The Sony HDR-TG7 is the successor to last year's HDR-TG3, which could only record to Memory Stick memory cards.  This new version includes 16 GB of built-in memory, allowing you to combine the two options, recording to either a memory card or the camcorder's internal memory. 

With its MP3 player styling and vertical form factor, the TG7 is a great way to shoot video on the go for those who don't want to look like tourists with camcorders glued to their hand.

Handling
What makes the TG7 stand out from other HD camcorders is the fact you hold it vertically, a little bit like a pistol.  There's no separate strap, like on other models, because the camcorder itself is the right shape to be a handle.  At over 3 cm thick, though, and weighing over 280 g, it's not compact enough to slide into a shirt pocket like the Creative Vado HD, which is closer to the size of a mobile phone.

Despite this, the TG7 is a real design success, with a titanium frame giving a very high quality, robust feel to the product.  Perfect for surveillance, there are no extra parts sticking out of the case apart from the record button at the back and the associated zoom control.  There isn't even a power button, as the TG7 activates automatically and opens its lens caps as soon as you flip out the LCD screen.  The touchscreen is also where all of the other controls are located.  Using the menus is a little complicated and it's easy to get lost in the various settings, but some areas are easier to control than others.  To play back your clips, you just need to fold the LCD screen back round to turn the TG7 into a handheld video player.


The TG7 can't stand upright without external support because the screen puts it off balance.  If you want a steady shot or to record a video blog, then a small tripod will be be necessary.  The zoom is controlled using a dial around the outside of the record button, and it's progressive: the faster you turn it, the faster it will zoom.


Image Quality
This camcorder films at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, encoding its video in AVCHD at a maximum bit rate of 16 Mbps.  Sony has decided to not go for the very best quality available, though, as 24 Mbps is the current gold standard.  Playing back video of outdoor scenes on a Full HD flat screen TV reveals very good results, though, with very lively colours.  Inside, things are a little more disappointing.  Although Sony brags about the quality of its CMOS Exmor sensor giving 'bright, vivid and exceptionally detailed video footage' that doesn't suffer from noise, our studio tests showed quite the opposite: they had a lot of electronic noise and visible graininess.    The video performance here is a long way behind what you can expect on the Song HDR-XR500, whose sensor can capture sharp images even in low light, although it is a lot more expensive.  The lens on the TG7 is a very narrow 43 mm.  The optical zoom goes all the way up to 10x, while the digital image stabilisation helps smooth out movements without completely eradicating them.

The main change since the TG3 is the addition of 16 GB of internal memory allowing you to store up to 1 hour 50 minutes of video in the highest quality, which is a real improvement on only being able to film on Memory Stick.  The battery takes about 2 hours 15 minutes to recharge on the docking station and then lasts around an hour.  Sony has also included a GPS chip, allowing you to geotag your photos and videos.  When you go back to look at your holiday snaps, you'll be able to see exactly where you were when you took them.  Unfortunately, the GPS on the model we tested was a little tricky and managed to get stuck at the same location for the whole week.


All of the different connections for the TG3 are found on the docking station (see inset), where you can find a USB cable, a component video cable, an A/V out and HDMI. Things are never as simple as they seem, though, and there are two traps to avoid here.  Firstly, the HDMI cable isn't supplied, and secondly, the cable you need isn't standard, but instead based on the mini-HDMI output used on other camcorders, that are a lot more expensive.