Customer Reviews

Sony DSCF707 Cyber-shot 5MP Digital Still Camera w/ 5x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Frankly, this IS an investment...you spending $1000+ for this camera plus some needed accessories. Few people will ever shoot 5 Mega Pixels (MP) shots every time, but serious (and serious amateur) photographers will certainly appreciate being able to produce stunning detail when the need arises. Look at images shot on your friends' 2 or 3 MP cameras...this level of quality is amazing...but you WILL want to exceed this occasionally, and (...) is the price you pay to get the technology NOW. A 5 MP head shot will allow you to EASILY discern individual hairs on life-size prints (as in 11x14)...it's truely amazing.

I looked at the Minolta Dimage 7...the auto focus zooms past the subject and back...it seems irritatiingly "loose", for lack of a better term. The Sony is a bit crisper in it's approach to auto focus, though not perfect.

Low-light shots are a challenge, but the viewfinder does have a tremendous amount of information available, including exposure "F" stops, shutter speed, low light warnings, etc. The true genius is that you can essentially operate the camera in a manual mode, quickly overriding the meter to compensate for the light in any situation...backlight, contrasty light, reflections, etc.

If you ever used a 35mm in manual in the old days (when you really had to KNOW photography), you'll love the control available. And younger photographers will find a whole new world in being able to make this camera do what most digitals will still not do...take the unusual shot.

The camera is well balanced, and rather sturdy. You will get used to the shooting position...give it time. My biggest complaint is that the zoom selection switch operates "backwards" to my taste. Intuitively, I want to zoom "in" pressing the "out" button (!)...

You have an adequate built-in pop-up flash...PLUS a PC connection for external flash AND a flash shoe! Slavery, anyone?

The memory stick is a bit of a hassle, but extremely convenient once you get over the struggle. Buy a small USB reader to use at work or home...I use the "Zio". And buy the 128 MB memory stick...nothing smaller.

There were early problems with "White Balance", as recently as Nov 01. Current cameras should be shipping with the factory fix, but Sony, to it's shame, STILL has no information on it's website detailing same, even though it required early owners to send the camera for a "free" repair. Not exactly good thinking for a $1000 camera.

The images are good, but I do have to compensate a bit in low-light. Based on shooting several thousand "test" shots with another camera, I'm happy with this one. It does the job and can satisfy both consumer and professional. Note that I do not plan to replace this camera for several years. Why? Because printer technology has not caught up to the resolution of the camera (at least for the home user) and no one really needs much more in a camera. Five Mega Pixels will generate a poster-size image with very nice quality...you won't be doing it often, but you'll be glad you did when you do.

I like it, and I shopped hard to ensure the most features with the best price. As with all electronics, find a cheap extended warranty. (...) . Cameras DO break.

Shop carefully for a CASE to put it in...the unique shape requires some thinking. I have 3. One for everything including cords and cables, one for the camera plus memory sticks, and a Sony brand "ever-ready" case. Depends on how long you're out and how fast you want to access the camera..at what level of protection. Think.

You'll want an extra battery. Perhaps a travel charger, otherwise you charge the battery by plugging the CAMERA in the wall (!)...thanks Sony. :-(

Buy a UV filter (58mm) to protect the lens.

This camera is expensive, and generally reliable - it's a Sony. Many features I have not detailed, and it has a superb 10x OPTICAL zoom (and a 2x digital). If you are thinking digital and want to not have to trade-up for a while, I suggest the Sony DSC-F707. If you love photography, do not buy a smaller CCD chip than 5 MP...even if you buy another brand. But I certainly recommend the Sony DSC-F707 camera for people to whom the image is important.

My previous camera was a Sony DSC-505V. An excellent camera. I am agoldsmith and gemcutter and use a digital camera to photgraph my work for use in portfolio and advertising items for sale. It is some of the most difficult photography there is. But with this camera it has become. I am finished with hiring a professional photgrapher.
Most of my work is done in macro mode. The DSC-F707 is incredible in this way. Focus is always perfect. Just as important is true to life color. When photographing gemstones the color must be exact. Big problem with other cameras that I have used. No problem now. White balance and spot metering are much better than expected and the automatic functions are flawless. In the past I would have to take a dozen photos of each item and then pick the best. I get the perfect shot first time almost always with this camera.
The 5 megapixels is a dream come true. I can take a close up photo of a diamond or gemstone, then crop out an inclusion and enlarge it while still keeping a nice, sharp picture. My customers know exactly what they are getting. It is almost like photography through a microscope. I plugged the camera into a 57 inch digital television and enlarged a small diamond inclusion to fill up almost all of the screen and still had a sharp image. That had me convinved.
Of course this camera will be used for vacations and such also. I am a skydiver and travel all around the country looking for fun. Its common to see the small digital camcorders mounted on helmets. They will get kicked and banged around in the air and get hit with wind up to 300 mph. You will rarely see anything but a Sony mounted on a helmet. It is about the only brand that makes a camera that will stand up to the abuse. So Sony is the only choice.
On skydiving trips the fun does not end when the sun goes down. Take lots of photos after dark. The nightframe feature will see lots of use. In low light conditions the LCD screen on digital cameras is usually black and you have no idea what is in the frame. With the nightframe you can set up the shot under night vision then take photo in true color with the flash. Great feature.
The viewfinder is a great feature lacking in the DSC-505V. In bright light the view screens on digital camera become invisible. With the viewfinder it is easy to see what you are photographing.
This camera has every feature and adjustment that I have seen on any 35mm or digital camera. With a good printer the prints surpass anything that a 35mm can do. 35mm just became obsolete. The included 16MB memory stick is useless. Have to get a 128MB. Also bought the optional wide angle lens. Only complaint is that I have not yet been able to find a wide angle converter lens yet.

This digital camera has the best features and resolution (...). I looked at the Olympus models, but the DSC-F707 has a better resolution than the E-10.(...) The lens is great, and it takes great pictures in low light situations.

There is a problem with the white balance on some of these cameras, but I believe it has been fixed. If you find that you are having problems while taking low light pictures, with a flash, you can get a flash upgrade for the camera from Sony. You may have some trouble getting into customer support, but that is my only issue with Sony.

Don't let that stop you from getting this camera. The quality is phenomenal. I am a photographer, and you can't find a better camera for the price. The quality rivals an SLR film camera. I can get a 6.4" by 8.5" picture at 300 DPI picture out of the DSC-F707. For Graphic Designers, that is not quite magazine quality, but it's getting close. This camera can be used for a lot of professional work, and I am looking forward to using it in the field.

I have one more problem with this camera. The 16mb card that comes with it is useless. You'll have to get a 128mb card if you're going to take pictures at the highest resolution. The 16mb card gives you only 6 pictures!!!! The 128mb card gives you 48 pictures. I have two of them, but will need more if I go on a long hike. It depends on what you use it for. (...) The battery seems to be OK. It doesn't go out as fast as other cameras I've had, but it can always get better. If I were you, I'd get this camera, a 128mb memory stick, and an extra battery. Then, you'll be set. (...)

All in all, this is a fantastic camera. Other than a few minor quirks, it will make you very happy until the new model comes out. Buy it!

I bought this camera in May of 2002 and found that I can take better pictures with it than I could with a film camera. It has all the major features of a high quality Nikon SLR that I own and still use for slides. The Zeiss lens is outstanding and has a big aperture, f2.0, impressive for a digital. On a vacation to Maui recently, I took over 400 pictures, and there ain't a bad one in the bunch. Maui continues to be a vibrant memory to me through these pictures.

Because there is so much published about what this camera has and can do, I will offer only a few tips from my 1000 or so picture-taking experience with this camera.

1. Don't try to focus on anything less than 1 meter away. I had a dickens of a time trying to photograph a small frog one night, with flashlight in one had and camera in the other. I could get within inches of the rascal, but the camera would not focus even a couple of feet away. I eventually figured out to go beyond a meter and zoomed in on him and that worked fine. There is a macro lens mode for anything under 1 foot away, which may have worked if I had thought about it!

2. Forget TIFF mode, this takes forever to capture a picture and takes up 15 meg of memory. The JPEG "fine" mode will capture pictures more than adequate to serve 99% of your needs, and you can get hundreds of these on a memory stick. Now, if you have real need for TIFF, then disregard this comment.

3. Get the SONY bag, LCS-FX, made especially for this camera. You will not regret. It is a fine and durable leather and the camera fits in there like a hand in glove, and holds and extra stick or two and spare battery. You will carry the camera with confidence and style in this compact case. Handy for taking out and putting back in - great for tourists.I got it... because the camera comes with a coupon for Sony extras...The best investment I've made recently.

4. Get an extra battery, but don't waste money on a charger. You can charge your batteries in the camera overnight, and these batteries last a good long time. This camera's battery life is a true innovation by Sony, unbelievable!

5. Don't waste your money on external flashes. The built in flash has three power settings possible, and is the most powerful flash I've ever had in a camera, even when I've used externals before.

6. Get a few extra 128 MB memory sticks for your trips to Hawaii or the far east. You will be taking hundreds of pictures, so don't be caught short.

7. Get the Sony USB memory stick reader for your computer. You won't have to keep plugging and unplugging your camera in there. This is like a little disk drive, and I've found it to be incredibly compatible with my computer.

8. Get Adobe Photoshop Elements to make corrections to your pictures. You will spend a lot of money and a lot of time to take your pictures. This little software package will make very good photos into fantastic photos. Adjust contrast and brighten those darker than desired faces. Well worth the hundred bucks to underwrite your investment.

9. Learn how to use the Manual, Aperture and Shutter priority modes. Doing this will allow you to capture sunsets, darker scenes, sporting events, moving objects and anything unusual that automatic mode simply will not do.

10. Get a UV filter for your lens. This is just a lens protector as the filter itself does virtually nothing.
Forget about other lens attachments such as wide angle or telephoto. I've got these for my old camcorder and I can tell you that these are just clumsy extras you have to lug around and seldom use. They also degrade picture quality.

In short, this camera still amazes and delights me. It is an amateur photographers dream.

Frankly, I don't understand the whining so many reviewers do about the Sony memory stick. People need to get over their childish bias towards flash cards and smart media. Who cares what other cameras use if you have a Sony? Sony's memory stick works just fine, and is a highly reliable and compact medium. Sony is to digital photography as Disney is to entertainment. They set the standard, and everybody else just tries to copy, change something simple to be "different", and keep up. My recommendation is for those imitators using flash cards and other gimmicks, to get smart, get on board, and start using the industry standard, Sony memory sticks, like the rest of the world.

I owned a Sony DSC F505 2.1mp camera for past 2 years of which I really liked [which had no viewfinder but the LCD to set up the shot with]. Taken 10,000 + images w/it. Now I have the Sony DSC F707 w/view finder [much nicer to use over LCD]… Battery life was not that good w/F505, but I have not use up a battery on the F707 model even after 4 hours of shooting [turning it on and off between shots] in temps as low as 0*f/-18*c temps. I bought a 2nd battery, [have not needed it yet] but good idea to have in case you forget or do not have the time to charge the one in camera. The only thing I do dislike about it is the fact you have to charge the battery while it is in camera [F505 had separate charger]. A separate charger is an optional accessory w/F707… This is a full function camera compared to the F505. It has a lot of new features on it that I'm still learning about… After having it for 2 weeks now Im glad I bought it, was going to wait and get it next spring. This is an outstanding camera for the money. If you buy it, makes sure to get a few 128mb memory sticks. You will need it if you shot in large format images [on average 2mb+ jpg files]... One of the best things I like about the F505 and F707 is the form-factor, were the lens rotates up/down on the body. Has come in handy many times the past few years w/F505 and they have kept it w/F707 [if you really want a shot close to the ground from ground level or over a fence/people/etc., this camera can do it by using the LCD. As far as pictures, the F707 takes outstanding image in most lighting. I shot a lot of images w/snow in background, does not seem to effect it in normal mode. (...)

The Sony F707 is what everyone who grew up with a 35mm SLR has been hoping their first digital camera would be. The picture quality rivals even the best consumer 35mm SLRs, the feature set is robust and the zoom lens (optical only) is equivalent to a 28mm to 194mm 35mm SLR lens. (You can turn the digital zoom off, and I do!)

Picture quality is excellent, whether shooting sunsets or portraits. The color saturation and accuracy are astounding. The robust feature set gives you as much control as you want -- just like any good 35mm SLR. Full auto or full manual, with everything in between. A great feature is the easy to use exposure adjustment just above the shutter trigger. You can adjust your exposure and see the results of the new settings in the view finder or on the LCD before you even take the picture. Finally, the lens not only has an impressive zoom range (28mm to 194mm is, like, perfect!), but is fast as well, with a maximum aperature of f2.2. Too often zoom lenses with such a wide range suffer from extreme slowness, even at full aperature. By contrast, I have been amazed at how well this Carl Zeiss lens does in low light situations.

Other features include an array of great focusing systems, including infrared in low light and 'night vision' focus for shooting in the dark; the ability to lock focus on your target when surrounded by competing auto-focus possibilities; the shutter sound that the camera makes (digitally reproduced, of course); the swivel body that allows you to shoot level while holding the camera over your head - and still see your subject on the LCD screen - or shoot from the waist looking down onto the now-tilted-up LCD screen; the various burst modes; the easy-to-use menu system; and so on... All add up to making the F707 a treat for the photo enthusiast.

Personally, I wish Sony would have given the F707 more white balance pre-sets and a black and white option rather than the solarization and sepia options the camera offers. And I find the placement of the zoom buttons on the lens an awkward arrangement; one I have yet to get used to. But these are minor complaints.

In addition to the F707, I also have a Sony VAIO Digital Studio PC with a Memory Stick drive, so using Sony's Memory Stick media is a breeze for me. I also have a MindStor portable hard drive with Memory Stick adaptor for storing thousands of 5MP photos while in the field. This way I get by with having only 4 128MB Memory Sticks. The MindStor has a rechargeable battery so if I'm really cranking the shots I can download the Sticks right in the bush and keep right on shooting.

Finally, a word about the battery. Sony has long been a leader in lithium ion batteries and the InfoLithium line that the F707 uses is the best of their best! It truly does last longer than other comparably sized Li Ion batteries, and the fuel gauge is a very useful and much appreciated bonus. I have three batteries and have yet to find myself wishing I had a fourth.

For accessories I added the Sony cold-shoe flash (it's connected to the camera by a cord). It does a nice job of providing easy-to-use bounce flash, and with the offset extension, eliminates red eye naturally, without distracting multiple flashes. I also use my full range of Cokin filters that I have from my 35mm SLR days. All I needed to do was buy the correct-size lens ring for the Cokin filter holder.

If you want a camera that gives you all the convenience and flexibility of a high-end digital camera, while at the same time feeling and acting like a 35mm SLR, the Sony F707 is the camera for you. If you want exceptional picture quality, a quick and precise auto focus system, and exposure control at your fingertips, this is the camera for you. If you have a thousand bucks to spend on a camera you will love, then buy the Sony F707 and get on with the picture taking! You won't even miss your 35mm SLR.

We have been using Sony digital cameras since the first Mavaca floppy disk camera (640x480 image size.)
No question, film was superior, but the price per shot (no processing or prints) couldn't be beat. We started putting all the photos on our website, no need to scan, they were already .jpg images. A few people started visiting the site, and even wrote asking what camera we used.
Over the years, we upgraded, more and more people visited our site, and the cameras took larger and larger pictures.
The 707 is, at this writing, the top of the Sony line, producing huge 2600 X 1900 (i think) images. The image quality compares favoribly to high speed 35MM film, in large blowups it is still less sharp than 100-speed.
The battery is much improved, with longer life, and a new fast charger makes it easy to keep the power ready.
Be sure to buy two extra batteries and some memory sticks. At full size and quality, a 128 MEG memory stick holds about 57 images.

We have posted unedited photos from our first trip on our website....
(this camera has since been replaced by the SONY DSCf-828. same great design refined.)

My wife and I each have a 707 and try to go out shooting at least once a week. I love this camera. I am going to list a few shortcomings, but trust me this is what technology should be and while our pair of Nikon 6006s have a few advantages over digital, the ease of use and instant gratification carry the day for the 707.

It is slow as the dickens, don't expect to have much luck with action shots, this is the only reason the 717 has my attention. If you do need to shoot action, hit menu and one of the record modes is "burst 3" three rapid shots one after another, you might get lucky that way.

The "A" and "S" settings to enhance depth of field and shutter speed do not seem to give good results. These days I just put it on the green camera icon, that seems to perform the best.

Like many digitals it doesn't work so well in intense light situations, if you are going to shoot in snow or at the beach, think about getting the lens hood and ND filter accessories.

It also doesn't score a homerrun on subtle transparent sky light, a muted sunset, or rainbow can be lost. I was shooting a double rainbow over Nawiliwilli harbor, I could see both, it could only see one of them.

I wish the buttons on the side of lens were in a deeper indent, I keep hitting buttons like white balance when I do not mean to.

The auto popup flash is really noisy and vigorous and it has caused me to miss a few shots as it slams into place.

Moving to some of the really positive features:
The macro mode for closeups is a marvel. Kathy, my wife loves shooting bees on flowers and such and it comes through every time.

The way it handles light on water is just spectacular. It can also handle shooting the sky through trees and similar shots that confound simple cameras.

The movable lens, and ability to work with finder or lcd screen really gives you flexability when shooting things taller than you are. I got a Senators Only parking sign on Parliament Hill Ottawa that was about 8' up by holding the camera above my head and aiming through the lcd.

The range of the zoom is all you can ask of a single lens, yes you do lose a bit of resolution at full digital zoom, but it can still nail a seaplane landing in Vancouver harbor and has enough pixels left to print a nice 8.5 x 11.

It interfaces with both my Mac 10.2 and Windows XP Pro with no problem in either case. The XP software is actually a bit more efficient than iPhoto.

I will close with some final tips:
My wife got me this little nylon Ex Officio bag to tie to the strap. That is a much more efficient in an active shoot than the memory stick wallet.

If the subject moves, as soon as you start framing, teach yourself to push the shutter button half way down, that cuts a lot of the delay out of a shot.

Don't buy a memory stick less than 128M, I think my wife's 707 came with a 16M, now *that* is funny.

If you have never tried one of these web based photo storage and printers like Amazon.com's photo services or Image station, they are great for situations like shooting a family reunion. Just send the URL to everyone and they can order all the prints they want. Remember the days of looking for the negative with picture 5 on roll 9? I love my 707, I am dreaming of a 717, and I am never going back to film.

I originally bought the Nikon 5000 after owning a 2 megapixel Kodak DC290. Unfortunately (but fortunate in a way), this camera was stolen. I was dissapointed wtih it from the start. The colors were nowhere near as vibrant and clear as the Kodak DC290. I often found outdoor pictures to be yellow saturated and distant objects to be far from clear especially if they are bright like a snow capped mountain. Indoor pictures were terrible, colors were way off and half the time the light sensor did not sense correctly leading to half the pictures being blurry. The optics are also a joke and the menu options far from intuitive. Now the Sony F707, on the other hand, brings back the beautiful clear vibrant pictures of my Kodak DC290 and much more. For starters, the F707 is noticeably more solidly built. The menu system is far more intuitive than the nikon. I didn't have to read any of the manual to start playing around with advanced features. The optics are awesome blowing away the Nikon. Indoor pictures are crisp and clear and can be taken faster than the Nikon which has a terrible lag in low light. And the battery is phenomenal (dont even think about buying the Minolta Dimage7 just based on the battery life). To me, this is the only competitive 5 MP Digital on the market.

I've been doing digital photography professionally for 8 years now, and I have relatively stringent standards. As a high end consumer camera, the DSC-F707 rates at the top. Given adequate illumination, the 707 will produce very sharp images, capable of being printed up to about 14" on the long axis. Of perhaps more utility, one can digitally crop images from the 707, for example tossing out 75% of the image and still enlarge to, say 4 x 6" and get a very good quality print.

The camera has a variety of operating modes (such as shutter priority) to allow the user to optimize the exposure for a specific situation. Exposure compensation is also available and easy to use. The optics are made by Zeiss, one of the leaders in professional optics. The combination of large image size, exposure flexibility and excellent quality of optical elements allows one to bring out finer contrast elements in their photos. You may think that ~1,000 dollars is pricey, but to go beyond what this camera offers, be prepared to spend quite a bit more.

Now, to the minor nits that must be picked. Like most consumer digital cameras, this model does not provide wide angle capabilities ( I think 38 or 39mm as a 35mm equivalent is the widest). Sony offers screw-on wide angle and telephoto adapters, but I can't find anyone local that stocks them so I can check them out before purchasing. In most cases, the screw-on wide angle lenses do not couple well with the camera flash, but I have not evaluated this rig with an adapter yet. And, about the flash on the 707 - it is a flip-up device that pops up when the camera decides that it needs a flash. This can be distracting. Also, realize that working with large images can be tedious. You need more memory stick capacity, a computer capable of manipulating large images quickly and you need to be able to archive huge quantities of data.

By the way, this camera has some video capability, but I haven't piddled with it enough to know much about it. You must use the Sony battery with this camera, so you probably want to have a spare, which will run you another 60 bucks.