Sony HDR-FX7 3-CMOS Sensor HDV High-Definition Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical…

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We needed another camcorder didn't really want a HD because of the problems of no software out there to create HDDVDs. We bought this because our other sony is 10yrs old and didn't want to buy what we had. We are very glad we did. Even regular tapes look stellar in the 1080i format. The 20x zoom is to drool over. It is wonderful we use it for birding only now they are moving. All the techie stuff should come from my husband, but I am writing this so you won't hear it from me. I do not hear him swear or crank about difficult maneuvers. He likes the programable buttons. I found the change to Final Cut HD easy. You edit in HD and made the non HD DVD (we use a MAC) record it back to HD tape and wait till the software is written. Broadcast wants tape anyway. Ease of handling cam great, additional sound source easy to deal with. Mike on cam improved over our other camcorder. Easy to carry with handle. Need to use manual focus at times. Lots of buttons if you want a point and record not a good choice.

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I bought this item for a Church looking to do it's own production. We tape both services and do more produced and edited media for use in services. The camera is in use alot. If you are buying it for indoors filming, invest in a good set of lights. This camera gets grainy on high zoom in low light. I don't know any camera in this price range that does not. Other than that, I have not found any problems that will jump out and surprise you. But the quality will.

You can complain about what this camera does not offer (XLR ins, and it is menu driven), but those are advertised. Don't buy this camera if those are deal breakers for you. What it does do it does well. And the battery life with the cmos chips is worth some of the trade offs with ccd cameras. I easily shoot two and a half hours without plugging in (on the OEM battery that comes with it). That is amazing to me. I can position for best shot of the event, instead of hanging with the others by the plugs.

I have been happy that I made the technology jump to this camera instead of playing it safe with a more industry standard camera. I would recomend this to anyone who is looking for an entry level production camera. It is a bargain at its price.

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Pros:

Indie Films 

Cons:

None observed. 

Sorry, but a camera being reviewed bt someone who really doesnt know production methods. If you are a serious or aspiring film maker, we all know it is essential to get a seperate sound system set up - this can be done for only a few hundred dollars or even cheaper second hand or if u just get a sound guy to collaborate with you. Improvise too - a broom handle is as good as any boom for a mike. Never rely on the camera mike unnless it's for some synching for editing purposes. Innovative lighting (black and white shades are cheap), remote sound system and never touching 'automatic' can give you a cinematic quality production. No serious indie film maker should rely inbuilt mikes. The FX 7, for the price, is a superb film makers tool. At $3500 it's designed for the more serious filmmaker and not the hobbyist.

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Pros:

For under 5k this camcorder has about everything you need to get started 

Cons:

The internal mic is very weak.. but who uses internal mics anyways? 

At first I was really studying the Cannon XL and GL series and although those where my first choices and awesome cameras I really needed a camera that would film beautifully in lowlight/indoor conditions. I'm a professional wedding Videographer so I needed a camera that would perform very well in those conditions and this hit the mark. Most cameras I like to use the Manuel options/focus, with the HDRFX7 I leave the focus on auto focuses dead on immediately, so I never have to worry about it becoming out of focus quickly during filming. With most camcorders I've used the option for backlight where just pity consumer stuff that never really worked well, again this is the first camera I've used where that setting works very well but if you?re a professional or serious Videographer who doesn?t have pro equipment right? Which brings us to the Mic, yes the Mic on this camera is very very poor and it can carry allot of background interference but then again if you?re a serious videographers or professional we already know not to pay attention to internal mics use pro-audio equipment, then problem solved. The headphone jack works very well too.

Overall this camera as of right now is my prized possession I LOVE IT! The pans and zooms are very smooth, the grab handle makes it easy although it makes for a much smoother ride if you use some kind of steadyrod with it, and it looks just beautiful on a tripod/dolly or just as a floating camera. The menu I never found to be hard to operate. The white bal function is very easy to work with so is the shutter speed and most of the other functions (just sit down and play with it for awhile) I also like the zebra effect it really helps when your using the white bal/shutter speed.

The playback: Sony has all the options for playback fire wire, composite, HDMI, etc. the colors are very rich and good contrast yet not loud or noisy. Also there is 6 different picture profiles 4 are preset and if you?re using this for a Wedding as I am today the portrait profile is a perfect choice for editing people sitting or walking and other 2 you can preset your own settings (just remember to have a flash card to save them)

To end with overall this camera is the best out there right now for under 5k actually you can find it easy for 2,500, I bought mine for 2465. If you?re just starting out in videography, if you?re an indie filmmaker or if you?re just a "pro-consumer" and want the best at an affordable price this is defiantly the camera for you! I love this thing.

Paul Gilmore - Chief Videographer/Creative Producer
Symetri Studios

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I bought this camcorder to replace a damaged 2100 Sony camcorder (which I really liked!) and I wasn't so sure about the HDV. After all, most of my customers/clients aren't buying HD products yet.
Well, my first job was a shoot at a convention, doing a celebrity "roast" for one of the guest writers.
Can you spell 'flawless'? Sure you can!
Can you say 'beautiful imagery'? I figured you could.
Can you hear the GIANT SMILE on my face when the director complimented my shots?

Even a near-idiot like me can look good with a camera like this one. Smooth zooms, effortless focusing (it could be a little faster on autofocus, but considering the low-light in that auditorium, not so bad after all) and the light weight and balance were great on the end of my jib crane! And considering that I hadn't even practiced with it (I wasn't expecting to be using it until 2 days before the shoot; my plans were for my cameraman to be shooting on Sunday while I was directing!), this camera was FANTASTIC!

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Pros:

Brilliantly crisp images, easy handling, far reaching audio. 

Cons:

A bit grainy in low light. 

I am not one to change with the times, until those times finally present exactly what I'm anticipating. Sony has finally brought out an HD camera that allowed me to toss aside my VHS camcorder, the HDR FX7.
Initially I was torn, on paper, between the HDR FX1 and the FX7. However, when buying directly from Sony, they offer the very nice feature of a 30 day trial on any of their products.
So, I ordered both cameras and literally did a side-by-side comparison for a month. The result was that the FX7 won hands down.
The only situation the FX1 outperformed was in extremely low ambient light, like you would find in a living room with a couple of incandescent bulbs burning; the CMOS of the FX7 produced a grainier image than the CCD of the FX1. The FX7 is much more comfortable to use as a handheld, being much shorter and 10 ounces lighter. When holding the FX1 for an hour, shooting the kids' hockey games or swim meets, resulted in a very fatigued and aching hand. The FX1 is just too heavy and bulky to comfortably use over an extended period of time. It's really better suited for tripod shooting. The FX7, however, is a very tight little package, relatively speaking, and is quite comfortable and maneuverable. In bright light and outdoors, both cameras recorded equally crisp pictures with excellent color reproduction. The 20X lens of the FX7 that was criticized in other reviews as a sales gimmick is actually quite useful, as in allowing me to shoot from the stands the wide shots required of team sports, yet allows me to zoom in to a full frame of my son's face in his hockey helmet...nice to clearly see the big grin after a goal! The 12X of the FX1 just didn't allow for that tight of a shot from the same distance. The battery life of the FX7 is not qute as advertised, but 4 hours of continuos shooting is plenty for me. Though the FX1 does allow for a lot of customization of settings, this feature was way more than I ever need. The FX7 keeps this to just enough to not be overbearing. Relative to audio, for me, the onboard mic is wonderful...gives excellent stereo response, yet can pickup conversation from images I'm zooming in on 60 feet away. As far as playback, both cameras demonstrate very clear action shots, with no blurring or bleeding. The firewire feature lets you control all of the playback features directly through your Sony HD TV.
So, for someone who definitely wants beautiful, true HD prosumer recording, the FX7 is the camera for you.

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