Sony HDR-FX7

Sony's new HDR-FX7 joins the HDR-FX1 atop the company’s consumer line of HDV camcorders, and closely resembles the DCR-VX2100. The VX2100, in turn, is derived from the DCR-VX1000 – the first ever MiniDV camcorder, sprung on an analog world in 1995. In that sense, it’s easy to see the the HDR-FX7 as the HDV offspring of the legendary VX1000.  By the time the VX2100 hit the market in 2004, the high-end DV market was crowded, but it held its ground as an accessible and inexpensive alternative to the likes of Sony’s DCR-PD170 and Panasonic’s AG DVX-100. With the release of the HDR-FX7, Sony seems to have similar niche in mind. It combines the 20x optical zoom lens and three ClearVID CMOS sensors of the pro HVR-V1U with the accessibility of the VX2100. As such, it should be "just right" for many users – not too small on performance, not too big on price with an MSRP of $3500.