Sony A700 Modes & Menus

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Sony A700 Modes and Menus

Capture Modes: When powered on, the camera is automatically placed into Record mode. The Exposure Mode dial on top of the camera sets the main shooting mode, with the following options:

Full Auto: This mode places the camera entirely in control of the exposure, though the user can adjust the exposure compensation and determine the flash mode.
Program AE (with Shift): This mode places the camera in control over both aperture and shutter speed, while the user has access to all other menu functions. Turning the Control dial with or without shifting the Exposure Compensation button cycles through a range of equivalent exposure settings, enabling the Program Shift mode.
Aperture Priority: The opposite of Shutter Priority, this mode puts the user in control of the aperture setting while the camera selects the best shutter speed. (The aperture range varies with the lens in use.)
Shutter Priority: Allows the user to set the shutter speed, from 1/8,000 to 30 seconds, while the camera selects the most appropriate aperture setting.
Manual: Provides complete user control over the exposure, including both aperture and shutter speed settings. A Bulb shutter setting also becomes available in this mode, allowing variable length exposures for as long as you hold down the shutter button.
Memory Recall: Up to three sets of shooting modes and settings can be stored, and are accessed quickly in this mode.
Portrait: Optimizes camera settings to reproduce warm, soft skin tones against a slightly blurred background.
Landscape: Optimizes settings to produce sharp, colorful landscapes.
Macro: This mode is for close-up pictures of small objects, enhancing color in flowers, etc.
Sports Action: Enables continuous AF and continuous drive modes while favoring faster shutter speeds to capture moving subjects.
Sunset: Optimizes settings to capture rich, warm sunsets.
Night View/Portrait: Allows slower shutter speeds. Balances the foreground subject illuminated by flash with the ambient light of the background.

Sony A700 Menus

Pressing the Menu button provides access to the camera's full menu system. The following options are available in most camera modes as menu tabs at the top of the display:

Record Menu 1 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Image Size	3:2 aspect mode: - L:12M - M:6.4M - S:3.0M 16:9 aspect mode: - L:10M - M:5.4M - S:2.6M	Sets the pixel dimensions of captured still images. L=(4,272 x 2,848) M=(3,104 x 2,064) S=(2,128 x 1,424) L=(4,272 x 2,400) M=(3,104 x 1,744) S=(2,128 x 1,200)
Aspect Ratio	- 3:2 - 16:9	Select normal or HDTV wide screen aspect ratios for images.
Quality	- RAW - cRAW - RAW & JPEG - cRAW & JPEG - Extra fine - Fine - Standard	Specifies the compression level and file type of images. cRAW is compressed RAW. JPEG is Fine when saved with RAW or cRAW.
D-RangeOptimizer	- Off - Standard - Advanced Auto - Advance with 5-step level adjustment.	Dynamic Range Optimization settings.
Creative Style	- Standard - Vivid - Neutral - Adobe RGB - 1 - 2 - 3 Customizable styles 1-3: - Standard - Vivid - Neutral - AdobeRGB - Clear - Deep - Light - Portrait - Landscape - Sunset - Night View - Autumn Leaves - B/W - Sepia	Color mode. First four are preset styles with adjustable contrast, saturation, sharpness. Customizable styles 1-3 start with a preset style, but allow contrast, saturation, sharpness,brightness and zone adjustments (B/W and Sepia styles exclude saturation adjustment).
Custom button	- AF lock - AF/MF control - D.O.F. preview - ISO - White balance - Exposure comp. - Flash compens. - Drive mode - AF area - Image size - Quality - Creative Style - D-RangeOptimizer - Flash mode - Memory	Defines the function of the Custom button.
Exposure step	- 0.5 EV - 0.3 EV	Exposure compensation increment.

Record Menu 2 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Flash mode	- Autoflash - Fill-flash - Rear sync. - Wireless	Wireless flash shooting requires HVL-F56AM or HVL-F36AM external flash.
Flash control	- ADI Flash - Pre-flash TTL - Manual flash	Selects the flash metering method. ADI uses pre-flash, but includes distance info provided by lens. Pre-flash TTL uses exposure calculated with pre-flash only, and Manual uses specific power output (5 level settings 1/1 - 1/16).
Flash compens.	- +/-3 EV scale	Sets the flash exposure compensation level in EV.
ISO Auto max.	-1600 - 800 - 400	Sets the upper limit for Auto ISO.
ISO Auto min.	- 400 - 200	Sets the lower limit for Auto ISO.

Record Menu 3 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
AF-A setup	- AF-A - DMF	Automatic AF or Direct Manual Focus which allows fine manual adjustment after AF.
AF area	- Wide - Spot - Local	Wide option lets the camera choose AF area, Spot uses center focus area, Local allows user to choose which of the 11 AF sensors to use.
Priority setup	- AF - Release	The AF option will not release the shutter unless focus is set, while the Release setting trips the shutter even if AF is not established.
AF illuminator	- Auto - Off	Enables the LED AF illuminator, for use in very dark shooting conditions.
AF with shutter	- On - Off	Enables AF when shutter button is half-depressed. When Off, autofocus by pressing center of multiselector, or a programmed button.
Long exp.NR	- On - Off	Enables dark frame subtraction noise reduction for exposures longer than one second.
High ISO NR	- High - Normal - Low	Noise reduction levels at high ISOs. Max frame rate drops to ~3.5fps.When ISO is 1600 or higher, High NR is automatically selected.

Record Menu 4 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Memory	Select settings for register: - 1 - 2 - 3	Allows three sets of shooting modes and parameters to be saved for quick recall in MR capture mode.
Rec mode reset	- OK - Cancel	Resets record mode settings to factory defaults.

Playback Menu 1 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Delete	- Marked images - All images	Lets you delete all photos on the card, or only marked photos.
Format	- OK - Cancel	Formats the selected memory card, erasing all files (even protected ones).
Protect	- Marked images - All images - Cancel all	Write protects images, or removes protection.
DPOF setup	- Marked images - All images - Cancel all	Sets up photos for DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) printing on a compatible standalone printer.
Date imprint	- On - Off	Chooses whether or not to print the date on all photos in your DPOF order.
Index print	- Create index - Delete index	Chooses whether to create or delete an index print of all photos in your DPOF order.
PlaybackDisplay	- Auto rotate - Manual rotate	Sets whether the camera automatically rotates vertically-shot images in Playback mode.

Playback Menu 2 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Slide show	Press center of multi-selector to start/stop slide show.	Display slide show of captured images.
Interval	- 30 sec - 10 sec - 5 sec - 3 sec - 1 sec	Sets the slide show interval.

Custom Menu 1 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Eye-Start AF	- On - Off	Enables AF when you look into the viewfinder.
EyeStart trigr.	- w/ GripSensor - w/o GripSensor	Enables grip sensor, which requires you to hold the grip as well as look into the viewfinder to enable Eye-Start AF.
AF/MF button	- AF/MF control - AF lock	Use AF/MF for AF lock instead of switching between auto focus and manual focus.
AF/MF control	- Hold - Toggle	Hold requires button to be held down to switch, while toggle switches modes every time it's pressed.
AF drive speed	- Fast - Slow	Speed of AF. Slow is useful for macro work.
AF area disp.	- 0.6 sec - 0.3 sec - Off	Duration of AF area illumination in viewfinder.
FocusHoldButton	- Focus hold - D.O.F. preview	For lenses with a Focus Hold button, you can change it to enable depth-of-field preview.

Custom Menu 2 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
AEL button	- AEL hold - AEL toggle - Spot AE, AEL hold - Spot AE, AEL toggle	Changes the behavior of the AE Lock button. Spot AE can be performed before AEL hold or toggle, regardless of metering mode.
Ctrl dial setup	- Front shutter speed / back aperture - Front aperture / back shutter speed	Adjust the shutter speed with the front dial and aperture with the rear, or vice vera.
Dial exp.comp	- Off - Front dial - Rear dial	Selects which dial adjusts exposure compensation. Has no effect in Manual exposure mode.
Ctrl dial lock	- On - Off	On only allows dials to function while shutter speed and aperture are displayed. Off allows changes even when not displayed.
Button ops.	- Exclusive disp - Quick Navi	Display exclusive screen, or Quick Navi screen when pressing ISO, WB, Drive, EV comp or C (custom) button .
Release w/oCard	- Enable - Disable	Allows shutter release without card installed.
Release w/oLens	- Enable - Disable	Allows shutter release without lens mounted.

Custom Menu 3 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Red eye reduc.	- On - Off	Enables red-eye reduction flash mode.
Exp.comp.set	- Ambient&flash - Ambient only	Sets whether Exposure Compensation adjusts the ambient exposure only, or the ambient exposure and the flash (if flash is in use).
Bracket order	- 0 to - to + - - to 0 to +	Sets the order in bracket sequence. Does not apply to DRO advanced bracket.
Auto review	- 10 sec - 5 sec - 2 sec - Off	Amount of time newly captured image is displayed on LCD.
Auto off w/ VF	- On - Off	When On, turns LCD off when eye is detected at viewfinder.
Rec.info.disp.	- Auto rotate - Horizontal	LCD record mode display rotates automatically to match camera orientation.
Img.orientation	- Record - Not record	Enables image orientation to be recorded with each image.

Custom Menu 4 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Custom reset	- OK - Cancel	Resets custom settings to factory defaults.

Setup Menu 1 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
LCD brightness	Select level (-5 to +5)	Adjust LCD brightness.
Info.disp.time	- 1 min - 30 sec - 10 sec - 5 sec	Length of time record information is displayed on LCD in record mode.
Power save	- 30 min - 10 min - 5 min - 3 min - 1 min	Determines the amount of inactivity time that will cause camera to enter a low power mode. Pressing shutter button half-way exits power save mode.
Video output	- NTSC. - PAL	Selects composite video out standard.
HDMI ouput	- HD(1080i)prior. - HD(720p)prior. - SD priority	Selects type of signal over HDMI interface (normally automatic).
Language	- English - French - Spanish - Italian - Japanese - Chinese	Menu language setup.
Date/Time setup	Fields for: - Date - Time - Date format	Set the cameras internal clock and calander.

Setup Menu 2 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Memory card	- Memory stick - CompactFlash	Select type of memory card.
File number	- Series - Reset	Set whether filename continues to increment from last image, regardless of whether folder or card has changed, or the card has been formatted.
Folder name	- Standard form - Date form	Select standard folder names (ie., 100MSDCF), or include the date in the folder name (ie., 10170101).
Select folder	Select from a list of folders.	Selects current folder.
New folder	- OK	Create a new folder with a number incremented from the largest previous number.
USB connection	- Mass Storage - PTP - Remote PC	Sets USB mode.
MassStrg.card	- Both cards - Selected card	Display both the memory stick duo and CF cards, (requires Windows 2000 SP3 or higher) or just the selected card when connected to a computer.

Setup Menu 3 Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Notes
Menu start	- Top - Previous	Diplay the first or previous menu when menu button is pressed.
Delete confirm	- "Delete" first - "Cancel" first	Selects default action for Delete.
Audio signals	- On - Off	Enables sound during self-timer countdown, etc.
Cleaning mode	After cleaning, turn camera off. Continue? - OK - Cancel	Enables sensor cleaning mode, which vibrates the sensor, then flips the mirror up and opens the shutter for access with a blower or swab. Can be performed only when battery is at least 3/4 charged.
Reset default	- OK - Cancel	Restore factory defaults.