SonyTRV68: In a Word, Solid
Written: Jun 07 '01
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Pros: Lightweight, Cinema mode, Hi8, Easily operated, S-video output
Cons: No obvious ones
The Bottom Line: You can't go wrong with a Sony camcorder. If you're looking for a solid model with all the necessary features, this is it.
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| m001's Full Review: Sony Handycam CCD-TRV68 Hi-8 Analog Camcorder |
Scenes from Purchasing our Camcorder, Wherein My Better Half Convinces Me that I Don't Need all the Technology I May Think I Need
She: Just pick any camcorder. Any of them will do the job, right? And Sony is a great brand, so choose one of them.
He: Sounds good. How about one of these Sony Digital8 camcorders? Hey, these aren't cheap.
She: And you need a digital camcorder because...?...
He: Because it's digital, and that's cool.
She: Riiiiiiiiiight. And they're useful because...?...
He: Well, you can download video to the computer for editing! You can make really professional looking stuff, with soundtracks and titles and all kinds of neat little extras.
She: Riiiiiiiiiight. And you're really going to do that? You're really going to spend the time, right...?...
He: Uuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh...
She: That's what I thought!
At that moment, She tells the salesman that a Sony Hi8 camcorder will do just fine, thank you, and the purchase is made...
Curtain closes...
The Tale of the (Hi8) Tape
The biggest decision in buying a camcorder nowadays is the media format used by the device. There are more than a few choices, and doing some research will be crucial to figuring out exactly what you need. There's VHS-C (compact VHS tape), 8mm videotape, "Hi8mm" videotape, Digital8 (which is a digital format recorded to tape, a proprietary development from Sony) and true digital format (which uses small discs). Which one is right for you? Well, like anything else in consumer electronics shopping, this decision has the potential of both driving you batty and getting you to spend much more than you may have initially intended.
Although I was fully prepared to plunk down the extra scratch for a Digital8 Sony camcorder, I went with a Hi8 model and have no regrets. The TRV68 had all the features I wanted: color viewscreen, S-video output, reasonably long battery length, the ability to shoot at night/in the dark, and lightweight feel. In addition, this thing has a ton of other useful niceties, like letterboxing (cinema mode), which makes my home movies look great on my large-screen projection TV. I also like the fade-in/fade-out effects, the option to add titles and text, etc and so on.
The Hi8 format gives very acceptable resolution, and looks (to my untutored eye) far superior on-screen than does the VHS-C format. I haven't compared Hi8 with standard 8mm (although it ought to be better, right?) nor have I compared it with Digital8 or other digital formats. There is also quite a substantial difference in sound quality between Hi8 and VHS-C, but this may or may not be a big deal for shooting home videos.
Sony has a nice line of Hi8 cameras on their hands, and this one has, in my opinion, a solid price/performance ratio. It has everything you absolutely need, and a lot that you could probably get away without, but you'll enjoy having just the same. This isn't quite the bottom of the Hi8 line; I believe there is a less expensive model that doesn't have the color viewscreen.
You won't go wrong with the TRV68, a solid Hi8 camcorder from the company that put camcorders on the map. And if you buy it and still need to edit movies on your computer, you can use Dazzle or other related hardware to get the job done. And if you buy a camcorder because you have an infant/toddler and want to take film of them to be edited later on your computer, and you have enough spare time to do that, then call me, because I need to learn your secrets to time-management.
Enjoy...
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 379
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Epinions.com ID:
m001
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Location: NYC, New York
Reviews written: 151
Trusted by: 43 members
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