Announced Sony Alpha a6700 APS-C Camera with AI-Powered Photo and Video Capabilities | CineD

Sony just announced the Alpha a6700, its next-generation APS-C camera with advanced subject detection and robust photo and video capabilities. The a6700 marks the first camera in the a6000 series since the a6600, which was introduced in 2019. Let’s find out what this camera can do!

With a 1.5x crop sensor compared to full-frame cameras, the a6700 is more compact and lighter than its full-frame siblings. Thanks to the Sony E-Mount, you can use a wide range of lenses, including 21 dedicated APS-C lenses and, of course, all of Sony’s full-frame lenses. There are also a large number of third-party lenses that you can use with this camera, and there are many adapters available as well.

Power and speed

The a6700 features a 26-megapixel Exmor R BSI (back-illuminated) CMOS sensor which is coupled with the BIONZ XR processor also used in the Sony a7R V (read our article here). This combination enables robust video and photo capabilities, as well as AI processing power for subject detection and autofocus performance.

The camera features IBIS (in-body image stabilization) and Sony has also improved the buffer size to enable continuous shooting of 11 frames per second in RAW+JPEG and 59 continuous RAW photos.

Video recording functionality

You can record 4K video upsampled from a full-frame 6K readout without pixel binning. When you record 100fps or 120fps in 4K, a 1.6x sensor crop is used. You can also set the camera to record HD at up to 240fps with a 1.5x sensor crop. All this in addition to the APS-C crop.

Sony has included S-Log 3 gamut with custom LUT support, S-Cinetone and HLG color modes. Video codecs in the a6700 include the usual XAVC S, as well as XAVC SI and XAVC HS. All files are saved on an SD card.

The camera also features a 3.5mm microphone and headphone jack as well as a USB-C port for charging and data transfer. Power is supplied by an NP-FZ100 battery.

AI functionality

Thanks to the a6700’s AI Processing Unit, features such as Auto-Framing (also available on the ZV-E1) and Eye AF during Clear Image Zoom can be achieved. Speaking of autofocus, the a6700 features 759 phase-detection points and supports subject recognition for humans, animals/birds, insects, cars/trains, and airplanes.

The alpha 6700 also takes subject recognition a step further and offers human pose estimation, as well as eye and face detection for humans. Eye, head and body detection for animals is also available, as well as aircraft, car/train and insect detection. This feature set brings the a6700 to the same level as the high-end full-frame Sony a7R V.

Autofocus works accurately in dark environments down to -3.0EV. You can also override autofocus in AF-C and AF-S modes to switch to manual focus at any time.

Viewfinder and monitor

Sony has added a 1.03 million-dot vari-angle LCD touch-screen, which opens and rotates like most other modern Sony cameras. All camera menus now feature the same modern and intuitive layout and design as other high-end Alpha cameras. You can also navigate menus using touch or with buttons and dials.

The OLED viewfinder is nearly as bright as the top-end Sony a7R V and features 2.36 million dots and 1.07x magnification. You also have the option to set the EVF refresh rate to 60 or 120fps.

other noappreciable features

Also available in this camera is the Focus Map feature, which lets you see how close or far objects are from the camera with the help of a color overlay, similar to a false color exposure tool.

You also have the option to activate focus peaking while AF is enabled and other AF assist enhancements.

The camera features a redesigned grip for improved ergonomics and a dedicated Still/Movie/S&Q dial as with other recently released cameras. You can also customize many buttons and dials to perform custom-assigned functions.

Price and availability

The Sony a6700 will be available from the end of July 2023 for $1,398 (body only).

You can also buy the camera as a kit with the 16-50mm lens for $1,498, and another kit with the 18-135mm lens will cost $1,798.

More information about the camera is available on the Sony website.

Have you been waiting for this camera as a successor to the a6600? Does this camera tick all your boxes for a new APS-C camera, or do you prefer the FX30? Please share what you’re excited about about this camera in the comments below! Do you have negative feelings about the a6700? Share in the comment section.