28 August 2009

By: Catalin Ivan, Gadgets Editor
Sony Handycam HDR-TG7VE Camcorder Review
GPS-enabled and offering a lot more than meets the eye
There are three types of people out there: people that just want a camcorder to point and shoot with, people that want that and a bit more, and professionals. The Sony Handycam HDR-TG7VE is definitely not a camcorder for the professional looking to catch some great video action but rather for the two other types of users that want something to be done quick and good without too much hassle. As you pretty much know, the Sony brand is famous for producing high quality multimedia devices from VCR's to the Blu-ray playing PlayStation 3 and its series of cameras and camcorders. The Sony Handycam HDR-TG7VE ultra-compact HD camcorder was first announced somewhere around April 2, 2009 and it goes without saying that it created a bit of a hype when it was presented by the maker. I mean, a 16GB internal memory camcorder with up to six hours of Full HD recording, the possibility of expanding its memory with Sony's (proprietary) Memory Stick cards, a 4-megapixel CMOS sensor and GPS that does automatic geotagging. Even I that consider myself pretty much of a professional in the matter of video recording slash editing thought "Hey! This might be a. handy cam to have around!" Well, now it is time to put it through some serious testing and see how its 4-megapixel CMOS sensor and Carl Zeiss lens fare when faced with a user that wants to squeeze the best out of it. Because when you buy a device, you usually expect to get a lot more from it and you test every option, fiddle with every setting and try out every option that you see in the menu. No matter whether you're a light user, medium-skilled video recording aficionado or professional, human curiosity always gets the best of you when trying out a new device. The lowest price I could find for the Sony Handycam HDR-TG7VE is about 572 pounds (around 934 USD), should you decide to purchase it upon reading the entire review. Speaking about the entire review. time go onward to the Design and Aesthetics category. [[BREAK=Design and Aesthetics]] Overall design features I have to admit that when I first saw the Handycam, I instantly thought "That sure is a funny way to hold a cam." Because although it looks cool, its overall design makes it a pretty hard to handle cam for longer periods of time. Mainly for one's wrist. I like the fact that it features a tough titanium coating around the body, which makes sure it will resist a lot of wear and tear, since the usual user does tend to drop things. especially when electronics are concerned. Something I really didn't like about the design, however, is the fact that the GPS switch is very hard to find. But more about GPS in the following pages. Size and portability It is a pretty nice and slim camcorder, just 6.2 x 11.7 x 3 cm WDH (width, depth, height) and only weighs 230 grams. I guess you could easily fit it inside your breast pocket if you really want to but I assure you, the Handycam is not a camera that you will be carrying around in
Sony Handycam HDR-TG7VE Review Softpedia
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your pocket! Or at least not one that I would feel comfortable to carry around in my pocket. Besides, it comes with the usual strap that you can hang around your wrist. Button and Slot Placement As for the way buttons are placed, Sony got it almost perfect with all the buttons (namely two and a dial), being placed so that the user can shoot videos (big button with red outlining) and take pictures with ease. Zooming, however, is an issue, since the dial (which is less conveniently placed around the big record button) is very hard to turn and I have never managed to zoom or manually focus the device without having to use my left hand as well. As far as the slots are concerned, I can say that there are only two of them on the entire camera, one for inserting the memory cards, the other for the battery, if you consider that a slot. Both of them are quite well hidden behind a protective cap, and it took a while before figuring out just where to find them (did that while looking for the GPS on/off switch, which is right next to the memory card slot, by the way). While it is not a slot per se, we'll also include here the tripod screw, found in the lower part of the camera and used, obviously, for installing the handycam onto a tripod by using a suitable adapter. Connectivity Options There's a lot to talk about here, so here it goes. First of all, there's the docking connector. I'll start with this one because it's closely related to the most interesting and useful accessory found in the sales package, namely the docking station. This connector is placed on the lower side, right next tot the tripod mount. [IMG=21] In the same area, I found (also behind a protective cap) the power connector and the A/V output, which, however, are a bit redundant, unless you've decided to travel light and leave the docking station behind. And now, for the docking station. This accessory, as mentioned above, is very important for the proper functioning and use of Sony's handycam, given the fact that it can be used for recharging it and connecting it to a computer or HDTV (since it packs a power connector, mini-HDMI interface, miniUSB connector and A/V out interface). The docking station matches quite well the overall design of the camera and it's actually recommended, especially since the camera itself is not able to maintain a very good level of equilibrium. [IMG=22][IMG=23][IMG=24][IMG=25] Display The last part of the Design and Aesthetics category is the LCD display, a 2.7-inch LCD touch responsive screen (everyone likes to touch, right?) that turns on as soon as you flip it open and has a very fast start-up from standby mode so you can be sure there will be few one of a kind moments that you will be missing. I didn't quite enjoy the way the menu was designed but we will be discussing that in the lines to come. Battery The handycam camcorder comes with a NP-FH50 InfoLithium battery, whose estimated functioning life is set at around 1.4 hours. In reality, though, it's closer to 1, 1.2 hours of non-stop video recording. Of course, if you're using it for reviewing clips and taking photos

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with the flash, the battery's life is likely to be even shorter. [[BREAK=Technical information and features]] To some, hands-on information is key in deciding whether to buy or not a device but others feel the need to see specs and numbers. Get ready for the cold hard facts regarding all that you wanted to know but was afraid to ask about the Handycam HDR-TG7VE. Tech specs Audio - Dolby Digital 2ch Audio System; - Built-in 3ch, zoom microphone; - Built-in speakersurround recording; [IMG=32][IMG=33][IMG=34][IMG=35] Camera - 1/5 inch Exmor CMOS Sensor; - ClearVid array technology; - Exmor technology; - BIONZ Image Processor; - 2360 Pixels; - Full Range Auto Focus; - Manual Focus; - Spot Focus; - Spot Meter; - Face Detection; - Smile Shutter; - D-range optimizer; - Camera Noise Reduction - Shutter Speed - 1/2-1/1000 (including Scene Selection); - White balance - Cycles between Auto / Outdoor / Indoor / One-push; - Scene Selection - Allows for Twilight / Twilight Portrait (Still Image) / Candle / Sunrise & Sunset / Fireworks / Landscape / Portrait / Spotlight / Beach / Snow scenes; - Auto Slow Shutter; - Color Slow Shutter; - Backlight Compensation; - Smooth Slow Rec; - Black / White Fader; - TelemacroFlash. Dimensions [IMG=36][IMG=37][IMG=38][IMG=39] - Depth - 62 mm; - Height - 117 mm; - Width - 30 mm; - Weight - 230 g. Jacks [IMG=40][IMG=41][IMG=42][IMG=43] - Audio Output; - Video Output;
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- S-Video Output with optional accessory cable - USB 2.0 output; - Component Video Output; - HDMI Output. Lens [IMG=48][IMG=49][IMG=50][IMG=51] - Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar; - 10 x Optical Zoom; - 120 x Digital Zoom; - Precision Digital Zoom - F 1.8-2.3; - f (Focal Distance) (mm) - 3.2-32. [IMG=44][IMG=45][IMG=46][IMG=47] The camcorder has 16GB of internal memory but that can be increased with the help of a Memory Stick. It can record video clips with the following quality settings: HD; FH (1920x1080i, 16Mbps) / HQ (9Mbps) / SP (7Mbps) / LP (5Mbps); SD; HQ (9Mbps) / SP (6Mbps) / LP (3Mbps). The maximum framerate is 50 and, frankly, you don't need more than 50 anyway. [IMG=52][IMG=53][IMG=54][IMG=55] As for still shooting, well, it can do a maximum image size of 2304 x 1296 (3M) in 16:9 mode or 2304 x 1728 in 4:3 mode. VGA image size tops at 640 x 480. That's about it with the technical specs, onward to the most interesting part of the review, namely Real-life experience. [[BREAK=Real-life experience]] Since most of you have probably skipped the technical information page entirely (I don't blame you, I don't like numbers either), time to get to the real deal. How the Handycam managed to handle itself in real life usage scenarios. Just to keep you on your toes and interested, I will tell you this: the Handycam has its very up UPs but also its hit the ground meteor-like hard downs. OK, the first thing I did when I got the Handycam for a closer inspection was to check out its menu options and see what I could do with this baby especially since I had read in the press release that the menu was very easy and simple to use. Well, the maker got one thing straight; it made the menu so easy that all you have to do is just drag down to the option of your choice. But when you make it so the user drags down the screen to the option of their desire, you have to think about things such as. not making it a long drag, making the menu pleasant to the eye, not make it move too fast but not slow either. [IMG=26][IMG=27][IMG=28] Well, Sony didn't. It made the menu scroll at huge speeds and if you use the touchscreen buttons (page up/page down) to go down or up in the menu, you'll be surprised that pressing "up" sometimes overlaps with "exit menu," while the "down" button has a bit of an issue by not being very responsive. That's mainly because the persons making the graphical user interface probably had very small hands and didn't think there are people with larger hands too. Which is just ironical since the physical design of the camcorder is more suited for people with larger hands. That's what you get when the hardware crew doesn't meet the software department, I guess! Either that or each Sony tester has a very large right hand and very small left one. which, frankly, I find pretty hard to believe. Next, of course, I decided to try and shoot a few videos, as well as still shots in order to see how that camcorder fares. And I

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have to admit I was pretty impressed, especially when shooting HD videos. [IMG=56][IMG=57][IMG=58] Something that the Handycam didn't handle well, however, was indoor shooting. The outside shots were simply breathtaking (if you're not a professional, I mean) but when shooting indoors, the fact that it features no lighting besides flash (for taking still shots) really shows. No amount of backlight or ambient light compensation can ever produce quality indoor footage. Another important detail worth mentioning here is the fact that the quality of the still photos this baby is able to take is also quite good; at least, as good as the one provided by some of the entry-level Sony digital cameras out there. However, the same problem as in the case of video shooting applies. While photos taken outside are great, those taken inside are far from that. Next on the list was the autofocus option, something that, though acts admirably, sometimes loses just what it should not: focus. Plus, the manual focus is a real pain since you can't access it as fast as you would like and scrolling down through the menu options can give you a headache. And, trust me, for most "more than basic" commands, you'll probably be scrolling down a lot. I know I have and, after a while, it got really frustrating. There are no icons to the different options, just names lined up one below the other and you have to read them all because if you miss it. you scroll back up! Everything has to be accessed from the menu, which is to say the least. poorly executed.
The zoom feature is great, managing to keep up and offer you a pretty clear picture no matter how far you zoom. There is also no on-screen white balancing and while the customized "my menu" allows for some quick configuring. it does not allow for a lot of customizations to the option itself. Playback is also nicely executed. We get the highlight function that shows a few seconds from each clip so you know which one you want to play and when viewing the files you have stored, you have a few cool types of indexing, the best being the "by date" index, which allows you to view the shots you took at a certain date in a scroll down timeline kind of view. There are also standard editing functions such as capturing still photos from videos, dividing, adding dubbing or editing a playlist.

There is also a GPS geotagging feature that, unfortunately, I wasn't able to test properly since the GPS failed to connect no matter how much I left it on or how clear the sky was. Other devices, however, did; therefore, it was indeed an issue with the GPS. Whether it was because of the device or the GPS itself, I cannot tell. Speaking of the GPS, good luck finding it if you're planning on using the manual since it says absolutely nothing about the fact that you have to take off the cover protecting the device's battery and Memory Stick slot, then flip the small GPS switch. I understand the need for protection but, Sony, put it in the manual! I spent 20 minutes waiting for the flashing satellite icon to appear before starting to search for a physical switch. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. After more than 20 minutes of usage, expect the Handycam to get a little hot.
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[[BREAK=Conclusions]] The Good The Handycam is definitely a great device to be used by persons who just want to point and shoot. It is portable, shoots great HD, pretty good still shots and has a lot of options. The autofocus function that does its job flawlessly most of the time and the GPS geotagging are definitely bonuses even though I have never gotten to actually test its autotagging function. When going camping in the mountains with your buddies, you won't want a better camcorder to suit your needs. The swivel touchscreen LCD is also a big plus. The Bad First of all, it heats up after more than 20 minutes of use. Shooting videos with it for longer periods of time will be very disturbing because your wrist will definitely feel the strain. The worst problem with this camcorder is the graphical user interface - unattractive, very hard to handle and requiring a lot of repetition. Icons with pop-up names would have definitely worked better. And don't get me started on how small some on-screen "buttons" are. The zoom dial is also a bit flawed since you need to have pretty big hands in order to handle it with your thumb without resorting to your other limb. And the fact that it does not feature any lighting and doesn't cope with the task of shooting indoor videos are the biggest downsides of them all. Overall Impressions The Sony Handycam HDR-TG7VE, with all its ups and downs, is without a doubt a pretty interesting device that will definitely satisfy customers that aren't looking for more than a point-and-shoot type camcorder. Wonderful in the outdoors, but a bit sub-par with the indoor shooting, this gadget is a great one to have if you're just an amateur looking to show their friends the good time that you had on holiday, with a bit of geotagging added to each picture as well. [IMG=29][IMG=30][IMG=31] After all, that is what the Handycam is meant to do, right? Provide you with a handy camcorder. No matter if you are a pro or an amateur, I can guarantee you this: you will hate the graphical user interface. Sales Package Upon purchase, you will be receiving, besidea the camera itself, of course: - AC-L200 AC Adaptor, - Multi (No S-cable) AV Cable, - NP-FH50 rechargeable battery pack, - The Handycam Station, - A USB Cable, - USB Driver, - Picture Motion Browser software, - Wrist Strap, - Manuals, - Product registration CD-ROM.

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