Sony HDR-FX7 3-CMOS Sensor HDV High-Definition Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom

Posted by Sony on

August 13, 2009

Sony HDR-FX7 3-CMOS Sensor HDV High-Definition Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom

Customer Rating: Rating 4.5 out of 5

(18 Reviews)

List Price: ~~$1,999.99~~
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Product information Brand: Sony
Publisher: Sony
Category: Photography
Release Date: November 2, 2008
Optical zoom: 20
Display size: 3.5
Lens type: Zoom lens
Model: HDR-FX7

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Features

Record and play back HDV 1080i video; switchable recording in standard definition
ClearVid CMOS sensor; 20x optical zoom
Wide 3.5-inch Hybrid Touch Panel Clear Photo LCD Plus display
Capture 1.2-megapixel stills to Memory Stick Duo
Professional 62mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens

Accessories

Editorial Review

Product Description: Shoot like a pro with the HDR-FX7 High Definition Handycam(R) camcorder. Capture amazing video and still images in high definition with the first HDV 1080i 3 CMOS sensor consumer-level camcorder and player in the world. The three - 1/4" ClearVID CMOS Sensors provide stunning detail and precision, while a 20x Optical Zoom Carl Zeiss Lens maintains image clarity. Since the HDR-FX7 records video in high-definition, you can dual record still images at the same time. So no matter what the occasion, the HDR-FX7 is the perfect camcorder for the situation. A Sony developed Real Time MPEG Encode/Decode system with reduced energy consumption and compact size to fit inside a personal camcorder. This provides efficient MPEG2 compression, and recording and playback of clear HD images at the same bit rate of the DV format, so that High Definition video can be recorded on the same cassettes as are used for MiniDV recording. From the authority in lens technology, the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens provides a high-quality 20x optical zoom which maintains image clarity and color while reducing glare and flare. Dual independent zoom and focus rings provide precise and detailed control over the amount of zoom and the overall focus of the image with just a turn of the rings. Fast, intuitive framing when zooming, and finely detailed focusing is easy with the natural "feel" of the rings. Easily adjust the amount of light entering the lens by adjusting exposure brightness in accordance with the iris and gain. The Iris control allows the volume of light to be adjusted (shutter speed and gain are adjustable). Though not small enough to carry with you to Disney, this camcorder opens up new opportunities for serious amateur and semi-professionals to record videos suitable for play on new widescreen HDTV sets. An IEEE1394 iLink port is provided for easy transfer to a PC or Macintosh for professional editing applications.

Customer Reviews

The Sony HDR-fx7 Camcorder meets all my needs.

by Fred E. Gutman 2009-06-17, 24 people found this review helpful

I purchased the Sony HDR-FX7 to replace my eight year old Sony DCR-TRV900 Camcorder. The image colors are excellant and the picture quality is even better because this camera can record in HD or mini DV. The microphone is also better and you can see the stereo levels in the view finder. You can set Zebra Lines to manually control exposere. You can even take still pictures on a memory card while shooting video. You can press a button and see the last few seconds of your last shot. I am a retired professional video cameraman and this camcorder meets all my needs.

FOR PRO OR AMATEUR!

by R. Crutchfield 2007-01-05, 44 people found this review helpful

This is an amazing piece of equipment. Get the large battery for better balance and OVER EIGHT hours of taping. Broadcast quality. You will rarely NEED to go off "auto" unless you have special needs or are in a totally controlled studio situation where you can control lighting and movement. Pricey but worth every penny. The HD is as good as Discovery HD Theater's, and the std. DV recording (due to the new chips) is better then other 3-chip cameras I have owned.

Great Camcorder

by Edward C. Wooten 2007-04-29, 15 people found this review helpful

I have had this camcorder for two months now and I could not be happier. The camera is great indoors and out, including low light conditions. The high definition quality is incredible, the best I have seen. I also like the small size and light weight, a definite improvement over the fx-1.

Great Camera

by David L. Roberts 2009-02-17, 16 people found this review helpful

I bought this item for a Church looking to do it's own production. We tape both services and do more produced and edited media for use in services. The camera is in use alot. If you are buying it for indoors filming, invest in a good set of lights. This camera gets grainy on high zoom in low light. I don't know any camera in this price range that does not. Other than that, I have not found any problems that will jump out and surprise you. But the quality will.

You can complain about what this camera does not offer (XLR ins, and it is menu driven), but those are advertised. Don't buy this camera if those are deal breakers for you. What it does do it does well. And the battery life with the cmos chips is worth some of the trade offs with ccd cameras. I easily shoot two and a half hours without plugging in (on the OEM battery that comes with it). That is amazing to me. I can position for best shot of the event, instead of hanging with the others by the plugs.

I have been happy that I made the technology jump to this camera instead of playing it safe with a more industry standard camera. I would recomend this to anyone who is looking for an entry level production camera. It is a bargain at its price.

Baby, Where Ya Been All My LIFE?

by James R. Kratzer 2009-07-27, 7 people found this review helpful

I bought this camcorder to replace a damaged 2100 Sony camcorder (which I really liked!) and I wasn't so sure about the HDV. After all, most of my customers/clients aren't buying HD products yet.
Well, my first job was a shoot at a convention, doing a celebrity "roast" for one of the guest writers.
Can you spell 'flawless'? Sure you can!
Can you say 'beautiful imagery'? I figured you could.
Can you hear the GIANT SMILE on my face when the director complimented my shots?

Even a near-idiot like me can look good with a camera like this one. Smooth zooms, effortless focusing (it could be a little faster on autofocus, but considering the low-light in that auditorium, not so bad after all) and the light weight and balance were great on the end of my jib crane! And considering that I hadn't even practiced with it (I wasn't expecting to be using it until 2 days before the shoot; my plans were for my cameraman to be shooting on Sunday while I was directing!), this camera was FANTASTIC!

Needed to add a camcorder to array

by Donna Shields 2007-05-12, 16 people found this review helpful

We needed another camcorder didn't really want a HD because of the problems of no software out there to create HDDVDs. We bought this because our other sony is 10yrs old and didn't want to buy what we had. We are very glad we did. Even regular tapes look stellar in the 1080i format. The 20x zoom is to drool over. It is wonderful we use it for birding only now they are moving. All the techie stuff should come from my husband, but I am writing this so you won't hear it from me. I do not hear him swear or crank about difficult maneuvers. He likes the programable buttons. I found the change to Final Cut HD easy. You edit in HD and made the non HD DVD (we use a MAC) record it back to HD tape and wait till the software is written. Broadcast wants tape anyway. Ease of handling cam great, additional sound source easy to deal with. Mike on cam improved over our other camcorder. Easy to carry with handle. Need to use manual focus at times. Lots of buttons if you want a point and record not a good choice.

Great for Sporting Events

by Chris E. Mckinney 2009-10-13, 4 people found this review helpful

I purchased this camera and I do a lot of highlights for High School football. This has been a great purchase. Easy to switch between HD and SD and the picture quality is OUTSTANDING. The drawback was no XLR connections but it does have a basic mike jack and the shotgun mike attached is pretty good. I have no problems with it. It is easy to use, I haven't even switched it off of the auto settings and it does everything I want. And it shoots well in low light situations. When I go to slo mo clips in editing, the clips I shot with this are better than good. If you are a sports guy, this camera is a good buy.

Sony FX7 Camera a Winner

by BB Producer 2009-10-15, 2 people found this review helpful

I researched many cameras & kept coming back to this one. I loved my old Sony TRV-30 but it was time for an upgrade.
The camera is easy to use. Probably larger than you think but for high quality pro-sumer or low to mid end corporate this camera is perfect size.
I loved the Super SteadyShot Optical Stabilization System - truly this feature is a must. Camera can get a bit heavy after holding it up alot...it's not a on-the-shoulder camera so the SteadyShot is a must.
Haven't seen the results of HD on MiniDV tapes yet but the transition between 4:3 & 16:9 and SD & HD appears to be simple.
Also, haven't tried the movie quality features yet either but I'm in it for corporate shooting so it's not a make or break for me.
The custom pre-sets you can set up are a nice feature.
Great camera for the price.

Great Camera for the price

by Peter Roger Taylor 2010-02-23, 0 people found this review helpful

This camera has tons of features that I haven't tried yet. I taped a hockey tournament and banquet and found the camera very easy to use. I like the dual zoom feature-the zoom on the side goes slow/fast depending on how far you push the bar. On the handle you can select slow or fast zoom and thats nice for doing music videos as it pans in and out at a fixed rate regardless of how far you push the bar. The sound recording is great but it picks up voices in back of the camera too so I'm going to invest in a directional mic. The viewfinder swivels almost 90 degrees so you can tip the camera almost straight up such as filming the release of balloons. You dont have to bend your head all the way back as you do with fixed viewfinders. All the controls are easy to use with your hand under the grip strap. The lens hood has a built in lens cover which is a nice touch. This camera does the 1080i HD and uses iLink to download to your computer. I use Studio 12 to make my movies but studio 12 requires 2.66 GHz of processing power for HD and I only have 1.8GHz. The camera can convert your HD to standard def with a built-in setting on the iLink screen.

Amazing camcorder

by Nick the photog 2010-01-18, 0 people found this review helpful

I used to have a Sony DCR-VX2100, new FX7 is better in everything (well, low light performance almost). Compact, easy to use with excellent picture output. Bought directly from Sony. Do not think - buy and you will be happy!

tags: 1080i, 1080p, 3ccd, Camcorder, hdv, high definition, prosumer camcorder, prosumerdv, Sony, sony hdr-fx7 prosumer camcorder

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