 Oldie but goodie! |
| Review Date: February 13, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Big Running Guy, Shreveport, LA USA |
| Wow, I can't believe theis camera is still offered. I came on Amazon to look for a new battery charger for mine. I purchased mine new from Circuit City in June of 2001 to take on my honeymoon cruise. It has performed flawlessly over the past 9 years, recording the birth of all three of my kids as well as countless birthdays, Christmas mornings, and school programs. The only drawback to this camera is the size. In the age of tiny cameras, this thing seems like a beast. It was not a small camera even when it was new, as the advent of the DV capable iMacs had created a market for ever smaller miniDV cameras. I opted for the this over the entry level Canon miniDV of the time, which was $100 more. That was a lot of money when you are poor and have a budget-busting honeymoon coming up in a month's time! Looking back, it might have been worth it only in terms of the size. Otherwise, I never regretted opting for digital 8 over miniDV. The quality of this camera's video is stunning to this day. The audio is not spectacular but adequate for most home video situations. We'd been thinking of upgrading for the past couple of years but just couldn't do it b/c this camera has performed flawlessly for so long. Finally, with an important event coming up the next morning, we discovered that we'd misplaced our charger. Only then did I scramble to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night and purchase a new Canon that records in standard def to SD flash cards. I realize that this Canon, an FS100, is an entry level camcorder and even a year and a half old model. But you'd think it would be light years ahead of the old Sony. I have to say I'm not convinced. And quite honestly, the Sony shames it in low light situations. After realizing this, and also the fact that I'm still going to eventually have to upload the video from all those tapes to a computer, I frantically jumped onto Amazon to order a new charger for my DCR-TRV 130. If you are in the market for a camcorder that produces outstanding quality standard def video, do not overlook this model if you can get past the size. Mine's taken everything I can throw at it for almost a decade now, and keeps going. |
Decent budget camcorder
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| Review Date: December 20, 2009 |
| Reviewer: John W. Hughes Jr., Smyrna, TN USA |
This may be an older camcorder, but it is pretty good for users who aren't interested in speculative HD recording or who do not have money in their budget for something better. Having never used high-end video equipment, I have no frame of reference by which to judge the quality of the Sony's features. I can only say that it serves my needs fairly well with a couple of small flaws.
But first, the good.
First, the picture quality is fine. This unit was released when high definition was not affordable to most consumers, so the picture is merely adequate. But let's not forget that this was considered an entry-level Digital8 camcorder. Playing back the video on a good display reveals good detail despite this. I find the optics quality far better than the Sony digital still camera I owned, which was NOT entry-level. I also appreciate the 10x optical zoom, which pushes in quickly, but not too quickly. I have never been a fan of digital zoom, so I don't use it. But it is OK.
Another feature I enjoy about this camcorder that seems to be lacking more and more in modern devices is an optical viewfinder. It has the requisite LCD screen, but it is always nice to know that you have a battery-saving viewfinder to fall back on when you have a lot of filming to do. I own an extended life battery that gives me about three times the capacity compared with the stock one, which yields only about 1.5 hours of stop-and-start filming.
As far as the LCD screen goes, I do think it is pretty good. It's colorful and fairly clear. The menu display is intuitive and laid out logically and simply. However, I do not like how the menu is brought up by pressing the "Menu" button located on the side where the LCD screen closes, but navigating it involves a scroll wheel found on the back of the unit. They should have combined these, as I find myself having to always look to make sure I am pressing the correct button for the Menu. A small gripe, indeed.
The camera's light is actually pretty good. It is incandescent rather than LED or gaseous, so the light is bright but soft. Nothing can replace a lighting rig. But if you're purchasing a budget camera, you probably don't have money for a lighting rig anyway. In a pinch, though, the light does the trick without washing out the subject, provided the subject isn't too close.
I really like that this camcorder is kind of weighty. Since this unit uses cassettes, the transport mechanism surely adds to the weight. I find the weight adds to stability during shooting. It also gives the camcorder a sense of durability and reliability. It has proven to be quite reliable throughout the six years I have owned it. As far as actual durability, I cannot say, as I am very careful when it comes to electronics.
Now, for the bad.
Actually, nothing is really wrong with this camera. Some of the features seem to either be afterthoughts or are just unnecessary. For instance, the Night Shot. It isn't entirely useless, but all it does is slow the shutter speed to let more light in. Video taken at night is slow, kind of fuzzy and noisy. Improved optics and CCD might solve this, but I just don't use it.
Another feature that seems unnecessary is the Photo feature. Now, this IS useless. It works, but I find it just as easy to capture a frame from filming using pretty much any video editing software. And the quality is the same. Now, if this camcorder used removable Flash memory (i.e., MemoryStick) then it might be justified. Otherwise, it just seems like an afterthought.
Overall, if you're searching for a budget camcorder for everyday needs, this is a good unit. It can be picked up cheaply used (less than $200), as it is no longer available. Obviously several modern video machines capture HD images, but this comes at a price. If you would like a camcorder for less than $200 and do not mind using cassettes, pick one of these up. You won't be sorry. |
Nice Camera
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| Review Date: January 6, 2004 |
| Reviewer: R. Anderson, Marquette, MI USA |
I've had this camera for almost a year now, and it's the first movie camera of any kind I've ever used. I have a digital still camera (an olympus 2100cz) so I'm not a neophyte.
I'm finding it easy to use. I use to film my wifes speaking engagements. So i've used this camera in a small room with only 5 or 6 people in it, or in very large auditorium with 200 or so people in it. It worked beautifully. The remote helps a lot when using a tripod. It does an especially nice job picking up audio even at distance.
I had to get a special cable to do transfers to my Macintosh, but once on the mac everything gets really easy.
I guess it doesnt have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive cameras, but if you look over the stats in the discription above, you should be able to figure out this one is for you. |
Excellent for starters
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| Review Date: August 3, 2002 |
| Reviewer: Jason Mackey, Cassville, MO |
| This camera was given to me for Christmas a couple of years ago. It has good video quality, and the ability to play back the tape using an S-video jack. The fade options are limited when compared to other Sony products, but for an entry level camera it is a good value. I recommend this camera to anyone who just wants to record special occasions and for playing around. If you are a serious shutterbug, I would recommend something with more bells and whistles. Overall this camera is a very good quality at a reasonable price. |
Digital revolution for computer owners who want versitility
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| Review Date: April 24, 2002 |
| Reviewer: , |
| Features of this compact camera holds the interest of all who enjoy movies to still pics importable to the internet. It has great resolution and 16 bit sound for real high quality out sourcing and zooms out 560x with super-night shoot for low level lighting sceenes. It can be used to stream videos over the net or dub movies to your vcr. |
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