This low-light killer is sleek, sexy, and it's got 1080i AVCHD video. Check out our full Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 review here.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 Overview
Over the years, Sony has done very little to alter the aesthetics of its ultra-slim fashion cam line of Cyber-shots. That's why the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 will not wow you right off the bat, because you've most likely seen it before. In fact, you won't even be able to tell the difference between the newly announced Cyber-shot DSC-T99 and the Cyber-shot DSC-TX7. But from Sony's perspective, why mess with a good thing? It's what you throw under the hood that counts. In that regard, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC TX7 brings some of the best technology to the digital camera world, including 1080i AVCHD video recording, a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, and iSweep Panorama mode.
Shooting with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7
Not many cameras are designed like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7. First off, the camera's navigation wheel is its massive 3.5-inch 921,000-pixel resistive touch screen. Women with nails will love this technology while guys with fat fingers will not. The screen will also smudge due to fingerprints, so touch-screen technology is definitely an acquired taste. But Sony has been rocking the touch-screen for years and there's no sign of slowing down at this point, especially with all the competing manufacturers chomping at the bit to introduce their own touch-screen technology. The TX7 has Sony's latest menu design and interface, allowing us to tap to zoom and swipe. We can also access menus by dragging our finger across the screen, and utilize touch focus in most modes.
There's also no Mode dial. We get a menu screen with eight shooting options: Intelligent Auto, Program Auto, iSweep Panorama, Movie Mode, Anti Motion Blur, Hand-Held Twilight, Backlight Correction HDR, and Scene Selection. Rather than bog the user down with a spectrum of technical shooting modes, Sony has included the most popular options and placed them into a convenient menu. When we wanted to shoot without the flash at nighttime, there was Handheld Twilight, which combined six images into one for a very impressive exposure in low light.
We also had Backlight HDR, which captured two images at darker and lighter exposures and blended them together to improve dynamic range. iSweep Panorama worked wonderfully, allowing us to move the camera while the camera captured a wide panoramic shot. Sony has come a long way from the buggy likes of the HX5. Throw in Anti Motion Blur, which fired off a rapid succession of shots and combined them together for a sharp image, and the Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 is difficult to throw down with if you're a competing compact.
We were shocked at how well each mode worked on the Cyber-shot DSC-TX7. Usually, we're given a host of gimmicky camera modes to shoot with, but the TX7 backed each mode up with a quality performance. We had the option of recording at full 1080p in AVCHD format, or web-friendly MP4 files at 720p, in addition to 1440 x 1080. As far as Manual controls like Shutter Speed and Aperture, you won't find them on the Cyber-shot DSC-TX7. This is a camera with an Easy mode, so we know right off the bat that the beginner crowd is the target audience.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 Still Image Quality
Inside the TX7, Sony has stuffed a 10.2-megapixel 1/2.4-inch Exmor R CMOS sensor with BIONZ processing. We've had great experiences with Exmor chips in the past, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 did not let us down. There's something about Sony's back-illuminated CMOS chips that really outshine the competition in low light. Canon's new PowerShot SD4000 IS comes close, but Sony opened the gates. The best part about the TX7 is that Sony adapted SD compatibility, abandoning the need for Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, which are still compatible with all Sony Cyber-shots, of course. The built-in flash also had a slow synchro for reducing blown highlights and the TX7 offered noise reduction. Optical SteadyShot worked very well, even while utilizing the TX7's 4x optical zoom.
With that said, the TX7 will go places in low light that no other point-and-shoots can. Even at higher ISO levels, the camera exhibited less noise than we would have expected. You'll have to hone in on what mode works best for a particular shooting environment, as Handheld Twilight, Twilight Portrait, and High Sensitivity have drastically different results with or without the flash. In this class, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 kicked out one of the best imaging performances we've ever seen from a style cam.
In addition to great image quality, we also get 1920 x 1080i AVCHD video recording, which is a feature carried down from Sony's high-definition camcorder lineup. At full quality, recording is captured at 17Mbos, which is very impressive for a point-and-shoot digital camera. We could also record at 1440 x 1080 30fps MP4 for web-friendly content, and the option to record in standard definition was present as well. The only hang-ups we found with the TX7's video recording mode had to do with manual controls and sound quality. Although the TX7 has a built-in stereo microphone that is conducive to indoor and close range audio, the camera struggles with wind noise. Also, there are no dedicated manual controls we'd find on a camcorder, so as long as beautiful image quality in high-definition is your main concern, the TX7 will do you just fine.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 Final Answer
Few cameras in this price range offer as much as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7. We've got an arsenal of low-light fighting shooting modes, 1080i HD video, an awesome Panorama Sweep mode, compact size and sexy style, and the ability to shoot with SD cards in addition to Sony's proprietary Memory Stick PRO Duo. The Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS is a direct competitor, as well as the newly announced Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700. We'd play around with all three cameras before you cast your vote, but the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 is a winner in our corner.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 Photo Gallery
Price and Availability
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 is available now for $380.
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