Sony Handycam HDR-CX7 - Home Movie Camcoder

The good: Excellent video and performance; impressive still photos for a camcorder; adequate manual controls; docking station included.

The bad: No wind filter; USB on dock only, not on camcorder; doesn't include Mini HDMI cable; no viewfinder.

The bottom line: As the flash-memory-based equivalent of the HDR-SR7, the Sony Handycam HDR-CX7 serves up the same pleasing performance and quality as its hard-drive cousin.

Price range: $611.99 - $899.99

oin me, if you will, along the slow march toward the obsolescence of tape in video. We've definitely got a long road ahead of us, but it's fun to notice how much camcorders have changed already. On the one hand, tapeless camcorders such as Sony's Handycam HDR-CX7 give product designers the freedom to make smaller, sleeker camcorders. On the other hand, we've yet to see a model that records in the AVCHD format, as this one does, match the quality of the footage we've seen from tape-based models using the HDV format. However, for an AVCHD camcorder, this does produce very nice video, and will likely blow your socks off if you're used to a standard-definition camcorder.

Though it's been on the market in various camcorders for a while now, the AVCHD format has been slow on the uptake in software for editing and playback. Lori Grunin's recent blog post outlines which software titles are compatible and notes whatever glitches she has found when using those programs. Ultimately, the easiest way to watch your HD video is still a direct connection to your HDTV, but there is a modest, and slowly growing, list of software out there if you like to watch on your computer or edit your footage.

Sony's designers definitely made the most of the fact that the HDR-CX7 records its video to MemoryStick Pro Duo cards. The camcorder is little more than a lens and LCD screen in terms of size, though that's both a positive and negative thing. Sure, you can fit the CX7 into almost any bag, and even a large jacket or sweatshirt pocket, but the ergonomics of the grip are a little off. It's certainly more comfortable to hold than Panasonic's SD-based HDC-SD1, but since there's no eye-level viewfinder, I often found myself holding it higher than I would some camcorders, and at a slightly odd angle. Also, since your hand basically covers the right side and top of the CX7, Sony was forced to put a handful of buttons on the left side, behind the LCD screen. That's never a very good move, since you can't readily see that spot when you're shooting, and if you do need to use one of those buttons while capturing video, you'll likely shake the camera horizontally while pressing it. Of the buttons placed there, the backlight compensation button is probably the most worrisome, since it's highly likely you'll use it on the fly, while most of the others would be used before or after shooting.

As usual, the HDR-CX7's main interface is its LCD touch screen. Even though the LCD is 2.7 inches in size, it still felt a bit small as a touch-screen interface. The main virtual buttons are big enough, but ancillary buttons, such as the OK button in the upper-left, or the X (cancel) button in the upper-right of some screens are rather tiny. On more than one occasion, I accidentally hit one of the bigger buttons when trying to hit the tiny ones. Combine that with the fact that the touch screen requires such an extensive tree of submenus, and the thrill of a touch-screen interface starts to wane pretty quickly. Still, some people say they like this kind of interface, so make sure you try it out in a store first to see if you like it before you buy.

Following a recent trend in camcorders, the CX7 doesn't include a minijack microphone input. If you want to add an accessory mic, you have to use one of Sony's in the CX7's Active Interface Shoe (aka proprietary hot shoe), which provides an interface and power for accessories. You have two options to send video to your TV directly from the camcorder. You can either use a mini-to-full-size HDMI cable, or use the composite AV breakout cable included with the CX7. Given that they are rather rare right now, it would've been nice for Sony to include the special HDMI cable, as Canon does with the HG10. A third option is to use the dock, which has the same composite AV out as the camcorder, as well as a component output (also via a breakout cable), and a Mini USB jack to connect to your computer. I was surprised that Sony didn't include a normal-size HDMI jack on the dock. It would've been a really nice touch.

Sony did include some great features though, such as the automatic lens cover, flash for still photos, and a nice complement of manual controls. While it doesn't include the SR7's shutter speed control, the CX7 does have the same exposure shift; manual, indoor, outdoor, and auto white balance; Spot Focus and Spot Metering; Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization; and Super NightShot infrared mode for shooting in the dark. Since the CX7 doesn't include Sony's CAM CTL dial (as the SR7 does), you have to adjust focus on the touch screen, which isn't quite as nice as the dial, but works well nonetheless.

Since the HDR-CX7 records its video to a MemoryStick Pro Duo card, you should plan on buying at least one high-capacity card. On a 4GB Pro Duo card, the HDR-CX7 can fit 32 minutes of best-quality, HD video. Stepping up to an 8GB Pro Duo ups that to a little more than an hour. By contrast, the HDR-SR7 can fit up to eight hours of the same level footage onto its 60GB hard drive.

Footage from the CX7 is very nice. The camcorder's Zeiss T lens is very sharp and Sony's Super SteadyShot does an excellent job of taming hand shake. Its 10X optical zoom might seem tame next to the 30X+ zooms now finding their way into lower-end models, but at a 400mm 35mm-equivalent on the telephoto end (in 16:9 mode), it's got plenty of reach. Plus, by keeping the optical zoom range within reason, you get more reliable stabilization across the entire zoom.

Both the autofocus and metering systems perform quite well, adjusting quickly to changes in subject, lighting, and environment. I was particularly impressed with the autofocus' ability to keep up with changes in zoom and quick changes between near and far subjects. The camcorder's white balance does a very good job. While colors aren't quite as neutral as I've seen in some other models, it's still very close and colors are well saturated and look realistic. Still images are definitely above average for a camcorder. Depending on the shooting conditions, you should be able to get pleasing letter-size or smaller prints.

As long as you don't mind the limited software compatibility and added cost of buying a few high-capacity Pro Duo cards, Sony's Handycam HDR-CX7 is a really nice AVCHD camcorder. As software catches up and flash memory prices continue to drop, it will only become that much more attractive, and the smaller physical size that goes along with a flash-based camcorder will wow your friends and make it more practical to have your camcorder with you when you want it. If Mini-DVDs appeal to you more than flash-memory cards, Sony also makes the HDR-UX7, which can record AVCHD video onto 8cm DVDs and is very similar to this model, though not quite as small in size.

Panasonic SDR-H18 - Camcoder - Budget

The good: Records to hard drive or SD card; optical image stabilization; 32X optical zoom; comfortable grip.

The bad: No macro mode; menu button a bit hard to reach with a thumb; USB jack hidden behind battery; awkward manual control switch.

The bottom line: Combining the simplicity of SD recording, a roomy 30GB hard drive, a long zoom, and pleasing image quality, the SDR-H18 is a good choice for a standard-definition, hard-drive camcorder.

Price range: $902.96

Hard-drive camcorders have been slower to catch on than I would've thought. Sure, they cost a bit more than their DVD- or tape-based equivalents, but the convenience of having such a large storage capacity--and not having to deal with tape--make them appealing. However, some buyers can't get past the idea of not having removable storage, which is why Panasonic is so keen to point out that their new SDR-H18 can record to either its built-in 30GB drive or to a SD/SDHC flash memory card, without any difference in quality. Of course, it also helps that the company is part of the SD Card Association, and has been on a big push to champion SD memory cards as the next big storage medium for consumer video.

Unlike the awkward body designs we've seen with some recent SD-based camcorders, the SDR-H18 is very comfortable to hold. Part of the reason is that designers had to find a place to put the camcorder's hard drive, which finds its home in the right side of the body--creating an iPod-sized block that is just the right shape for a hand to wrap around. Almost all the camcorder's controls are also on the right-hand side; most of them can easily be reached with either a forefinger or thumb. While I had a hard time reaching and pressing the menu button with my right thumb, you still can access the most frequently used controls--such as backlight compensation, white balance, and shutter and iris controls--by pressing the joystick, so this isn't much of a problem. It would've been nice for Panasonic to put the menu button somewhere more convenient, however.

At its heart, the SDR-H18 sports a single 1/6-inch, 680,000-pixel CCD sensor. When recording in 16:9 mode, it uses 460,000 pixels to capture video or still images. That drops to 340,000 pixels when capturing 4:3 video or 350,000 when capturing 4:3 stills. Panasonic's online specs are a bit misleading, in that they hint that this model has three CCDs when it doesn't. Since the H18 has the same instruction manual as the higher-end H200, it's a simple error, but one that happens way too often on the company's Web site.

Playing along with the über-zoom craze, the H18 includes a 32X optical zoom lens, which sports a maximum aperture range of f/1.8-3.7. The variable zoom lever atop the camera is easy to get used to and gives a nice range of zoom speeds. As usual, the image stabilization doesn't effectively cover the entire zoom range, but does a good job out to approximately 75 or 80 percent of the zoom. That's pretty impressive, when you consider that you end up with a stabilized zoom range of about 24X, which is more total zoom than you could've expected in a similar-level camcorder just a few years ago (though it wouldn't have been a hard-drive or SD camcorder). If you like to shoot very close to your subject, you should note that the H18 doesn't include a macro mode. You'll have to step up to the H200 for this option.

Image quality impressed us, considering that this camcorder uses a lone, sub-megapixel imager. We saw ample detail given this restraint, even at the far end of the zoom, and colors look generally accurate, though a bit washed out. While not perfect, the H18's automatic white balance does a very good job of neutralizing colors across different light sources. We did notice that fluorescent lighting yields a minor, but noticeable, greenish cast--so you're probably better off setting the manual white balance in this shooting situation. If you like to use white balance presets instead of auto, you'll be pleased to know that you can change the white balance while recording. This means that you can move from a room with fluorescent lighting into a room with incandescent lighting and seamlessly switch from one white balance preset to the other without interrupting your footage. Not all camcorders let you do this. Autofocus reacts quickly and does a nice job of maintaining focus while zooming. Of course, everything isn't tack sharp as you zoom, but once you stop, the camera locks in very quickly.

If you tend to shoot in auto-mode, or only occasionally use more advanced functions, you'll most likely be pleased with Panasonic's SDR-H18. The footage isn't overly marred by compression artifacts that so often ruin video you get from lower-priced camcorders, and yields better footage from a sub-megapixel sensor than I've seen in a while. Add to that the benefits of hard-drive recording and the option of using removable SD media, and you've got a solid camcorder that should appeal to a wide range of users. It's not without its quirks, but none of those take away too much from the usability of this model.