 Great Camcorder |
| Review Date: September 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Odnar, Ashburn, VA |
After numerous months of searching, it was down to this and the Canon HV20. The Canon had a higher image quality, but appeared to have issues with the rolling shutter. (Reviews can be found at camcorderinfo.com) In the end, I picked the Sony because of the discount I could redeem from Sony card's points program. I couldn't be happier with this purchase. At the time of purchase, I also considered with new entries of hard drive and flash drive HD camcorders. From the comparison footage, the progressive image could not offset the image compression from the AVCHD format. I'm sure the image quality has improved since then because the bitrate wasn't used to its fullest potential in AVCHD.
I have used the camcorder for the past two years and I like the touchscreen on the Sony, it makes for changing settings pretty quickly. The controls are responsive and I'm happy with the image quality. There is a learning curve to shoot footage in varying conditions. But once you figure out to spend a few minutes before an event to set the white balance and exposure, the footage looks great! I picked up Sony Vegas Studio and the importing the videos from the HDV tapes to computer is simple as pushing record. The footage is easy to edit and compile onto a DVD. The editor has the ability to blend the interlaced frames so the video looks cleaner (without the jaggy lines you would see if you paused the video during a scene with high speed movements for the regular interlaced footage).
I've bought accessories such as the underwater housing (and 2 lbs of lead weights to neutralize buoyancy). This is great for pool videos during vacation as well as handy to record footage at the beach on windy days (to keep sand out), splashing around in the ocean, and in the rain. Additional accessories I picked up include a larger battery (almost 400 minutes of battery life if you use the viewfinder only), the bluetooth microphone (great for recitals), video light, and a UV filter (to provide some protection for the lens). I am considering a wide angle converter lens as the widest angle is narrow for filming in smaller rooms.
I look forward to creating more home videos with this camcorder. |
Purchased 12-21-07, died 07-15-09 after shooting two cassette tapes!
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| Review Date: July 16, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. Schlie, Cincy, OH |
I purchased the Sony HDR-HC7 on 12-21-07 from Amazon. During the time that I've had it, I've shot two cassettes with it. The rest of the time it was safely stored in a padded case behind my tv. The camera was gently used around the house.
On 07-15-09 I wanted to shoot some video of my son's first steps. I knew the cassette need to be replaced, so I ejected the old cassette, inserted a new one, and pushed the "Push" marking on the cassette receiver. Normally this would cause the cassette housing to retract into the body of the camera, and you could then close the cover. After inserting the tape and pushing the cassette receiver the housing would not retract. I charged the camera, thinking it could be a power supply problem. After a complete overnight re-charge, the problem persists.
I just went to the Sony website and punched in my model camera and date of purchase. The automated system quoted a repair cost of $461.00.
So yeah, I cannot recommend this product. For the two cassettes it did function, I did enjoy it however. |
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