Sony HDR-FX7 3-CMOS Sensor HDV High-Definition Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom

This camera has tons of features that I haven't tried yet. I taped a hockey tournament and banquet and found the camera very easy to use. I like the dual zoom feature-the zoom on the side goes slow/fast depending on how far you push the bar. On the handle you can select slow or fast zoom and thats nice for doing music videos as it pans in and out at a fixed rate regardless of how far you push the bar. The sound recording is great but it picks up voices in back of the camera too so I'm going to invest in a directional mic. The viewfinder swivels almost 90 degrees so you can tip the camera almost straight up such as filming the release of balloons. You dont have to bend your head all the way back as you do with fixed viewfinders. All the controls are easy to use with your hand under the grip strap. The lens hood has a built in lens cover which is a nice touch. This camera does the 1080i HD and uses iLink to download to your computer. I use Studio 12 to make my movies but studio 12 requires 2.66 GHz of processing power for HD and I only have 1.8GHz. The camera can convert your HD to standard def with a built-in setting on the iLink screen. Sony HDR-FX7 3-CMOS Sensor HDV High-Definition Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom