Camcorder Review:
Sony HDR-FX7 HDV (page 2)

The FX7 handles quite well, is comfortable to hold and has easy-to-access controls. We're very pleased with the color and sharpness on an HD monitor. It performs well in low light situations, much like its predecessor, the VX2100. A drawback is that the onboard mic records decent stereo sound, but the option of plugging in a higher quality mic via XLR would be nice. The mini stereo mic input requires an adapter or mixer, which could introduce problems and interference.

Anyone working in a professional production environment will find the Sony HDR-FX7 to be an affordable high-quality solution.

High definition video, lightweight sturdy design, reasonable price tag... sounds like a winner to us.

Image Sensor: 3 1/4-inch ClearVid CMOS
Pixels on CCD: 1120k
Video Effective Pixels: 1037k
Format: Mini DV and HDV
Lens: Carl Zeiss 20x Vario-Sonnar T 37.4-748mm, f/1.6-2.8
Viewfinder: color (252K pixels, 16:9)
LCD Viewscreen: 3.5-inch color (211K pixels, 16:9)
Focus: auto, manual
Anamorphic: 16:9 yes
Image Stabilization: optical
Exposure: auto, manual,
Minimum Shutter Speed: auto: 1/60; manual: 1/4
Maximum Shutter Speed: auto: 1/2000; manual: 1/10000
Iris: auto, manual
Electronic Gain: +18dB
Neutral Density: Filter: yes (2)
Zebra Stripes: yes (70%, 100%)
White Balance: auto, manual, presets
Audio: 12-bit (default), 16-bit
Audio Gain: auto, manual
Microphone: Input 1/8-inch stereo mini
Headphone: Output 1/8-inch stereo mini
Inputs: FireWire, USB
Outputs: Composite, Component, HDMI
Edit Interface: FireWire, USB
Dimensions: (w x h x d) 5.8 x 6.2 x 12.8 (inches)
Weight (sans tape and battery): 3 lbs. 6 oz.
External Battery Charger Included: no
Battery Type: infoLithium
On-Camera Light: no
Accessory Shoe: yes

• Light weight
• Good low light performance
• 20x optical zoom

• Auto focus searches a little
• Iris control automatically switches to gain
• No XLR inputs

Brent Holland is a wedding/event video producer and owner of a local video production company.

$3,499
Sony Electronics Inc.
16530 Via Esprillo, MZ 7104
San Diego, CA 92127
(800) 833-6687
www.sonystyle.com

• Digg This!
• del.icio.us
• Technorati
• StumbleUpon
• Reddit