Sony HDR-HC7 Camcorder Reviewby John NeelyPublished on Mar 19, 2007 2:00 PM 
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Ease of Use (7.5)
Like most Sony camcorders, the HC7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1128.56) does not require a degree in rocket science to operate. Between the Easy button, touch screen menu, and retractable lens cover, the HC7 is geared toward the technically savvy consumer. The Easy button condenses the P-menu and doubles the font size for those who need to simplify their shooting experience. Although we have chastised Sony in the past for their implementation of smudge-prone touch screen menus, they are a hit among consumers because of their straightforward, easy to use interface. The retractable lens cover eliminates the need to flip a switch or throw on a lens cap.
On the other hand, the P-menu is exceedingly extensive and takes a great deal of time to maneuver through. For instance, if you want to adjust the white balance, you have to scroll through various submenus and selections before reaching a screen that requires you to select on or off before adjusting. Then again, the manual focus wheel comes to the rescue for on-the-fly shooting, but we would have preferred a focus ring. The HC7 is Sony’s top of the line consumer HD camcorder for 2007, and its amalgamation of user-friendly features and advanced features makes it a stellar contender within its price range.
Handling (6.0)
Handling the Sony HDR-HC7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1128.56) is mostly excellent, and if only the Cam Control dial were better, this would be an all around stellar camcorder to work with. Unfortunately, the Cam Control dial has a direct bearing on the efficacy of several key manual controls. But before harping on the dial, I’ll wax poetic about why this camcorder is a pleasure to handle in other ways . For users who don’t rely heavily on manual controls, the pluses will probably outweigh that significant minus.
In my hand, the HC7 feels wonderfully balanced which should reduce hand and wrist strain on an extended shoot. The three main index finger-operated controls, zoom, Photo and the Mode dial are all easily reached. The rocking lever design of the zoom controller is very good, and it makes accurate zooms at various speeds a breeze. This camcorder also has a solid feel that exudes quality and gravitas much more than most low-end consumer camcorders, including cheaper Sonys. While models like Sony’s DCR-HC48 (Review, Specs, $1128.56) feel flimsy, the HC7 feels and looks the way a $1400 camcorder should. The LCD hinge is well made, and doesn’t buckle when you press buttons on the screen. The Advanced Interface Shoe cover, and the other port covers are made of tough plastic, and snap tightly back into place when their not in use. The placement of terminals on the camcorder is also generally quite good, and the i.LINK, Component out and AV terminals can be used without obstructing the screen. On many other camcorders, ports are tucked into the LCD cavity, while these ports are positioned along the base of the camcorder’s left side.
Those features that are positioned in the LCD cavity (with the exception of the USB terminal, which will block the screen) have been chosen smartly, and they include the MemoryStick slot, and the Display/Batt Info and Easy buttons. The battery slot is open, and deep enough to accommodate an extended life battery without protruding too much. The battery release however is another sore point since it’s on the underside of the body. That leaves you no option but to detach the camcorder from a tripod to swap out batteries – a time-consuming process that could spoil an important shot. Thankfully, the tape transport mechanism has a top-loading design.
We don’t love Sony touch screens because they are terrible manual control interfaces, and inevitably pickup greasy fingerprints. However, the Sony menu is easy to navigate, and with some experience it can be traversed efficiently. For users who do use manual controls frequently, the Cam Control dial is a huge improvement over the touch screen for making adjustments to parameters like focus and exposure. Sadly, this Cam Control dial is a classic case of “so close…yet so far.” The Cam Control ring on the HDR-SR1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) was the best manual control interface seen on a consumer camcorder since the multifunction ring on the HC7’s ancestor, the Sony HDR-HC1 (Specs, $2295) introduced in 2005. With the Cam Control dial on the HC7, Sony’s engineers took a giant step back. The dial is just too small to use comfortable. Although it offers the same functionality as the SR1’s ring, focusing with tiny finger nudges is an onerous process compared to focusing with the large wrist movements allowed that a ring permits.
Coming down so hard on this little dial may seem unfair, and users accustomed to making occasional manual image adjustments might not see it as a problem at all. I do rely on manual image controls to get the best shot possible, and having worked with both of these camcorders, I know that there are shots I could have gotten with the SR1 that I could not with the HC7. If you’re looking to buy a top-shelf consumer high definition camcorder, consider the HDR-HC7; but think long and hard about whether you’ll rue the day dropped $1400 on the camcorder that choked on the money shot.
Menu (6.0)
The main HC7 menu is accessed by pressing the Menu button in Easy mode and the P-Menu in standard recording mode. In Easy mode, the menu is reconfigured in a simplified interface that enlarges the size of buttons, and restricts options to the basics: recording format (HDV or DV), beep on/off, clock set, and Display Guide. In standard recording mode, all options become available when you press the P-Menu button near the lower right corner of the LCD display.
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The P-Menu, or top-level menu |
The main menu is broken up into these submenus |
The P-Menu options appear as buttons on three screens, six to a page. Page one includes options for Menu (which contains most of the camcorder’s settings and manual controls), Disp Guide, Scene Select, Smooth Slow Record, Tele Macro and Fader; Page 2 includes: Exposure, Shutter Speed, AE Shift, WB Shift, White Balance, and Spot Focus; Page 3 includes: Spot Meter, X.V Color on/off, Dial Set, Beep on/off, Language, and P-Menu Set Up (allows customization of the P-Menu). Pressing the up or down arrows on the left side of the screen move from page to page.
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The largest submenu, Camera Set, has a number of choices, too many. This should have been broken up into more subcategories. |
Pressing the Menu button provides access to all the camcorder’s submenus, including Camera Set (AE modes, manual controls, etc.), Pict. Appli. (digital effects and faders), Edit/Play, Standard Set (general camcorder settings like Recording Format and DV aspect ratio); and Time/Language. Pressing any option within a sub-menu displays an interface specific to that option. For example, Camera Set > White Balance brings up a screen with buttons for Auto, Outdoor and Indoor presets, One Push (Manual) and manual set. The Sony HDR-HC7 menu is wide and deep, but the touch screen interface makes it easy to understand with almost zero ramp-up time.
I would be remiss if I didn’t revisit the reasons we think touch screen menus are a bad thing – despite the fact that they are practically idiot-proof. First and foremost, the LCD is the primary means of monitoring the recorded image on this camcorder, and a touch screen interface impedes effective use of the screen. Fingerprints will inevitably build up, making it difficult to see the display clearly and assessing exposure or focus on a screen cluttered with icons is at best a compromised endeavor. Worst of all, making manual control adjustments using virtual buttons displayed over the image you are adjusting is only slightly easier than herding cats.
Portability (5.5)
The Sony HDR-HC7 is bulky for a consumer camcorder, but the added size makes for better handling, and greater stability than a smaller model. The HC7 measures 3 1/4" x 3 1/4" x 5 1/2" (82 x 82 x 138mm) and weighs 1 lb. 6 oz. (650g) with tape and supplied battery, and it feels quite solid in your hand. Canon’s HV10 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $814) produces a fabulous picture in bright light (though its low light scores were disappointing), and offers a more compact alternative. That camcorder has an upright design unlike the horizontal body of the HC7, and is nearly (but not quite) pocket-sized, measuring 56mm x 90mm x 29mm (2.1” x 3.5” x 1.1”) and weighs in at 440g (15.5 oz.) making it significantly smaller than the Sony. The upcoming Canon HV20 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $903) has a design that resembles the HC7, is comparable in terms of features, and is nearly identical in size.
LCD and Viewfinder (7.5)
The 16:9 LCD display on the Sony HDR-HC7 is measure 2.7" diagonally and has a resolution of approximately 211K pixels. It renders a very sharp image with reliable color reproduction, and like other Sony LCDs can be viewed from an angle without significant solarization. The screen opens to 90 degrees from the body, rotates through 270 degrees, and can be folded into the LCD cavity screen-side out for monitoring from the left side.
The color EVF (electronic color viewfinder) is extendable from the body, and has a resolution of approximately 123K pixels. A dioptric adjustment on the right side of the EVF allows you to customize the display to your eyesight, but the lever is relatively small and difficult to adjust. This eyecup is made of hard plastic, but its larger than average for a consumer camcorder, and does a decent job of blocking light entering from the sides.
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Finally, the screen doubles as a touch screen menu and manual control interface – a technology that only Sony has implemented on its consumer camcorders – and it’s not our favorite innovation from the consumer electronics behemoth. It smudges up, due to natural oils created by the skin. After a day of using the touch screen menu, you will notice a cloudy barrage of fingerprints in most lighting. This creates an inaccurate reading with spot meter on because everything will look out of focus. In addition, certain buttons like the P-menu are small and difficult to access, so start growing your nails. The 2.7” LCD screen provides a sharp picture with over 211K pixels, and the color is fairly balanced. A zoom panel and start/stop button is located on the left side of the LCD panel for expatiated recording.
Battery Life (9.8)
The Sony HDR-HC7 ships with the NP-FH60 battery pack, which slides into the cavity on the back of the camcorder with room to spare. The deep slot means an optional longer life battery, like the NP-FH100 (good for a reported 415 minutes of continuous HDV recording) won’t protrude more than it has to.
We tested the life of the included battery pack for continuous HDV shooting, with no manual controls or zoom engaged, and OIS set to off. We found the battery on our HDR-HC7 lasted 98 minutes and 14 seconds (1 hour, 38 minutes, and 14 seconds). This is in the average range for a supplied battery pack on a consumer HDV camcorder. Keep in mind that Sony also lists both continuous and “typical” recording time for its batteries. In the case of the NP-FH60, the Continuous time listed is 95 minutes, while the typical recording time is 50 minutes, and takes into account zooms, pauses, and adjustments. If you like to shoot away from home for days on end, you may want to invest in a second battery.