A Great Point-and-Shoot Camcorder
Written: Jul 10 '03
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Pros: Great video quality, ease of use, good low light performance
Cons: low supplied batter capacity, difficult zoom controls
The Bottom Line: The TRV camcorders are the only ones with decent indoor/low light performance in this price range. Ease of use and quality make this a great value.
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| trekfan7's Full Review: Sony Handycam DCR-TRV33 Mini DV Camcorder |
To me, the two most important features in choosing a digital camcorder are the ease of use and quality of picture. The DCR-TRV33 might be considered the "high end" of Sony's entry level 2003 MiniDV camcorders (which includes the TRV 19, TRV22 and TRV33). TRV33 records very impressive video quality, but it particularly outshines the competition on low light performance. I've looked at the Canon ZR's and the JVC GRD-90US and there is simply no comparison.
The quality of the pictures from the one-megapixel camera and the nice automatic controls make this a desireable "point and shoot" camera for beginners like me. It is very small, well-balanced and easty to handle.
Info for the techno-geeks:
The TRV33 has a 1/4.7 in. 1.0 Megapixel CCD with 690K effective pixels for video. It has a Carl Zeiss "Vario-Sonnar" lens. The F range is 1.8 to 2.0, and the focal range is 3.7 - 37 mm. The filter diameter of the TRV33 is 30 mm. I was extremely impressed with the video quality of the DCR-TRV22.
Exterior Features
There is a plastic lense cap that folds out while remaining attached to the lense. I like this because you don't have a len cap dangling around. The infra red receive is also on the front and Sony includes a remote control. A piece of soft plastic covers the S-video jack. The builing in microphone is also on the front of the camera.
The Night Shot switch is on the top, right of the camera next to the view finder. There is also a piece of hard plastic piece covering the USB connector, Firewire port and Mini A/V jack. Having cords in these ports might get in the way of your hand while shooting and could have been put in a better place. The memory stick slot is on the right side, twoards the front.
The camera also has microphone in and headphone out jacks. I like their placement here - it's not in the way.
The DCR-TRV33 has a color viewfinder that extends and rotates up. The battery eject button is just to the right of the view finder. Oddly, the viewfinder must be lifted to install and remove the battery. To AC jack is strangely placed just to the right of the battery eject button and is not very conducive to using the view finder and plugged into the AC power source. The battery port is below the view finder.
The left side doesn’t have many manual controls other than the back light and battery info buttons. Most of the controls are on the touch screen, including the VCR controls for playback. Personally, I like the touch screen controls which the exception of my finger prints on the LCD. It takes getting used to, but I think
On top, next to the lense, is the hot shoe port for connecting external lights, microphones and other accessories. There is an inch and half long indentation thank makes a nice finger rest when holding the camera. Like nearly all digital camcorders, this model is really meant for right handed people.
Controls
For a novice like me, the TRV33 is great as far as automatic controls go. As far as manual controls, I’ve heard other reviews complaint about a lack of gain and shutter speed control. I wouldn’t know how to use those features anyway. I can see how the touch screen might be a little troublesome for people who like to have manual controls (i.e. focus and exposure).
Zoom
At 10X optical zoom, the TRV33 is adequate and does not compare to similarly priced camcorders like the Canon ZRs. The zoom control on the DCR-TRV33 is VERY sensitive and the zoom is very fast if you are not careful. With time, I’ve learned to adapt.
Pictures
The pictures are adequate, but who buys a digital camcorder to take stills? The DCR-TRV33 can take stills at a resolution up to 1,152 x 864 pixels, ok for email and 4x6 photos. The stills are transferred by the USB port.
Sound
This is a VERY quiet camcorder and I do not notice any motor noise in the footage I have shot thus far. I haven’t tried it yet in windy conditions, but it does a nice job of picking up most sounds.
Handling
The DCR-TRV33 is very small. The camcorder is light and well balanced. I no longer get arm cramps from like I got form my old VHS-C camcorder. It fits nicely in my hand. The focus control is the only problem in terms of handling: far too fast/sensitive.
This thing loads tapes from the bottom, a real pain if you want to use a tripod.
Conclusion
The DCR-TRV33 is a great camcorder. The video quality, particularly the low light performance is very good. In my opinion, this is a great package of quality and value for a point-and-shoot camcorder. If you are into manual controls, look elsewhere. If you want quality video and ease of use, this may be the camcorder for you.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 699.00
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Epinions.com ID:
trekfan7
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Reviews written: 15
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