Won't be sorry with a Sony
Written: Sep 14 '00
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Pros: Very diverse camera, lots of potential
Cons: Not Cheap, the costs will add up
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| gillyspy's Full Review: Sony Handycam DCR-TRV320 Digital-8 Digital Camcord... |
I needed a camera that I could take on any type of vacation but would also be good enough for everyday life.
This sony camera is the one for me. I won't elaborate on the features, just check out http://www.sony.com for that. Let me tell you what made it a good value for me.
Cost / Value Picture
First off. Let's be honest, the camera is not cheap. However, I stress you to look at value. You get what you pay for. This thing has tonnes of features. You can scale it up and down with many add-ons to suit your needs, but you'll initially pay from the pocketbook, but you'll be rewarded with the final results. Some of the add-ons include a wide-angle lens (which is great! works really well), lens filters, cases, batteries, tripod, Fire-wire, etc. One thing you must get right away is a bigger battery. I do a lot of camping (i.e. little electricity) so it was very important -- I got a 15-hour battery and I'll never have to worry again). The key is to get a battery that has enough juice that you don't have to worry about it. I would 8 hours is enough (but for 20% more cost you can a 15 hour battery!).
Sony is pretty good at supporting this line of equipment. There are going to be a lot of devices from Sony that support the memory stick (picture frames, handhelds, discmans, etc). And the little things make a difference. For example, you can playback videos on a Sony TV via IR (infared) w/o any other connectors as it has instant recognition.
Memory Stick
I really like the fact that this camera comes with a memory stick. It's so easy to take pictures and then transfer them to my computer. I wish the resolution were a bit better, but having the ability to snap tons of photos without buying film is great. I find with a regular camera you just don't take pictures often enough because you're out of film. If you're like me you can afford a digital still-camera AND a Digital Video camera yet. The 4Mb card it comes with is plenty of room (up to 60 pix) for my use. When it fills up I download them to my computer at work with little hassle. The software that is comes with is not the greatest for photo editing, but with all the choice out there and with disk space being dirt cheap I just installed it and use it for just transferring the images. If you don't like that solution , sony (and 3rd party knock-offs) sell a floppy diskette adaptor that you just stick your memory stick into (up to 64Mb cards). No need for any new software and you can do it on any computer with a 3.5" Floppy drive! This adaptor is $100 on average, but will quickly come down in price.
Keep in mind you can find most accessories cheap on auction websites.
Editing
If you want to be able to edit films easily then get this camera. I have done some editing (using FIRE wire -- also know as a IEEE standard) with my videos on a MAC and it was seamless. Just plugged it in and in 1 hour I had completely edited my film for time. This is no joke, I had never edited a film before. The digital quality (along with power of a MAC) made the process so easy.
As you are filming it's extremely easy to go back and erase clips you don't like or go back to the previous scene to get the exact frame for the transition from clip to clip. This is powered by Sony's EditSearch function, you don't have to switch to VTR mode.
If you are going to get full value from your camera then use the power to edit your films.
Interface
Don't let the interface inhibit you from taking advantage of the features! It's a little bit annoying how the interface works on the camera. If you want to access advanced features during recording you basically have to have the LCD panel out, which sucks up batter power. This is annoying in bright /semi-bright conditions where the LCD is unusable, but you still have to pay the power consumption price of having it on. Secondly, the buttons are a bit small to push while recording so if you want to change features during a clip you have to have soft hands and know where your going (fortunatly I do, but my wife has trouble). Otherwise, if you only use the pre-programmed feature groups (sport shot, night shot, beach shot, etc) or use a tripod a lot then you should be okay. Thirdly, some people find the LCD screen a little small to view for a while. Personally, I find it just right. I actually don't like those huge screens sticking out the side of some cameras. I only notice the size when doing a full playback when I can't find a TV.
If you need a versatile camera for diverse sets of circumstances and want to move comfortably into the digital age then this camera is for you.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 950
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Epinions.com ID:
gillyspy
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Location: Waterloo, ON, Canada
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
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