors with 10 surrounding AF points to cover a wider area. A high precision F2.8 AF sensor placed above the central point delivers a precision improvement of approximately 1.3 times over the current model.

The illustration above shows the key features of the new camera.
Lens driving control time has been reduced for subject distance calculation and focus position to improve focus speed by approximately 1.7 times compared to the current model. Movement prediction AF ability has been also enhanced to capture fast-moving subjects and a built-in AF illuminator in the camera body aids focusing with low contrast and dimly-lit subjects.
Sony has also introduced an Enhanced D-range Optimiser (DRO) for subjects with extended brightness ranges. It includes an advanced level set-up function offering five level compensation effects. Three-step bracketing will record three versions of a subject with different DRO settings, enabling photographers to select the best results.

The data display on the LCD monitor provides detailed status information for all camera settings.
Another new feature is the Creative Style function, which provides 14 ‘picture style’ settings, including Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Adobe RGB, Portrait and three memory banks where users can register different combinations of contrast, saturation, sharpness, brightness and zone matching. Users can also customise existing styles. The ?700 sports a 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD monitor with 921,000 dots of resolution. It offers a 2.8x improvement in contrast over the ?100’s screen and boasts a hybrid structure and AR coating to reduce sunlight glare on the LCD surface.
Pressing the function button (Fn) besides the LCD screen accesses the quick navigation function, which highlights frequently-used items to enable users to change settings quickly. Users can register up to 3 sets from 26 settings in the camera via the MR setting or access 15 Custom functions via the C button. Playback options are extensive and include single-frame, single frame with thumbnails of four previous or following fames, a 4-frame index view, a 25-frame index view and a shooting data display with thumbnail and RGB histogram.

Some of the handy playback options provided in the new camera.
The ?700 is built for durability and reliability, with an internal chassis of high-strength aluminium alloy and top and face plates from magnesium alloy, which together give a body weight of only 690 grams. Weather-resistant silicon seals protect media card slots and control buttons against the entry of dust and moisture. Anti-dust technology combines an anti-static coating on the low band-pass filter covering the image sensor with sensor-shift anti-dust vibration. Shutter speeds range from 30 to 1/8000 second, with a flash synch speed of 1/ 250 second (1/200 second when anti-shake is engaged). The shutter is rated for 100,000 cycles.
Supplied with the camera is a new Info Lithium battery pack NP-FM500H with high energy density/high output current, which is CIPA rated for approximately 650 shots on a full charge (with 50% flash). An optional VG-C70AM vertical grip is available. It can hold up to two batteries and carries duplicates of the main camera controls. The camera is supplied with a new software suite that includes Image Data Lightbox SR (organizer and viewer), Image Data Converter SR for converting Raw images and Remote Camera Control as well as Picture Motion Browser.

Front and rear views with the optional VG-C70AM vertical grip.
Sony Australia expects the ?700 to be in stores by the second week of October. It will be offered for sale as body only (RRP $2,249); with the standard 18-70mm kit lens at $2,399 or with the new 16-105mm lens for $2999. For more information, visit www.sony.com.au.

SPECIFICATIONS