'With Instant AF enabled, the autofocus works quickly, and the Push AF, which activates an Instant AF override in manual-focus mode, speeds manual focus considerably.'
'It's similarly comfortable to hold, especially with the slight upward curve toward the back that makes the zoom switch and photo button easy to reach.'
'Colours were bright and accurate, while the 35mm wide-angle lens did a good job of keeping everything in shot.'
'The zoom switch has a nice feel and it's pretty easy to maintain a steady rate with it.'
'The lens is very similar to the HV30 with spectra coating (to reduce flare and ghosting), aspheric design, but adds a neutral density (ND) filter to improve performance in bright environments.'
'astonishing high definition detail and color reproduction'
'On the left side of the body sit a few, slightly difficult to feel, controls: backlight compensation, display, and video light, plus a manual focus toggle and somewhat loose focus dial.'
'deplorable viewfinder'
'It's relatively big, weighing 1 pound, 5.4 ounces, though it fits into a large, loose jacket pocket'
'Sony's HDR-HC7E is just such a model, and although it delivers great image quality, its price may put it out of the range of casual users, whilst its limited zoom makes it slightly unsuitable for a lot of high level amateur use.'