Pressing the Playback button changes the a700 into Playback mode and displays the last image shot on the LCD. The recording settings are displayed on an overlay - here you see the memory card icon (CF = Compact Flash) in the upper left and the exposure number. Continuing across the top of the screen you can see the resolution and quality settings. At the bottom you see the shooting data, date and time.

During image playback, pressing the DISP (Display) button once adds a five image history (scroll able) at the top of the LCD and pressing DISP again returns the display to image only.

Pressing the AEL button in playback brings up a 6-image index view. Pressing DISP switches to a 25-image index and pressing DISP another time switches to a 4-index. The LCD is very sharp and even the 25-image index view is legible.

Pressing the Histogram button (the C button) displays the histogram and recording data of the selected image.

An image can be enlarged for closer inspection. Press the Enlarge button and the center of the image displayed is enlarged. You can zoom in and out using the rear Control dial and you can pan around the image using the Multi-selector.

You can rotate the orientation of an image by pressing the Rotate button then pressing the center of the Multi-selector each time you wish it to turn.

You can connect the a700 to a standard definition TV using the supplied cable or connect it to a HDTV using the optional Sony HDMI connector (HDMI Cable VMC-15MHD, VMC-30MHD).

You can also use the supplied wireless Remote Commander to control the playback to a TV. The remote has most of the playback controls found on the camera body.

Sony provides software on a CD. The CD contains 3 applications:

• Picture Motion Browser ver. 2.1 for Windows 2000, XP and Vista
• Image Data Lightbox ver. 1 for Windows 2000, XP and Vista
• Image Data Converter ver. 2 for Windows and Macintosh OS X ver. 10.4

Picture Motion Browser is a software suite that enables you to browse and manipulate videos and still images imported to a computer. It has the following capabilities:

• Editing still images
• Automatic correction
• Correcting brightness and contrast
• Correcting saturation
• Adjusting sharpness
• Adjusting with the tone curve
• Red-eye reduction
• Trimming
• Inserting date
• Manipulating still images
• Printing still images
• Sending still images by e-mail
• Resizing and saving still images
• Changing the date and time stamp
• Exporting still images to recording media

  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  Image Data Lightbox SR is an application that allows you to view, compare, arrange, and save JPEG, TIFF and RAW format still image files shot with Sony digital cameras. While comparing still images, you can rank them using one of five rankings and then filter them according to their rankings. You can compare still images in different folders.

  
  
  With Image Data Converter you can view and edit a RAW image file shot with your camera, and save it on your computer. Image Data Converter SR provides a variety of adjustments to a RAW file, such as white balance, exposure, saturation, and noise reduction. You can also apply existing image processing settings to multiple still images. The adjusted still images will be saved as RAW files, or converted into JPEG or TIFF files. You can also display still images by folders, copy or move a still image, or print it.