Some good news (mini review) . . .
 

Wow. Lots of bad news for several owners of the HVR-Z7 series of camcorders lately with lens, compact flash recording problems, etc. Hopefully it will all get sorted out sooner or later ... sooner is better.

Anyway, here's a mini-review over at Mac Video. The reviewer had a number of good things to say about the camera, so I thought I pass this along:

http://www.macvideo.tv/reviews/index...eviewid=101473

If anyone sees ANY reviews for the Z7, please post. It's surprisingly silent out there. I still can't figure out why practically no one has offered a truly in-depth review of the camcorder. Any thoughts?

Ian

Here's one from eventdv.net

http://www.eventdv.net/articles/read...rticleid=41396

I was actually considering investing in this camera after reading this review, but now I'm hesitating after reading some of the issues that forum members are having, and how the manufacturer doesn't seem to care, or at least won't comment on it.

I think that some of the issues are very hit or miss, and some of them, like the lens shifting, may not be noticeable to some users. Many have experienced very positive outcomes with the cameras thus far.

With regards to the craziness I had last weekend, Sony is taking care of this camera in a very timely, positive manner. I wouldn't recommend swaying any decisions unless there's absolute reason to, and, as I had some doubts, persistence and patience certainly proved beneficial. I'm happy and will have a new camera tomorrow morning, just in time to start filming. I'm very happy thus far, I really am, and hope that my posts haven't changed anyone's opinions, but at the same time, if there's a problem, I let it be known!

Those are two separate issues and most often they are unrelated. A manufacturer *must* care if it wants to maintain market position. However, corporate policy may strictly forbid its employees from commenting on internet web sites. The result of this particular combination is often known as the "silent fix" and there is a well-established precedent for it in this industry.