Sony DSLR-A700

The A700 suffers most from its optimistic price. £1,000 is a lot to spend, and even more so when you consider the Canon EOS 40D, which beats it in almost every conceivable way. It's faster, slightly better-built, easier to use and doesn't suffer from the situation of the battery-draining single-LCD design. Even if the A700 were cheaper, it would still have to win against the Nikon D80, which has a more advanced auto-ISO mode and a secondary LCD. The Sony has an extra 2-megapixels of resolution, but that isn't enough to convince us that it's worth the extra cash.

If your budget for a DSLR is £1,000, you won't regret opting for the Canon EOS 40D. If you simply want a great camera and are not particularly bothered about a stabilised lens or top-end build quality, the Nikon D80 is a decent choice. Sony, however, is going to have to do better than this if it's serious about competing in the mid-range DSLR market.

Author: Dave Stevenson