NVG's
Written: Feb 20 '01
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Pros: nightshot, zoom, memory stick
Cons: viewfinder, small LCD, battery charging, button placement
The Bottom Line: All in all a good camcorder Sony could make a few minor improvements and make it great.
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| italyqt's Full Review: Sony Handycam DCR-TRV320 Digital-8 Digital Camcord... |
Ah the camcorder, a tool of parents and grandparents everywhere. My husband, my daughter and myself armed with our new 5-month-old baby hit the stores in search of something to spend my husband’s hard earned wages on. After a stop at Sam’s club, then Wal-Mart we soon found ourselves in the electronics section of Sears in a plethora of camcorders.
We weren’t really sure what we wanted in a camcorder. We knew that we didn’t want to cheap out too much and then again we didn’t want to spend too much on a camcorder. My husband was enticed by the night shot on the Sony. This camcorder has the ability to shoot in 0 Lux which is to no light at all. Now you have to understand that my husband is a military pilot who loves to fly nights and with Night Vision Goggles otherwise known as NVG’s. So this seemed a perfect match for him. Sony it was.
We looked at a few of the Sony’s and came across a few with digital camera capability. Intriguing!! This camcorder has an extra setting that allows you to shot digital photos on an included Sony memory stick. Well we were hooked so we bought it. Upon ringing it up it was on clearance for $200 less then marked. Which made the total price $699.
Okay now the fun part we brought the camcorder home and charged up the battery. Oh, the waiting, well it wasn’t to bad the included battery, which gives you about 90 minutes of record time charges up in about an hour. There is a spiffy little screen on the side that tells you how many minutes are left on the battery. This same screen also tells you how many minutes you have recorded on your tape. One of the grips I have about the camcorder how it comes is you have to charge the battery in the camcorder. You can buy a charger separate which lets you charge the battery without the camera but still I sort of wish it came with that.
The camcorder has a ton of digital effects. I can’t say I really use them that much. I find it easier to transfer the video into the computer and edit my video there. The camera has A/V outs but it also has an “ilink” port which it what Sony calls “firewire”. Since the computer didn’t have A/V jacks or firewire we hopped on out and bought the Dazzle-SE to edit our videos for about $70.
The camcorder has something like a 450x digital zoom. I don’t even have anything that far away from me to zoom on but if I did I guess it would be nice. I can read the thermometer on the fish tank from across the room but that is the only test of it I have done.
With a little flip of a switch you turn your camcorder into a digital camera. The picture quality is okay for some fast “send to the grandparents” shots but I wouldn’t recommend it for anything more. The camcorder came with a cable to hook it up to a computers serial port to download the photos but you can also buy other accessories from Sony to transfer the memory stick. We just don’t find it necessary to use anything different.
So far we enjoy the camera. It is amazing that that little tiny camera can do more then our huge Sears LXI with all the attachments. The main issues we have with the camera besides the charging of the battery is that it does not have a light. Yes, it has night shot but I don’t want everything green all the time, also the viewfinder is monotone. It has a color LCD screen but a color viewfinder would add greatly to it and some of the buttons are had to reach. They are behind the LCD screen so you have to flip out the screen to use them not such a big deal when you are using the screen but a pain when you are using the viewfinder because when you flip out the screen the viewfinder goes off.
All in all a good camcorder Sony could make a few minor improvements and make it great. I would recommend going with a larger LCD screen if you are willing to spend the extra money but even so still a good camcorder.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 699
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Epinions.com ID:
italyqt
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Reviews written: 38
Trusted by: 8 members
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