Kudos to Sony
Written: Jan 10 '00 (Updated Jan 11 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fully digital camcorder jam-packed with features at a bargain price.
Cons: No LCD; pricey batteries.
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| jgpeterson's Full Review: Sony Handycam DCR-TR7000 Digital-8 Camcorder |
On the advice of other e-pinions members, I bought the DCR-TR7000 two weeks ago in order to document my New Year's trip to London. Being pretty much broke and jobless, I needed a budget camcorder, but wanted all the features that the digital format offers--superior resolution, Firewire compatibility, great sound.
Retailing around $650 this camcorder fit my budget. What surprised me is how jam-packed with features the camcorder is:
*It's fully digital, offering 500 lines of resolution. It uses Sony's Digital8 format, which means that all data is encoded digitally on Hi8 tapes (which are cheaper and more readily available than miniDV tapes). The first time that you review your footage, you'll immediately see the digital difference.
*It has a built in Firewire jack for rapid download of data to your PC for editing. (I just purchased a video capture card to take advantage of this feature, and I'll update this review with information on how it works once it's up and running.)
*It includes an image stabilization feature that results in rock-steady footage.
*It sports an infrared light for shooting in 0 lux conditions. (Great for achieving Blair Witch effects!)
*It captures CD quality audio.
*It offers a wide array of in-camera digital effects. My favorite is Old Movie.
*It lets you manually adjust focus and exposure.
And the list goes on . . . In summary, I think this camcorder is an engineering marvel. The Handicam line is now many generations old and has evolved some amazing offspring. When I compare this camcorder to my recently purchased Nikon Coolpix 950 (which is just a couple generations old), I'm amazed at how much more I get for my buck with the Sony camcorder.
The only con that I can think of is that the camcorder lacks an LCD, but this is precisely why it's a couple of hundred less than its other Digital8 brethren. Personally, I didn't miss the display. You can do any necessary in-camera editing by using the eye piece and a pair of headphones.
Oh, one more con: This camera uses a proprietary Sony InfoLithium batteries, which are available in impressive 10 hour durations, but are quite pricey. It does come with a 2 hour battery, so you needn't worry about batteries initially.
In summary, if you're on a strict budget but don't want to miss out on the digital revolution, buy this camcorder.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jgpeterson
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Member: Jason Peterson
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 5 members
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