Sony HDR-UX7 First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby Matt CullerPublished on Jan 10, 2007 3:00 PM
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Video Performance
The Sony HDR-UX7 ships with the same 1/2.9” ClearVID CMOS sensor (3.2 MP gross pixels) found on Sony’s upper-end HDV consumer camcorder for 2007, the HDR-HC7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1128.56). This sensor is a major upgrade for the UX line. It is the most significant distinguishing factor between the HDR-UX7 and its step-down sibling the HDR-UX5 which has a 2.1 MP CMOS sensor. We expect to see good things from the 3.2 MP sensor that also appears in the HDV HDR-HC7. However, we also expect to see some performance differences between these top-end high definition camcorders.
When we tested the HDR-UX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $729.95) last fall, in both the camcorder’s High and Standard Definition recording modes we found good quality color and sharpness in bright light that nearly matched the stellar video of the HDR-HC3 (Review, Specs, $969.99). However, sharpness and color reproduction proved to be only part of the story. Using a brand new compression algorithm, AVCHD, to squeeze a big HD picture down to 12Mbps at its max bit rate, the UX1 displayed a disappointing amount of noise. The noise issues were acute and grew worse at lower lighting levels. We believe these problems stem from the camcorder’s AVCHD versus HDV compression. For now, AVCHD just can’t match HDV for overall picture quality since HDV has a higher fixed bit rate of 25Mbps. The larger imager should improve performance, but the use of AVCHD will still affect picture quality.
Low Light Performance
We expect the HDR-UX7 to perform better than the HDR-UX1 in low light, thanks primarily to its larger 3.2 MP imager. Despite the noise problems, the UX1 maintained much of its color and resolution fidelity at 60 lux and even turned in a respectable picture at 15 lux. While we expect AVCHD’s growing pains to ameliorate over time, it remains to be seen whether the HDR-UX7’s larger imager will have any great effect on the camcorder’s low light noise, though it should improve light gathering sensitivity.