Sony DCR-TRV38 Digital Mini DV Camcorder With 1-Megapixel CCD
Written: May 21 '03 (Updated May 21 '03)
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Pros: Excellent picture quality, rich feature set, analog inputs, Memory Stick convenience
Cons: Supplied battery does not last long
The Bottom Line: The Sony DCR-TRV38 produces excellent picture, rich features and inputs and does not cost a fortune. You may need to get a ...
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| dkozin's Full Review: Sony DCR-TRV38 Mini DV Digital Camcorder |
The Sony DCR-TRV38 adds a larger 3.5-inch LCD screen to the features of the Sony DCR-TRV33, giving you almost twice the viewing area of the 2.5-inch screen of the TRV38.
Other features of the TRV38 include a 1-Megapixel CCD, the ability to take digital still photos at up to 1152x864 resolution, a color viewfinder and analog inputs, including S-Video, as well as many others (see below).
Going Digital
The TRV38 is a MiniDV digital camcorder. The only reason one would opt for a non-digital model (analog camcorder) is price. The analog camcorders lack the picture quality and features of the digital models, but cost less. In any case, I would suggest a digital model like TRV38 over an analog one.
Advantages of going digital:
1. Most important - better picture quality and detail level – the horizontal resolution is higher than in analog camcorders. In 8mm/VHS-C analog camcorders, the picture quality is limited to 240 lines of horizontal resolution, with Hi8/S-VHS-C to 400. Digital recording (MiniDV or Digital8) achieves more than 500 lines.
2. No video noise is produced by the medium used.
3. Storage: since the recording is digital, the quality should not decrease over time.
4. Connectivity: the video from digital camcorders is easy to transfer to a computer, convert and edit, as well as output back on the tape.
5. The copies have the same quality as original (if the copy is made using digital connection – i.Link a.k.a. FireWire).
This model uses MiniDV tapes, the industry standard and the most commonly used digital video format for camcorders today. Sony also produces Digital8 camcorders, but Digital8 tapes are larger and the Digital8 camcorders are much less widespread. However, they provide backward compatibility (they usually play Hi8 and 8mm recordings in addition to Digital8).
The TRV38 has analog inputs and allows you convert your older analog recordings into digital format. And you even can use it as a high-resolution VCR, which will rival a DVD recorder in terms of picture quality (but not in ease of use).
Picture Quality
The TRV38 excels in terms of picture quality when shooting video or recording through its analog inputs. When recording off DirecTV receiver, the picture quality is substantially better than even my SVHS VCR can produce. And through the use of high quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar optics and a 1-Megapixel CCD, the TRV38 produces very sharp and clear picture with vivid colors when shooting video. The edges of objects are well-defined with good visibility of small detail and low video noise (if using proper auto exposure mode).
I would advise using the “Sunset Moon” AE program in this model in low-light conditions to avoid video noise.
Zoom
This model has 10x optical/120x digital zoom with Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens for improved picture quality by means of special coating that reduces glare and increases contrast level. The image stabilization system called Super SteadyShot is employed to fight unwanted picture shake.
The 10x optical zoom is quite adequate and the 120x digital zoom will never be used to its full potential because you are unlikely to need such magnification and also because the picture becomes unwatchable at full 120x.
Sound
Just like other digital camcorders, the TRV38 feature digital stereo recording using Digital Audio Pulse Code Modulation (PCM), which is the same basic technology used in CD recording. The built-in stereo microphone is adequate for speech and you can connect an external microphone to the camcorder’s microphone input or to its Intelligent Accessory Shoe.
LCD Touch Panel Screen
No modern digital camcorder can be imagined without an LCD screen (which simplifies the picture framing, allows you see what you are shooting as camcorder points anywhere and even let the subject see itself on the screen while the recording is in progress) and the TRV38 is no exception. It has a large-than-norm nowadays 3.5-inch LCD screen, which is touch-sensitive and allows you control the camcorder’s menus with a touch as well as adjust exposure, focus and other parameters. This allows the TRV38 to have less buttons and be easier to use (at least in some areas of functionality).
The camcorder also has a color viewfinder, which can be used to conserve battery power when the LCD is off. The camcorder looks quite sturdy and does not feature as many buttons as the previous models, thanks to the use of the touch panel LCD screen. If you don’t need a 3.5-inch screen, you can save about $80-100 by getting a, virtually identical in other respects, TRV33 model with 2.5-inch screen.
Connectivity
The TRV38 features an A/V in/out (analog stereo audio, composite video and S-Video) as well as an L (LANC) Editing Interface (provides standardized connection for synchronized operation of camcorder, VCR, and edit controller). The analog A/V input allows you record from analog sources for editing or archiving purposes. Once again, you can even use the camcorder as a digital VCR. However, the A/V input and output happen through the same connection (same for S-Video), which is inconvenient if you want to use the camcorder as a high-resolution VCR also (which I do), but it saves space – you have to do your own signal switching.
The TRV38 also has an i.Link® Digital Interface (a.k.a. FireWire, IEEE1394), which is a two-way input/output that carries digital audio, digital video and control signals to compatible digital VCRs, edit controllers and computers (if equipped with an i.Link/FireWire port).
Computer software for video editing not only allows you to transfer your video form the camcorder to your computer but also edit it (add music/narration, scene transitions, titles, etc.) and output it back to the tape (using i.Link/FireWire interface).
The TRV38 also has USB jack. The USB jack can be used to output digital still pictures to your computer as well as to use the camcorder for live or recorded MPEG streaming to your computer (only Windows-equipped computers).
A microphone input and a headphone output are also present. In addition, the camcorder features an “Intelligent Accessory Shoe” on top, which accepts a range of different auxiliary devices: photo printer, microphone, video light, etc.
Features
The TRV38 features six modes of programmed AE, manual and auto focus, picture effects and digital effects, several A/V fader modes as well as 16:9 recording. You can shoot in the dark with Sony’s NightShot and Color Slow Shutter. It works in complete darkness detecting infra-red light. The built-in Infrared light can be turned on for clearer picture up to 10 feet away. The picture will be monochrome in NightShot case or color when using Color Slow Shutter mode.
Digital Still Camera Functionality
The camcorder has a 1-Megapixel CCD, which lets you take digital still photos at up to 1152x864 resolution and record them on the Memory Stick (the 8Mb Memory Stick is supplied). This can be done in both standby and video recording mode. You can also record still pictures on the Memory Stick from the tape while the tape is in the playback mode (in original size or enlarged using Playback Zoom mode).
Additionally, you can also record short MPEG video clips on the Memory Stick at 320x240 or 160x112 resolution (although I am not sure why one would do such a thing). The clips’ quality is quite bad because of the low resolution.
Battery
This model employs an InfoLithium® battery with supplied NP-FM30 battery lasing about 30-40 minutes if you use the LCD (30 extra minutes if the recording is continuous). You can conserve the energy by using the viewfinder instead (this will give you about 20 extra minutes) or getting a battery of larger capacity (NP-FM50 will last about 50% more, the NP-FM70 will last 2.5 times more). In any case, you can see the approximate remaining power in hours and minutes on the LCD or viewfinder.
Keep in mind the fact that the playback mode is less demanding and you can play your videos on the LCD screen for more than one hour with LCD on or 2 hours with LCD off (outputting the signal through the FireWire or analog output). The full charge time of the FM30 battery is 2.5 hours, which grows to 4 hours for NP-FM70.
Bottom Line
The Sony DCR-TRV38 produces excellent picture, rich features and inputs and does not cost a fortune. You may need to get a battery of larger capacity, however. And finally, if you don’t need 3.5-inch LCD screen, you can get the same performance in functionality in the TRV33 (2.5-inch LCD).
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 750
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dkozin
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