Sony HDR-HC7 6.1MP MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom by Sony
|
Our Price: $1,260.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $749.95 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Sony HDR-HC7 6.1MP MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
Digital camera Review: Initial Review- Very Impressive
Summary: 5 Stars
I received the Sony HDR-HC7 over two weeks ago. This HD camcorder is the 3rd and final piece of my HD makeover. The first component is the Sony KDS-R60XBR2 1080p TV, the second is a PS3, and now the new camcorder. One thing I noticed immediately upon playing my older home-made DV videos is that the big screen really amplifies the lower resolution (which is bad), and that the hand jitter of the home movies is more problematic as well to look at. Both of these deficiencies prompted me to go for this HD camcorder with optical stabilization. Impressions after using this camcorder in different locations (snow, indoor, and the beach):
Pros-
- The video is great, especially filling the 60 inch screen. The images look smooth, not always necessarily eye-popping sharp, but very pleasing. The clip of an arcade at the beach with its many sounds and especially the many bright colors made for a very rich video experience on the big screen.
- The still images are excellent. At 6.1 Megapixels, they are as good as any 6 MP still camera (I did the comparison). My test for still cameras is to print 8x10 glossies. When you do that, it is easy to judge excellent, good, and not-so-good. The 8x10 prints are excellent. Moreover, the camera has a 10x optical zoom, so that is a major advantage for still photography. The flash is surprisingly robust- better than most smaller still cameras. This camcorder truly opens up the possibility of leaving the still camera at home.
- The DV tape is a cost-effective convenience. I popped in a standard Sony Premium DV tape and everything's been fine. So far, I've not seen any evidence of frame dropping after 1 hour of HD videotaping. Everything has been smooth and very eye-pleasing. I carefully considered the other alternatives of HDD and DVD burners, but for overall ease-of-use, the DV is a proven cost-effective way to take a lot of videos and to store them conveniently.
- Sony offers a case for underwater video (Sony Camcorder Marine Case (SPK-HCB)). This case which is listed as an accessory offers good value considering that custom camcorder cases can run in excess of $1K. I bought one and had to custom-adapt a mounting plate because the hole pattern was not quite right. I used it while it was snowing on the beach and it worked very well (the case has its own stereo microphone). I'm planning to use it very soon for some snorkeling. Such underwater home footage should be very cool. The case really protects the camera from the elements. The case is surprisingly sophisticated. For example, it uses a mirror to access the camcorder display. It turns out that once connected properly, the image on the LCD display is backwards, so that it can be seen correctly when looking at the reflected image in the mirror. A well thought-out product indeed.
Cons-
- It is not the most elegant or stylish hardware.
- Does not have a neck strap.
- The audio is not its strong point- nothing bad, but not particularly compelling.
- I like to use the fader feature to separate the different tape segments, but accessing the fade button through the display touch-screen method takes too many strokes. Once I start to tape, it is bothersome to activate the fader function during taping.
- The on-the-fly stills are in 16:9 widescreen so that the overall resolution on printed paper is not as good as the stand-alone stills which are the standard 4:3.
- Naturally, with a substantial investment in the camcorder unit, comes the additional costs for options such as (1) stand-alone battery charger, (2) extra high-capacity battery, (3) better microphone, and (4) external light source for video and stills. I already have the external mike (Sony) and the double external light (still and video). I haven't used these enough yet to provide a proper review.
This early camcorder review would not be complete without mentioning the significant value added by using PlayStation 3. The camcorder video is stored in the DV tape in MPEG2 format. After recording, I simply transfer the video into my Ulead VideoStudio 10 Plus which handles HDV files. After that I copy the MPEG2 file into the hard drive of the PS3 using a transportable hard drive. Roughly speaking, one hour of HD recording takes up 10 GB of memory. One can then watch the HD video on the big screen using the handy remote ($25) for the PS3 with fast forward and such so that the overall operation is almost as convenient as if you had burned a BluRay DVD. Also, the fact that the SXRD TV has a 3rd HDMI input in the front makes connecting to the camcorder particularly convenient. Bottom line- the camcorder is very impressive. The picture on the 60" screen ranges from very good to eye-popping. The colors are very rich. I've primarily covered the basic functions so far but there's more to learn and to explore with this unit. The coupling of the 1080p TV and the PS3 with the camcorder results in a most enjoyable HD experience.