Sony Handycam HDR-HC7
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: HDRHC7
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- A great HD camcorder for deep-pocketed leisure shooters, as long as you like the Sony Handycam HDR-HC7's touch screen interface.
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Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
Sony Handycam HDR-HC7 price range: $1,599.55
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 03/30/2007
The good: Excellent video and performance; satisfying photo quality; a decent set of manual controls for the target audience; bundled FireWire cable.
The bad: Annoying touch screen interface.
The bottom line: A great HD camcorder for deep-pocketed leisure shooters, as long as you like the Sony Handycam HDR-HC7's touch screen interface.
So you've heard how much better video will look in the xvYCC color space and are set to drop $33,000 on the Sony Bravia KDL-70XBR3 70-inch LCD TV when it ships in May. But what will you play on it? Most likely home movies recorded with the Sony Handycam HDR-HC7 or its little brother, the HDR-HC5, the first camcorders available to support xvYCC. However, even if you're not quite ready to plunk down that much cash for a TV, the more modestly priced HC7 will still deliver a great home movie experience.
In fact, it's impossible to know how the new color space, branded "x.v.Color" by Sony, will actually fare; though the HC7 can record it, no device can display the video properly as yet. Absent that distinction, the HC7 simply continues the tradition of Sony's excellent series of consumer HDV camcorders. Incorporating Sony's 1/2.9-inch 3-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor, the HC7 outspecs its 2-megapixel predecessors and the HC5 to rise to the top of Sony's single-chip consumer HDV camcorder line. It's not alone up there. With the exception of recording media type and the resultant design issues, the HC7 is essentially a twin of the DVD-based HDR-UX7. And I wouldn't be surprised if the eventual follow-up to the hard-disk-based HDR-SR1 made them triplets.
The sensor and a few random features differentiate the HC7 from the HC5. They share the same Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 10x zoom lens, though the tiny difference in sensor sizes results in a relatively insignificant disparity in focal lengths. In contrast to the HC5, a dial on the HC7 lets you assign one shooting adjustment setting--manual focus, exposure compensation/exposure shift, white balance shift (toward red or blue), and shutter speed--to control via the rather slippery dial. And the HC7 supplies a microphone input and headphone jack.
For shooting convenience, Sony provides its excellent SuperSteadyShot optical image stabilizer and Active Interface Shoe, plus Super NightShot infrared mode for when you need to tape in the dark. A nice selection of jacks populate the HC7, including HDMI 1.3 and component outputs. And while most camcorders have a FireWire port--i.Link, if you're Sony--Sony actually bundles a cable with the unit. Other niceties include a built-in electronic lens cover, a LANC connector, and a flash for still photos.
Like most of Sony's consumer models, the HC7 incorporates the love-it-or-hate-it touch screen interface; I fall more into the hate-it camp, especially on the HC7's smaller 16:9 2.7-inch LCD. Within the menus you'll find eight scene modes; 24-step exposure shift; manual, indoor, outdoor, and auto white balance; and manual shutter-speed adjustment between 1/2 and 1/500th second. Spot Focus and Spot Meter take advantage of the interface by letting you literally point at your subject.
Weighing 1 pound, 7 ounces with battery and tape, I found the HC7 quite comfortable to hold and shoot; only using the touch screen required an awkward two-handed balancing act. Though inconvenient for menu navigation, the LCD otherwise works well, and remains visible in harsh lighting. I generally prefer shooting with an eye-level viewfinder, though, and wish Sony had padded the hard plastic eyecup.
Though Sony emblazons "6.1 megapixels still image recording" on the HC7's lens barrel, that claim's a bit misleading--especially when you can spot "6.1 megapixels" from several feet away and "still image recording" requires an up-close-and-personal read. In fact, it delivers an effective video resolution of 2.3 megapixels in HD mode and 1.7 megapixels in SD mode. Either is more than enough for downsampling to 1,920x540 (a single 1080i field) and 720x480 (SD). Photo resolution depends upon your current video mode. If you take photos while in tape mode (as opposed to memory mode), it records to the Memory Stick Duo but fixes the resolution at 4.6 megapixels (16:9) and 3.4 megapixels (4:3); in camera mode, you have the option of 6.1 or 3.1 megapixels for 4:3, as well as VGA resolution. How confusing is that? Especially since the area of the scene covered by the 4.6 megapixel, 16:9 aspect version is a letterboxed crop of the 6.1 megapixel, 4:3 aspect version. In practice, since most people likely will be shooting HDV and simply snapping the occasional photo, the typical photo size you'll see is 4.6 megapixels.
All that said, the HC7 generally produces excellent video, and depending upon the subject, photos that print nicely as large as 16x9 inches. The auto white balance could be a bit more neutral, but overall the colors emerge ballpark accurate and saturated. As usual with the Zeiss T* lenses, video renders sharply, especially when shot in conjunction with Sony's great Super SteadyShot optical image stabilizer. It helps that the lens doesn't have to stretch beyond 10x zoom; that means neither the optical system nor the stabilizer face undue challenges.
The autofocus and metering systems also perform quite well. The HC7 renders correct exposures in a variety of situations ranging from overcast midday skies to glaring low-angle desert light. Though CNET Labs' tests can't yet substantiate Sony's low-light claims of 2 lux, in a typical single-lamp living room environment it fares better than many competitors for sharpness, noise, and color. And the autofocus adapts relatively quickly to changes in position and zoom.
Although far pricier than the typical home-movie camcorder, if you've got the extra bucks to spend, your baby and vacation videos will look far better shot with the Handycam HDR-HC7 than if you shoot them with the typical $600 model. And though the quality far exceeds that of YouTube video, you can always run them through the garbage disposal first for that Internet cinema verité look.
User reviews
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Remarkable - Not perfect but close.
by PrestigeV on March 4, 2007
Pros: Great stills especially while shooting video. Amazing HD video quality and Optical Image Stabilizer is effective without compromising quality. Great size and ergonomics. Automatic lens - nice!
Cons: CMOS image sensor is still not a strong performer in low light. Wide angle is not very wide. Power / mode switch not as easy to use as on older models.
Summary: Let me give you my background. I own a video production business. I operate a wide range of cameras and editing platforms. I am not an engineer so I can'...
Summary: Let me give you my background. I own a video production business. I operate a wide range of cameras and editing platforms. I am not an engineer so I can't break down performance by numbers by I can give you an experienced opinion in plain language.
I owned a Sony HDR-HC1 which I sold on ebay the moment I read that the HC7 was coming out and had restored many of the features removed on the HC3 - mic jack, manual focus, etc. First observation, manual focus and exposure controls are present but not quite as accesible as on the HC1. But for my uses this is a minor, if not a non-issue.
I purchased this camera as my personal camcorder which will be used occasionaly for work when it's size / HD advantages are required. I own a couple of Sony FX1s (3 chip HDV cameras) for the majority of my HD work.
You have to admire the technological accomplishment of fitting this much horsepower into a package as small as the HC7. I have not actually seen a HC3 so my comparisons are with my HC1. Even the higher capacity battery is fully within the camera's body. The largest battery will likely stick out of the back but I can't imagine your average consumer needing that much shooting time. I mention this because when you turn the camera over without the battery in it you realize just how little space is used for the real mechanics. Frankly, it's amazing.
Okay, performance. The video quality is stunning in decent to strong lighting. If you've ever watched an HD football game on CBS (they broadcast in 1080i) on a really good HD set you'll get an idea of how good the picture quality looks from this camera. I find the image indistinguishable from the FX1s which cost roughly three times as much.
However, in low light the quality drops off. In fact, at first blush I don't see any real improvement over the HC1's realitively poor performance in low light. Of course you have the night shot feature but that makes everything look like night footage from Survivor. Again, as my personal camcorder this isn't a huge issue.
Sony is selling a feature called X.V. Color as something that will give you more life like color performance. I never had anything but raves for the color performance and accuracy of the HC1 but I'm all for more of a good thing. But when you read the manual you find out that if you playback video shot in X.V. Color on a tv that doesn't support X.V. Color you may get undesirable results. So, the default mode is X.V. Color is off. Why promote a feature then reccomend you don't use it?
Lastly, I like a wide angle to be a wide angle. Perhaps the optics required to support the HD video and shoot quality still
photos requires a compromise. I find that, like the HC1, the wide angle setting on this camera isn't quite wide enough. I can speak from experience when I say that if you take the camera on a cruise don't plan on shooting any tape in your cabin. I purchased a wide angle adapter but I wish I didn't have to.
There were two reasons I upgraded to this camera over the HC1 - Smaller physical size and better stills. It is small. How are the stills? First let me say that even though they were taken at a small 2.8 megapixels, I was never disatisfied with the quality of the stills that came out of the HC1. In fact, because of the advantage of the bigger zoom lens, I'd frequently use my HC1 over my 7 megapixel point-n-shoot. Of course you didn't want to blow those shots up too large.
The big short coming of the HC1 was grabbing a still WHILE shooting video - it was limited to 1.3 megapixels. Still, it's a such a great feature. On vacation I was taping a rural Mexican horse race. As they crossed the finish line I hit the "Photo" button and grabbed a still that was one of my favorite pictures from the entire trip.
So, when I read that the HC7 shoots 6 megapixel stills and 4 megapixels while shooting video I was sold. In my limited experience with this camera I find it delivers on the promised improvement on still quality - and then some. In addition to the improved resolution, the flash retains it's strong balanced performance and that occasional "still video frame look" is even less present.
Here's a trick I hadn't read about and I don't know if it's been present on previous units. But I figure if I didn't know about it most others won't either. While PLAYING BACK video you've already shot you can press the Photo button and grab digital stills to the memory stick. It's like saying "Damn, I wish I could've taken a picture of that moment" and then being able to go back in time and take it. These pics are back to 1.3 megapixels but you'd be amazed how really good they look. Forget any experiences you may have had with standard def freeze frames - these look beautiful.
I don't like the position and operation of the power/mode switch. On the HC1 turning the camera on was a simple thumb movement. It's now more of a two handed procedure.
They put a quality hinged access door over the video / firewire / lanc/ headphone ports. But there's still the flimsy tethered covers for the mic jack, power / charge port, HDMI, and the accessory shoe that feel like even if they're handled with TLC, they'll eventually break free. Those are really the only complaints I have about the camera.
I love the automatic lens cover. I appreciate the top loading cassette mechanism. Both the viewfinder and LCD screen are bright and have adequate resolution.
There's an intangible negative to this camera. If you're a status snob the camera, due to it's larger than palm size, can look a little old and low tech to the unititiated. Believe it or not, with it's wide lens hood, despite it's larger size, the HC1 looked a little "cooler".
A small price to pay for all of this amazing functionality. Speaking of price, I paid full MSRP to be the first kid on the block and I feel like it was worth every penny.
I hope this review was helpful.65 out of 65 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Pretty good but not great
by AlbertW on April 1, 2007
Pros: video quality, handling, size, hdv
Cons: memory, stills, menu
Summary: Pros:
1. Great video quality in good to great light. Colors are "punchy".
2. Doubles as a still camera. Even though the still quality is not great, it could still ...Summary: Pros:
1. Great video quality in good to great light. Colors are "punchy".
2. Doubles as a still camera. Even though the still quality is not great, it could still come in handy.
3. Down-conversion to standard definition seems pretty good. Can easily record you hi-def to DVD using a digital connection to a DVD recorder.
4. Handling seems good. The size of the camera is fairly small. It's amazing what they can pack into things of this size.
5. Uses HDV format on MiniDV tapes.
Cons:
1. USB interface is not USB 2.0! This is 2007! Downloading still photos takes much longer than it should. I don't intend to buy a proprietary memory card reader.
2. Uses Sony proprietary memory.
3. Still camera functions are mediocre. Probably equivalent to today's $200 and less digital still cameras. I have a Canon 20D digital SLR and the difference is quite clear! The Sony still photos are noisier and just not as good looking. The flash photos in low light are poor-fair.
4. Don't like the menu system. Seems harder to use than it should be.
Neutrals:
1. Fair battery life with the included battery.
2. Video quality in low-light could be better, but it's not poor. I'd say it is fair.16 out of 16 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Initial Review- Very Impressive
by awm17 on February 4, 2007
Pros: See complete review
Cons: See complete review
Summary: I received the Sony HDR-HC7 4 days ago. This HD camcorder is the 3rd and final piece of my HD makeover. The first component is the Sony KDS-R60XBR2 1080p TV, ...
Summary: I received the Sony HDR-HC7 4 days ago. This HD camcorder is the 3rd and final piece of my HD makeover. The first component is the Sony KDS-R60XBR2 1080p TV, the second is a PS3, and now the new camcorder. One thing I noticed immediately upon playing my older home-made DV videos is that the big screen really amplifies the lower resolution, and that the hand jitter of the home movies is more problematic as well. Both of these deficiencies prompted me to go for this HD camcorder with optical stabilization.
Impressions after 4 days of playing with the camcorder:
Pros-
- The video is great, especially filling the 60 inch screen. The images look smooth, not necessarily eye-popping sharp, but very pleasing.
- The still images are excellent. At 6.1 Megapixels, they are as good as any 6 MP still camera (I did the comparison). My test for still cameras is to print 8x10 glossies. When you do that, it is easy to judge excellent, good, and not-so-good. The 8x10 prints are excellent. Moreover, the camera has a 10x optical zoom, so that is a major advantage for still photography. The flash is surprisingly robust- better than most smaller still cameras. This camcorder truly opens up the possibility of leaving the still camera at home.
- The DV tape is a cost-effective convenience. I popped in a standard Sony Premium DV tape and everything's been fine. So far, I've not seen any evidence of frame dropping. Everything has been smooth and very eye-pleasing. I carefully considered the other alternatives of HDD and DVD burners, but for overall ease-of-use, the DV is a proven cost-effective way to take a lot of videos and to store them conveniently.
- Sony offers a case for underwater videotography (Sony Camcorder Marine Case (SPK-HCB)). This case which is listed as an accessory offers good value considering that custom camcorder cases can run in excess of $1K. I have one on order and plan to use it very soon for some snorkeling. Such underwater home footage should be very cool.
Cons-
- It is not the most elegant or stylish hardware.
- Does not have a neck strap.
- The audio is not its strong point- nothing bad, but not particularly compelling.
- The on-the-fly stills are in widescreen so that the overall resolution on printed paper is not as good as the stand-alone stills.
- Naturally, with a substantial investment in the camcorder unit, comes the additional costs for options such as (1) stand-alone battery charger, (2) extra high-capacity battery, (3) better microphone, and (4) external light source for video and stills.
This early review would not be complete without mentioning the significant value added by using PlayStation 3. The camcorder video is stored in the DV tape in MPEG2 format. After recording, I simply transferred the video into my Ulead VideoStudio 10 Plus which handles HDV files. After that I copied the MPEG2 file into the hard drive of the PS3. One can then watch the video on the big screen using the handy remote ($25) for the PS3 with fast forward and such so that the overall operation is almost as convenient as if you had burned a BluRay DVD. The fact that the SXRD TV has a 3rd HDMI input in the front makes connecting to the camcorder particularly convenient.
Bottom line- the camcorder is very impressive. I've covered the basic functions so far but there's much more to learn and to explore with this unit. The coupling of the 1080p TV and the PS3 with the camcorder results in a most enjoyable HD experience.14 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent HD video but lots of caveats
by motorcom on July 5, 2007
Pros: Sharp lens, accurate color, amazingly clear pictures
Cons: Slow and annoying touch screen interface, lack of focus ring
Summary: The first thing to know is that you can NOT see HD quality video playback UNLESS you use COMPONENT connections to an HDTV (or use HDMI). I was very disappointed ...
Summary: The first thing to know is that you can NOT see HD quality video playback UNLESS you use COMPONENT connections to an HDTV (or use HDMI). I was very disappointed with image clarity using the standard AV output until I figured this out. Once I connected the component outputs - WOW - what a difference, really impressive!
The quality of the HD video is simply amazing - literally comparable to what you see on network TV. There are no blocky artifacts in TAPE playback that you sometimes see on HD stations over cable or satellite.
That being said, I favor my 8 year cold Sony TRV900 for quality of build, ease of use and overall functionality.
The lack of a focus ring on the HC-7 is especially annoying as is having to step through a myriad of touch screen MENU items to adjust iris, shutter speed, color, and focus and almost everything else. The zoom lever requires practice to get smooth, slow, steady zooms. The optical stabilzation is okay but not nearly as good as my TRV900.
Also wish the accessory shoe was a universal style instead of the Sony proprietary model.
Good to have the mic input and headphone output.
The 2.7" diag fold-out LCD screen seems small compared to the 3.5" on my two SD mini-cams.
Nevertheless, as a first step into HD, I am glad I made the HC-7 choice and see lots of advantages to tape over hard drives - at least at this point in time.8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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worth the money if u pay less than retail
by carbonell2 on April 6, 2007
Pros: light (for what it is), exclt video quality, included component / firewire / AV / Remote, auto lens cover, 25mpbs on DV Tape (vs 13ish on HDD or AVCHD), metal enclosure!, built in mic is GREAT!
Cons: Memory Stick card, "smaller than it should be" LCD, disappointing manual adjustments controler
Summary: i originally had my sights set on the HC5 or Panasonic's new 3CCD 5.1 audio hotness. Panny dropped the ball with the well below average of 13mbps HD ...
Summary: i originally had my sights set on the HC5 or Panasonic's new 3CCD 5.1 audio hotness. Panny dropped the ball with the well below average of 13mbps HD encoding for AVCHD and it doesn't help that there is not 1 digital video editor (mac or PC) that can edit AVCHD...so i had to pass. if i didn't want to edit my recorded footage...i would have bought the Panny, but who the heck doesn't want to edit out wasted recordings?
next up was the HC5. i'm a huge sony point & shoot camera fan so i read a few reviews of the HC3 from last year and patiently waited for some reviews on the new HC5 & 7. the specs are very similar between the 5 & 7, but i wanted manual features and the 7 was my only choice. it stinks because the manual adjustment control is clunky, clumsy and dissappointing at best. on a positive note, the video i've recorded thus far is "excellent" to "amazing" compared to SD. don't expect Dicovery Channel HD or anything like that. those are $30,000+ cams. coming from a Panasonic 3CCD SD cam, i was extremely please with the results of HC7.
the retail on this ranges from $1200-$1400. i found mine for $1049 + shipping which is the retail of the HC5. i wouldn't have bought it if i had to pay more, but that said...i'm extremely happy with my purchase.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not as good at the old HC3 in features
by BobCozzi on June 10, 2007
Pros: Solid construction, easy menu interface, good sound pick up, mic jack, earphone jack, HDMI output
Cons: Steadyshot isn't as good as the old HC3, much noicier than other models, picture isn't as good as most other HDV cameras I've used
Summary: I replaced my old Sony HC3 with this HC7 because the HC3 had no external Mic jack--not good for podcasting. Anyway, the mic jack is there and works great, the ...
Summary: I replaced my old Sony HC3 with this HC7 because the HC3 had no external Mic jack--not good for podcasting. Anyway, the mic jack is there and works great, the camera operates just as easy as the HC3 and the picture is bright sunlight while worse than the HC3 is pretty darn good.
The big downside for me is the move from electronic image stablizer to Optical. While my other camera is also optical stablizer, the HC7 acts like it has no stabilization at all. Not sure why that is, but even compared to the HC3, every shot is jumpy, wide, zoom, medium, etc.
I will probably return this one, sadly.7 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Absolutely great for the "point and shoot" user.
by mhorvathm on April 13, 2007
Pros: Great stills in all modes.
Cons: Complicated owners manual and camera menu.
Summary: As a "point and shoot" person who is not a camera/techno geek I am really impessed with camera. Minutes after getting the battery charged I was shooting great video ...
Summary: As a "point and shoot" person who is not a camera/techno geek I am really impessed with camera. Minutes after getting the battery charged I was shooting great video and stills - it was easy!! Took pictures in all modes and printed them out to 8" x 10" on a laser color printer. Even pictures taken at the lowest setting (1.2m) looked great even though they were blown up to 8 x 10. Needless to say the pictures at default setting (6.1) were exceptional. The pictures at 1.2 were video frames captured on DVC tape and simply with a push of a button transfereed to the Memory Stick as pictures. What a feature - video record a few seconds or minutes of the scene you want and then scroll back thru the frames and capture the still you want.
If your pockets are deep enough for the heavy price, go for it, this is agreat camera that is easy to use.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Compact, so-easy-to-use-you'll-love-it camcorder that shoots great quality videos and photos
by WhizKid66 on April 11, 2007
Pros: Compact size, excellent video/photo quality, great photo capabilities, touch screen responds well
Cons: Small LCD (can't be helped due to compact size), no dedicated playback controls (apart from touch screen & remote), no HDMI cable provided
Summary: For almost the same price that I paid 7 years ago, this unit is light years ahead of my previous Sony DCR-TRV20 - especially in its photo capabilities. Seems that ...
Summary: For almost the same price that I paid 7 years ago, this unit is light years ahead of my previous Sony DCR-TRV20 - especially in its photo capabilities. Seems that Sony really put the effort into fusing their camcorders and digital cameras together in this unit.
You'll either love or hate the fact that it uses mini-DV tapes. I had a pile laying around, so that's why I chose this type (along with HDV's better quality). The HDV records perfectly fine on those older mini-DV tapes. I also have a Sony PSP, so I had a few Memory Stick Pro Duos in the house already - another love it or hate it there.
Overall, this camcorder is excellent and if it had dedicated playback controls (I got spoiled by those on the DCR-TRV20), and Sony could somehow squeeze a bigger LCD into the package, it would be a perfect 10 for me.
Miscellaneous comments:
- Great connectivity options on this unit and included right in the box - except for an HDMI cable.
- I don't use the manual camera options too much, so I can't complain (yet) about the manual wheel. I like that you can use it for volume, though.
- There are, however, a ton of options available in the menus...some extremely useful (End Search), some not so useful (Dial Set - this shouldn't be buried in the menu).Updated
- Being able to take a photo while filming video and playing back video (even old SD video) is a killer feature
- The automatic lens cover is another nice feature (I hate having to remove & keep track of lens caps)
- As a comparison of the photo quality, it is not as good as a Nikon D70 (not much is), but equal or a step better than a Fuji Finepix Z1
- Metal casing gives this unit a very good feel (better than most of Sony's other plastic, cheap-feeling units)4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very happy with one BIG exception
by xtian666 on December 17, 2007
Pros: In good light and from a fixed point the video is awesome
Cons: Image stabilization is very poor
Summary: I have had the camera for 9 months and on the whole am thrilled with its quality and features. However, I can't record and move at the same time ...
Summary: I have had the camera for 9 months and on the whole am thrilled with its quality and features. However, I can't record and move at the same time because the "Steady Shot" image stabilization introduces a very annoying digital shimmy with any motion. It is so bad that I sent it back to Sony, but they returned it saying "operates as normal". I've never had this issue with other Sony handycams or from Canon, but this one is bad. I hope it is just my unit, but Sony claims it is operating correctly
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This camera is perfect for a lot of thing, I love it!
by slothenstein on February 15, 2007
Pros: Very small, great video, mic input, headphone jack(neither of these are on the hc5)
Cons: haven't found any yet
Summary: I love this camera. I am making short documentaries this summer and this camera is perfect for them. I cannot find anything wrong with it yet and probably will not ...
Summary: I love this camera. I am making short documentaries this summer and this camera is perfect for them. I cannot find anything wrong with it yet and probably will not find anything worth mentioning that deters my opinion. The HD video looks great on an HD and SD TV. Touch screen is great. Just the right size, not too small or too big. Easy to use. I can see why it got best in class at CES this year.
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: HDRHC7
- Description: The HDR-HC7 lets you view the world through a professional grade Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T Lens with 10x optical/20x digital zoom and a 1/2.9" ClearVid CMOS Sensor. In addition to pristine quality video, you can capture 4.6 megapixel still images while the camcorder is recording video with the dual record mode feature. Take command of your pictures as you manually control focus, exposure, shutter speed, auto exposure shift and white balance shift. View everything you shoot on the 2.7"2 Wide Clear Photo LCD Plus featuring Touch Panel SwivelScreen technology, so you can swivel from any shooting angle. Super SteadyShot technology and the Super NightShot feature will help you capture videos you'll want to share with the world.
General
- Product Type Camcorder - 1080i
- Digital Zoom 20 x
- Optical Sensor Size 1/2.9"
- Optical Sensor Type ClearVid CMOS
- Min Illumination 0 lux
- Digital Video Format MPEG-2
- Special Effects Sepia, Still, Trail, Mosaic, Pastel, Monotone, Skintone, Cinematic, Old Movie, Flash Motion, Negative Art, Solarization
- Image Stabilizer Optical (Super Steady Shot)
- Digital Scene Transition Black fader, White fader, Mosaic fader, Monotone fader
- Min Shutter Speed 1/2 sec
- Max Shutter Speed 1/500 sec
- Shooting Modes Digital photo mode
- Shooting Programs Beach, Candle, Sunset, Sunrise, Fireworks, Landscape, Spotlight, Portrait mode, Sports lesson
- White Balance Custom, Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Indoor, Outdoor
- Exposure Modes Program, Automatic
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Widescreen Video Capture Yes
Main Features
- Camcorder Sensor Resolution 3.2 megapixels
- Camcorder Effective Video Resolution 2.2 megapixels
- Camcorder Effective Still Resolution 3 megapixels
- Camcorder Interpolated Still Resolution 6.1 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Still Image Format JPEG
- Remote Control Remote control - Infrared
- TV Tuner None
Memory / Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage JPEG 2848 x 2136
- Media Type Mini DV (HDV)
- Recording Speed LP, SP
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 5.4 mm - 54 mm - F/1.8-2.9
- Focal Length 5.4 mm - 54 mm
- Lens Aperture F/1.8-2.9
- Optical Zoom 10 x
- Lens system type Zoom lens
- Min focal length 5.4 mm
- Max focal length 54 mm
- Lens Manufacturer Carl Zeiss
- Filter Size 37 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual, Automatic
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
- DV input Yes
- Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
- Digital Still Camera Function Yes
- Additional Features PictBridge support, Accessories hot shoe, Touch-screen control
- Remote control Remote control - Infrared
- Software Sony Picture Motion Browser
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type LCD
- Viewfinder Resolution 123,000 pixels
Display
- Type LCD display - 2.7 in - Color
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
Connections
- Connector Type IEEE 1394 (FireWire/i.LINK), Control-L (LANC), Composite video/audio output, USB, Component video output, Headphones, Microphone, HDMI
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x Memory Stick PRO Duo
Audio Input
- Audio input type Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
Miscellaneous
- Carrying Case None
- Cables Included A/V cable, Component video cable, USB cable, IEEE 1394 cable
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Battery
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Labor - 90 days, Limited warranty - Parts - 1 year
Viewfinder / Display
- Display Form Factor Rotating
- Display Format 211,000 pixels
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
Physical Characteristics
- Width 3.2 in
- Depth 5.4 in
- Height 3.2 in
- Weight 1.5 lbs
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Camcorder, ClearVid CMOS, 10 x, Mini DV (HDV), 1.5 lbs
Manufacturer info
- Sony
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.sonystyle.com
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790
