Sony TX7

[DW2010]

I'm considering one of these. It's funny because I'm actually selling my Nikon D90 because I rarely use it due to not being able to take it everywhere easily. My first instinct was to go to Canon for a p&s since I had one before my DSLR time, and it was great. BUT, all of the Canon's lack the 1920X1080 video I want. So, Sony it is! I think I trust Sony. I'm a little nervous

 

[zackiedawg]

No problem trusting Sony - they're as big and strong of a camera company as any...top 3 in sales. They've been turning out digital cameras longer than anyone - well they and Kodak at least. And they've got a nice lineup of P&S models with a variety of features and prices. As long as you don't expect any P&S to do what your D90 could, and accept the basic compromise in image quality and speed in all situations in order to gain portability and compactness, you should do fine.

Right now, most would probably agree that if looking at P&S cameras, your best bets are Canon, Sony, and Panasonic. Others are fine too, but these three are the big sellers, the most innovative, have the widest selection, and generally all do very well in reviews and tests.

If you are looking for a true all-in-one replacement camera as your ONLY camera for everything, then I'd recommend the HX5. The TX7 looks to be an excellent little camera - I have the forerunner of it, the TX1, and love it. But it is more of a compromise as the lens range isn't nearly as useful as the HX5, and the feature set is much reduced as far as controls and settings. The HX5 will be the better overall camera for a person looking for a one-box solution with the most flexibility.

The HX5 has good optical zoom range, respectable wide angle ability, good resolution, decent high ISO ability made even more brilliant with Twilight mode, in-body HDR and panoramic stitching, full HD video with zoom ability while shooting, decent battery life, nice LCD screen, and takes common SD cards. Check it out first to make sure it's comfortable for you to hold and you like the look and the size...if that all checks out, I think you'll do just fine with it!

 

[DW2010]

Thanks so much for the reply. I actually sold my Nikon D90 and Tamron lens very quickly and have been researching the Hx5V to death .

 

[MelanieC]

I'm probably going to buy one of these today unless someone can tell me of another great camera and reason I should get it.

The only thing I wish it had a larger zoom, but my pictures stink when I use zoom most of the time so maybe my pictures will turn out better with less zoom.

My biggest concern is battery life. I want to be able to have it last an entire day at the parks. I'm not talking about continuous use, but on and off all day. Anyone have one and not get enough time out of the battery?

 

[SrisonS]

I have the T1i, and I love it. And it has a great battery life. You could probably make it a whole day with on and off shooting. But I would get a backup just in case (2 will definitely last you all day). I got an off-brand battery for like $8 off Amazon. Works just as great as the Canon one.

As far as zoom, there are a lot of lens choices if you want more zoom, or even want to go wider. The kit lens is good starter though.

 

[photo_chick]

I have the T1i, and I love it. And it has a great battery life. You could probably make it a whole day with on and off shooting. But I would get a backup just in case (2 will definitely last you all day). I got an off-brand battery for like $8 off Amazon. Works just as great as the Canon one.

As far as zoom, there are a lot of lens choices if you want more zoom, or even want to go wider. The kit lens is good starter though.

I think the original poster is talking about the Sony T1... it's a pocket sized point and shoot.

 

[MelanieC]

Sorry - yes they are both point and shoot (I wanted something tiny because I'm tired of lugging) my huge Kodak piece of junk (not an SLR).

 

[disneyboy2003]

Just wanted to double-check. The Sony T1 that you're referring to is the Sony DSC-T1? Looks like this was first introduced in 2004.

The Sony T7 (or, the Sony DSC-T7) was introduced in late 2005.

If these are the same cameras you're referring to, I wonder if it might be worthwhile looking at some of the more current Sony cameras. Although I'm sure that both of the above cameras are very capable cameras, a lot has changed in camera technology & features in the past 5-6 years.

 

[MelanieC]

Just wanted to double-check. The Sony T1 that you're referring to is the Sony DSC-T1? Looks like this was first introduced in 2004.

The Sony T7 (or, the Sony DSC-T7) was introduced in late 2005.

If these are the same cameras you're referring to, I wonder if it might be worthwhile looking at some of the more current Sony cameras. Although I'm sure that both of the above cameras are very capable cameras, a lot has changed in camera technology & features in the past 5-6 years.

Just updated. Sorry it was the TX1 or the TX7.

TX1 came out last year and TX7 came out this year. They are the very small point and shoot cameras with touch screen and panoramic mode.

 

[zackiedawg]

I'm also thinking the original poster is referring to the tX7 and tX1...those are two currently available models in the T-series lineup. The 'T1' was an oldie - about 5-6 years ago.

Assuming you meant TX1 and TX7, I have the TX1 since December. I can't directly compare to the TX7, but I can verify that the battery life will be a bit better with the TX1, as the TX7 screen has a higher resolution and sucks up a bit more battery life. I would think either one could last a day of shooting though...one convenience of these cameras is the ability to slide the front cover down to turn on and shoot, and slide up to turn off...it makes it easy to shoot with the camera and immediately turn it off to conserve battery, and when ready to shoot again, slide the cover back down - it's started up and ready in under a second.

I have been happy with the little cam - couldn't be more convenient to carry, solid as a rock, the touch screen is quite nice in use, and actually shockingly better than buttons and dials as far as camera settings and changes (I'm a DSLR shooter and like to choose manipulate many of my own settings). The low light capability of the camera is downright remarkable - using hand-held twilight and anti-motion blur modes, one can shoot handheld at night outside and get crystal clear shots with great detail and low noise. Daylight pics are OK - nothing super-special, nothing bad either - typical compact camera fare (using a DSLR, I'm not much impressed with ANY compact camera shots - but they all do just fine for basic snapshots and prints).

The TX7 has a few advantages - nicer LCD screen resolution, built-in HDR mode, wider angle lens (24mm vs 35mm).
The TX1 has a few advantages - physically a smaller camera, better battery life, ability to purchase an 'infolithium' battery which reads out remaining battery life in minutes rather than a little bar graph.

Feelf ree to browse my gallery of shots taken with the TX1:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/sony_tx1

I have only had it for 1/2 a year, so not too many shots yet - I mainly use it as a backup to my DSLR when I don't feel like carrying the whole kit.

 

[MelanieC]

Thank you so very much. This is very helpful. I bought the the tx7, because it had the HD video. The battery does worry me a little, but we will see how it hold up at Disney because we leave tomorrow, lol.

 

[zackiedawg]

I think you'll be fine - unless you intend to fire off a few hundred shots a day with flash and an hour of video too - the battery should do for a day of shooting. Remember to turn the camera off in between - again, very easy and becomes second nature more than most cameras because it's just a simple slide up of the front lens cover...it's your power switch!