Good design and quality at a low price
Written: Jan 08 '05 (Updated Mar 09 '06)
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Pros: Cheap, 20x zoom, sharp image, quality 0-lux shots, very easy to use
Cons: Limited functionality at entry level
The Bottom Line: A great entry level camcorder for your budget - but this has been out of market for long.
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| valleyman's Full Review: Sony Handycam CCD-TR818 Hi-8 Analog Camcorder |
This was my first camcorder. I didn't really need one but spotted a promotion on TR818 which was going out of market - three years ago, I couldn't seem to find the low prices other reviewers paid earlier than mine, but it looked like a good price. I knew the technology was out dated, but digital camcorders were way more expensive. (Looking back today, though, this strategy didn't quite pay off. I had to buy a video converter - couldn't stand the idea of transferring Hi8 onto VHS.)
.Ease of use
TR818's body is bulkier than (yes)today's Digital 8 units, but fits human hands better, and feels more comfortable. The layout of buttons/switches/trackwheel is very well conceived. Frequently used functions, such as back light compensation, date/time stamp, manual focus/exposure, fading, night vision (active infrared), are accessible from a button or switch.
Sony's SteadyShot is extremely helpful. I shot under varied conditions and the pictures are reasonably stable. (My early favourite condition was a tripod installed on the passenger seat.) It seems that TR818's stability beats that of DCR-TRV460 (an entry level Digital 8 unit that replaced my TR818 - see my other review) - the latter loses focus more often.
Yet another quality that beats TRV460 is mechanic noise. TR818 is a quiet baby while TRV460 is terribly noisy.
The battery that came with the unit provides ample recording time for me - 2 hours in Hi8 mode; in real life, it lasts more than 1 hour of recording time. Charging time is very impressive. Charging the included battery after full discharge takes less than 1 hour.
.Features
TR818 employs the typical top loading mechanism, which, in contrast with TRV460's bottom loading, is convenient. I can reload a tape in less than 5 seconds. The tape cabinet cover suits human operations perfectly. (Playback buttons - of which TRV460 has none - are conveniently located on this cover.) Not only can you "see" tape usage from the colour viewfinder, but also you can see tape usage from the cabinet window. I consider this see-through design a plus. Who wants to wait for the camera boot-up just to find out that the tape is almost at the end?
TR818 has the standard 2.5mm output that combines composite video and monaural sound. It also has S-video output.
TR818 has excellent 20x optical zoom, not often seen at entry level. Like I mentioned above, Sony's SteadyShot technology is excellent, even at 20x. The additional digital zoom goes up to 460x. But my personal preference is to disable it completely. Not only does digital "zoom" degrades picture quality (technically this feature displays a portion of the CCD image to a full screen), but also human hands are not able to hold the camera steady beyond 20x. I even tested digital zoom on a tripod and feel that this feature adds little value.
TR818's 0-lux low-light shoot is also excellent, much better than that on Sony's entry level Digital 8 units such as TRV460. I have recently reviewed recordings under similar conditions from both units and confirmed my first impression after initial play with TRV460.
In addition to 0-lux shoot, TR818 employs an active infrared night vision system, activated with a switch. It works within 3 metres, which is sufficient in most cases. (The image is black and white when night vision is engaged.)
TR818 automatically shuts down after 5 minute of idle time in recording mode. This is meant to save energy, but I occasionally find it inconvenient, especially when I am at home and use the AC power. I would rather have the option to turn on and off this feature. In addition, this automatic shutdown does not apply to playback mode. Several times I found the battery drained because of this.
In addition to quick access buttons, TR818 employs a comprehensive menu to engage/disengage features. The menu is activated either from a button or by clicking the track wheel. I find this double entry very useful.
The menu embeds quite a few languages, including English, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese, among others. It's interesting that its predefined titles can also be displayed in any of these languages. (I don't think you can input your own custom titles in non-Latin character sets. Not that I attempted.)
TR818 allows you to record date/time directly into your recording. You have several options in doing this. The more interesting one is auto mode, which prints date for a few seconds the first time you shoot on a day. After that, a timestamp is printed. (It prints date again if you load a new tape.) Of course you have the option of no date/time stamping.
TR818 also has a wide screen mode, which I did not use - at all, but may be of interest if you have wide screen display at home. I won't describe other features, which are just too many.
As an entry level unit, TR818 does not have stereo sound. This is a little strange on Hi8 media. But then I don't care too much about stereo on home videos. I mean, stereo with built-in microphones? (None of Sony's entry level Handycam has mic input.) It also lacks any editing capability that upline Handycams have.
TR818 does not have a built-in light. But it provides an external light connector, though not the rack. I could do without any additional light.
.Quality
General quality is excellent. The body finish is solid, no cheap feeling. Image is sharp, zooming is smooth.
.Durability
I used the unit heavily during the 3 years I owned it, carried it all over the world and shot under various conditions. This is a very rugged system, and I never had any issue with it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 275
Recommended for: Budget Buyers - Best Values to Fit the Budget
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Epinions.com ID:
valleyman
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Reviews written: 17
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