Sony Alpha A100 and A700- 24 Megapixel File Size Shootout

August 2010, Carl Garrard

Yesterday I posted a bit on the A100 and what you could do with a raw file when resizing using ACR, using a sharp lens, and sharpening the image properly. SKB recommended that I try a side by side shot doing the same with the A100 and A700. So I did. The idea is to see the massive detail capability of the A100 and the A700 vs. the A900's 24mp native resolution by upsizing the A100 and A700 files in ACR/CS2.

The result of the A100 file is stunning. So I decided I better set up the scene again and shoot with both cameras to satisfy more curiosity. Lets see how the A700 compares to the A100 using the same methods exposure and lens, and how it ultimately compares to the resolution of the A900. This is an exercise of curiosity as well as flat out results, nothing scientific here. I think A100 and A700 owners will appreciate seeing these results and what they can do at home.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Review - V1.04 Firmware Long Term Use and Reliability Report II

(Updated May, 2010)

May 2009, Carl Garrard

Recently I received my serviced Sony A100 back from the Sony Laredo Texas facility. Sony did a great job at cleaning up my old workhorse by putting a new grip on, cleaning up the viewfinder, and doing a thorough general inspection of all of the moving parts. You can't even tell it is nearly 3 years old and that it has over 20,000 actuations on the shutter. My Sony A100 works as good today as it did brand new only now... just a little bit better with version 1.04 of the firmware. This review is a tribute, not only to Sony's first DSLR but as to my first as well. I've used/owned many other SLRs and even DSLRs prior to the A100 in my lifetime, but the A100 remains my first bought and paid for DSLR. Since I never got around to reviewing the A100 as I had hoped, it is now time to complete one. Sony just kept me way too busy in 2008 to consider reviewing the A100.

Infrared Photography

April 2010, Carl Garrard (Updated 4-12-2010 Part II)

It seems not too long ago now that I happened upon a photographers website debuing some unique and awe inspiring monochrome images. Something was very unique about these images though, they had a quality that I had never seen before. There was something wickedly dramatic about them that just blew me away. When I clicked on the images and saw them full size on my monitor, I realized something very special was being presented to me. I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized that these images were shot in the Infrared Light (IR) spectrum. They looked somewhat outerworldly yet natural at the same time. The tonal range and redering of foliage was so dynamic, I realized right then that at some point in my career, I was going to be shooting IR images. I just had too.

Pentax K7 vs. Sony A700 Comparison 

April 2010, Carl Garrard

In this article we are going to showcase a comparison between an enthusiast DSLR that is a current model on the market- the Pentax K7 versus Sony's current (and outdated) incumbent, the Sony Alpha A700. Since Sony doesn’t have a successor to the A700 out yet, and we don’t know the price point or specifications or any of that, I really have no choice but to do a side by side sort of comparison using the A700.

DSLR Shootout- Entry Level Features Comparison

March 2010, Barry Fitzgerald

Entry Level DSLR: Features Shoot Out and Comparison

For buyers in the market for a new DSLR that don't have a wad of cash to spend, we wanted to do a side by side analysis of these popular DSLRS currently on the market. This should be viewed as a quick reference guide based only on specifications and how they compete/compare with one another by those standards. As such we hope this article can also give you a snap shot look at what other makers are doing in comparison to Sony Alpha models.

A700 Owners- Relief May Be in Sight!

The known issue with skipping menu items and settings as a result of using the control wheel(s) has now become commonplace with A700 owners. There are several ways to tackle this issue so that the control wheels operate back to normal. The A700 will eventually gather dust or foreign particles into the control wheel housing causing some skipping to eventually take place.

Here is a new commerical endorsed by Nigel Barker, Peyton Manning, and Justin Timberlake that is linked on NigelBarker.tv. Not a bad start for Alpha products aired on national television! If you haven't seen the video yet, I think it's worth a look. What do you think?