Comments on: Sony's confusion of dSLRs

Two new consumer dSLR models ask potential buyers to evaluate trade-offs they shouldn't need to consider.

[SPtheALIEN]

A700 with Live View?

I didn't know that the A700 had Live View.

[jasonsk287]

It doesn't.

It doesn't.

Additionally it has a 12.24 MP CMOS sensor (NOT 10mp CCD), and 5 fps, not 3.

I hope they check their facts...that's kinda misleading.

[Starfires]

The A700 is Sony's D300

It's basically Sony's version of the Nikon D300- live view, 12.24 low-noise CMOS and in a semi-pro body. The low noise is quite a break-through. Probably people handling it will see the difference between this and the lower-end bodies, which do seem to be a confusing bundle of pros and cons.

I'd say the worse thing about the A300 and 350 is the small viewfinders- it will really impair people's ability to compose well, with the live view is no substitute on those low-res screens.

[make_or_break]

Just goes to show...

...Sony should've kept the 'Minolta' name alive, even if it meant that they had to license it from Konica-Minolta. People KNOW Minolta when it comes to cameras. And perhaps some of those Minolta marketing people would've been able to provide DIRECTION to all of those moronic Sony marketeers and product planners that don't seem to know what the hell they're doing.

'Sony' as a brand is just like 'GE' or 'LG'...a producer of mass goods. Sony treats dSLRs just like it does with EVERYTHING ELSE it makes; offering up a confusing array of similarly-spec'd models that seem to differ just enough that it's impossible to decipher which is better in quality and in value.

[carguy622]

A700 does not have Live View

This looks like a good implementation of live view on the 300 and 350 because
it does not darken the viewfinder, unlike the Olympus E-300, and there is no
mirror flipping. Magnification, however, is down quite a bit. Hopefully Sony will
have worked on their noise reduction techniques since the A700, because the
Nikon D300 with the same Sony sensor has way better high ISO performance.

[jasonsk287]

A response...

make_or_break:

Yes, Sony may be a large consumer electronics retailer but they have a rich history in digital imaging by themselves as well. They were there from the beginning with digital cameras and are always up-to-the-minute with new imaging technologies. They have been making CCD sensors for companies people know better, such as Nikon and Pentax, for years. It's important that people look at the camera for what it is- a tool for taking pictures- rather than focusing on brand name importance.

[Sonolta]

No Confusion, Just Quality + Body SSS

Check out Sony Alpha A700 and A100 DSLR real world photos and reviews here:

http://www.sonolta.com/sony-photos/main.php

Currently over 500 images and dozens of full size crops from the Sony DSLRs.

-Sonolta

http://www.sonolta.com