fine video, so-so stills
Written: Jun 04 '01
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Pros: great video
Cons: digital stills inadequate
The Bottom Line: great digital video camera if you need backward compatibility for 8-mm. if you want still shots, this is not a high quality dual purpose device--purchase a separate still digital camera.
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| garnold1's Full Review: Sony Handycam DCR-TRV530 Digital-8 Camcorder |
purchased a unit at best buy to replace a canon hi-8 that no longer worked. (have no experience with dv-only video cameras) very impressed with:
. video quality
. battery size and features (remaining time displayed)
. compatibility with 8-mm hi-8 tapes
. ease of use (after having "played" with it for several hours to learn the features)
. 3.5" lcd screen
. ability to adjust rapidly to different lighting
less than impressed with:
. digital stills
. sound
overall, i couldn't be more pleased with the video quality. shot indoor pictures, outdoor pictures, under natural light, artificial light--all great quality. even moving from bright sunlight outside to the inside of a limo produced a smooth and excellent transition.
the m-series battery is fairly small and uses sony's "smart" technology to display remaining minutes of life--great feature!
the 3.5" screen was a hit when showing video just taken of a pre-prom party to other parents.
the largest drawback i see is the low (640x480) quality of the still pix. comparing them to my very old kodak DC50, they not only have less resolution, but the color is off and they are darker than the same exposure when taken with the video. i haven't yet tried to copy a still from the video tape to the memory stick--that may help. a "step-up" (tvr730?) sony model has a megapixel ccd, but the additional cost and smaller lcd display (2.5") wasn't worth it.
finally, when playing back on my tv, i had to crank the volume up very high to hear the recorded sound. this might be a problem with the unit, and i intend to get it checked.
all-in-all, VERY pleased with the unit and would purchase again. however, it is not a dual purpose device (video and still)--spend another $500 and purchase a good digital camera (of course, you will not get a 700x zoom--the only advantage that i can see from using the video for still shots).
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 720
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Epinions.com ID:
garnold1
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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