Sony HDR-SR5 $699 @ Amazon!!!!

[diversteve]

CMOS is a newer technology designed for lower power consumption. To me it sometimes seems a little "softer" also. The newer 3chip Prosumer cameras are all 3CMOS also now, only the older FX1 is still 3CCD.

But how come a more expensive HC-7 give less under low light conditions than HC-5?

From the camcorderinfo.com review. It doesn't actually compare the HC7 vs. the HC5 since the reviews were written at different times. But the theory is the same since the HC3 and HC5 use the same imaging chip. Since then the HC5 was reviewed so read the performance section of that review also as they mention both models again.

Low Light Performance (8.29)
Sony camcorders with the 1/3” ClearVID CMOS typically performed very well in low light. Imagine our disappointment, albeit unsurprised disappointment, that HDR-HC7 performed so much worse than last year’s HDR-HC3. The reason is simple, but one that we see frequently repeated in cameras and camcorders. The Sony HC3 had a 1/3” CMOS with 2,103,000 pixels; the HC7 has a 1/2.9” CMOS with 3,200,000 pixels. When a manufacturer boosts the number of pixels on the same surface area (or in this case, an infinitesimally larger surface area), those pixels have to shrink. Smaller pixels mean a reduced ability to collect light. This is practically a golden rule of optics (though we've already seen the low-end Canon ZR850 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $265) buck that trend). While the overall resolution is increased (and boy, does that look good on the bullet point specs at Best Buy!), low light performance and color performance go down, and noise goes up.