Sony DCR-DVD7 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7 x 5.5 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007LZGDI
• Item model number: DCRDVD7
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,212 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 22, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer The uniquely designed DCR-DVD7 DVD Handycam camcorder lets you record movies in style. Circular and compact, the DCR-DVD7 goes anywhere you go to capture digital video onto DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW discs^*. Not only can you create your own movies, but as an added feature you can also take digital still pictures.

Despite its compact design, the DCR-DVD7 comes equipped with a full 2.5-inch hybrid touch panel LCD screen and a professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens for capturing vivid, sharp images. Connect quickly and easily with USB 2.0 to a compatible TV or PC for easy viewing and editing of your videos and digital still images.

Features of the Sony DCR-DVD7

1/6-Inch Advanced HAD CCD Imager, 680K Pixels Gross 1/6-inch Advanced HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD with 340K (effective) pixels provides stunning detail and clarity with exceptional video (up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution) and still image performance.	It's easy to load the DVD.
10x Optical/120x Digital Zoom The optical zoom helps to bring the action close up from far away. Digital Zoom Interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than with previous types of digital zooms.
Super SteadyShot Picture-Stabilization System Picture-stabilization system that uses motion sensors to detect and compensate for camera shake without compromising picture quality, as some other digital stabilization systems do.	Professional-Quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens Carl Zeiss lenses have an advanced optical multilayer coating that offers less glare and flare, with increased contrast. This results in vivid image brilliance, true-to-life color saturation, and perfect renditions of subtle tones.
USB 2.0 Interface USB 2.0 interface provides an easy way to connect your DVD Handycam camcorder to the computer for fast transfer of video and still images. The camcorder can also be used as an external DVD burner, convenient for making copies of your DVDs or for burning edited movies.	DVD-R- and DVD-RW-Compatible The DCR-DVD7 is compatible with a variety of DVD formats, allowing the ease of use and simplicity found in DVD media. With DVD RW media, there is no need to finalize the disc (minimum recording required). Simply remove the disc and insert the media into a compatible DVD player.
InfoLithium Battery with AccuPower Meter System Charge the battery at anytime--unlike NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) batteries, Sony's rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are not subjected to a life-shortening "memory effect." Sony's exclusive AccuPower meter displays the battery time remaining in minutes, either in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen.	Picture Effects Get creative when recording or playing back your videos with Sony's Picture Effect Modes. Effects available in Camera mode: Negative Art, Sepia, Monotone, Solarize, Slim, Stretch, Pastel and Mosaic. Effects available in Playback mode: Negative Art, Sepia, Black and White, and Solarize.
The 2.5-inch LCD of the Sony DCR-DVD7 Handycam	2.5-Inch Touch Panel LCD Display (123K Pixels) Provides excellent viewing clarity with improved resolution. The hybrid reflective-transmissive LCD screen provides accurate viewing in sunlight or bright light, virtually eliminating the "wash-out" common with traditional LCD Screens.
	Program AE (Auto Exposure) Modes Program AE modes make recording easy even when filming in challenging situations. Choose from Portrait, Beach and Ski, Sports Lesson, Landscape, Spotlight, and Sunset and Moon modes.
Battery Information At the touch of a button, battery information is displayed on the LCD screen when charging or when the camcorder is turned off. The display will show how much the battery is charged in 10% increments and the recordable time left on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder.	Easy Handycam Button Using a camcorder can be intimidating for some, so with a press of the Easy Handycam button, most of the advanced features of the camcorder are "locked out," leaving only the buttons essential for recording operational.
Manual Focus Allows the user to manually adjust the focus of the camcorder using the touch panel. Manual focusing also allows the user to control the focus in difficult situations in which either the environment or the subject does not allow the camcorder's autofocus to perform optimally, such as when shooting through a window or in a crowded environment.	Picture Package Software Easily organize still images and video and turn them into stunning music videos.
	Fader Effects Enhance your personal videos by adding professional-looking fader effects. Choose from Black, Mosaic, White, Monotone, and Stripe.

^*Note: Playback on all home DVD players, computer DVD drives, and PlayStation2 consoles cannot be guaranteed. Some players, drives, and video game consoles lack the ability to read due to the optical reflection standard of DVD-R/RW discs and/or due to encoding incompatibilities. Refer to the specifications of your playback equipment for additional compatibility information.

Product Description

The uniquely designed DCR-DVD7 DVD Handycam Camcorder lets you record movies in style. Circular and compact, you can take the DCR-DVD7 anywhere you go to capture digital video onto DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW discs. Not only can you create your own movies, but as an added feature you can also take digital still pictures.Despite its compact design, the DCR-DVD7 comes equipped with a full 2.5" hybrid touch panel LCD screen and a professional quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens for capturing vivid, sharp images. Connect quickly and easily with USB 2.0 to a compatible TV or PC for easy viewing and editing or your videos and digital still images.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

164 of 172 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sony DCR-DVD7 - Nice size but missing a few features, May 16, 2005

By	Jake Zinn (New Mexico) - See all my reviews

Review for the Sony DCR-DVD7.

Last week I found myself about 2000 miles from home and needed an easy to use, lightweight, and small camcorder. I found the DCR-DVD7 and decided to try it. It worked well for my needs except in the area of digital stills.

I noticed this camera at first because of its shape. It looks like a digital camera - not a camcorder. It is small enough (if you have big pockets) to fit into your pocket.

The camera is very easy to use and even has an Easy button to make taking video a snap.

Pros

The pluses of this camera are that it is small and takes acceptable video. Has a good feel and form factor. The camera has quick and smooth focus. It turns on and is ready to shoot in a very short time even for a DVD based camcorder. All the I/O ports work good (USB and Video-out). It has a nice bright LCD display. It can take literally thousands of digital images. When you finish shooting video, you have a ready-made DVD to show friends and family. You also have a long lasting archive of your images that you can edit later.

Cons

For me the biggest downside of this camera is that it takes terrible digital still images. The pictures have visible pixels and the color is not as rich as with Sony still cameras. A unit of this price should take at least acceptable still images. Some of the pictures I took with the camera look worse than the old Apple Quick-take cameras of 10 years ago could produce. The camera has no Firewire port. As an Apple computer user, this camera is unfriendly when it comes to editing-no Apple supported software and it is a difficult task to put your video into iMovie for editing. For all these lacking areas it is a bit pricey.


(Comments: - JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY FROM SONY READS THIS STUFF - This camera has a great form factor and has huge potential. IF it had a headphone out-jack, you could have a portable DVD player and MP3 Player that could be watched/listened to on a plane or any other type of trip. IF it took better digital, stills it would be good buy because it could replace a digital camera and camcorder. Some other reviews I have read criticize this unit because of the video quality of this unit but I found it to be acceptable for home use. Great concept I wish that Sony would make some small improvements and this unit could be a fantastic product. )


Conclusion

Overall, if you need an easy to use camcorder that is small this camera would be a good choice. (DVD archiving is also a big plus for those who shoot video but do not always edit it right away.) If you are looking for great quality images and size does not matter look elsewhere.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coolest and smallest DVD camcorder in the market!, January 20, 2006

By	J. Balderas - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'd like to share the reasons why I bought this camera and strongly recommend it:

1. Innovative design and size. I absolutely love the design and compact size of this camera. As any other innovative products, the form factor of this camera received mixed reviews. I think it is perfect, I have no problem handling and holding the camera when filming. You have to give credit to Sony: there is no other DVD camcorder in the market this compact, even after a year in the market.

2. Media support. This should be the number one criteria when buying a DVD camcorder. I have read several reviews from other DVD camcorders complaining about issues finalizing the discs or playing them on standard DVD players. I have had no issues whatsoever with discs burned with this camera, and finalizing the discs is a very smooth process: one click and a few minutes. This camera supports DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW. Most DVD players will play all of these formats. The DVD+RW format allows you to view the disc in most DVD players without finalizing the disc, while the DVD-RW format allows you to edit and delete scenes from the disc when used in VR format (though this format is typically supported by DVD recorders only); both rewritable formats can be formatted and reused as many times as you'd like. Note that the capacity of the discs is 30 minutes in SP mode (or 60 in LP mode); this is a limitation of the size of the discs, not the camera. You can buy double-sided discs which will allow you to record 60 minutes in SP mode, but you have to manually swap the disc, so it is equivalent to using 2 different discs.

3. It's a Sony camcorder. I have to mention that I have not owned other brand of camcorders, just because I've been extremely satisfied with Sony camcorders. They not only have a cool design, but they are also the best in terms of ease of use and reliability. I cannot vouch for the quality of this camcorder yet, but I expect this to last, it seems well built. It also comes with a Carl-Zeiss lens, which are among the best in the market.

4. Other nice features worth mentioning:
* USB cable allows you to copy any or all of the recorded scenes to your computer, even if the disc hasn't been finalized.
* Almost all the functionality is driven by the touch panel, and the main menu is programmable which allows you to add only the features you use the most.

OK, so this camera is not perfect, it has some areas for improvement:

1. If you are buying this camcorder to take still pictures as well as recording video, this is not your camera. The resolution of the stills is only 640x480 (less than 1MP), the quality is so poor that it is not even worth using it for stills.

2. Poor low-light filming and no NightShot feature included.

3. No upgradeability, because of its compact size there is not a lot of room for attaching typical add-ons: microphone, flash, or headphones (though you can use an adapter on the A/V cable). The battery provided lasts for about 90 minutes, however you can buy a larger battery, the NP-FA70 which will lasts up to 180 minutes.

4. At the original MSRP of $699, this camera is expensive, if you pay less than $500 for this camcorder, you are getting a good deal. If you're willing to pay over $600 for this camcorder and you're not crazy about its design/size, you might be better off buying the DCR-DVD203, at least you'll get a 1MP digital camera.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sony DCR-DVD7 Excellent Video - Easy to use (point & shoot), June 11, 2005

By	S Pelaccio (Bloomington, IL USA) - See all my reviews

We needed an easy to use, lightweight, quality video camcorder that anyone could use. The Sony DCR-DVD7 is GREAT. Worked excellent on vacation, our beach video images are excellent - the "EASY BUTTON" makes the whole experience of shooting video a snap. When we reviewed the video the quality was surprising very good for the price of this camcorder. We have a JVC camcorder that we paid double the price for which I find difficult/complicated and too heavy to use.

NOTE: The DVD7 is so easy to use - for example; I was holding one dog (7 month old wiggly puppy)in one arm, and using our DVD7 with the other hand to capture our other dog playing tag with a sand crab, and the video images turned out steady, focused, and clear.

As for digital still images - I did not purchase this device for still images. If all I wanted was still images, I would use a disposable camera for on the beach, and our Sony digial camera for other times.

Now for the software: easy and fun to use.

**Battery - really does last a full hour! And I was using it for video, and play-back of the video, not still pictures.

Overall impression: I wanted a point & shoot camcorder with great video images. Here is all you do: insert the DVD, turn on the power, touch the "EASY Button", and shoot. If you want a lightweight, easy to use, excellent video images, and a battery that lasts a full hour, the DCR-DVD7 is exactly all these things.