Then this model is the camera for you :)! I got mine one week before the 717 came out and paid around 800. The drop in price w/in 30 days got my 110% difference return, so I actually got the camera for around 550!! I have since taken over 20,000 pictures, both work and home in all formats. This camera is a work horse!! I have used both the 707 and 717, and actually prefer this camera because of several small features (such as placement of the zoom button)

The focus engine and the Zeiss lens are the main reason to get this camera. Most of my pictures match what I could do with an SLR. The one problem I find is reds and purples... don't trust auto focus on these two colors.

I see a lot of folks upgrading and getting rid of these cameras and have not seen any that have "worn out" yet. Sony did a great job of engineering with this camera!!!

For examples of my pics... you can check here: http://community.webshots.com/user/houpd Most of the pics were taken with the 707..

I would personally value the camera around 350-400, but as they say.... "The more you pay, the more its worth!!"

Good luck and take lotsa pictures!!

Jay

Even though the camera has been out for a couple of years, don't let that make you think it's out of date. This camera is such a breeze to use that it is a joy to take pictures with. Having a pivot joint allows you to take pictures that you would have to lay on the ground for otherwise. The time between pressing the button and the picture being taken is much faster than my old Sony digital camera. All the buttons are well placed, extremely good ergonomics. This was a $1200 camera when it first came out for good reason. It is a must have for anyone looking to take quality pictures and do it with ease.

This is my first camera i ever purchased. It's great! I haven't had any complaints. It shoots great pics, the zoom is phenomenal, and the features are great. Its a quality camera

This Sony takes some awesome photos! I have printed a lot and they are always sharp & clear, this cam has a ton of features and is every bit worth the asking price, so go ahead and plunk down the cash, you won't be dissapointed!

Like most people about to buy a digital camera, I did a lot of research. A lot. When it came down to making a decision about price vs. value, I kept coming back to the 707. It really came down to the incredibly high resolution, the Zeiss lens and the EFT veiwfinder which although not the ideal, it's damn good for an EFT. It also has a very functional diopter adjuster which makes the viewfinder the best in its class. I've been using the camera for about a year now and it's NEVER run our of power. I work at a graphic design firm and my co workers are blown away by my 11x14 prints made from this camera. I still don't see anything that can touch the quality of this camera for the $. You just can't go wrong.

I have several cameras, film & digital...This DSCF707 is even better than the newer DSCF717. It's got everything you need or want, it's easy to handle, and you'll have plenty of things to play with to find ways of being creative with your photos. I bought mine when it was new to the market, (about $800.00) and I still love it! A friend of mine got the F717, and was so disappointed with it, he went back to his F707! You can go with the automatic set-up, or go manual; either way, you'll find you will get plenty of beautiful quality photos. I can't say enough about it! I'm an amateur photographer with a few published photos, I plan to use the camera for a very long time!

LaureneAllyce Chaney

I've been eyeing the Sony DSC-F717 for over a year. Finally, I saw a price that I wanted to pay and it was gone in an hour. So I went on line to research the difference between the F707 and the F717. I recommend the following site to review new and used cameras:

http:\\www.dpreview.com

If you are buying a camera at all, I recommend that you print out the review and keep it as a reference to compliment your user manual. There's a lot of techie details that maybe over your head but you can spot 'info how to' insites as to the 'aha!' reason why they did that.

Any, how, I decided that there's not that great of a market difference to the two so I bought the older. (I already own a Sony F505 so I know what to expect from the user-format of the swivil lens barrel.)

Here's a few items that you might consider to buy, along with your newer camera:

1. a spare battery or TWO; (the original battery may be worn- out by now.)
2. a battery charger from a third party (the one with the Sony F707 is horrible; you have to charge the battery INSIDE the camera. The second battery is my main battery to the first becomes my backup battery for those extended photo shooting sessions.
3. a daylight filter to protect that expensive coated Zeiss lens. The daylight filter will not hurt the night-shot infrared focusing.
4. a slave flash for those dark backlighted areas. The slave can be held or placed to light area behind the scene; the main flash triggers the slave so there's no wired connection. I modified my old 35mm camera external-flash for this. The slave trigger was bought from a photo-magazine ad.
5. a gadget bag that will hold most of the stuff for your camera. I brought along my camera, charger, batteries, flash and power cables/extension cord for the try-on tests. This is a hit-or-miss effort. I started at the main big-box stores and ended at a Ritz camera store for the camera bag. I usually pack a few extra digital-film (memory sticks) along for the oops; my memory is loaded.
6. most stores for print-it yourself will be a good place to look at your pictures while away from home and away from my PC. (My spouse will not let me take a lap-top while on vacation for fear that I might check into work!)
7. If you must look at your pictures while not near your PC, pickup a Sony CLIE handheld that uses memory sticks. They are great to review your pictures and are cheap since they are no longer made and hardly qualifies as a means of checking into the office.

There, I think I have said enough...

I've had this camera since 2002 and I really like it. Still great after all these years. I've done enough photography to get very positive comments on my artistic shots.

Pro:
-Holds a lot of photos
-High quality images
-Easy to use
-Long battery life
-New memory cards can be programmed in the camera, handy when on the road and the memory card is corrupted
-Great color
-Movie features picks up sound nicely, but not background noise

Con:
-Sometimes wipes out the memory card, losing all photos

First of all, I've owned this camera for approx. 4 yrs and have had some success in producing quality pictures. However, within the last year, I purchased the only telephoto lens made for the camera which is quite heavy to say the least. I believe, because of the weight, the lens has caused damage to the camera... partially separating the manual focus cylinder from the body of the camera.
I've discussed with Sony and got little satisfaction. All they will do is refer me to a contracted vendor to repair it at substantial cost since I did not have an extended warranty.
HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, AND IF SO, CAN THEY SHARE WHETHER OR NOT IT EVER GOT RESOLVED?

Thanks,
Roger

I have owned the DSC F707 since it became available at Best Buy. It was more money than I planned to spend but I am sure glad I decided to do so. I have taken 1000's of pictures and printed them on my printer and I am always amazed at the quality of the prints. Always used a SLR before so I was leary of this camera but soon found it to be a dream to work with. It seems I can do almost anything I need to do with this camera and it never lets me down. I have several 128mb San Disks but I would like to find a couple 256mb or 512mb if they are made for this camera. Does anyone know where I can get these? Overall, excellent camera!!

The camera worked for exactly one month and then it stopped focusing and when I tried to get it repaired I was told it would cost more than it was worth to fix it. I spent 400.00 for one month's worth of use.

I've this camera since 2001 the cost was 762$. The camera has been worth every dollar I paid. Everytime I take pictures and share them with friends they get really impressed. I've taken pictures like a pro. I bought a optional mounted flash and in a enclosed space and pointing the flash to the ceiling I've taken the most vivid pictures I could dream of. I've captured the most wonderful still moments of a party with incredible detail. The optical zoom allows me to get a close up of a face from my 6th floor apartment building down to the street. I've thought of buying a new one just because of obsolence you know! but It's gonna be difficult to find another camera that can give me so much fun.

I have been having this camera for 5 years and was never disappointed with its fantastic picture quality. It is a really superb camera!