Easy for amateurs
Written: Aug 04 '01
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Pros: Lots of features, easy to use
Cons: A tiny bit heavy to carry for long periods of time without a strap.
The Bottom Line: Wonderful technology for a HI-8. Easy for even the novice camcorder user.
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| mikibee's Full Review: Sony Handycam CCD-TRV98 Hi-8 Analog Camcorder |
I bought this camera to take home videos of my kids after my old VHS camcorder died. After having done a lot of research on-line and on foot for a good quality camcorder for my budget, I came upon this camcorder.
It has a lot of neat features that make home movie-making fun. When I first looked at the camera and browsed the manual, I thought there was no way I'd ever use even half of the features (like sepia tones), much less figure out how to use them and blend them in seamlessly while still trying to shoot the kids. It took a couple of hours of pushing buttons, turning dials and reading the manual, and I knew how to use this camera and all of it's functions as if I'd designed the camera myself.
Nightshot is one of those features I thought would be fun, but also wondered when I'd ever use it. It just adds another dimension of creativity to home movies. My daughter had a birthday party that lasted into darkness, so I decided to test it out. The clarity was unbelievable, and the grandparents really enjoyed the nighttime festivities that normally wouldn't have been able to have been captured.
The large LCD display is nice, and swivels in all directions so you can lift it up high to film over someone's head and still see what you're filming. Also, the kids (the hams they are) enjoy when I flip it around so they can see themselves while I'm filming.
It is a little bit heavy to carry around, but once placed in your palm, the weight seems to balance out, making it almost effortless. I find that when I'm not filming, carrying it around my neck with the included strap is very comfortable.
You can also buy an infrared adapter for your VCR/Television that is very inexpensive. This allows for wireless viewing of your tapes!
The only drawback is the viewfinder is b&w (if you want to call that a drawback). Using the viewfinder will save the drain to your battery, but at an additional cost, you can buy a super-long life battery anyway that will tape up to 17 hours for the viewfinder, probably around 10 through the LCD. That's a LONG time anyway, and they charge quickly.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399
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Epinions.com ID:
mikibee
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Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 1 member
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