Sony Philippines Inc. made a grand entrance into the advanced digital SLR (DSLR) camera market with the launch of the Sony Alpha 100 last year.
This year, the electronics giant followed this up with the recent release of the next-generation Sony DSLR, the Alpha 700.
“Sony has always been known to deliver only the best technologies to the casual camera users. So why not offer the same kind of commitment for more advanced photographers?” quipped Toshiya Kagita, president and managing director of Sony Philippines Inc.
“With the success enjoyed by the Alpha 100 last year, we just couldn’t wait for our loyalists to get their hands on the Alpha 700,” he added.
“To demonstrate its remarkable imaging prowess, the Alpha 700’s high-resolution 12.24-megapixel Sony Exmor CMOS sensor is bundled with an on-chip A/D and dual noise-cancel circuitry to ensure clean, low-noise compositions even at sensitivity settings as high as ISO 3200,” explained Takashi Kozu, VP for marketing of Sony Philippines.
Sony developed the advanced Bionz Image Processor that further screens out noise prior to RAW data conversion and image processing.
As a result, rich detail, improved contrast, and lively colors are achieved without compromising the camera’s quick response time or its speedy full-resolution, five-frame-per-second (fps) continuous shooting performance.
The Alpha 700 boasts a D-Range Optimizer, which adjusts exposure and tone for natural and consistent image quality even with the presence of shadows.
It also has a bracketing function that logs the image at three optimization levels for convenience in selection of the best possible shot, while a new Advanced mode allows finer control by offering five levels of optimization.
To give the new Alpha 700 a wider area of coverage as well as flexibility, Sony developed a Center Dual Cross 11-Point AF Sensor System with automatic Eye Start system.
Along with these center cross sensors, a dedicated sensor is also installed to enhance focusing significantly when shooting with apertures of f2.8 or larger.
Its large 3-inch, 921,600-dot Xtra Fine LCD allows much improved visibility, even in outdoor set-ups.
Creativity
“Sony recognizes that a photographer’s greatest weapon in his or her arsenal is creativity, and the new Alpha 700’s Creative Style Functions further enhance this with utmost ease and convenience,” Kristine Villanueva, manager of the digital imaging department, shared.
This feature gives Alpha 700 users a total of 14 different image styles. There are four basic image styles — Standard, Vivid, Neutral, and Adobe RGB — that can be adjusted according to contrast, saturation, and sharpness.
Along with the basic image styles are three customizable boxes, to which consumers can assign any image style they choose, in addition to adjustments in contrast, saturation, sharpness, and even zone matching.
The Alpha 700 also enhances ease of use through various functional buttons, dials, and selectors.
A Function (FN) button allows easy access to the Quick Navi information display where one could adjust shooting parameters through the front and rear dials, or the multi-selector.
Aside from an AF/MF button that allows effortless switching from Auto Focus and Manual Focus, a Memory Recall (MR) button permits the storage of three combinations of as much as 26 shooting parameters.
To access the most frequently used setting of the user with just one push, a Custom (C) button can be assigned to do just that.
“The Alpha 700, housed in a ruggedly strong but lightweight and moisture-resistant magnesium alloy casing, also possesses the image stabilization system found in all Sony Alpha D-SLRs,” Villanueva said.
“What’s new with the Alpha 700 and its unique Body-Integrated Super SteadyShot is that it can still provide effective stabilization even with shutter speeds of 2.5 to four steps slower than would otherwise be possible,” she said.
The Alpha 700 prevents dust particles from entering and contaminating the camera’s sensor through several means.
One is through an anti-dust coating on the low pass filter to eliminate the build-up of static electricity, while the other utilizes a “sensor vibration function” that shakes dust off each time the camera is switched off.
The new Alpha 700’s 3:2 or widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, together with its PhotoTV HD feature, makes it possible for photographers to share their work in full high-definition (HD) each time they hook it up with the latest Sony Bravia TVs via HDMI cable.
The Alpha 700 accepts both CompactFlash card and Memory Stick Duo recording media, including Sony’s recently announced 8GB 300x CompactFlash media.
It is also compatible with high-speed Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, Memory Stick Duo, and Memory Stick Duo PRO Duo media.
Lastly, the Sony Alpha 700 comes with a powerful range of software tools, including Image Data Converter SR version 2.0 for RAW data image editing; Image Data Lightbox SR for “best shot” selection and photo library management; Remote Camera Control for tethered camera control where captured images are saved directly to your computer’s hard disk; and Picture Motion Browser.