I am real estate brokers and set the camera mainly for taking pictures of real estate for Internet and brochures a. I also have a Nikon DSLR for higher quality photos and need the Compact in order to have always with you.
Equal first the summary of my impressions:
The HX7V is a great camera with excellent features and acceptable image quality. I would have liked to give it 5 points, but the image quality not sufficient.
Very good I like:
- The compact design and the layout of the controls
- The optical zoom with 25-250 mm good (although I would have preferred 24-300). The HX9V, which will come out in about 1-2 months approximately 24-380 mm Zoom have, but enough for me that focal length also, and I need the camera now.
- Very good anti-shake in the lens
- HDR mode is well suited for use in backlight situations in buildings (photos to the window)
- Despite HDR mode there is also a bracketing function with 3 images to +/- 1EV to subsequently create an HDR image or manually choose the best exposure
- White Balance Bracketing
- IAuto mode Intelligent auto mode in which you can make optimal snapshots
- Very good video quality
- Panorama mode in the camera (without having to rework)
- Good and logical menu navigation
- Large brilliant display
- Help button
- That Sony now finally also supports SD cards
- Portrait mode with background blur function
- GPS function also shows directional compass view
- Fast continuous shooting is possible (2 or 10 B / s)
- Manual mode
- Good workmanship
- Many additional functions such Blinzelautomatik, so that you may never use, but it's great that the camera can
- Interesting accessories such as turntable for parties at which the camera automatically rotates at the table and taking pictures with smile
- Battery life for me perfectly adequate
What I like less:
- Main criticism: image quality - is just a compact camera with a small sensor and therefore acceptable - otherwise there would have been 5 points
- Switch 3-4 sec until Ready to shoot
- ISO settings only accessible via menu
- Sony special USB camera connector (typical Sony)
- Display in sunlight difficult to read (there probably only helps a viewfinder)
- Battery must be charged in the camera (external charger available as an accessory)
So overall quite a recommendation and for my requirements very well suited.
Canon shows the SX220 / 230 that better image quality with small CMOS sensor is possible.
If the SX230 a 24mm (instead of 28mm) would have wide-angle, then I would have taken the Canon. But for my application more WW is important to me than an even better picture quality. The Panasonic Lumix TZ22 and Nikon S9100 were unacceptable for me because of poor image quality.
Addendum:
Another negative point:
- At the bottom of the camera is a gap, so that you can see the battery a little. The cover does not close completely.
That reduces my rating not because the camera is not splash-proof anyway.
Another positive point:
- The automatic for dusk shots makes them very usable images. There are several pictures taken very quickly one after the other and then assembled in the camera. I did not think that works so well.
Another Addendum:
very good comparison test between the HX9V (larger zoom, otherwise the same as the HX7V), Panasonic TZ22 and Canon SX230, which confirms my impressions essentially: [...]