The trio of high-definition camcorders sport compact designs, Carl Zeiss lenses and 2.7-inch LCDs.
Sony adds to its high-definition camcorder stable with the HDR-CX7 (image gallery), the HDR-SR7 (image gallery) and the HDR-SR5 (image gallery). All the cameras are based on Advanced Video Codec High Definition (AVCHD) technology, and can record on a variety of storage media. Sony claims the higher-end HDR-CX7 is the smallest and lightest AVCHD high-def camcorder, tipping the scales at just 15 ounces with the battery. The video camera features a 3-megapixel sensor to record 1080 video, as well as a 6-megapixel sensor for still shots. According to Sony, the HDR-CX7 can record at full HD 1080 resolution for nearly three hours in LP mode on an 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card.
The camcorder trio also offers updated browsing options that allow you to view various scenes in your footage as thumbnails within a single movie. The cameras also have a face index option that let you select scenes based on familiar faces. Sony includes Picture Motion Browser software for more in depth searching on a computer, which uses voices and colors, in addition to faces, to help you find a specific scene in your footage.
Like the HDR-CX7, Sony's HDR-SD7 camcorder also includes a 3-megapixel video sensor, a 6-megapixel image sensor and a Carl Zeiss lens, along with Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization. According to Sony, the image stabilization applies to both video and stills, and produces smooth images and footage. The HDR-SR7 features a 60GB hard drive, which Sony claims can fit 22 hours of footage in full HD in LP mode.
Sony also unveiled the HDR-SR5, which is slightly lower-end compared to the other camcorders, since it only packs a 40GB hard drive. According to manufacturer claims, the camcorder's hard drive can fit more than 15 hours of film in LP mode. The HDR-SD5 includes a lower-end sensor as well, serving up 2-megapixels for videos and a 4-megapixel sensor for capturing still shots.
The Sony HDR-CX7, HDR-SR7 and HDR-SR5 should be available in July and should retail for $1,400, $1,200 and $1,100, respectively.
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