Sony DSC-TX7 10.2MP CMOS Digital Camera with 4x Zoom with Optical Steady Shot Image Stabilization and 3.5 inch Touch Screen LCD (Silver)

I was really hoping this camera lived up to it's reviews. It did, and more. I knew the battery wouldn't be the most robust, I can live with that. The features on this little gem is what really impresses me every time I use it. I'm not sure which is my favorite aspect of the TX7.You've probably already read about the excellent low light capabilities, I can also attest to this. It does a great job in these situations.The video quality is just incredible. And I'm not just speaking in comparison to other ultra compact point & shoot cameras. The video quality is just as good as a very expensive HD camcorder. It lacks many of the manual video settings, but you can still zoom while recording. [MP4 @ 12Mbps/1080p, 6Mbps/720p or 3Mbps/VGA] [AVCHD 1080i @ 17Mbps/60i or 9Mbps/30i]I connected the TX7 to our big 1080p LCD via HDMI, and both the still images & video were stunning. The slide show with built-in music is a great feature when connected to the TV also.I-Sweep Panorama works really well, in all directions (up & down also)Intelligent Auto mode can tell which scene to use. It goes into macro when it's supposed to, even a tripod mode when it senses no movement, which I would guess slows down the shutter speed.Smile Shutter is awesome for kid pictures. It works really well, you can set the sensitivity from a grin > medium smile > big cheesy smile! Then it takes the pictures for you.You can customize shortcut buttons for each mode that you use. In other words, you put the shortcut icons you want for each mode, on that main screen. No hunting in a second menu for the most frequently used settings, even in playback mode! This is a spectacular feature in my opinion.There are many other cool features that I can't think of right now, but this TX7 is well worth the money in my opinion.

I am not going to list all the features of this camera; you can read the details in the description. I will only write a review from my personal experiences.I have an older Olympus 4mp camera and wanted to update to a better one. After reading all the positive reviews, I decided on this Sony DSC-TX7. I was hoping for a simple point-and-shoot that I did not have to think about, but just use. Well, it did not quite turn out that way with this camera.I discovered that the Intelligent Auto Mode worked well under normal lighting conditions. However, when I used it indoors under low light, or outside on a cloudy day or late evening, then the Auto Mode only worked sometimes. So, I began to experiment and I suggest you do the same thing.I used the camera under less than perfect circumstances by first using the Auto Mode. Then I took 2 or 3 more photos of the same scene using different manual modes. I did this on indoor low lighting, back lit objects, cloudy days, night time, etc. What I found is that most of the time you have to use a certain manual mode to get the right picture. Plus, the manual mode to use was different in each lighting condition. This may sound time consuming and complicated, but it really is not. After just a few hours I had most of the optimal settings memorized.Once you figure out the best setting, the camera takes great pictures. With the micro mode you can get extremely close to the subject and the photo is super clear and sharp. The panoramic mode works well, once you figure it out. The manual just says not to move the camera too fast or too slow, but does not give you any idea just how fast or slow that is. I found the best way is to count from 4 to 7 seconds. Depending on how fast or slow you count, that should give you a good panoramic photo.I like the touch screen. It is easy to use and responsive. The battery life is a little short compared to other cameras. I just ordered another battery so that I would always have a charged battery ready to go. The video mode quality is average at best. I tried using the video on the highest HD setting indoors under normal lighting conditions and the video was grainy. My older video camera actually did a better job under the same conditions, but the Sony video shinned in brighter light.Overall this camera does a great job if you take the time to figure out how to use it. But, it is not perfect. My 2mp camera in my cell phone does almost as good on a panoramic photo. And my Olympus 4mp photos look almost as good as this Sony. I took a few pictures with the Olympus and Sony of the same scene and I was hard pressed to tell any difference in quality until I zoomed in on the pictures. That was when I could tell that the Sony was a little clearer. I also ask a friend which photos looked better. Most of the time he picked the Olympus photos as being better. I am use to the Olympus and I think once I spend more time and practice more, then I will be able to get better results with the Sony.So, here is the bottom line with my experiences:The good:1. Several manual modes come in handy under less than ideal conditions.2. Picture quality is great when settings are correct.3. The large touch screen makes previewing much easier.4. The touch screen is about as responsive as the iPhone and easy to use.5. The compact size of the camera make is very convenient to carry.6. The panoramic mode works well and has 2 size settings.7. Outdoor night time photos with very little light are amazing with the right setting.The bad:1. Be aware this is not as simple to use as you might think except under normal conditions.2. The latch cover holding the battery comes open easily.3. The touch screen gets smudged quickly so get a screen protector.4. Photo quality is mostly noticeably if cropping or zooming in. Otherwise, a 4mp camera's photos look almost as good.The Sony has many more features that I like compared to my old camera. And the Sony does take good photos. Therefore, I am going to keep learning and keep taking dozens of pictures until I get it right. For example, I played with different modes and was able to get much clearer pictures indoor without any noise at all. Practice and experiment is the key.

Sony DSC-TX7 Camera is very portable camera with good battery life. It has good features. It can detect scenes automatically. It has HDR and panoramic features that are useful. I must admit the HD videos are much better for a tiny camera like this. It's not like the full blown camcorder but good enough for a small camera. Landscape pictures are good. However, the portraits are not always sharp (you can see the noise if you zoom in) compared to good Digital SLR or even the 2003 DSC V1. When you have good light its okay, but if not it's not so sharp. I like sharp faces in my photos. I was very happy with the DSC-V1 release in 2003 with Carl Zeiss vario Sonnar lens. This camera has Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar lens, but the sensors are CMOS. I am not sure where the issue is but this 2010 camera is way behind the 2003 DSC V1 in sharp photos.

I have had this camera for just over a year (meaning the warranty just ran out) and used it primarily as a second camera when I didn't want to carry around my bulky Nikon. For daytime photos and videos, this camera does a great job. For flash photos, I am getting white glare spots all over my photos that can't even be edited out with editing software. SONY customer service told me that because the lens is so close to the flash on this camera, the flash actually illuminates dust particles in the air and those get picked up in your images. It's basically a design defect in the camera and their only solution was to shoot in high sensitivity mode. I will never buy a SONY camera ever again!!!!!!