Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX7V 16.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Still Camera with 10x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom G Lens, 3D Sweep Panorama, and Full 1080/60i HD Video (Red)

First of all I'm not a photographer...I just love to document all the fun stuff I do and the places I go and take pictures or videos of my friends being silly. I've owned quite a few different point and shoot digital cameras over the years...the last one was a Canon 780 something and it was decent...but not super intuitive to use and the controls were really hard to see as I got the black model (black on black in a darkish room or outside at night and I may as well be blind.) It was also so small I was always afraid i was going to lose it, and that's exactly what happened. My roommate has a sony cybershot touch-screen model and she always gets really great shots, even in low light. And that's been my problem with all of my previous digital cameras - I can't get a clear shot in low light without using the flash, and with the flash everyone looks ghostly white and washed out. And it's impossible to capture anything with cool outdoor lighting (like pics at night at Burning Man.) So I decided to go with the Sony this time around, and I chose this model after reading a bunch of reviews that said it was a really good camera for someone like me who doesn't need a lot of manual control (although this does have that too) and just wants to be able to take great shots all the time without trying too hard. It really does work! What I see is what I get - I've never had a camera that took the photo exactly as I was seeing the scene with my eyes, even in low light. Video is great quality too! I don't know if it's just because the technology has finally progressed to a point where this is possible or if it really is a superior product, but I don't care...I love the camera! The only thing that is slightly annoying is the way it uploads from my memory card...i formatted it in the camera and the pics and especially videos are buried beneath several layers of folders containing seemingly nonsensical files. Not sure what that's about, but I'm getting used to it and I can live with that. Battery life isn't as long as my previous cameras but I just ordered an extra battery to solve that problem.

I always liked most Sony digital cameras, but could never really afford them too much unless they were on sale. So I got this older very good condition "used" Sony DSC-HX7V compact digital camera to replace another Sony compact digital camera that had a much smaller zoom and really did not take very good photos. Now, this Sony digital camera really is a nice one. I took some quick indoor and outdoor photos and photo qualities so far in good lighting conditions outdoors is outstanding! Video qualities are good too....and in stereo sound as well. The Menu System is pretty thorough and nice. You can change the background colors of your menu pages with 3 different colors....nice! PROS: >>Nice 10X optical zoom lens >>Nice menu layout >>Excellent outdoor photo qualities with no flash during daylight hours >>Great video qualities >>Uses common SD, SDHC or SDXC cards >>Only minor shutter lag >>Nice sized LCD rear view finder >>You can shoot manual mode photos here >>Strong built-in flash >>Has GPS built in for those that use it [I don't use GPS for photography at all] CONS: >>Fair to middlin outdoor low light photos >>No EVF, just the rear LCD viewfinder >>Burst shooting mode takes up to 10 photos, but there is about a 20 second delay while those photos are "processing" before you can resume taking photos. It's not a burst shooting mode seen like on my Canon or Panasonic Lumix digital cameras, but a Sony thing only. Overall, this compact Sony digital camera will completely fill the bill for any trips I may have coming up soon as it's the perfect digital camera for me to take on trips....good enough to take family photos, relative photos, outdoor photos and for those critters outdoors a bit further away, the zoom will zoom it in a bit for me to get an even better photo of it. I got a few extra batteries, NP-BG1 and one extra charger to make sure I always have at least a couple of fresh batteries ready to use during trips or local events. I overall will rate this Sony compact digital camera 5 of 5 with really as of now and so far......no major issues.....and this was a "very good conditioned used camera" I am using and rating as I got it here on Amazon used.

Great camera, pictures are a little less sharp than some SLR's, but it still takes great pictures. For the money, zoom and picture/video quality you can not go wrong. Buy one! Perfect size not to big or small, battery life could be a little longer but I have only used 2 cycles w/GPS on and shot many video's. The 3D effect is cool, but the pictures will have to wait till I get a 3D TV (there is a way to view 3D picture's on the camera which allows you to tilt them to see different angles). The Sweep Panorama is awesome, although if the picture is of a room you need to hold it very still. "Twilight Handheld" takes great pictures. ***NO push button Macro! It does it auto or not, gets annoying that I can't press a button to go into Macro setting, instead I have to go to "SCN" then find "Grommet Food" then hit enter before I start shooting. My last Cyber Shot, DSC-P150 would let me use Marco in every picture setting. Still great camera for the money, paid $299.99 for it March 2011.

I was looking for a compact point and shoot in the $200 range that took sharp pictures with good image stabilization. My old Canon Powershot SD750 (which I was very happy with) died recently and I needed a replacement. I tried 5 different cameras, and the picture quality on all of them was alful: 1. Panasonic DMC-FH25A 2. Nikon Coolpix S6200 3. Canon PowerShot SX230HS 4. Canon PowerShot SD980IS 5. Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS They all got returned. I finally found the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX7V and I am THRILLED with it. I never would have thought that a Sony camera would outperform comperable models from Nikon and Canon (WHAT has happened to Canon in the last few years?), but the difference is absolutely night and day. Pros: The image stabilization is excellent, even when chasing moving children. The response time for the auto-focus is very good (something that always bugged me about my several previous Canon cameras). The zoom is crystal clear. Most importantly, the images look beautifully rich and sharp, even using the intelligent auto mode. The interface is intuitive and easy to use. Cons: There is a delay between pressing the record video button, and the recording actually starting (a couple of seconds). Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. Also the PC interface is a bit clunky. I had to install the Sony software that came with the camera to even be able to pull video recordings off the camera. The standard Windows wizard would not do it. Again, not a huge deal. Conclusion: Try the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX7V. You won't be disappointed.

i like the camera (got it in blue), but i certainly don't love it. the quality of the pictures is great, and it takes excellent pictures without a flash (as others have mentioned). it's not so small that it's hard to handle, but also easily drops into a pocket. the rubber grip on the side is great - you can actually keep a hold on it, even if you're moving about - and it also has a strap - so if you DO drop it, you must have been trying to. one of my major complaints is one i've noticed from others - it IS very noticeably slow, particularly when turning it on. if you're hoping to grab it quickly to photograph a more fleeting moment, you're going to be disappointed. also, the zoom control is VERY POORLY LOCATED - it's a bigger issue than how slow it turns on. it's on the TOP of the camera, nowhere that one of your fingers (or thumb) would ever be located, unless you've got very unusual hands. without a lot of use, you're likely going to have to stop and LOOK, and adjust the zoom - it's very difficult to use in the middle of taking shots. i'd probably recommend you consider a different product, although i was happy with my previous two cyber-shot cameras. unfortunately, this one didn't come close to those two...

Pics look good to me; I usually just put most on facebook, so I'm not really anal about the quality. I hardly use any special features, but I like the options and this camera seems to have quite a few. Love the zoom, the panorama works very well compared to other cameras I've had that do the sweep panorama. I've taken some 3D pictures, but until I get a 3D tv (in like 10 years when I can afford one and after I have a new camera and no memory of ever taking the pics I've taken) I can't admire them. I may have to look at the pics on someone else's 3D tv sometime, but at the moment the pics I've taken have just been messing around. One feature I really like is the burst shooting. You can choose between two speeds (10 pics in one second, or 10 pics over about a 4-or-so second period), but viewing the burst shots is what gets me. The burst shots are kept under one picture preview and when you select it you can tilt the camera back and forth and it will go through the pics like a video kinda. I do wish there were options for an even slower burst speed, but not a real big deal. Decent low-light shooting.

The wide angle lens is great for taking pictures of many people in a small space. But when someone's face gets in the edges of the image, the face gets distorted, just have to take care of that. It happens with these lens. The zoom is great. The sweep panorama works very well. Has all the manual controls aperture time, diaphragm aperture. Has a good configurable pre-settable focus, point where to focus, lock the focus, then half-press the shot button, the exposition locks, press it completely and takes the photo. In the mode "intelligent auto", when is in dark light, takes some (3-6 more or less) continuous photos and combines them to reduce very well the color noise (the color noise is common in high values of ISO, needed to take photos in dark light when the flash doesn't fit well). When taking a sequence of photos, takes up to 10, and can be configured to take them in a very short time, taking sequences of fast things well.

I have bought this camera eight months ago: it works good and I have been excellent shots with it, but I have been experiencing an intermittent problem: the on/off button sometimes does not work. I have been trying everything: change the battery, the memory card, etc ... but the camera sometimes does not turn off AND on. I have called the Sony Cybershot assistance and they said to me send the camera to Texas! AND by my own expenses!!! Are they serious? I live at California, and the do not have any support center at my State! What a shame!!! I have been thinking to save the shipping money and buy another camera (of an another BRAND)!!!