Sony Hdr Cx7 Users Manual

HDR-CX7 to the manual b59a4ea9-9854-5684-e966-72e546485dcd

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by Brandon Pinard

The HDR-CX7 is the

first Sony camcorder to

record AVCHD video di-

rectly to Sony’s Memory

Stick PRO Duo. The CX7

is very small and fits in

one hand easily. With

a collection of other

features, like its 1/2.9"

ClearVid CMOS sensor

and dual record mode,

the HDR-CX7 unveils a

new type of camcorder

functionality.

CX7

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Sony

HDR-CX7 AVCHD

Camcorder

Sony Electronics, Inc.

1 Sony Drive

Park Ridge, NJ 07656

http://sonystyle.com

Tapeless

Entertainment

Fly-by

The HDR-CX7 is a stealthy-looking Handycam that is not much big-

ger than a 12-oz. soda can. It has a solid enough weight to provide for

some handheld shooting stability, and it takes 4.6-megapixel still im-

ages while simultaneously recording video. The CX7 is equipped with

Sony’s Super Steadyshot optical image stabilization system, which

minimizes the unwanted vibrations of handheld shooting. Many of the

CX7’s features reside in the touch screen navigation menu on the 2.7"

widescreen LCD. The LCD rotates 270 degrees for ease of viewing from

varying angles, which is key, as there is no viewfinder on this cam-

corder. The LCD is large enough for viewing but it can potentially be

cumbersome to users with clumsy or larger fingers. There are a num-

ber of recording modes such as beach, sports lesson, candle, fireworks

and sunrise, to name a few, as well as a host of other features that are

within the navigation screen menu options.

Instrumentation

A View Images playback button, located on the left side of the cam-

corder (with the LCD screen open) makes it simple to watch what has

been recorded by pressing a button and navigating the thumbnails on

the LCD screen. To play your videos, simply press Play on the touch

screen, and your video clips automatically play back. The playback

controls are embedded in the touch screen menu only. There is a film

roll index button, located next to the View Images button, that takes

you directly to the index. Additional features located on the left side

of the camcorder are the Nightshot mode on/off switch that allows

for low-light recording, the backlight feature and an Easy button that

switches the camcorder to full auto mode.

Sony

HDR-CX7 AVCHD

Camcorder

2.7" TOUCH LCD SCREEN

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Format AVCHD(HD), MPEG2-PS (SD)

Number of CCDs 1

Size of CCDs 1/2.9" ClearVid CMOS sensor

Pixels on CCD 3200(k)

Video Effective Pixels 2,280,000k

Focus Full-range auto/manual (dial, touch panel)

Shutter Speed Auto

Maximum Shutter Speed 1/500

Minimum Shutter Speed 1/2

Lens f-stop f1.8-2.9

Program Exposure Modes Touch panel (24 steps)

Optical Zoom 10x

Focal Length 40-400mm

Image Stabilization Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization system

Manual White Balance Auto, Indoor, One-push, Outdoor

Viewfinder N/A

LCD Monitor 2.7" (211k pixels) wide (16:9) Touch Panel-Clear

Photo LCD Plus

Progressive Scan N/A

HD Modes 1080 (60i) AVCHD

Video Out USB 2.0 (dock only), Component (dock only),

HDMI, composite

Mono/Stereo Recording 5.1 Stereo

Microphone In No

VU Meters No

Manual Audio Level

Controls No

Headphone Jack No

Speaker Yes

Still Shot Media JPEG

Memory Card included No

Flash Yes

Wireless Remote Yes

External Battery

Charger Provided No, camcorder only

Battery Type InfoLiTHIUM

Tape Loading

Configuration N/A

Onboard Video Light No

Accessory Shoe Active interface shoe

The 10x optical zoom rocker is located on the top rear of the

camcorder, right in front of the on/off switch, which also chang-

es the camcorder from video to still mode. There is a Photo but-

ton present between the zoom rocker and the on/off dial. This

button can capture a still image while the CX7 is recording video

in either high definition or standard definition. The CX7 can

capture a digital still image of 6.1 megapixels in photo mode.

The images we captured turned out looking good, with nice

color saturation and clarity, even while zoomed in and moving

laterally. A hot shoe adapter located on the top-front of the lens

barrel is useful for attaching an external microphone or light.

Located on the back of the camcorder are the HDMI port, the A/V

out, the DC in and the Record button. The dock included with

the CX7 connects to the bottom of the camcorder. The docking

station includes a one-step disc burn button (functional with ap-

propriate software on your PC) and has numerous ports to con-

nect to a computer, printer or television. The dock also acts as a

battery-charging station while your camcorder is parked. While

most docking stations for camcorders serve as an added acces-

sory, the CX7 dock is a necessity. The docking station supplies

the USB 2.0 and component connection to the HDR-CX7. This

alone makes it an essential component, unless you plan to use

only your HDMI output.

In Focus

There is a Smooth Slow record mode that is ideal for high-

speed movement, such as a golf swing or aerial acrobatics. This

mode is easily accessible on the LCD screen by selecting the

home icon and then Smooth Slow record mode. We tested this

feature on a number of golfers, and the CX7 displayed smooth

images. However, the CX7 auto focus had a hard time getting a

sharp focus on the subject. Once manual focus is selected us-

ing the touch screen navigation, focusing can be performed on

the LCD screen.

TECH SPECS

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Sony

HDR-CX7 AVCHD

Camcorder

Audio

The CX7 comes equipped with a built-in 5.1-channel onboard

microphone. We tested the CX7’s onboard microphone in a

variety of sound scenarios, from a quiet golf course to a crowded

baby shower party. We were pleased with the overall perfor-

mance of this camcorder’s built-in mic. Even at very close range,

semi-loud voices were not very muffled or distorted. When we

tested the microphone outdoors, again we were pleased with the

microphone's performance in picking up both ambient noise

and the sounds created by the golfer's swing and golf shot. We

were not able to hear the camcorder motor while recording in a

quiet setting. For picking up good-quality voice, the best results

were from in front of the camcorder and about 4 to 6 feet away.

Format

The AVCHD format's problems with motion artifacts seems to

be a thing of the past, and the HDR-CX7 is evidence of this new

direction for Sony camcorders. Testing the CX7’s motion com-

pensation turned out great results with very few compression

artifacts and little ghosting. Under daylight conditions, the CX7

showed very sharp and smooth images. We were very pleased

with color reproduction. Under indoor lighting conditions, the

CX7 still performed fairly well, with a slightly slower auto focus

and increased digital noise. Low-light conditions will definitely

be your biggest enemy in maintaining pristine images. Over-

all, we were pleased with the smooth motion of our recorded

images under indoor conditions. We tested the CX7’s image ca-

pabilities in a more difficult task with an ocean sunset, moving

along a freeway, and found the motion to be very smooth with

no visible artifacts, the auto focus quick and sharp and the color

vivid and accurate.

The AVCHD format's problems

with motion artifacts seems to

be a thing of the past, and the

HDR-CX7 is evidence of this new

direction for Sony camcorders.

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Sony

HDR-CX7 AVCHD

Camcorder

Tapeless Revolution

The HDR-CX7 is the first AVCHD camcorder to record to a Memory Stick. The

Memory Sticks we used were each 1GB and stored 7 minutes of HD video.

While the docking station makes it relatively easy to transfer and store video

and images to a computer, changing tiny Memory Sticks becomes a bit cum-

bersome. The immediate option is to purchase a Memory Stick or two of a

larger capacity. This seems to be the best option, unless you want to change

Memory Sticks every few minutes or download your footage after each use.

Recording to a Memory Stick saves time and money if you frequently pur-

chase tapes and spend hours capturing your footage to your computer.

Conclusion

With a positive step in the tapeless direction, Sony has produced a good-

looking and super-compact first-of-its kind consumer-level AVCHD cam-

corder that is relatively user-friendly and produces great-quality HD video.

This would be a great camcorder for anyone who wants to do handheld

video of almost any kind and great for a vacation or traveling where space

is limited.

STRENGTHS

• Record AVCHD to memory stick

• Capture stills while recording video

• Smooth Slow Record mode

• Compact and lightweight

• High-quality HD video with accurate color

WEAKNESSES

• No viewfinder

• Manual controls embedded in

touch screen navigation system

SUMMARY

• A sleek and compact AVCHD

camera that records great-looking

video/still images directly to Memory

Stick, is relatively easy to use and

includes features that will appeal to

the consumer-level videographer.

Brandon Pinard is Videomaker’s

video production assistant.

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Sony

HDR-CX7 AVCHD

Camcorder

PRICE

• $1,200