Introduction
Among Sony's APS-C sensor mirror less cameras the A6700 functions as the top model that sits above the A6600 but beneath the A7C.
Sony transformed the A6700 into their finest APS-C sensor camera by adding sensor advancements and CPU technology enhances alongside video recording capabilities and auto-focus capabilities while implementing a design revision.
The Sony A6700 contains the identical 26 megapixel Exmor R backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor from the FX30 movie camera and integrates its latest Bionz XR processing system.
The camera comes equipped with a standard ISO quantity between 100 to 32,000 range while the user can gain two extra stops at 204,800 and reduce ISO to 50 in specific circumstances.
The A6700 produces 4K footage from 6K images at 60p without cropping while simultaneously permitting 4K/120p recording with a 1.62x region reduction. Video may be taken in 10-bit 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 in either H.265 or H.264 AVC formats.
Through the Slow and Quick motion setting users can access advanced frame rate selection from 1fps to 240fps maintaining 1080p resolution. The A6700 features an identical video Picture Profiles range as the full-frame A7-series siblings and allows external audio devices through both 3.5mm mic and headphone connections.
The Alpha A6700 has an advanced auto-focus system covering 93% of the frame through 759 phase-detection points joined by 25 contrast points that provide -3EV low-light operation.
The Sony Alpha A6700 comes with Real-time Recognition AF technology which identifies subjects through AI-based detection of humans, animals, birds and aircraft vehicles trains and insects.
Ease of Use
Externally the new Sony A6700 is quite identical to the old A6600 camera, so much so that you'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart side-by-side.
Sony maintained the basic design of their Alpha A6000 first introduced in 2014 when they released the original version.
Two cameras appear almost interchangeable by sight yet Sony implemented noticeable design updates in the A6700 over the A6600.
The handgrip of the A6700 received an enlargement for better balance regardless of the camera's attached weight or telephoto lens type.
There is now a second command dial at the top of the handgrip which makes it much easier to modify the essential exposure settings in conjunction with the rear command dial.
On the back, the Still/Movie/S&Q dial from the A7 full-frame series has found its way onto the A6700, joined by a bigger, more noticeable AF On button and a new C1 custom button which accesses the white balance settings by default.
The considerably cleaner but still lengthy main menu system from the ZV-E1 camera has been featured on the A6700 along with a bigger amount of touch controls including the ability to manage the menu system and swipe up to enter the Function menu.
These are accompanied by a variety of onscreen touch symbols that are exclusive to the stills and movie modes.
The A6700 measures 120.0mm x 66.9mm x 69.3mm and weighs in around 503g with the battery and memory card inserted, making it somewhat bigger and roughly 100g heavier than the A6600.
As with that model, the Sony A6700 features a robust magnesium alloy body shell that incorporates full weather sealing for added peace of mind in harsh settings.
Image Quality
All of the example photographs in this study were taken on the 26 megapixel Extra Fine JPEG present, which generates an average image size of roughly 8Mb.
The A6700 provides exceptionally clean pictures with minimal grain and detail loss. At ISO 6400 there's just a tiny increase in noise and degradation in detail, making this sensitivity entirely workable.
Only at ISO 12800 does grain and detail smoothing become more extreme, although it's by no means ugly. ISO 25600 is truly the ceiling for acceptable image quality, such is the high amount of grain, loss of detail and restricted dynamic range. ISOs 51200 and 102400 are best avoided because to the invasive grain and colour speckling.
If you tune things down to more acceptable sensitivities, though, the A6700 captures great dynamic range, especially when helped by Sony's Dynamic Range Optimisation. Good colour vibrancy offers further visual appeal while preserving accurate colour reproduction, but this of course may be changed to your personal choice in the camera settings.
Read Also: Setting Up Your Nikon Z8 Camera
Noise
The Sony A6700 features a base sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 32000, extendable down to ISO 50 and up to 102400. Auto ISO functions within an ISO 100-6400 range and has adjustable upper and lower limitations. Two degrees of high ISO noise reduction may be set - Normal, or Low - or the processing can be disabled.
File Quality
The Sony A6700 has 4 distinct JPEG image quality settings available, with Extra Fine being the highest quality option. The A6700 also supports the HEIF file format with 2 choices available. There are 2 distinct Raw compression options, with Lossless Compressed being the highest quality option.
Thanks to a superior compression efficiency, HEIF files are smaller than JPEGs even though they contain much more data. How much more? Well, HEIF files are 10-bit but JPEG files are 8-bit. It's a heck of a lot more tonal detail and wider colour spectrum.
In the A6700 both HEIF and JPEG formats are supported, however you can't pick both at the same moment. Whichever format choice you chose can then be recorded independently or concurrently with RAW.
Here are some 100% crops which illustrate the quality of the various settings, with the actual file size given in parentheses.