Sony Alpha A6700

Sony's latest APS-C model comes with a whole host of updates and improvements, but is that enough to see off the competition?

- Andy Westlake

While Sony usually releases a couple of new full-frame cameras every year, its APS-C line-up receives less love and attention. As the first new A6000-series model since 2019, the Alpha A6700 is an updated replacement for the A6600, which currently sits atop the firm’s stills-focused APS-C range. At £1,450 body only, £1,550 with the compact 16-50mm zoom, or £1,800 with the 18-135mm lens, it’s aimed at enthusiasts who want a highly specified camera, but one that’s more portable and affordable than a full-frame equivalent.

Superficially, the A6700 looks much like its predecessor, with the same low-profile, boxy body, prominent handgrip, and corner-mounted viewfinder. However, it gains a whole host of hardware updates and interface improvements. But for all those Sony users who’ve been longing for an SLR-shaped APS-C model for the past decade – sorry, you’re not getting one this time around, either.

With a 26MP BSI CMOS sensor, the A6700 becomes Sony’s first APS-C stills camera to surpass the 24MP mark. However, that now looks modest compared to the 32.5MP Canon EOS R7 or Fujifilm’s 40MP X-T5. Whether many users really need such high resolutions is debatable, but they’ve always been seen as a key selling point.

In reality, though, there’s more to cameras than just sensor resolution, and the A6700 is packed full of all of Sony’s latest imaging technology. But does it offer a sufficiently compelling package to tempt enthusiasts?