This camera is so small you can put it in your pocket just like a mobile phone, yet it packs quite a punch. Compared with earlier cameras, the DCR-IP7 has been improved and added to, and is no longer just a video camera for home movies and still shots.

It can now also be used to access the Internet and emails, though the capabilities are a bit limited when it comes to text.

It can become a bit fussy when you try to create text, but no worse than sending messages on a mobile hunting and pecking at the keys. There is also the problem of reading emails and Web information on a small screen.

All this is possible using the built in Bluetooth technology. You simply attach a Bluetooth transmitter to a compatible phone and it is then possible to transmit your video and stills via a wireless link to your ISP. It is also possible to receive video and other data and store it in the camera. In fact, there are many features offered in this camera, but whether you will use them is questionable, given a maximum battery life of up to 72 minutes.

Dont expect to reuse your old DV tapes from your previous camera, as Sony has come up with a new tape format called MICROMV. DV tapes are small but amazingly compact. They fit an hour of video with a claimed quality up to 500 lines.
The DCR-IP7 relies heavily on menus that are displayed in the flip-out LCD viewer. One simple rocker control is used to move through the menu items and select the required commands. The only real problem with this, and similar cameras, is the massive variety of facilities available. You virtually need to carry the manual with you, unless you are just shooting straight video for later viewing, as it is almost impossible to remember all the possibilities tucked away in menus.

Normal video and still photo operation are a treat with the controls well placed and the LCD viewer rotatable for mirror mode if required. However, to rewind or fast forward you need to access the control menus. This can prove awkward due to the miniaturisation; fitting physical controls in a limited space is a problem any camera of this size will have. This is most noticeable with the proximity of the Photo, Video Record and Zoom buttons, and you have to keep your wits about you to use the right button.

Outputs include Composite Video and S-Video plus audio for downloading to TV or VCR in more conventional formats, USB output for downloading from the memory chip and i-LINK cable output for full digital video work.

There is provision for applying titles, special effects and fades both during filming and in camera editing. This combined with a physical zoom of up to 20x and a digital of up to 120x gives the user plenty of scope to play. Special effects available include Negative Art, Sepia, B&W and Solarise. In addition, you can use Still, Flash Motion, Luminance Keying and Slow Shutter settings. Add to that Program AE facilities such as Spotlight, Self Portrait, Beach and Ski, Sunset and Moon, Landscape and Low Lux and you have quite a handful in this tiny camera.

For those who prefer to control their camera rather than depend on smart programming, its possible to override White Balance, Exposure and Focus. A Self Timer is also available for personal shots, plus a button for backlighting, and if you have a wide screen TV you can also choose 16:9 recording mode.

It remains to be seen if Sonys choice of the new MICROMV tape format and
MPEG-2 compression is a wise one. It will depend on whether other camera manufacturers pick up on it. The use of MPEG-2 compression itself places certain restrictions on the interrelation with other cameras, limiting the option to swap tapes for replay and editing. You should check this out before you decide to buy Sonys itsy-bitsy camera.