Has anyone upgraded from the Konica Minolta 7D to the Sony Alpha 700? If so, is the quality of pictures for A3+ enlargement, or in difficult lighting significantly better than the 7D. I'm trying to decide whether to get the a700 now or wait until the updated version from Sony with their own design, rather than the existing Minolta, which, at a guess would be released in the first half of 2009. What is your experience? MHT
I'm jumping a bit further, from the 5d to the A700 in the Autumn, so can't comment on the shots, though the handling is a lot better than the 5D. I use partner's A200, and the AF speed/exposure is a lot better than the 5D, so the A700 looks good on that count.
The a700 a really nice DSLR, though the kit lens is, well, 'a kit lens' (so not brilliant). If you're not in a rush then the gush of Sony DSLR of late is likely to continue and drive prices down I would imagine. Or, if you have the cash, there's likely to be a more pro-spec release from Sony pretty soon...
Trust me Mike, 5D owners probably have the kit lens - and to be honest, it's not as bad as some out there. I've two, thanks to partner's recent purchase of the A200 but we rarely use it as we shoot wildlife with longer lengths. And the A700 can be had with better lenses (at higher cost - cz 16-80mm for example).
Thanks guys, I have used Sigma lenses with my 7D, as the two Minolta lenses, the standard zoom, to which you refer, and the 75-300 which are both a bit soft, but compare favourably with equivalent lenses from other manufacturers. I have found that price for price, Sigma give a first class result, and you can get towards professional quality for a fraction of the price.
I'm going to wait for the "a900", but suspect it'll be beyond my price range. By then Sony may have announced their plans for next year, and that may well include an upgrade of the a700 with live view. I could still go for the 700, especially if the live view makes compromise on the viewing screen as compared to the 700.
Until Sony let more info out of the bag, it remains all ifs and buts''!
