Sony HDR-CX7 AVCHD 6.1MP High Definition Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
by Sony
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony HDR-CX7 AVCHD 6.1MP High Definition Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: A great idea that will get better over time
Summary: 5 Stars
When I was shopping around for hi-def-capable video cameras, I wanted to avoid the pitfalls that plagued previous video cameras I had purchased. Ergonomics, picture quality, ease of use, storage and especially weight were all important factors. I tried several cameras that were hi-def capable that used tapes and hard disks, but found those things to just add weight to the body. I have weakness in my right wrist that makes holding a 2 pound camera for an hour really painful. No matter how awesome the camera is, I end up leaving it at home and taking videos on a tiny point-and-shoot digital camera because it's just not worth it unless I lug around a heavy tripod or monopod. Fortunately, this unit is light and designed perfectly around the average adult-sized hand. The controls are easy to reach and the touch screen is great. I put a clear contact protector over mine to ward off fingerprints. Note that there is no electronic viewfinder on this unit...and when was the last time you used an EVF on a small video camera? Right. It saves weight!
As for the quality, it looks good on a large hi-def unit, but be aware that the AVCHD codec compresses the video quite a bit. The 15 MBps setting gives great quality, but I found the 9MBps setting to be a good compromise between space and quality. The CMOS sensor can include some graininess in the video, but you've got lighter weight when compared to a 3CCD camera. Of course, the 5.1 sound is great and the camera picks up ambience well. You have to be aware that, like all of the hi-def cameras, the real problems come during editing because simple video editors can't handle AVCHD video natively (expensive ones can and upgrades can be bought), so you're stuck with the relatively basic manufacturer software. A hard disk camera would allow for more storage, delaying the inevitable, but investing in the DVD recorder unit that is now available is a good idea. Also note that decoding and playback of the HD video signal can slow down some computers considerably...fortunately, the video looks awesome when played back through the camera to the TV via an HDMI cable.
Battery life on the included battery is not bad. It will allow for more recording time than the average user will have Memory Stick space. Long-play batteries are available, but I've found that 4GB of memory stick and the kit battery are fine for most things. If you have the portable DVD recorder unit, you can offload as you wish to regular DVDs. You can also insert the stick directly into the PS3 for hi-def playback. Note that the AVCHD codec is also used for standard definition recording and the highest standard def setting (9M) is the second-highest hi-def setting...so I just leave it in hi-def mode.
Hi-def video cameras are becoming more mainstream, but the manufacturers seem to be pushing 2 main formats. One is the AVCHD hi-compression codec that allows for longer recording at the expense of quality and the other is the HD codec (using MPEG encoding) that allows for great quality but requires bulky media like DV tapes.
Sony has a large camera that does HD very well, but it costs three times as much as this unit and has bells and whistles the average user will never even touch.
I would say that this camera addresses the large part of the market that wants something light and easy to use with good video quality. It's not going to win any awards and I'm sure next year's model will be improved on 100000000 points, but for what it is, this camera works well and I've caught some great video on it.
I recommend it, but only if you try it first and compare it to others in a brick-and-mortar store, first.
Customer Review: Love the video and small size camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I was torn on getting either the Panasonic SD5 or the Sony cx7 but ended up with the cx7 because I love the fact I can use it with the Sony VRDMC5 Directdvd which will make playable HD discs from normal cheap blank dvd's! they will playback on PS3 or bluray player... I use a PS3 and it can play the hd video straight from the memory stick... I then also copy clips directly to the ps3's hard drive... Since all of this is Sony stuff I decided to stick with a sony camera.
The video is very impressive! Shooting in hd is so cool - the colors are rich the video is sharp and in true 16x9 ratio - so playback on your hd set is fantastic !
I also tested importing the video into iLife '08 and it indeed works but it has to be converted to a mov file so your video becomes a large file that you can edit.... I am hoping quicktime will have a version that will just work and play avchd natively someday.... but the bottom line is that it will work on your mac if you need to edit. If your pc then try out Nero8 - it will also handle avchd and make playable discs.
If you get the cx7 be sure to get the Sony VRDMC5 as well because it will make those hd discs without any need for a pc. For playback I would also get a PS3 so you can build video clip library using its hard drive so you do not even need to breakout the dvd just play it right off the unit.
The camera has a great touch lcd screen and a very fast zoom. Day shots are fantastic and indoor shooting is fine... there will be some graininess because of low light but I must say I was still impressed.
If your looking into a new camera ... HD is the way to go... and tapeless is just plain awesome! Now that the PS3 handles avchd - its finally starting to come together for recording straight through to playback and archiving. With a tape system all you end up with is a drawer full of tapes that never get played because of the hassle of hookup and finding the scene you want... with flash based recording its all digital so everything is a file and can be moved around and called up on a seconds noticed...
The only drawback with avchd right now is the ease of editing and direct playback on PC's or macs. While Nero8 and iLife do work they need a powerful computer to do it. If you just want to record and playback just get the PS3 and Sony VRDMC5 and you'll be in hd heaven... you will be able to make playable hd discs and the ps3 will give you full hd playback from the stick,hard drive or disc. You can also just use a blu ray player but you will need the Sony VRDMC5 to make the discs for them to playback on.
Customer Review: Small, light, and easy to use
Summary: 5 Stars
I will start by saying I am not an expert with camcorders, so this review will be from the perspective of a typical electronics challenged father, who by no means is an expert in video or audio quality. Please accept my apology now for not being "technical" in my evaluation. My last camcorder was the Sony Hi8, TRV-700 (purchased in the late 90's), which had broken some time ago. This fact alone should tell you how limited our camcorder experience has been. We wanted to start filming out family events again, and decided on this unit for several reasons. First, it is small and light, which is a huge plus on vacation, particularly after 8 hours of walking with 3 kids. Second, the idea of flash memory rocks! (can you say "no moving parts"?), We spent a week on vacation and only needed two 8Gb sticks, although we had more with us, just in case. Everything we recorded was in HD, and we will be transferring it over to DVD using the latest Sony VRD-MC5 DVD recorder. Our next purchase is a blue-ray player (debating between the PS3 or the Sony standalone unit), which will allow us to watch the HD DVD's on our HDTV. If you burn in SD, any DVD player will work, but why compromise after spending the money to purchase a HD capable camcorder? We were able to find the 8Gb memory sticks on Amazon for just under $139.99 each, and can't wait until Sony releases the 16Gb version early in '08 (32Gb in '09), if for no other reason than the price for 8Gb sticks will drop. I am sure there are those who will swear by either tape, or DVD versions, but if it's simplicity your after, with a nice touch of "light", consider the Flash Memory camcorders. The Sony model is nice, and in my opinion, just a little nicer in build quality than the Panasonic version that just came out. However, I am sure either one would satisfy most people. Thanks for putting up with my "non-expert" review!Customer Review: Sony's HDR-CX7 is the real deal!
Summary: 5 Stars
Having spent the last few weeks using the CX7 both on vacation and at home I can honestly say I'm quite impressed! I was previously using a Sony PC5 MiniDV camcorder and the difference in video quality is quite impressive. I have a Sony 60 inch SXRD XBR2 tv and the video quality is very impressive especially compared to what a standard definition MiniDV is capable of. It is very easy to use and to set up right out of the box but make sure you don't use "EASY mode as you can't record in the highest quality setting using this mode. The still pictures are very impressive as well. I own a Sony DSC-T10 7.2 mega pixel digital camera and have been comparing the picture quality printing on 5X7 photo paper and I can't see any difference in clarity. The camcorder is also small enough to fit in a average size pocket (lived in my shorts when I was on vacation). The manual is very easy to understand and is well laid out. Haven't even had to take a look another look at it as the camcoders menu is very easy to use and navagate. The included battery has decent life although you will definitely will want to get a second battery and at least a 4gb memory stick or two (I bought a 4gb and a 8gb). And not having to deal with a tape is one of my favorite features. Just take out the memory stick and put it in my computer and a minute later all my videos and pics are on my hard drive! No more messing around with tapes and taking the time to hook up my camcorder to the computer and waiting for the transfer. Quick access to any scene as well! If you get the feeling I like my new camcorder your quite right. I considered the SR7 before I purchased my CX7 and even spent almost a week with the SR7 hard drive model but I can honestly say using this flash memory camcorder is the best purchase I have made in some time. Highly recommend it!!Customer Review: Some Details
Summary: 5 Stars
Hi-def recorded resolution is 1440 X 1080 (not 1920 X 1080).
Hi-def records in four different bitrates from 5Mbps to 15Mbps. SD records in three bitrates: 3, 6, and 9 Mbps.
SD resolution is NOT reduced to half at the lowest bitrate, like some other Sony camcorders do. 3Mbps is 720 X 480, though I think SD is always 520 effective horizontal lines.
If you record in HD, you can play it back as SD using the analog cables. One of the cables is component output. So if you have a DVD recorder with component input, you can get the full 720H resolution on DVD this way.
The included software will allow you to convert HD to SD, resulting in approx. 8Mbps bitrate. Unknown whether this retains full 720H resolution.
Recording at 5Mbps in HD, and playing back as SD looks excellent, like it was recorded at 6Mbps SD. Thus, it almost makes sense to always record in HD. You can always convert it later if needed.
No eyepiece viewfinder, and no neck strap. Does not come with any memory! The manual says it does but the box does not.
Included software can generate an AVCHD-DVD, which will play on AVCHD-capable Blu-Ray players. Also included is a software player for these discs, but it requires a FAST computer. The player will not play videos from the hard drive; they must be on DVD.