Sony HDR-CX7 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Sep 10, 2007 10:00 AM 
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Ease of Use (8.0)
The Easy button, touch screen LCD, and instant one-touch controls make the HDR-CX7 (Specs, Recent News, $1199) (Review, Specs, Recent News, $882.95) as easy to use as any Sony camcorder. The tabbed menu structure is well organized, automatic adjustments are rapid and accurate, and button placement is exceedingly convenient. When Easy mode is activated, the menu buttons double in size, the Function menu disappears, and the HDR-CX7 slips into autopilot. All the shooter has to do is aim and record. It can’t really get any easier than that. On the other hand, making manual adjustments outside of Easy mode is rather daunting. Touch screens do not work to the benefit of the power user.
Much to our chagrin, the HDR-CX7 lacks some of the more powerful manual controls found on its HDV cousins, the HDR-HC7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1128.56) and HC5. In the short run, this means the CX7 is probably a little bit easier to use. Of course, once you, the clever user, master the basics, you might be wishing you had access to shutter speed and other controls.
The HDR-CX7 records to one of the most convenient forms of media available: flash memory. Flash memory is extremely small, light, and in the HDR-CX7’s case can hold up to 30 minutes of footage recorded in the highest quality on a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card. Not only is the camcorder itself ultra compact, lightweight, and portable, but you won’t be strapped with tapes or DVD disks to clutter your camera bag. Flash media is also weather resistant and durable—if you drop the HDR-CX7, there’s a darn good chance your footage will remain intact, whereas a DVD, hard drive, or tape is more likely to not make it. On top of it all, flash memory ranks among HDD camcorders in terms of ease of use—just throw a card in and go. Tapes need to be rewound or fast forwarded, and DVDs can take up to 10 minutes to finalize.
Handling (5.0)
At its release, the HDR-CX7 was touted as the world’s smallest and lightest AVCHD camcorder, stealing the thunder of the world’s first flash-based AVCHD camcorder, the Panasonic HDC-SD1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99). Recently, Panasonic has retaliated with the HDC-SD5, which is even lighter and slightly more compact than the HDR-CX7, if you can imagine that. At the rate things are going in the cutthroat world of “smallness,” it’s only a matter of time until you can record HD video from a wristwatch.
So, let’s look at how these little buggers handle. Remember the glory days of semi-automatic MiniDV monsters? Think opposite. Nowadays, you are required to severely limit your coffee intake if you want to record stable footage, despite the effects of image stabilization. The HDR-CX7 is essentially a lens barrel with an LCD screen attached to it. At first glance, the HDR-CX7 looks like a stealthy toy geared toward development dwellers and SUV drivers. However, once you slip your hand into the breathable, padded hand strap, the negative predispositions melt away. This is what a hand strap should be. It’s comfortable and slung high enough so the camcorder does not flop to the side. The body of the HDR-CX7 is ergonomically sound and feels great in the hand. However, due to its diminutive size, most of your fingers will overshoot the entire length of the camcorder’s top, including the built-in stereo microphone. This happened on the HDC-SD5 also, but that camcorder was even more comfortable to hold thanks to its broad ridge that conforms to the palm of the hand.
The HDC-SD5’s has a lot of compelling handling points in its favor (as Panasonic typically does), but the rear-mounted joystick was sent to the chopping block. We’re not sure if Panasonic was attempting to eliminate even more mass from the HDC-SD5, but it does not come close to the classic voluminous Panasonic joystick found on most of its camcorders. In some small way, we almost prefer Sony’s touch screen menu to a shoddy joystick. Almost. We still think a joystick, as a rule, is preferable, especially rear-mounted joysticks that free up your non-shooting hand.
Unlike the HDC-SD5, the HDR-CX7 features an open battery chamber, allowing for the ability to upgrade to a larger battery. The HDC-SD5’s battery chamber is internal, meaning it can only accommodate a battery large enough to fit within the defined dimensions. Thumbs down for Panasonic. In addition, the HDR-CX7 is equipped with a row of LCD panel controls, while the HDC-SD5 is saddled with a barren LCD panel and minimal external controls. Overall, we’re very impressed with the handling performance of the HDR-CX7, given its absurd size.
Menu (6.5)
The HDR-CX7 utilizes Sony’s friendly tabbed “Home” menu, which excels in organizational and navigational capability. This menu design was originally rolled out last year when Sony introduced its first-generation AVCHD camcorders. Buttons are laid out intuitively, options are grouped accordingly, and the accompanying sounds are magically soothing. The home button is located in the upper left corner, while the Playback and Camera menu buttons sit, respectively, at the bottom left and right corners of the LCD screen. In addition, a round home button is embedded right next to the onscreen home button, as if one button wasn’t enough. Keep in mind that a 2.7-inch LCD screen with touch screen control is not the most optimal method when it comes to maneuvering through the menu. The buttons are too small to press, and we sometimes had to tap more than once to get a result. We prefer Panasonic and Canon’s rear-mounted joysticks.
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The HDR-CX7's Standby Screen. |
The Home menu. |
Pressing the Home button activates a screen that consists of five tabs located toward the bottom: Camera, View Images, Others, Manage Memory Stick, and Settings. The Camera submenu consists of Movie mode, Photo mode, and Smooth Slow Record settings. The View Images submenu is made up of Visual Index, Movie Index, Photo Index, and Playlist Settings. In the Others submenu, you’ll find the following options: Delete, Edit, Playlist edit, Print, Computer, and TV Connect Guide. The Manage Memory Stick submenu is comprised of Format, Info, and Repair image database file settings. In the Settings submenu you have control over Movie Settings, Photo Settings, View Images Settings, Sound/Display Settings, Output Settings, Clock/Language, and General Settings. At any point, you can press the “?” button, which triggers a small prompt window that explains each option and asks whether or not you would like to execute it.
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The HDR-CX7's Camera menu |
Movie Settings |
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Photo Settings |
Camera Settings |
The Camera menu is the place to find all the controls you want during shooting. The structure is similar to the Home menu, but the groupings make a little more sense. There are five tabs located at the bottom of the screen. The first three pages consist of Manual and Automatic controls, called Camera 1, 2, and 3. The last two tabs include effects and record settings. Camera 1 is composed of all the focus controls: manual/auto focus, Spot Focus, and tele macro. Camera 2 consists of all the exposure controls: manual/auto exposure, Spot Meter, and Scene Selection. Camera 3 is color: white balance, Color Slow Shutter, and Super NightShot options. The fourth tab, Effects, includes faders, picture effects, and digital effects. Finally, Record Options is comprised of HD/SD record settings, Record mode, and microphone level.
Portability (6.0)
A finalist in the world’s smallest HD camcorder contest, the HDR-CX7 will hide in a corner of a small camera bag with room to spare. Measuring a petit 69 x 67 x 131mm (2.75 x 2.75 x 5.25 inches) and tipping the scale at just 450 grams (15 ounces), the HDR-CX7 is the definition of portability—well, a definition based on the booming AVCHD market (See Panasonic HDC-SD5). One downside to the HDR-CX7 is that a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card will only offer 30 minutes of recording time in the highest quality setting. You’ll have to stock up on cards or repeatedly export footage in the field to solve this dilemma. Another downside is that most of the connectivity ports are not located on the camcorder but on the base. It you want to watch the footage or connect to a computer, that’s another thing to pack in the bag. Frankly, we would prefer a little bulk to the camcorder if it meant keeping it a self-contained package. The HDR-CX7 is solidly constructed despite its minute components, and it will withstand the perils of travel as long as it is handled with care.
LCD and Viewfinder (7.0)
The HDR-CX7 is equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD screen that flips out 90 degrees from the camcorder’s body and rotates up to a full 270 degrees. The LCD screen has a 211,200 pixel resolution that delivers a sharp picture. Since there is no viewfinder on the HDR-CX7, Sony has poured a bit more quality into the only monitor available. The LCD panel is stacked with Home, Zoom in/out, and Record start/stop buttons. Even more controls can be found within the LCD cavity, such as playback and the Easy button. Since the LCD is a touch screen, most shooters will experience trouble pressing the small buttons. Touch screens are great on 3.5-inch LCD screens or higher, but transferring an ATM-grade interface to a puny monitor does not amount to a user-friendly system.
Battery Life (10.1)
We tested the HDR-CX7’s battery life by placing the camcorder in full Manual mode with SteadyShot off and the LCD flipped all the way out. The HDR-CX7 recorded continuously in the highest HD quality setting. When a Memory Stick filled up and needed to be formatted, the battery was removed and the external power supply was plugged in. All in all, the HDER-CX7’s battery pack lasted a total of 101 minutes and 14 seconds (1 hour 41 minutes and 14 seconds). For a camcorder this small, this is not a bad performance. We do recommend stocking up on backup packs for longer shoots, though.