| |
Model
|
| Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
| Picture ? | | |
| Manufacturer | Sony 
| Panasonic 
|
| Name | HDR-FX7 | HDC-TM350 |
| European name ? | HDR-FX7E | HDC-TM350 |
| US name ? | HDR-FX7 | HDC-TM350 |
| lowest US price | | 1300 $ |
| On the market since | November 2006 | June 2009 |
| Manufacturers URL | link to Sony | link to Panasonic |
|
|
Test preview
|
| [ top ] | Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
| slashCAM rating ? | Good
 | Good
 |
| test picture 1200 Lux | | |
| Test image 12 lux auto-mode | | |
Video
|
| [ top ] | Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
| Video formats ? | MiniDV HDV
| AVCHD
|
| Recording Medium | MiniDV/HDV-Cassette
| SDHC card built-in flash memory
|
| video resolutions EU ? | HDV 1440 x 1080/50i MiniDV 720 x 576/50i
| AVCHD 1440 x 1080/50i AVCHD 1920 x 1080/50i AVCHD 1920 x 1080/25p AVCHD 1440 x 1080/25p
|
| video resolutions US ? | HDV 1440 x 1080/60i MiniDV 720 x 480/60i
| AVCHD 1920 x 1080/60i AVCHD 1920 x 1080/24p AVCHD 1440 x 1080/60i AVCHD 1440 x 1080/24p
|
| Max Bitrate ? | 25 Mbit/s | 17 Mbit/s |
| Compression format ? | DV MPEG2
| MPEG4
|
| on-board memory ? | | 64 GB |
| Optics |
| Optics Manufacturer ? | Carl Zeiss
| Leica
|
| Optical Zoom ? | 20 x | 12 x |
| Wide Angle 16:9 ? | 37,4 mm | 45 mm |
| Filter diameter ? | 62 mm | 43 mm |
| Image Stabilization ? | optical
| optical
|
| ND Filter ? | 2 | No
|
| Exchangable optics ? | No
| No
|
| Image Sensor |
| Number of sensors ? | 3 | 3 |
| Size of image sensor ? | 1/4 inch | 1/4,1 inch |
| image sensor effective pixel count 16:9 ? | 1037000 Pixel | 2070000 Pixel |
| Image Sensor Type ? | CMOS
| CMOS
|
| Controls |
| White Balance ? | auto manual presets
| auto manual
|
| Focus ? | auto manual
| auto manual
|
| Minimum shutter time ? | 1/10.000 | 1/8.000 |
| Maximum shutter time ? | 1/3 | 1/25 |
| Apperture control ? | auto manual
| auto manual
|
| Infrared recording ? | No
| No
|
| Expanded Focus ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Peaking ? | Yes
| No
|
| Signal Processing |
| Zebra ? | Off 70% 100%
| 100% |
| Histogram ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| adjustable sharpness ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Adjustable color ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Cinegamma ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Black Strech ? | No
| No
|
| Knee ? | No
| No
|
| Colorbars ? | Yes
| No
|
| Misc. |
| Shot Transition ? | Yes
| No
|
| Custom Presets ? | Yes
| No
|
| Set Time Code ? | No
| No
|
Configuration
|
| Connections |
| [ top ] | Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
FBAS ? synonymous: RCA, composite | Out
| Out
|
YC ? synonymous: S-Video | Out
| No
|
YUV ? synonymous: Component Signal | Out
| Out
|
| HDMI ? | Out
| Out mini
|
DV / HDV (FireWire) ? synonymous: ILink / IEEE-1394 | In Out
| - |
| USB ? | USB 1.1
| USB 2.0
|
| Microphone / Audio input ? | Mini-jack
| Mini-jack
|
| Headphones ? | Mini-jack
| 3.5 mm mini-jack
|
| Lanc ? | Yes
| No
|
| Time-code interface ? | No
| No
|
| Genlock ? | No
| No
|
| Accessory shoe ? | Standard
| Standard
|
| HD-SDI ? | No
| No
|
| Misc. |
| Weight (without battery) | 1430 g | 390 g |
| Weight (with battery) | 1600 g | 450 g |
| Battery type | Sony F570
| Panasonic VW-VBG130-K
|
| Battery capacity | 2200 mAh | 1320 mAh |
| Charger ? | internal
| internal external
|
| Remote control | Yes
| Yes
|
| Size |
| Height | 145 mm | 70 mm |
| Width | 156 mm | 72 mm |
| Depth | 322 mm | 141 mm |
| Relative Size ? | 72 | 7 |
| Viewfinder |
| Viewfinder available ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Color Viewfinder ? | Color
| Color
|
| Viewfinder format ? | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Viewfinder pixels ? | 252000 Pixel | |
| Display |
| Display available ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Color display ? | Color
| Color
|
| Display size | 3,5 Inch | 2,7 Inch |
| Display format ? | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Display pixels ? | 211200 Pixel | 230400 Pixel |
| Touch Screen ? | No
| Yes
|
| External controls |
| Manual Zoom ? | Rocker Ring
| Rocker Zoom ring multi-assigned
|
| Manual Focus ? | Ring
| Menu bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
|
| Manual Aperture ? | Wheel
| Menu bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
|
| Focus switcher ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| ND Filter ? | Yes
| No
|
| Exp Lock ? | Yes
| No
|
| Gain ? | Yes
| No
|
| White balance ? | Yes
| No
|
| Push AF ? | Yes
| No
|
| Audio Levels ? | No
| No
|
Custom Keys ? synonymous: User buttons | 6 | No
|
Audio
|
| [ top ] | Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
| Audio Formats ? | MiniDV: 2x48kHz 16bit PCM MiniDV: 4x32kHz 12bit PCM HDV: 2x48kHz 16bit MPEG 1
| AC-3 Dolby Digital 5.1 640 kbit max.
|
| Microphone ? | Stereo internal Mini-jack external
| Stereo internal Mini-jack external
|
| Audio Control ? | auto manual
| auto manual
|
| Audio levels ? | Viewfinder Screen
| Viewfinder Screen
|
Still
|
| [ top ] | Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
| Recording Medium ? | Memory Stick Duo
| built-in flash memory SDHC card
|
| Medium included ? | | No
|
| Effective pixels ? | 1037000 Pixel | 7530000 Pixel |
| Resolutions ? | 1440 x 810 | 3984 x 2656 |
| Standard ? | JPEG Exif 2.2
| JPEG Exif 2.2
|
| Flash ? | No
| Yes
|
Misc.
|
| [ top ] | Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
| Specials | "Smooth Slow Record" slow motion mode: 6 seconds are recorded with 200 half frames/sec., resulting in a 4-fold slow motion.However, the recording is without sound, in SD-resolution and in poorer image quality. | |
Product Shots
|
| [ top ] | Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
| View 1 | | |
| View 2 | | |
Test results
|
| Test pictures |
| [ top ] | Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
| luminance resolution | | |
| chrominance resolution | | |
| lens distortion | | |
| test small ISO image | | |
| noise / internal microphone | | |
| test picture 1200 Lux | | |
| Test image 12 lux auto-mode ? | | |
| Test image 12 lux optimized ? | | |
| slashCAM rating |
| Lowlight ? | Good | Satisfactory |
| Resolution ? | Good | Very good |
| Color performance ? | Good | Very good |
| subj.Picture impression ? | Very good | Very good |
| Optical Zoom ? | Satisfactory | Sufficient |
| Wide Angle ? | Satisfactory | Poor |
| Configuration / image ? | Very good | Very good |
| Configuration / sound ? | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
| Handling ? | Very good | Good |
| Portability ? | Good | Excellent |
| Photo function ? | Sufficient | Satisfactory |
| Optics ? | Good | Good |
| Dynamics ? | Very good | Good |
| Conclusion slashCAM |
| slashCAM rating ? | Good
 | Good
 |
Total score ? (maximal 570) | 381 | 372 |
| Pros | + Very good image quality impression + 20x zoom + handling well-conceived HDMI out
| + Sharpness and colour at the upper AVCHD limit + Many manual controls + Good image stabilizer for moving camera
|
| Cons | - Audio controlling only via menu -less Wide-angle than FX1/A1/HVX200
| - weak wide angle
|
| Conclusion | The Sony HDR-FX7 uses its 1/4-inch-CMOS-Wandler almost to full capacity.The resolution, at least in the Y-channel is good, the color resolution is a little weaker.Low noise and smear-effects together with excellent automatics ensure a very good image impression.The 20x lens shows comparatively few errors like aberrations or distortion, but the wide-angle could be larger for this price range.In low light situations the FX7 is just about good -- here too the low noise a plus point. | The new image stabilizer is better and especially interesting for people who like cheap glide camsIn terms of low light the camera easily gets surpassed by the Sony XR520 and the wide angle is a sorry affair in this price range.But that is just about all we could find to complain about.Except maybe that you get almost the same technology without the internal memory and improved image stabilization in the notably cheaper HDC-SD300. |
More information
|
| Reviews and Forums |
| [ top ] | Sony HDR-FX7 | Panasonic HDC-TM350 |
| slashCAM Review | | |
| external reviews/tests | | |
| Forum posts | Charger for FX7 from USA
FX1 and FX7 from USA?
Problem with Firewire / FX7 is no longer recognized
Important question about SonyHDR-FX7E because überspilung to PC
[color = darkblue] drop outs when recording with the FX7 [/ color]
Sony HDR FX7 HVR V1 or Canon XM2 or SonyVX2100
Question about the FX7 Accessory shoe
SonyHDR-FX7E or better Canon XH A1?
From FX7 HD DV convert
HDR FX7 or HDR SR12
Like the best of FX7 HDV in FCE capture?
Material of SonyHDR-FX7E HDV1080i import
FX1 and FX7 - A Comparison?
| Panasonic TM350 - images generally too dark and colorless?
Purchase the Panasonic HDC-TM350
Replacement Battery for HDC TM350 Original VW VBG130
Test: Panasonic HDC-TM350
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