Videomaker Magazine has a Sony HDR-HC7 review posted online from their current issue. The reviewer liked the balance between compact and ease of use vs. quality and functionality. The HDR-HC7 features an easily-navigable touch-screen interface and even has a beginner’s guide built into the camcorder for amateur users. For more advanced users, there are manual controls sufficient enough for the average person who likes to fiddle with the settings.
Video quality on the Sony HDR-HC7 was found to be sharp and not overly-saturated. In low-light situations there was a little problem with noise levels, but if you are taking home videos you can switch on Sony’s infrared mode to compensate.
The optical image stabilization was good for regular use as was the audio quality. However, the microphone quality dropped off after about 6 feet. In this case you can use your own microphone with the external microphone jack to solve this problem.
