A quick run-down of features includes a 4x Carl Zeiss zoom lens (25-100mm equivalent), 10.2 MP Exmor R sensor (1/2.4"), 3.5" 920k dot touchscreen, optical image stabilization, intelligent sweep panorama, and 1080p video with stereo sound. Okay, yes, it's still a compact with roughly ten times the pixel density of an a550, but as a feature-filled gadget to take on everything else a metal-bodied DSLR doesn't cover (including portability), it might be pretty nice.
It's still fairly new (announced just 74 days ago) but I have to ask, has anybody here used one or heard anything about it? How does its image quality stack up against other similarly featured compacts? The TX7 seems to be a TX1 (you'll remember that camera debuted with the WX1 to showcase Sony's new back-lit CMOS sensor) with better video, a wider lens, and more intelligent auto features. I like the look of the slick touchscreen interface for iPhone-like picture browsing. If my experience with other Sony point-and-shoots is any indication, pictures recorded by an Alpha to a Memory Stick should be viewable on any other camera that accepts the format.
![Image](http://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/SonyStyleStorefrontAssetStore/img/718x407/DSCTX7L.png)