You sir are the reason I purchased this camera. I am so serious...your reviews are better than the SONY reviews of its own camera. Sad. But thank you so much.
@JoshCanVideo That's the youtube encode (or possibly my settings as this is the first time I've tried uploading a 1080p file to youtube... that jitter isn't in the original footage. Seems to be an issue with key-framing actually.
An amazing review. After reading the reviews online I was tossing up buying it, but to see how well you demonstrated the uses... AWESOME. Cheers, Blunty.
@helianthe5 The blurred background thing is a combination of relative distance to the lens of subject and background, lens aperture, focal length, and sensor size. Open the iris right up, stand back and zoom in, have your subject close and your background far and you'll maximize the effect.
@idkwheretogo I've no idea what you think "wide range lens" means, but this is not an interchangeable lens system, so I'll have to say yes, whatever you're asking about that I showed in this video, is on the camera by default.
@TVperson1ard to be sure as I haven't compared them directly... but it may even be slightly better if memory serves... manual focusing seemed a bit easier to eyeball with this one.
@Harlei3 Depends greatly on the conditions, it seems to only happen predictably in very bright, very direct sunlight and only at the extreme end of telephoto.
@UmbRa52 "what's google?" - I don't tend to mention price in my video reviews because prices change over time, the information in my video can't. Also my videos are watched world-wide, price will vary wildly depending on where you buy in the world, from which retailer, in which currency, and when etc etc etc. JUST GOOGLE IT, it takes like three seconds!
@Trusteft 1; i/p, your choice, it'll do both. 2; yes 3; No, it's not a CCD chip, it doesn't actually require it. 4; Manual ("sun, could, tungsten etc etc), auto, and you can push it around manually in increments 5; Not to this level, overcranking from standard footage will only get you so far.
@8x50scope In my opinion it's the best bang for buck anywhere close to this price range. A good DSLR with some fast glass will get some great results in low light, but for true run-and-gun work, it's a massive pain in the ass to work with. XA10 was on my list of considerations when buying my own, I still close the Sony, primarily for the size and weight savings - performance was close enough as makes no difference as far as my research gleamed when it comes to run-n-gun stuff.
You are very talented in making reviews! Besides the talent of using all features in cameras, you have a wonderful speaking skills and sense of humer. Thanks! Saad, Kuwait
brilliant review on what seems to be a brilliant video camera,,,, must say this is the 1st I've listened to Blunty and he does an excellent job, pure honest opinions & comments which are very informative.Well done Sir a no nonsense review.
That has to be the best review of any eqipment I have ever seen on youtube. And boy do I watch a lot..I need to gert a life. Thats what I want from a review, passion and wise insight. I love your style and patter too and I think you made an excellent job of showing off the camera and gave a balanced view of the pros and cons. Ignore the clever gits on here and keep up the brilliant work fella. bets wishes from the UK.
Gday Blunty, I'm a long time viewer and sad to admit only a recent subscriber. I suppose lotsa people too easily complain about stuff and very few will ever if never take the time to compliment good work. So here I am to say your videos are simply the best!. Full stop nothing more to say, game over!. Whenever I need info you are my go to channel. I am planning to ride my motorbike from London to Sydney and your reviews are helping me plan what equip I need to record my adventure. I've been trying to work out all my options here considering size, weight, portability, quality of video, etc etc. With the help of your reviews I am looking at PJ790 (variant of this video CX700) or the AX100 for video and the Sony RX1 for photos. Anyways wanted to say a VERY BIG thanks for your brilliant and funny no BS reviews. Credit to ya man bloody awesome job!!!
Great review! I have 3 questions still. 1. Is it true that the widest focal length reduces to +-30mm when you set steadyshot to 'active' (I read this in a review, but could not find it anywhere else)? 2. The manual states that only external HDD's with the FAT filesystem can be used (that would mean max 4Gb per file). Is this the case and if so, how do you cope with this? 3. Do you use this cam with an external mic, and , if so, does the location of the inputs bother you (behind the hand strap)
I am in love with it. Superb review as always! Get Sony to give some of these away. ;P I hope that lag at 4:15 was from your editing program and not the camera itself? :)
that was a good review Blunty. I bought one of these camers 2 weeks ago. They are great for vlogging when out and about. I am very impressed by it. I just have to work out the best setting to render it for youtube upload. I see that you upload it in 1080, I might do that too.
@Blober112 Thanks for hopping around for me :) (sorry it took so longer than I'd said to get this up) - how cool does your stupid floppy hair look in slow motion though? :P
@SpicyXxTacoXxDude there arent hardware issues, the hardware is very well built and rock solid... the issues are design issues and that, can be subjective .
@Blunty3000 Old folk like me and Shakespeare thought it was OK :-) Thanks for the quick response, not in any way confused by the difference. I am looking at this camera as a second unit to wave around whilst the Z5P takes in the primary subject. Bloody hard to get something that shoots sharp, has full manual and doesn't require a wheelbarrow to transport it in. This seems to fit the niche. Considered a G10 but reviewers say it shoots soft.
@Rocketboy1950 Dude, there's even a little icon that comes up on the screen when it detects a stable position (ie a tripod or table top)... if your shot was "fucked up" it's because your camera has developed a fault, or simply that YOU fucked up the settings. I use this camera constantly, and I've never had it NOT properly detect when to turn off the stabilization (and show that little icon of a tripod instead of the "hand" indicating the state of the stabilization). Read your manual sometime
I really love the effort you put into your reviews, you really go into depth about all the features and im sure for a review this long there was a lot of time spent editing together footage and recording audio which must have amounted to days of work So thankyou! Even though a camera like this is way too out of my price range i actually just enjoyed your review so much i just listened to the whole thing for fun :)
A very good review. I have a Sony PJ790-HDR which is a great camcorder. It has a full HD 1920 x 1080 video camera that shoots at either 60 or 24 progressive frames per second and stores the video on its 96GB of internal flash memory. It also has a 16x zoom lens and 24.1MP. I took it to Australia and NZ in 2018. I see you are in Sidney, a nice city to be sure. PS. I have subscribed!
I have this camera, myself, and I am very satisfied With the quality. I always use 60p mode - while I can see that it is the 24p mode that has been used here. This means that original films from this camcorder is much better that what can be shown here on UA-cam. I also use 5.1 surround sound - this makes you feel you are "right there" when you play the video through a surround speaker system.
I'm guessing you would recommend this as the camera to buy for my trip to Africa? How much HD footage can fit on the flash drive before I will be exporting it to an external hard drive? Also, does it take stills and are they of a good quality? Thanks for the review, it will make choosing this camera much easier!
I was shocked by the image quality of such a small camera. The sharpness of the focus was great. Just made my research into the A77 more difficult. So far I'm loving Sony products.
Hi Blunt, thanks for the great review, appreciate if you could please clarify one issue. On myshopping website the CX700E sells for $1019, much cheaper than CX700V which is selling for $1377, I know you put a comment about European/USA versions in description, is there absolutely no difference in between CX700E and CX700V? And about space management, I am a beginner in this field and 100gb for 2h footoge sounds scary, how do u manage, any way to size down the top quality option after shooting?
Question Blunty. For a person interested mainly in recording video, but still with an interest in photography, how would this hold up against a DSLR, say a 60D?
Blunty, great review. Got a great deal on this camera in the states with the humungo battery included. One other design flaw I recently discovered was the inability to mount a filter with the hood attached or visa-versa, as the hood uses the filter screw mount. Put a high quality uv on to protect the lens. Any word on aftermarket hood that works with the filter in place?
@2WIREG You can't record something at 30 FPS and expect fluent slow-motion applied with after effects. I don't know for certain, but I can assume that you record it at lower resolutions and @ the higher FPS. It's not a filter you can throw on any video.
Great video! Can you please identify the main differences betwen this camera and the new SOny HDR-PJ710V? I Know the main differences are the newer 710V has a projector and higher still photos (24.1 MP). Are there any other differences?
I have question about the still shots. Can I shoot a still while I am filming in HD mode? I have heard conflicting reports on this. What do the still shots look like? Can I do any manual focus (depth of field also) in still only mode?
Excellent video! Very informative. I'm not sure if you are able to respond to all the comments on UA-cam but im going to ask. I really like this camera and the features but it's price range is a little more than I would like to spend. Can you recommend a good camera in the $500-$600 range. Thanks again for the great videos.
Whenever the footage recorded with the cam is shown it seems to jitter quite a bit? (watching in 720p) is that a quirk of youtube.. orr? Running a 6950, plays bluray rips perfectly. not sure what's going on.
Blunty, I have this Camcorder! And I am beyond satisfied with its performance. Image quality is ALWAYS solid. And you are right in the fact that you CAN trust its automatic adjusting capabilities. I plan on using it for ALL my future and upcoming video projects. Great Review. I can definitely attest with you, that this camera is a solid purchase.
Great video, great review...what about the heat of the camera after a long time of use? how does it feel in your hand if your filming over 30 minutes? ie weddings.
What about jello effect, rolling shuttle, aliasing, moire, ghosting or any other artifacting? Can you upload a video testing these things for this camcorder?
Great review, thanks! I have one question, how well do you think it would handle somewhat loud events such as a nightclub band in a small venue? Or perhaps a live music show outside with PA and guitar amplifies? Not a full blown rock concert just local venue events. Thanks!
@Blunty3000 I've been looking into getting The Sony mc50u, but just watched your review of the Sony cx700v. I can't really put my finger on the difference, or what would be a better buy. Any thoughts?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this great cam ive seen till date with amazing features and battery life polanning to get this ASAP!!! Had a question tho,whats the difference between HDR-CX700V and HDR-CX700VE?
hi blunty, thanks so much for a brilliant review, very detailed and useful. So good actually that i just bought one. I do have one question I hoped you could answer: we are trying to get the 'blurred background' effect whilst having my sister in the foreground. We used the manual iris setting but it only seemed to work on items about 1 inch away from the camera. I am pretty sure I am missing something obvious and was hoping you could help me here. thanks again for a great review!
Hi blunty, thanks for the review, have you tried using it to pointed at a star full night sky ( whats your results like ) ? , or sticking a 950nm IR filter on the front for those odd effect shots during the day ? I have just ordered the HDR PJ740VE Sony which I think is almost the same electronic core as that CX700 except the 740 would have had a few Tweaks I expect. Thanks again Norm!!
I really think you should get the TM900. The lens is much much better & suffer less from overexposure. There's more manual control & also have 5.1 mic build in. I believe it is less expensive than the CX700V. You did a very good review to the point I could see the TM900 should be worth a look if you didn't tried out yet.
I use the latest Final Cut Pro X, so I'm worried about uploading to edit. I would also like a camera that can shoot in eventful nighttime situations.But the 24P and Direct Copy to an external drive looks very appealing to me. The slow motion could be very useful when I'm filming fencing and other fast action sports. What are your thoughts? Should I invest in the G10?
Uhm, question... So could this camcorder possibly be used for filmmaking, given that there is almost full manual control of the camera, or would an amateur director better stick with a DSLR in the same price range?
I think this video quality is exceptional, and way more vivid and clear compared to the canon hf g10. Is this better than the sony nex vg20? (in terms of image quality)
Gorgeous Vid. Even when you went from Macro on the Bugs and zoomed out QUICKLY, the camcorder didn;t even flinch or lose quality. Most cams would have gone crazy! WOW! Almost Full Resolution slow-mo! Not a bad price for all those Features & Quality with WideAngle Built in.
@Blunty3000 I said in a moving vehicle if you bothered to read it and thanks I did know which is why I have stabilisation turned off on my other unit which is always on a tripod. But hey thanks for your kind remarks based on reading half of what I said It tells me a little about who you are.
@2WIREG My guess is it just bumps up the frames per second it records to silly amounts for a short burst, then that translates to slow motion when you play it back.
I know im going to get some stares but can you take pictures with it? or does it only record? ive always used camera's and im looking for a camera to record and also take photographs.
@HollyTheFireNinja One difference to note. The HDR-CX700v has GPS and the HDR-CX700E doesn't. I was told in store the specs were the same so I'm somewhat annoyed but not losing sleep....
@Rocketboy1950 "methinks"? seriously? Who the hell says "methinks"? and no... the camera does indeed feature an "14x Extended Zoom" , the lens zoom is 10x, the extended zoom is 14x (NOT digital zoom BTW, don't get confused, "extended zoom crops the image sensor, no interpolation or image degradation takes place) it also has digital zoom of course... which no one should ever use.
@WilkoJnr86 Well I own the 60D, so I can tell you precisely. The 60D can do slightly nicer video (IF you invest in a nice lens) but it's a MUCH larger pain in the ass to do video with and you have WAY more limitations, OTOH, the Sony can take a decent but not great 12MP still. I'll still use my 60D in my controlled-conditions "home studio" for to-camera stuff, but the Sony is MUCH MUCH MUCH better as a run-n-gun location, event, travel and documentary style shooter, which is why I'm buying one.
i have this camera would i be right in saying that the settings used to change things manually using the wheel are fixed to one or the other. so if you wish to play with focus and exposure you cant do both at the same time
Would something like this be preferable over a DSLR for review style videos? I've been looking at the a55 for the autofocus with the DSLR style DOF, but when you had the iris all the way it looked pretty good, with the background blurred. Just wondering anyone's opinions.
Seems like most of the design problems you disagree with, Blunty (which I largely agree with too) stems from it's small size, which I prefer... I'm alright with that. Design tradeoffs on this are about the only complaint I could level at it... I am sad that UA-cam doesn't support 60fps/50fps video, because I'd really like to see what a full-frame video would look like with a camera like this. (I'm assuming a camera of this design quality wouldn't have any problem... still, nice to see...)
@Lord5oth That's the encoding for youtube, it's not evident on the footage right off the camera, which is buttery smooth.
You sir are the reason I purchased this camera. I am so serious...your reviews are better than the SONY reviews of its own camera. Sad. But thank you so much.
@JoshCanVideo That's the youtube encode (or possibly my settings as this is the first time I've tried uploading a 1080p file to youtube... that jitter isn't in the original footage. Seems to be an issue with key-framing actually.
@2WIREG It's a dedicated mode you have to select before recording.
An amazing review. After reading the reviews online I was tossing up buying it, but to see how well you demonstrated the uses... AWESOME. Cheers, Blunty.
@helianthe5 The blurred background thing is a combination of relative distance to the lens of subject and background, lens aperture, focal length, and sensor size. Open the iris right up, stand back and zoom in, have your subject close and your background far and you'll maximize the effect.
@idkwheretogo I've no idea what you think "wide range lens" means, but this is not an interchangeable lens system, so I'll have to say yes, whatever you're asking about that I showed in this video, is on the camera by default.
@TVperson1ard to be sure as I haven't compared them directly... but it may even be slightly better if memory serves... manual focusing seemed a bit easier to eyeball with this one.
@Lord5oth That's the encoding for youtube, it is not present in the original file.
@Harlei3 Depends greatly on the conditions, it seems to only happen predictably in very bright, very direct sunlight and only at the extreme end of telephoto.
@UmbRa52 "what's google?" - I don't tend to mention price in my video reviews because prices change over time, the information in my video can't. Also my videos are watched world-wide, price will vary wildly depending on where you buy in the world, from which retailer, in which currency, and when etc etc etc. JUST GOOGLE IT, it takes like three seconds!
@Trusteft 1; i/p, your choice, it'll do both.
2; yes
3; No, it's not a CCD chip, it doesn't actually require it.
4; Manual ("sun, could, tungsten etc etc), auto, and you can push it around manually in increments
5; Not to this level, overcranking from standard footage will only get you so far.
@RicRagsLive That's the encoding here on youtube. Not present in original footage.
@8x50scope In my opinion it's the best bang for buck anywhere close to this price range. A good DSLR with some fast glass will get some great results in low light, but for true run-and-gun work, it's a massive pain in the ass to work with.
XA10 was on my list of considerations when buying my own, I still close the Sony, primarily for the size and weight savings - performance was close enough as makes no difference as far as my research gleamed when it comes to run-n-gun stuff.
You are very talented in making reviews! Besides the talent of using all features in cameras, you have a wonderful speaking skills and sense of humer. Thanks!
Saad, Kuwait
What a review Blunty! Extraordinary and only few can match your level and class. Keep it up!!!
brilliant review on what seems to be a brilliant video camera,,,,
must say this is the 1st I've listened to Blunty and he does an excellent job, pure honest opinions & comments which are very informative.Well done Sir a no nonsense review.
That has to be the best review of any eqipment I have ever seen on youtube. And boy do I watch a lot..I need to gert a life. Thats what I want from a review, passion and wise insight. I love your style and patter too and I think you made an excellent job of showing off the camera and gave a balanced view of the pros and cons. Ignore the clever gits on here and keep up the brilliant work fella. bets wishes from the UK.
That is some freaking amazing Image Stabilization, thanks for the review blunty. Great Video once again.
Extremely in-depth, detailed review. This is why I love you
Gday Blunty, I'm a long time viewer and sad to admit only a recent subscriber. I suppose lotsa people too easily complain about stuff and very few will ever if never take the time to compliment good work. So here I am to say your videos are simply the best!. Full stop nothing more to say, game over!. Whenever I need info you are my go to channel. I am planning to ride my motorbike from London to Sydney and your reviews are helping me plan what equip I need to record my adventure. I've been trying to work out all my options here considering size, weight, portability, quality of video, etc etc. With the help of your reviews I am looking at PJ790 (variant of this video CX700) or the AX100 for video and the Sony RX1 for photos. Anyways wanted to say a VERY BIG thanks for your brilliant and funny no BS reviews. Credit to ya man bloody awesome job!!!
Great review!
I have 3 questions still.
1. Is it true that the widest focal length reduces to +-30mm when you set steadyshot to 'active' (I read this in a review, but could not find it anywhere else)?
2. The manual states that only external HDD's with the FAT filesystem can be used (that would mean max 4Gb per file). Is this the case and if so, how do you cope with this?
3. Do you use this cam with an external mic, and , if so, does the location of the inputs bother you (behind the hand strap)
I am in love with it. Superb review as always!
Get Sony to give some of these away. ;P
I hope that lag at 4:15 was from your editing program and not the camera itself? :)
that was a good review Blunty. I bought one of these camers 2 weeks ago. They are great for vlogging when out and about. I am very impressed by it. I just have to work out the best setting to render it for youtube upload. I see that you upload it in 1080, I might do that too.
Great video, this camera will make the perfect companion for my DSLRs. The video quality is top notch, and so is your description. Thanks Blunty3000
@Lord5oth That's because of the image stabilization. When recorded at 60P, the framerate will drop to 30(maybe even to 24P) on motion due it.
@Blober112 Thanks for hopping around for me :) (sorry it took so longer than I'd said to get this up) - how cool does your stupid floppy hair look in slow motion though? :P
@SpicyXxTacoXxDude there arent hardware issues, the hardware is very well built and rock solid... the issues are design issues and that, can be subjective .
@Blunty3000 Old folk like me and Shakespeare thought it was OK :-) Thanks for the quick response, not in any way confused by the difference. I am looking at this camera as a second unit to wave around whilst the Z5P takes in the primary subject. Bloody hard to get something that shoots sharp, has full manual and doesn't require a wheelbarrow to transport it in. This seems to fit the niche. Considered a G10 but reviewers say it shoots soft.
@Rocketboy1950 Dude, there's even a little icon that comes up on the screen when it detects a stable position (ie a tripod or table top)... if your shot was "fucked up" it's because your camera has developed a fault, or simply that YOU fucked up the settings.
I use this camera constantly, and I've never had it NOT properly detect when to turn off the stabilization (and show that little icon of a tripod instead of the "hand" indicating the state of the stabilization).
Read your manual sometime
I really love the effort you put into your reviews, you really go into depth about all the features and im sure for a review this long there was a lot of time spent editing together footage and recording audio which must have amounted to days of work
So thankyou!
Even though a camera like this is way too out of my price range i actually just enjoyed your review so much i just listened to the whole thing for fun
:)
Were the sounds of the Sydney scenes recorded with the cameras built in mic, Blunty?
A very good review. I have a Sony PJ790-HDR which is a great camcorder. It has a full HD 1920 x 1080 video camera that shoots at either 60 or 24 progressive frames per second and stores the video on its 96GB of internal flash memory. It also has a 16x zoom lens and 24.1MP. I took it to Australia and NZ in 2018. I see you are in Sidney, a nice city to be sure. PS. I have subscribed!
I have this camera, myself, and I am very satisfied With the quality. I always use 60p mode - while I can see that it is the 24p mode that has been used here. This means that original films from this camcorder is much better that what can be shown here on UA-cam. I also use 5.1 surround sound - this makes you feel you are "right there" when you play the video through a surround speaker system.
I'm guessing you would recommend this as the camera to buy for my trip to Africa? How much HD footage can fit on the flash drive before I will be exporting it to an external hard drive? Also, does it take stills and are they of a good quality? Thanks for the review, it will make choosing this camera much easier!
I was shocked by the image quality of such a small camera. The sharpness of the focus was great. Just made my research into the A77 more difficult. So far I'm loving Sony products.
This is the best review I've ever seen. You've sold me on the camera.
Hi Blunt, thanks for the great review, appreciate if you could please clarify one issue. On myshopping website the CX700E sells for $1019, much cheaper than CX700V which is selling for $1377, I know you put a comment about European/USA versions in description, is there absolutely no difference in between CX700E and CX700V? And about space management, I am a beginner in this field and 100gb for 2h footoge sounds scary, how do u manage, any way to size down the top quality option after shooting?
Question Blunty. For a person interested mainly in recording video, but still with an interest in photography, how would this hold up against a DSLR, say a 60D?
Excellent review geezer, such precise detail on the pro's and con's of the product. Thanks a lot
Words cannot express how much I want this camera.
Thanks for the review Blunty... you didn't mention the viewfinder.... how does it perform?
Great review. This vid cam looks awesome. Lets hope there normal cameras follow suit in the design dept. Nice review Blunty.
Blunty, great review. Got a great deal on this camera in the states with the humungo battery included. One other design flaw I recently discovered was the inability to mount a filter with the hood attached or visa-versa, as the hood uses the filter screw mount. Put a high quality uv on to protect the lens. Any word on aftermarket hood that works with the filter in place?
Simply love your reviews man, very amusing but also informative.
@2WIREG You can't record something at 30 FPS and expect fluent slow-motion applied with after effects. I don't know for certain, but I can assume that you record it at lower resolutions and @ the higher FPS. It's not a filter you can throw on any video.
Great video! Can you please identify the main differences betwen this camera and the new SOny HDR-PJ710V? I Know the main differences are the newer 710V has a projector and higher still photos (24.1 MP). Are there any other differences?
I have question about the still shots.
Can I shoot a still while I am filming in HD mode? I have heard conflicting reports on this.
What do the still shots look like?
Can I do any manual focus (depth of field also) in still only mode?
Excellent video! Very informative. I'm not sure if you are able to respond to all the comments on UA-cam but im going to ask. I really like this camera and the features but it's price range is a little more than I would like to spend. Can you recommend a good camera in the $500-$600 range. Thanks again for the great videos.
Whenever the footage recorded with the cam is shown it seems to jitter quite a bit? (watching in 720p) is that a quirk of youtube.. orr?
Running a 6950, plays bluray rips perfectly. not sure what's going on.
Blunty, I have this Camcorder! And I am beyond satisfied with its performance.
Image quality is ALWAYS solid. And you are right in the fact that you CAN trust its automatic adjusting capabilities.
I plan on using it for ALL my future and upcoming video projects.
Great Review. I can definitely attest with you, that this camera is a solid purchase.
Nice, do u upload videos taken from this cam directly to UA-cam or do u have to convert them somehow?
Great video, great review...what about the heat of the camera after a long time of use? how does it feel in your hand if your filming over 30 minutes? ie weddings.
What about jello effect, rolling shuttle, aliasing, moire, ghosting or any other artifacting? Can you upload a video testing these things for this camcorder?
nifty. How much did you pick this one up for? If you said it in the video I didn't hear.
Great review, thanks! I have one question, how well do you think it would handle somewhat loud events such as a nightclub band in a small venue? Or perhaps a live music show outside with PA and guitar amplifies? Not a full blown rock concert just local venue events.
Thanks!
@Blunty3000 I've been looking into getting The Sony mc50u, but just watched your review of the Sony cx700v. I can't really put my finger on the difference, or what would be a better buy. Any thoughts?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this great cam ive seen till date with amazing features and battery life polanning to get this ASAP!!!
Had a question tho,whats the difference between HDR-CX700V and HDR-CX700VE?
@PestVic Look at the shot of Blunty in the foreground with the harbour bridge in the background and I think your question will be answered.
hi blunty, thanks so much for a brilliant review, very detailed and useful. So good actually that i just bought one. I do have one question I hoped you could answer: we are trying to get the 'blurred background' effect whilst having my sister in the foreground. We used the manual iris setting but it only seemed to work on items about 1 inch away from the camera. I am pretty sure I am missing something obvious and was hoping you could help me here. thanks again for a great review!
Hi blunty, thanks for the review, have you tried using it to pointed at a star full night sky ( whats your results like ) ? , or sticking a 950nm IR filter on the front for those odd effect shots during the day ?
I have just ordered the HDR PJ740VE Sony which I think is almost the same electronic core as that CX700 except the 740 would have had a few Tweaks I expect. Thanks again Norm!!
Dang Blunty! That was one damn fine review. Thanks for all the excellent info!
Looks like it has problems following. Every time you move it it seems to jerk until you stop moving. Was it the tripod you were using or the camera?
Would this suffice for a high quality online video series? How would it hold up against comparable video recorders?
I really think you should get the TM900. The lens is much much better & suffer less from overexposure. There's more manual control & also have 5.1 mic build in. I believe it is less expensive than the CX700V.
You did a very good review to the point I could see the TM900 should be worth a look if you didn't tried out yet.
I use the latest Final Cut Pro X, so I'm worried about uploading to edit. I would also like a camera that can shoot in eventful nighttime situations.But the 24P and Direct Copy to an external drive looks very appealing to me. The slow motion could be very useful when I'm filming fencing and other fast action sports. What are your thoughts? Should I invest in the G10?
Uhm, question... So could this camcorder possibly be used for filmmaking, given that there is almost full manual control of the camera, or would an amateur director better stick with a DSLR in the same price range?
B&H Photo lists this as discontinued. What's the replacement model?
Thanks for posting this review, Enjoyed it.
@jimimitsos ... a two year old cameraphone could "possibly be used for film making"... depends what your needs are dude.
I think this video quality is exceptional, and way more vivid and clear compared to the canon hf g10. Is this better than the sony nex vg20? (in terms of image quality)
Gorgeous Vid. Even when you went from Macro on the Bugs and zoomed out QUICKLY, the camcorder didn;t even flinch or lose quality. Most cams would have gone crazy!
WOW! Almost Full Resolution slow-mo!
Not a bad price for all those Features & Quality with WideAngle Built in.
Some of those shots truly are amazing, the jogger zoom plus smoking guy in slow mo.
Could you recommend this for a short-film project? I'd be filming in low-light situations most likely.
@Blunty3000 I said in a moving vehicle if you bothered to read it and thanks I did know which is why I have stabilisation turned off on my other unit which is always on a tripod. But hey thanks for your kind remarks based on reading half of what I said It tells me a little about who you are.
@2WIREG My guess is it just bumps up the frames per second it records to silly amounts for a short burst, then that translates to slow motion when you play it back.
Quick question: Has any random person ever said anything to you when you film them on these tests? I've always been curious as to that.
I know im going to get some stares but can you take pictures with it? or does it only record? ive always used camera's and im looking for a camera to record and also take photographs.
gr8 overview ,thx4sharing it here, but still have a question: does it have in its menue a button for tiltshift like Panasonic.?
Bought this in Dec 2011. AMAZING camera. Had a problem with the screen recently but Sony took care of it.
@HollyTheFireNinja One difference to note. The HDR-CX700v has GPS and the HDR-CX700E doesn't. I was told in store the specs were the same so I'm somewhat annoyed but not losing sleep....
Are the images on this camera as clear and sharp as VG10 ? I'm after a camera which is gives sharp images.
@Rocketboy1950 "methinks"? seriously? Who the hell says "methinks"?
and no... the camera does indeed feature an "14x Extended Zoom" , the lens zoom is 10x, the extended zoom is 14x (NOT digital zoom BTW, don't get confused, "extended zoom crops the image sensor, no interpolation or image degradation takes place) it also has digital zoom of course... which no one should ever use.
@WilkoJnr86 Well I own the 60D, so I can tell you precisely. The 60D can do slightly nicer video (IF you invest in a nice lens) but it's a MUCH larger pain in the ass to do video with and you have WAY more limitations, OTOH, the Sony can take a decent but not great 12MP still. I'll still use my 60D in my controlled-conditions "home studio" for to-camera stuff, but the Sony is MUCH MUCH MUCH better as a run-n-gun location, event, travel and documentary style shooter, which is why I'm buying one.
i have this camera would i be right in saying that the settings used to change things manually using the wheel are fixed to one or the other. so if you wish to play with focus and exposure you cant do both at the same time
which video editing program and what rendering settings are u using?
You didn't mention the viewfinder, I will assume it's an electronic viewfinder?
@MrFictive All my opinions are humble... it's just the way I express them that isn't ;P
Anything better than Sony CX700V at the moment Nate?
Now if my internet connection, and laptop, could play a 1080p video without stopping. Beautiful stuff there.
How do you select and control the "iris aperture" displayed at 7:55?
What file format do you conver your videos to for youtube Blunty?
I wanted to have this camcorder... But I cannot pay that price! So I took an HDR CX160... Was my choice good? sorry for my bad balgian english... :S
Would something like this be preferable over a DSLR for review style videos? I've been looking at the a55 for the autofocus with the DSLR style DOF, but when you had the iris all the way it looked pretty good, with the background blurred. Just wondering anyone's opinions.
I cant seem to find this product for order i was wondering if the HDRPJ790VB is any good
@RamboSlice666 No clue, just some model or other hired "talent" that another small crew were filming for some reason.
nice review, i'm thinking of getting this camera for my youtube channel
What kind of lens hood goes with yours Sony hdr cx700 may i ask?
Dude - you make AWESOME REVIEWS !!
Seems like most of the design problems you disagree with, Blunty (which I largely agree with too) stems from it's small size, which I prefer... I'm alright with that. Design tradeoffs on this are about the only complaint I could level at it...
I am sad that UA-cam doesn't support 60fps/50fps video, because I'd really like to see what a full-frame video would look like with a camera like this. (I'm assuming a camera of this design quality wouldn't have any problem... still, nice to see...)
@Blunty3000 yeah like the other guy said the video seems to be jittering. I'm only watching at 360p and it's happening.