Performance

The Sony HDR-CX7 is outfitted with Sony’s top-end ClearVID CMOS sensor measuring a generous 1/2.9" with a gross pixel count of 3,200,000 pixels and an effective pixel count of 2,280,000. Although we won’t get this camcorder into the lab for another few months, we can make an educated guess about how it will perform from what we know about the company’s other AVCHD camcorders and the HDR-HC7. We tested the HC7 earlier this year, and that HDV camcorder is equipped with the same 1/2.9" CMOS sensor.

In a nutshell, we expect the CX7 to exhibit video performance similar to that of the HC7, but exhibiting the idiosyncrasies of AVCHD compression. The HDR-HC7 carried the company’s CMOS technology further, with higher resolution and colors that truly pop. Sony always delivers a colorful, attractive image catered to the tastes of consumer shooters who want their video to look rich, and in general respects, the CX7 should present the same oversaturation. We also anticipate a very sharp picture, and the HC7 turned in a resolution score virtually identical to this year’s other HDV standout, Canon’s HV20. Due to the aggressiveness of AVCHD compression, the CX7 may show a slight drop in video resolution, but we would expect the difference to be negligible.

The most obvious negative characteristics of AVCHD video is how it treats motion. Last year’s Sony HDR-SR1 and Panasonic’s HDC-SD1 both showed image trailing that is much more prominent than in other compression types. While this effect is subtle, it is something to be aware of – and to look for – if you find yourself giving any AVCHD camcorder a test drive. AVCHD also tends to be a bit noisier than HDV, and that noise is more severe in low light. Despite these caveats about AVCHD, it is still an impressive technology, and the HDR-CX7 should deliver video performance that is close to that of its HDV sibling.

Low Light Performance

Last year’s 1/3" ClearVID CMOS Sonys including the HDR-HC3 performed well in low light, but the HDR-HC7 (1/2.9' CMOS) actually showed a drop in low light video quality. This likely stems from the increase in pixel count over last year’s 1/3" CMOS sensors, from roughly 2,100,000 pixels to 3,200,000 pixels. This means there are over a million more pixels packed into the nearly the same space. In general, a smaller pixel gathers less light than a larger one. Given this, we expect to see a similar low light performance drop in the SR7 over last year’s SR1, which used the lower-resolution sensor found on the HC3.

The most notable deficit we saw in the HC7’s low light footage was noise – and lots of it. In order to compensate for the lesser light-gathering ability of the new, higher-resolution sensor, Sony seems to have pumped up the gain. It’s unclear at this stage exactly how AVCHD compression will deal with higher gain levels on the SR7, but the inherently higher noise levels of AVCHD may compound the issue. Without manual shutter speed control, compensating for low light must be left to either of two AE modes: Color Slow Shutter, which lowers the shutter speed to 1/30 in low light, or Super NightShot mode, which automatically lowers the shutter speed as low as 1/4.

Format

Compression

The Sony HDR-CX7 records high definition video using AVCHD compression, a recently-developed flavor of the MPEG-4 H.264 codec. AVCHD supports both the 720p and 1080i HD standards, but all AVCHD camcorders released to date record 1080i video. Sony and Panasonic jointly developed AVCHD to bring HD video to a broader range of formats popular with consumers, including HDD, DVD, and flash memory cards. The codec was announced in early 2006, and Sony introduced the first HDD- and DVD-based AVCHD camcorders at a press event last summer. Panasonic entered the fray with the HDC-SD1, the first SDHC-based model in early 2007.

A major benefit of AVCHD compression is an efficiency 50% greater than HDV compression, meaning smaller file sizes that can be recorded to popular non-tape media. HDV encodes video at a fixed rate of 25Mbps. AVCHD, on the other hand, is scalable to a maximum of 24Mbps. The Sony HDR-CX7 records high definition video in three qualities: 15Mbps XP, 9Mbps HQ, 7Mbps SP and 5 Mbps LP. It can also record standard definition footage in 9 Mbps HQ, 6 Mbps SP, and 3 Mbps LP. At all bit rates, this camcorder records VBR (variable bit rate) video, meaning that the rate is automatically increased or decreased based on the complexity of information in the frame. These bit rates are identical to those found on last year’s HDR-SR1.

AVCHD has generated great interest on the part of consumers, and it has produced stunningly sharp video in our tests at around 1⁄2 the bit rate of HDV. The drawbacks of aggressive compression manifest in more noise than HDV and motion trailing. In its early days, AVCHD was sparsely supported by NLEs, but that situation has improved significantly with Sony Vegas among others now capable of native AVCHD editing. For professional applications, HDV remains the superior format, delivering slightly higher resolution, and an image less compromised by compression.

Media

Panasonic has placed its bet on the future of video heavily in the flash media pot, with P2 cards on the pro side and SDHC cards filling out some of the higher-end consumer slots. Sony has hedged its bets by investing in every media type under the sun. With the HDR-CX7, Sony  goes head-to-head with the Panasonic HDC-SD1. Sony being Sony, however, the CX7 records to Sony’s proprietary flash format – Memory Stick PRO Duo – while Panasonic has taken an agnostic SDHC route. The only real drawback to Memory Stick over SDHC is availability and cost. With no competing card manufacturers to speak of, MemorySticks tend to retail for a bit more than SDHC cards, and they are a little harder to find.

In other respects, MemoryStick offers all the benefits of solid state recording, including durability, silent operation, reusability, and high transfer speeds. According to Sony, a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card will hold roughly 30 minutes of XP footage, 55 minutes of HQ, 65 minutes of SP and 85 minutes of LP. The figures for standard definition footage are 55 minutes for HQ, 80 minutes for SP, and 160 minutes for LP.

Finally, you should be aware that this camcorder does not ship with a Memory Stick PRO Duo card in the box. You’ll need to shell out an additional $100-plus for a 4GB card before you record anything. Panasonic’s HDC-SD1 does ship with a 4GB SDHC card – but that camcorder’s $1500 MSRP is much higher than the Sony’s even when the cost of a Memory Stick PRO Duo card is factored in.

Editing

In the space of a few months, AVCHD has emerged from editing purgatory into the light. It just so happens that perhaps the biggest contributor to AVCHD’s salvation is Sony - the company that makes the most AVCHD camcorders (seven in less than a year ) Sony has already made a patch for their Vegas 7 NLE that is available as a free download and dubbed version 7.0e. This patch integrates native AVCHD support for current Vegas users. The next major release, version 8 is due out this summer, and that version will include even more robust AVCHD editing support. Unlike the other AVCHD editing options on the market, Sony’s Vegas is a full-featured NLE that is more comparable to Adobe Premiere or Apple Final Cut Pro than the handful of consumer programs that offer support for the codec. Vegas is available in a lower-priced consumer version as well.

Corel also recently announced Ulead Video Studio 11, a consumer-oriented editing and authoring suite that uses 'PureHD' technology to bring AVCHD footage to the timeline. Video Studio 11 is bundled with InterVideo WinDVD 8 Silver, an AVCHD certified playback application. Pinnacle Studio 11 Plus features support for AVCHD editing, as well as other common formats like HDV and DV, while the step-up Studio 11 Ultimate offers an expanded suite of tools including SoundSoap, video filters and lighting effects, and keying.

Alas, Mac users still have no OS X-native AVCHD editing options available.

Tour

The Front

The front of the CX7 reveals a flash that has migrated from the top of the lens frame on Sony’s original AVCHD models to the left side. Inside the rather wide lens frame is the 10x optical zoom Carl Zeiss Vario- Sonnar T* lens, featuring an aperture range f/1.8-2.9. The 35mm equivalent varies depending on recording mode, converting to 40-400mm in 16:9 Camera Mode, 49- 490mm in 4:3 Camera Mode, 40-400mm in 16:9 Memory Mode, and 37-370mm in 4:3 Memory Mode. The filter diameter measures 37mm, which matches that of many other higher-end Sony camcorders, and makes this model compatible to filters and adapters you may already own. The focal distance measures 5.4-54mm. On the left side(which is the right side when viewed form the front), the body bulges out from the lens barrel. On the front-facing end of this bulge are are the infrared sensor, tally lamp, and Super NightShot lamp. All in all, it’s a spare front-end that echoes the design of Sony’s other AVCHD camcorders…but notably, without a Cam Control ring or dial. More on that later.

 

The Right Side

This is an attractive camcorder and viewing it from the side highlights the subtle differences that stem from its lack of a drive mechanism or tape transport device. Unlike other Sonys that do require a good deal of space for their respective media types, this is a flash-based camcorder – and flash cards have no moving parts. As a result, Sony’s design team has served up a body that’s all lens barrel when seen from the right – and it’s a graceful look. Up front, the flash housing bulges out slightly in a matte gray that contrasts with the silver lens frame and the black color of the body. The top of the camcorder rises towards the back end at a slight angle, and indicator lamps for each operating mode are visible along the upper rear edge. Below the lamps is a dedicated flash toggle button that cycles through flash options. The hand strap occupies the lower half of the right side, extending from just behind the lens to the back end of the camcorder. It’s generously padded and comfortable, but it appears over-sized for the camcorder body which gives an indication of just how petite this AVCHD cam is.

 

The Back

As with the rest of this stripped-down camcorder, the backside of the HDR-CX7 reveals only the basics. On top is the trademark Sony Mode Dial, while below and to its right is the Record/Start/Stop button. Both controls are very well-placed for hand-held operation. The open battery slot is dead center and deep enough to easily accommodate a longer-life battery. Unfortunately, the battery release is on the base of the camcorder, making for inconvenience battery changes while the cam is tripod-mounted. The fact that there is no viewfinder means that even a huge battery won’t get in your way. While we always like a secondary monitoring option, they are becoming a rarity on HDD and flash camcorders in a nod to users who are accustomed to using the LCD all the time.

 

To the left of the battery slot is a vertically aligned plastic cover that conceals the HDMI and AV terminals. Just below is another small cover that protects the DC-in port. Both port covers slot snugly into place and also open wide enough to allow easy connectivity. Just to the left of these port covers, a thin ridge can be seen on the edge of the LCD frame that provides purchase for opening up the screen.

The Left Side

The fact that the 2.7' 16:9 LCD screen occupies the entirety of the left side of the Sony CX7 speaks to the compactness of its design. With a resolution of 211K pixels, it is a typical Sony touch screen, though we lament the loss of the massive 3.5" displays of last year’s debut AVCHD models. The screen rotates though 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles and opens to 90 degrees from the body to expose a feature-rich LCD cavity.

Inside, you’ll find the Memory Stick PRO Duo card slot inconspicuously aligned along the bottom edge that can be opened by pulling a thin tab on top. The only issue you’ll run into here is dealing with the incredibly tiny Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. If you’ve got big fingers, you may have trouble popping them in and out – and they are so wafer-thin that a mild breeze could waft them out of your hand. The onboard speaker is just to the right of the card slot, and a tiny Reset button is directly overhead.

 

In a horizontal line along the top of the LCD cavity are four buttons, including Back Light, Disp/Batt Info, and Playback. Below these buttons are the NightShot on/off switch and the all-important Easy Button. A last set of controls lie on the outer edge of the LCD frame. On top is a Home Menu access button and below are secondary controls for Wide and Tight zoom, and Record/Start/Stop.

The Top

The top of the CX7 features the onboard Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound microphone up front, with the Active Interface Shoe (AIS) just behind. This shoe is a proprietary Sony design that is compatible with a wide array of Sony microphones and lights. While it does not accommodate third-party mics, adapters are available for 3.5mm jacks. We prefer non-proprietary shoes, but the fact that this camcorder has a shoe at all (and the availability of adapters) gives it an advantage over the shoe-less Panasonic HDC-SD1. Proceeding towards the back of the camcorder is the excellent rocking zoom lever, followed by the photo button, and Mode Dial. All these controls are nicely placed for easy hand-held operation.

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
*Automatic Control *

The Sony HDR-CX7 is an amazingly easy to use device, and it defies pigeonholing in the same way as the Panasonic HDC-SD1. That camcorder was also relatively stripped-down in terms of features but appealing because of its combination of simplicity and power. The same is true of this Sony – only more so. In other words, the CX7 is even smaller, and even user-friendlier than the SD1, by virtue of its Easy Button, touch screen, and very smooth automatic controls. In most ways, this camcorder seems to display Sony’s typical smooth ride in auto mode, with focus, exposure, and white balance adjustments that transition subtly and quickly.

The Easy Button in the LCD cavity: press...sit back...relax

In more difficult lighting situations, the usual caveats to Auto or Easy modes apply: The camcorder may not deliver a good picture when its processor does not know which of competing light sources to favor, or it may underexpose the subject on a mid-day beach… The list of "difficult" environments for automatic controls is long, but Sony has supplied users with a generous helping of Scene Selection Modes, or AE presets to assist. Scene Selection modes modify the camcorder’s automatic settings to better suit common lighting situations that auto mode is known to handle badly, and they include Beach, Candle, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait, Sports Lesson, Spotlight, and Sunrise & Sunset. The Beach setting, for example, is calibrated to overexpose the entire frame, on the assumption that the surrounding sand, sea, and sky will be brighter than the subject of the shot. Overexposing for the surroundings will generally bring the subject into better exposure than when using Auto or Easy modes alone.

Some other convenient options on the CX7 include Dual Record, which allows you to take still photos at 4.6 MP during active video recording, and Super SteadyShot, an optical image stabilization system. While this camcorder lacks the Cam Control multifunction dials found on this year’s other top-end AVCHD camcorders, like the HDR-SR7, users who generally leave the driving to their camcorder won’t miss it. The touch screen interface features the new tabbed design introduced with the HDR-SR1 in 2006 (also seen on the recently reviewed DCR-SR300), and with a little practice, it offers quick access to Scene Modes and generally camcorder settings. For those who prefer to keep things even simpler, the Easy Button is always available in the LCD cavity. One push puts the camcorder into a cruise control so well cushioned, you would have to go out of your way to take a terrible shot. Unless you simply can’t stand the prospect of getting your greasy fingerprints all over your camcorder’s touch screen, you won’t find a camcorder that delivers solid automatic performance that is as approachable as the CX7.

*Overall Manual Control *

The manual control suite on the HDR-CX7 is as good as you’ll find on any Sony other than this year’s HC7, UX7, and SR7, which add a Cam Control dial and a broadened set of adjustable parameters. The HC7 includes White Balance and Exposure Compensation, and manual shutter speed control via the dial, all features lacking on the CX7. That leaves exposure (in EV steps), white balance, and focus as the major manual controls that you can control readily on the CX7. In addition, this camcorder adds some useful assists, including Zebras (70 and 100 IRE) and markers.

Alas, the only interface offered by this camcorder is the 2.7" touch screen display. Last year, we were heartened when Sony released the HDR-SR1 and HDR-UX1 with excellent Cam Control multifunction rings and mammoth 3.5" touch screens. Although we are generally critical of touch screen interfaces, those screens were so big they allowed for large buttons and made navigation a breeze. Well, the big screens are out, as are the rings we loved, replaced with dials that are good but not great. The lack of either a dial or a big screen leaves the CX7 with the same manual control interface issues found on most Sonys. The screen picks up fingerprints that obscure the screen, and virtual buttons that appear in front of the image are used for such fine adjustments as manual focus. Given that this camcorder has the ability to deliver a superb picture, we are disappointed that Sony opted to leave the superior Cam Control dial off.

This move is not a surprise, however. When Panasonic released their HDC-SD1, it also brought terrific image gathering abilities to the table – but it lacked what we consider to be important features on a $1000-plus camcorder, like a headphone jack and accessory shoe. Both companies, it would seem, are targeting their flash-based camcorders for users who want ease, compactness, and speed. In these respects, the HDR-CX7 delivers superb handling and an amazingly small package – as long as you are willing to forego a higher level of manual control over your image.

*Zoom *

This camcorder is equipped with Sony’s typically very good rocking zoom lever as its primary zoom control and secondary control buttons on the outside edge of the LCD frame. The primary lever offers the same ergonomic appeal as most Sonys, allowing for precise, variable zoom speeds, and a very comfortable feel. While we found the placement of the zoom lever on the recently reviewed DCR-SR300 to be a bit awkward, the CX7’s control is positioned very well for hand-held shooting without modifying your grip. The secondary buttons on the outside edge of the LCD are labeled W and T – think "wide" and "tight" if you’re wondering what direction they move the zoom. These buttons provide a convenient alternative when the primary lever is difficult to operate, as when holding the camcorder overhead, but only move the zoom at a fixed, medium speed.

*Zoom Power Ratio *

The optical zoom on the HDR-CX7 achieves a modest 10x magnification, while digital ranges up to 20x. While this zoom power may strike you as rather unimpressive, it’s actually a good thing. Consumer camcorders are very compact relative to prosumer models, and their lens elements are correspondingly compact whether they sport large 1/2.9" sensors as on the CX7, or much the much smaller 1/6" sensors common on entry-level models. A smaller sensor captures a much lower-resolution image than a larger one – but it requires less space to achieve a high zoom power. For this reason, it’s not uncommon to see zooms as high as 40x on entry-level consumer camcorders.

The CX7, with its larger imager, will produce a much better picture, and you can usually move closer to your subject if the 10x zoom isn’t doing the trick. This camcorder also features a 20x digital zoom option that can be enabled or turned off. The digital zoom magnifies pixels available at the camcorder’s top optical zoom power, and as a result, the image resolution drops in digital territory. Luckily, doubling the size of this HD camcorder’s pixels will not result in the absurdly pixilated footage that higher digital zooms (over 1000x on some consumer cams!) produce.

*Focus *

Manually focusing a shot using Sony’s touch screen interface is something we wouldn’t wish on anyone in a mission-critical situation. Just leave the CX7’s focus set to auto and hope for the best…

That advice is not given entirely in jest. While the touch screen interface offer a perfectly functional method for navigating the menu, it’s fraught with problems when it comes adjusting manual controls. No manual adjustment is more compromised by the touch screen interface than focus. You can engage manual focus easily enough, via the Option Menu button at the lower right corner of the LCD screen under Camera tab 1. Pressing the Focus button on that screen offers Auto and Manual options. When the Manual option is selected, an onscreen interface appears with an icon at left representing a person (for nearby subjects) and an icon at left representing a mountain (distant subjects). Pressing either icon moves the focal plane either closer (left) or further away (right) from the lens.

The problem with this manual focus method is not simply that the buttons get in the way of the image you are focusing on, though that is a serious issue. They are also very difficult to control with any accuracy. Unlike a physical rotary controller, like a ring or dial, the buttons cause the focus move at a fixed speed that makes it tough to stop with precision. In addition, the buttons respond only with a certain amount of finger pressure that is again, difficult to gauge. If you find manually focusing an image with the CX7 as frustrating as we do, you may well just choose to forget the option exists. That would simplify your life, and be in keeping with the streamlined implementation of this camcorder. It just won’t produce the best possible results.

*Exposure & Aperture *

Zebras are the saving grace of manual exposure adjustment on the HDR-CX7. Without that assist engaged you’ll find exposure adjustments to be as awkward as focus. Engaging manual exposure is done by selecting Exposure from tab 2 of the Option Menu. After choosing the Exposure > Manual option, an interface appears onscreen that looks like the focus interface, but with minus (lower exposure) and plus (higher exposure) icons at left and right.

Even though the buttons obscure the image, zebras provide a method to check exposure against a definite reference of either 70 or 100 IRE. It’s an important addition on this camcorder – as well as the DCR-SR300 – that makes this a much more capable control than focus. As on other Sonys, exposure is changed in EV steps rather than independent f-stops.

*Shutter Speed *

The CX7 offers no manual control over shutter speed while, the HDR-HC7 does offer this feature via the Cam Control dial. The Auto Slow Shutter allows the shutter speed to automatically drop as low as 1/4 when enabled in the Option Menu tab 3, in accordance with available light. Once again, we would have liked to see a manual shutter speed control on this camcorder – but the absence will keep your life simple.

*White Balance *

The CX7 includes white balance presets, for Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, and One Push (manual). These presets can be found on Option Menu > tab 3. Upon selecting the One Push button, the white balance set button becomes active. To manually set white balance, you simply press the white balance set button, and when the icon stops flashing you are good to go. Unfortunately, to assess the quality of a given setting, you’ll be forced to exit the menu because the five buttons occupy most of the screen. This setting works well and produced better color than auto white balance.

*Gain *

The HDR-CX7 offers no manual gain control options, though this is not a surprise given that only Panasonics allow this across their camcorder line.

*Other Manual Controls *
*Zebra Pattern – *Zebras can be enabled from the Home > Movie Settings submenu with options for Off, 70 IRE, and 100 IRE. If you plan on making manual exposure adjustments with this camcorder, we strongly urge you to become acquainted with this feature. It is an invaluable assist that allows you to make accurate exposure assessments despite the drawbacks of the touch screen by rendering parts of the frame that surpass the selected setting in diagonal zebra stripes.

*Guide Frame – *The Guide Frame option can be enabled from the Home > Movie Settings submenu. Guide Frame overlays a nine-box wire frame over the image and is a useful shot-framing aid.

Still Features

Still Features

Although we were not able to test the quality of still photos captured by the HDR-CX7, we expect them to be quite good. Still photos, like video, are captured to the Memory Stick PRO Duo card in resolutions as high as 6.1MP (2848 x 2136, in 4:3 aspect ratio) in still photo mode. In addition, the camcorder can record 4.6MP (2848 x 1602, in 16:9) photos during active video recording, with options for 3.1MP (2048 x 1536, in 4:3), and VGA (640 x 480, in 4:3) also available.

The same manual and automatic controls available during video recording can be used for still photo capture, and the built-in flash offers an illumination option in low light.

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use

Even for a Sony, the HDR-CX7 is exceptionally easy to use. The Easy button offers novices a quick and easy method for placing the camcorder in full auto mode. When Easy Mode is not enabled, selecting automatic controls a la carte is as easy as navigating to a given parameter in the menu, and selecting the Auto option. The menu system itself follows a design first seen in the SR1 and UX1 of 2006, and offers some advantages over the traditional scrolling interface seen on many other Sonys. By dividing the Option Menu into five tabs, accessing key manual controls like exposure and white balance is a fast process, and the text-based interface requires no ramp-up time. While the touch screen is a flawed interface for making manual control adjustments, it is nonetheless easy enough for a newbie to operate. For an illustration of a very similar menu, scroll down to the Menu section in the Sony DCR-SR300 review.

The observations above do not distinguish the CX7 from most other consumer camcorders from Sony, but a few other factors do. Most important is the fact that this is a flash-based camcorder, and flash cards are about as trouble-free a media type as we’ve ever seen. Memory Stick PRO Duo cards are amazingly small (though expensive) and a 4GB card will hold a full 30 minutes of XP footage. Several cards should offer even the most liberal videographer a day’s worth of shooting, and they can be stored in a wallet without producing so much as a bulge. In addition, most consumers are familiar and comfortable with flash memory cards because they have been used in digital cameras for years. Flash cards are also weather-resistant, solid-state, and durable enough that a camcorder-shattering drop will likely leave the footage on your card intact. Aside from the risk of loss (try swapping out one of these feather-light cards on the back of a speeding motorboat), flash media offers a number of benefits that make it unusually easy to use.

Handling

Weighing in at 15oz. (450g) with supplied battery, the HDR-CX7 is even smaller than the Panasonic HDC-SD1 – and it has a slight edge when it comes to handling. This advantage comes in large part from the exceptionally good balance the CX7 has in your hand, and the placement of the camcorder’s controls. The zoom rocker is excellent, and it extends a little higher from the body than on the Panasonic for better control. Access to the camcorder’s manual controls is fast and convenient thanks to the revamped menu design that places many image settings in the Option Menu. The presence of the AIS (Active Interface Shoe) is another boon, allowing you to connect compatible Sony accessories to the camcorder (though to use third-party microphones, you’ll need to purchase a third-party adapter).

 

In other ways, the Sony bears some striking similarities to the Panasonic, with no headphone jack, no rotary dial or ring, and a manual control interface that is poor when it comes to adjusting focus. Both camcorders are easy to use, and both are compromised when it comes to higher-end functionality – but the Sony feels like a more coherent package.

Menu

The Sony HDR-CX7 menu is divided into two main interfaces, with some overlap. This design is a departure from the "endless scroll" menu structure seen on many of Sony’s consumer camcorders, and it was first introduced on the HDR-SR1 and HDR-UX1 in 2006. The chief benefit of this new system is the speedy access to key camcorder controls via the Option Menu. In any recording mode, the Option menu is instantly available via a button at the lower right corner of the LCD screen.

A tabbed display appears along the base of the LCD screen, including 3 tabs identified by a camcorder icon, a tab represented by a screen, and a toolbox tab. Tabs 1-3 contain image control options, including Focus, Spot Focus, Tele Macro, Exposure, Spot Meter, Scene Selection, White Balance, Color Slow Shutter, and Super NightShot on/off. The fourth "screen" tab contains Faders, Digital, and Picture Effects, and the fifth tab contains record quality settings.

The Home Menu, accessed via an ever-present button at the top left corner of the LCD screen includes the CX7’s full suite of options and adjustments, and is also displayed via a five-tabbed interface that includes submenus for Camera, View Images (playback), Others (including Playlist Edit and Print), Manage Memory Stick, and Settings. The Settings submenu in turn contains sprawling nested submenus for Movie, Photo, etc. The tabbed arrangement of this menu, in other words, is just as deep and extensive as the endless scroll found on many Sony’s – but it is a little more manageable. We applaud the change, but we still see room for consolidation and improvement – for example, some options available under the Home > Settings > Movie submenu are also accessible directly from the Option Menu, including record quality settings. An either/or arrangement would simplify things and reduce sprawl.

LCD and Viewfinder

The Sony HDR-CX7 features a touch screen LCD measuring 2.7' diagonally, with a resolution of 211,000 pixels and a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s a good display, to be sure, offering sharp color reproduction and Sony’s non-solarizing technology. However, be forewarned: This display also serves as the CX7’s sole menu and manual control interface, no matter how good your personal hygiene, it will pick up fingerprints. That may sound like a minor consideration but believe us when we say its not. In bright sunlight especially, even a little grease on the screen can dramatically impair your ability to see the image clearly.

 

There is no EVF (electronic color viewfinder) on the CX7, so the LCD is the only means you’ll have to monitor your image. The omission of EVFs on many new consumer camcorders in an effort to save space (and cost) is a trend that we find disturbing. In cases that make LCDs difficult to use, such as bright sunlight, an EVF can be a much better option, not to mention the fact that they consume less power and can slightly extend the battery life of camcorder.

 

 

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio
Audio options on the Sony GDR-CX7 are limited, but it does record Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound natively, via the onboard microphone. Unlike the Panasonic HDC-SD1, this camcorder does not allow you to manually set levels for each channel – but we don’t see that as a great loss given the relatively low audio quality that any onboard mic can muster. The AIS (Active Interface Shoe) does broaden the audio options available to include compatible Sony microphones that attach directly to the shoe, and third-party AIS adapters are available that provide a 3.5mm microphone interface.

Playback

Sony has capitalized on the speed of flash media in providing a dizzying array of playback features on the HDR-CX7. Playback is accessed via the View Images tab of the Home Menu, or by pressing the Playback button in the LCD cavity. The options on the main playback screen include Visual Index (thumbnail display of all files), video- and still-only Index, and Playlist. Upon selecting a given video clip to playback, a VCR-like interface appears on-screen, with additional buttons that enable you to return to the thumbnail display or enter the playback menu. Images can be printed from within the playback menu or displayed as a slideshow at intervals selectable from 3 seconds to 5 minutes. Clips can be deleted by type (i.e. HD), by date, or all at once. Playlists can also be built on-camera by individual clip, date, and type.

Connectivity

The Sony HDR-CX7 offers a selection of basic ports and terminals onboard, and a few additional connectivity options via the Handycam Station cradle. At the rear of the camcorder, to the left of the battery slot, are two plastic port covers. The upper cover conceals an HDMI and AV terminals, and the lower cover protects the DC-in port. Inside the LCD cavity is the Memory Stick DUO Pro slot, hidden by a rigid hinging door along the base of the camcorder. On top of the body, just behind the lens is the AIS (Active Interface Shoe) – a proprietary hot shoe that is compatible with Sony accessories. Third-party adapters can be purchased to allow the connection of any microphone with a 3.5mm jack.

The Handycam Station is an included accessory that allows you to take advantage of a USB 2.0 port, for connection to a PC, composite video out, and charge the camcorder’s battery. While the Handycam Station is good from the point of view of convenience, it doesn’t help with portability. If you’re going on a long trip, and plan on downloading footage as you go, you’ll forced to bring the cradle with you – there is no onboard USB terminal. We do see the benefits of camcorder cradles like this, but we strongly believe that everything should also be available on-camera.

Other Features

Other Features
*Scene Selection Modes - *Scene Selection Modes are essentially AE (Auto Exposure) presets that offer a shorthand method for optimizing the CX7’s automatic controls for a variety of situations that challenge Easy or Auto mode. The Scene Selections include Beach, Candle, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait, Sports Lesson, Spotlight, and Sunrise & Sunset.

*Picture Effects - *Picture Effects work like Photoshop filters and apply a specific look to your video footage. On the CX7, these include Monotone, Pastel, Sepia, and Old Movie

*Fader Effects - *The CX7 includes basic black and white fader effects.

*Battery Info Display - *Like most newer Sonys, the HDR-CX7 includes a detailed battery/recording time information display. To access this option, the camcorder must be in standby mode. Pressing and holding the Disp/Batt Info button in the LCD cavity brings up a screen showing remaining battery life and recording time.

*Back Light Compensation - *Back Light Compensation or BLC is accessed via a dedicated button in the LCD cavity. BLC automatically increases exposure to compensate for the type of backlighting encountered on a ski slope – or when shooting into the light (a practice that should be avoided).

*Dual Record - *Dual Record allows you to simultaneously capture 4.6 MP still photos to Memory Stick PRO Duo while actively recording in HD video mode.

*x.v.Color Technology - *x.v.Color is Sony’s version of the xvYCC color space, which expands by a factor of about 1.8x the number of colors recorded by the CX7.

*Super NightShot Infrared System - *Sony's NightShot infrared system utilizes an onboard infrared lamp to illuminate subjects in zero lux environments. It’s a nifty feature, but the resulting footage has the grainy, green tint seen in military surveillance clips.

*Tele Macro Function - *Tele Macro Mode automatically zooms the lens to full telephoto mode and is a shorthand route to throwing the background out of focus when recording nearby subjects.

*Smooth Slow Record - *Smooth Slow Record, like Night Shot, is a cool Sony-only feature that allow the CX7 to record slow-motion video in real time by increasing the frame rate from 60 to 240 fields per second. This option works only in 3-second bursts and result in 12 seconds of playback. The feature has to be activated from the menu, so it's no good for candid, spur of the moment shots like someone falling into a pool (a classic summer hilarity).

*Super SteadyShot OIS - *The Super SteadyShot OIS system is Sony’s optical image stabilization technology. OIS systems are superior to EIS (electronic image stabilization) systems because they reduce image shake without reducing video resolution – an unfortunate byproduct of EIS.

Comparisons / Conclusion

Conclusion

The Sony HDR-CX7 is among the coolest-looking camcorders we’ve seen in a while, and its appeal extends beyond its sleek, black skin. With Sony’s top-of-the-line 6.1MP ClearVID CMOS sensor, the image quality should be close to what we observed from the HDR-HC7. That camcorder records to HDV using the same sensor, and it produced the highest video resolution score of the year in our lab (though its pictures were visually less crisp than the Canon HV20’s). Although the CX7 records AVCHD video, its bright light performance should be close to the HC7’s.

Clearly, there are many options missing from the CX7, including a 3.5" microphone jack, headphone jack, manual shutter speed control, and the Cam Control dial featured on every other Sony HD camcorder ending with the number "7" (the HDD-based HDR-SR7, the DVD-based HDR-UX7, and the aforementioned HDR-HC7). Yet, this seems to be a model that does not aspire to great manual control versatility. Instead, this camcorder seems geared for users who want something light, small, fast and easy to operate – and on those counts, the CX7 has the bases covered. Flash media is weatherproof, virtually indestructible, and familiar to anyone who has used a digital still camera. It is also solid state and silent, meaning this camcorder has fewer moving parts to malfunction than any HDD, disc, or tape-based camcorder.

The only camcorder that offers a similar feature set (and one that’s also stripped-down) is the Panasonic HDC-SD1, that company’s SDHC high definition camcorder. While we appreciate the Panasonic’s joystick controller, some of its other features are cool but not terribly useful, like independent level control over the onboard mic’s 5 channels, and a focus assist feature that is only moderately helpful. The Sony offers much better still capabilities, an AIS shoe, slightly better handling, and a better price ($1200 versus $1500 MSRP), even after the purchase of a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card (a 4GB SDHC card ships with the Panasonic). The fact that AVCHD editing has finally arrived adds to the appeal of either camcorder – but for now, our nod goes to the Sony.

Specs and Ratings

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