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Product summary
Specifications: Video input type: Camcorder ; Optical sensor type: 3 ClearVid CMOS ; Optical zoom: 20 x ; See full specs
Price range: $3,299.00 - $4,890.00 check prices
Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest
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alaTest.com
Editors' rating: 90
Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 189 reviews of Sony HVR-V1/V1E / HDR-FX7/FX7E from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 82/100 and users 85/100. Comparing these reviews to 92268 other Camcorders reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 90/100 = Excellent.
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techradar.com
Editors' rating: 90
Summary: Three Assign buttons here also double as MemoryStick play, index and delete controls. Gain, shutter speed, white balance and menu changes are all initiated by pressing the relevant push button at the rear of the camera and then altered using the push ...
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gadgetguy.com.au
Summary: The CMOS chips use less power so longer life can be had from the battery. All in all this is a fine piece of kit and will carve a nice place in Sony's line-up. Whether it achieves PD-150 fame remains to be seen
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videomaker.com
Summary: The V1U is a well-built, feature-packed HDV camcorder capable of producing professional quality video.
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camuser.co.uk
Editors' rating: 80
Summary: The FX7 offers impressive HDV recording, a good quality built-in lens and a raft of manual facilities. However, professional users hoping for a worthy successor to the VX series need to wait a while longer. The FX7 is good, just not great
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goodgearguide.com.au
Editors' rating: 80
Summary: If you're an indie filmmaker with a medium-sized budget on your hands, you could do a lot worse than this consumer/professional hybrid camera.
CNET editors' buying advice
We have not reviewed this product but here is CNET's buying advice on Digital Camcorders. This content was chosen based on the features included with this model of digital camcorder.
HD Camcorders info
If format proliferation is the sign of growing pains in a market, camcorders are in adolescent hell. Prices are dropping, making HD camcorders an attractive buy relative to their SD competitors, but inexpensive doesn't necessarily mean easy. Our most recent tally indicates there are no fewer than four possible media types to use, each of which can support multiple encoding formats; the encoding formats, in turn, support various combinations of standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) video formats. Toss in HD's three different available resolutions, and you have an ugly mess to sort through while you shop. And we haven't even begun to see the inevitable models based on HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs.
Read more in the HD camcorders Quick Guide
See more HD camcorders products
Exposure control
Every digital camcorder has a fully automatic mode that lets you simply point and shoot, but it's best to be able to adjust your exposure setting a little. Special shooting modes for capturing subjects lit by a spotlight or other specific sources can be helpful. For full control over exposure, you'll need a camera that lets you manually set both the aperture and the shutter speed. Advanced camcorders offer zebra stripes, which highlight overexposed areas with a striped pattern so that you can fine-tune exposure. Low-light performance is the Achilles' heel of many digital camcorders. Look for a model with a minimum lux rating of seven or lower. Many camcorders offer special low-light shooting modes, but they don't all work the same way. Some simply slow down the shutter speed so that you get full-color but impressionistic-looking footage. Others use an infrared emitter to capture greenish monochrome video in total darkness.
MiniDV format
Most consumer digital camcorders use MiniDV cassettes, which record DV-format video. The DV standard produces high-quality footage that is superior to video recorded by consumer analog camcorders and can deliver more than 500 lines of horizontal resolution, depending on camcorder quality. Consumer and semipro digital camcorders that capture high-definition footage record HDV-format video on MiniDV cassettes.
Best for: Budget buyer; trendsetter; home and vacation moviemaker; independent filmmaker; business videographer.
| Broad range of video cameras, from bargain to professional three-chip models |
| Widely supported by video-editing and -effects software |
| MiniDV decks and other hardware products widely available |
| CD-quality 12- and 16-bit PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) sound capture and audio dubbing |
| MiniDV camcorders may be connected to TV for display or to VCR for copying |
| Some video cameras provide analog-to-digital conversion for digitizing older video |
| MiniDV camcorders can't play analog 8mm or Hi8 cassettes |
| Cassettes with built-in memory chip for indexing video segments are relatively expensive |
Supporting manufacturers: Canon; Hitachi; JVC; Panasonic; Samsung; Sony.
Read more in the Digital Camcorder Buying Guide
LCD and electronic viewfinder info
More pixels usually mean better viewfinder and LCD image quality. Look for a sharp LCD that's easy to see in bright light; adjustable screen brightness helps, too. The larger the LCD, the easier it will be to see (and the more power-hungry it will be); for all but ultracompact camcorders, look for at least 2.5 inches. An EVF that you can tilt with a diopter lever for adjusting focus will give you more shooting flexibility. Almost all EVFs and LCDs on consumer camcorders display color, although some video enthusiasts prefer black-and-white EVFs, which can make it easier to judge exposure. Touch-screen LCDs have begun to appear on a few consumer video cameras, usually for menu navigation and spot focusing. Some users find them convenient, while others prefer not to have to use the LCD to access camcorder controls.
See more LCD products
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Where to buy
Sony HVR-V1U:
$3,299.00 - $4,890.00
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$4,890.00 | Yes |
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$4,449.99 | Yes |
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