Sony HDR-UX7 First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby Matt CullerPublished on Jan 10, 2007 3:00 PM
|
Advertisement
|
||||||||||
|
Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
All of the manual controls on the Sony HDR-UX7 include automatic options. Automatic functions on Sony camcorders are generally top notch, and while we didn’t have enough time to fully assess the automatic controls on the HDR-UX7, they’re probably stellar as well. Be warned, however, that in exceptional conditions even top-quality automatic controls will have their problems. Automatic focus at high zooms is going to falter, as will automatic exposure in high contrast lighting. Auto white balance will also struggle in mixed lighting. In all these cases, manual image control is your best bet – and thankfully, the UX7 is generally up to the task.
Overall Manual Control The manual controls on the HDR-UX7 are good, compared to the abysmal touch screen only controls found on most HandyCams from Sony. I love the dial control. It offers smoother adjustments as compared to the inferior dial control on HDR-HC7 and is a more viable tool. That said, some may consider it a downgrade from the HDR-UX1’s multifunction ring. What the HDR-HC7 has over the HDR-UX7 is manual shutter speed control and a better zoom toggle. This coupled with the overhauled menu system makes navigating the camcorder’s controls pleasant relative to lower-end Sony’s that only excel in Easy mode.
Users still have to contend with how manual adjustments not tied to the dial will involve going through on-screen buttons – but the presence of ANY kind of external manual image control on a Sony is a huge boon. The menu system for the UX7 has some advantages over the menus seen on HandyCams to date. On the plus side, it groups manual controls thematically in three tabs, labeled with Camera icons 1, 2, and 3, making access to many camcorder functions faster.
Zoom
The HDR-UX7 features a 10x optical zoom operated by a zoom toggle located on the top of the camcorder and a secondary zoom toggle located on the margin of the LCD screen. The top zoom control overrides the secondary control. This is a fine zoom toggle though I wish that it would protrude further off of the surface of the camcorder body for better sensitivity. Sony was able to do this on this year’s HDR-HC7; why not here? Also, I prefer the primary zoom toggle to be under my index finger rather than my middle – a sizing issue that large-handed users will face. The HDR-UX7 had ergonomic issues related to hand size, though I expect this shouldn’t be an issue for small-handed users. A digital zoom of 20x is available, but can be disabled to preserve image quality.
The zoom toggle could have been raised a little higher.
Focus
Manual focus is available on the HDR-UX7 using either the camcorder’s touch screen menu system or the dial control. In the camcorder’s touch screen menu system, manual focus is located under the “Camera 1” tab, thematically grouped with Telemacro and Spot Focus. Focal lengths from 0.1 to infinity are available and listed on the LCD screen. If you’re adjusting focus mid-shot, you can use the dial control located on the front of the camcorder, so long as you’ve assigned it to control focus. On many of Sony’s camcorders that lack focus rings or similar dial control, this on-the-fly adjustment is near impossible. The new HDR-HC7 features a less capable dial control and I found this one more responsive overall.
Sony includes a Spot Focusing option, where users tap the area of the screen for auto focus adjustments.
Exposure & Aperture
Manual exposure of the Sony HDR-UX7 is controlled via the camcorder’s touch screen menu system or using the assignable dial control on the camcorder’s front. Like manual focus, it is located in the touch screen menu system under the “Camera 2” tab, a thematic group including AE shift, Scene Select, and Spot Metering. Like other Sony camcorders, the HDR-UX7 offers an opaque manual exposure adjustment, providing no numeric indicators onscreen. Indeed, when you adjust exposure, moving the cursor along a blank horizontal meter, you’re changing both iris and shutter with no precise information to go on. Sony also offers a Spot Metering option, allowing users to tap particular areas of the screen for specific auto exposure adjustment.
The HDR-UX7 includes an AE shift option under the “Camera 2” tab. This exposure offset feature can be assigned to the dial control, and it can be used to tweak the manual exposure function to reach exposures in between the manual function’s incremental jumps. This is a good control for on-the-fly tweaking.
Shutter Speed
There are no manual shutter speed options on the HDR-UX7. Look at this year’s HDR-HC7 and HDR-HC5 for manual shutter speed options on comparably-priced Sony high definition camcorders.
White Balance
Manual white balance is available on the Sony HDR-UX7 via the camcorder’s touch screen menu system only. It is located under the “Camera 3” tab, grouped with WB Shift and Color Slow Shutter (a NightShot mode). This control cannot be controlled using the camcorder’s dial control, though the WB shift can be assigned to the dial, allowing for white balance tweaking in the same manner as exposure tweaking. Standard Sony white balance options are available: Manual, Auto, Indoor, and Outdoor.
Gain
There is no manual gain on the Sony HDR-UX7
Other Manual Controls
The HDR-UX7 doesn’t have any other manual control options.