Sony Handycam DCR-TRV18 Mini DV Camcorder

Pros: Excellent picture quality, price, USB, MemoryStick, features, value, looks
Cons: Standard battery life

At less than $740, the Sony DCR-TRV18 is the least expensive MiniDV digital camcorder from Sony. Sony produces cheaper Digital 8 models, but MiniDV allows you to hold more video and is more compact. MiniDV is also de-facto standard...

Pros: Semi-lightweight, great image quality, USB / memory stick, all-around good basic Mini-DV camcorder.
Cons: Bottom-loading cassette, slight low light issues

iAs an avid amateur videographer on a limited budget, the Sony DCR-TRV18 has all the essential funct ...

Pros: easy to use, compact size, picture quality, great features
Cons: bottom tape compartment, some low light issues, microphone wind noise

I purchased my Sony DCR-TRV18 in August of 2002 from an online vendor. I had researched millions of ...

Pros: Great picture quality/features
Cons: Ergonomics lack - poor industrial design

I love this camera. It's easy to use, it has fantastic picture quality, and it's small and light ...

Pros: Great for amateur home videos!
Cons: Quality really could be better, and the photos are not much to brag about.

In all honesty I was looking for something better, but for the money I decided to purchase the Sony Handycam DCR-TRV18 model. I have used this digital camcorder like crazy since I have owned it, and can report it works like a charm with no problems at ...

Pros: Outstanding picture & sound; extended battery is awesome.
Cons: Extensive software loading necessary for computer connection; tapes are only 80 mins max.

I purchased mine in Sep 2003 at Circuit City for the heavily discounted price of $580.00 including a $150.00 10-hour "smart" battery (was marked as damaged, but everything was still in the original shrink wrap--no damage!). Included Memory Stick and USB ...

Pros: Great Picture Quality, Very Light
Cons: Still Image Resolution, Menu Button Placement

I primarily bought this camcorder for my home videos, and also for my long time ambition of making a mini-movie. This camera provides a mix of economy and quality, keeping the operations of the device quite straightforward. I like the steady shot...

Pros: The camera works okay except for not being recognized by the computer.
Cons: Cannot be recognized by the computer. This is a terrible flaw.

The Sony TRV series has a serious flaw. I have now purchased 2 cameras in this series and they have both done the same exact thing. After about a year of having them the digital input from the camera to the computer breaks. It no longer can be recognized by any computer. This has now happend to both cameras I purchased and I'm stuck with both. I've tried on different computers and different cables. The bottom line is the camera series has a flaw that this happens consistently.

DO NOT BUY A CAMERA IN THIS SERIES.

If your looking for a camcorder mainly for video, this is the camera. Battery life is longer with the smaller LCD panel and video quality is great. Still shot's are great for sending to family via E-mail. At my daughters 1st birthday party the camera lasted all day and was nice because I could take stills while Taping.

perfect camcorder for private and semi prof. use! very good picture quality and sound quality! very easy use!

I bought the DCR TRV-18 as an upgrade from shooting analog...and man was I blown away! The quality gain alone was worth every cent that I paid for this camera. I couldn't believe what I had been missing all this time. Having an above average interest in digital film making, I found getting on the Mini DV platform really easy and trouble free. With the Firewire card installed in my Windows 2000 based computer, the camcorder is immediately recongnized and intergrated into your software that you will be editing with. One note though, the only reason I couldn't give the camera a "5" on picture quality is because it's a little light sensitive. You couldn't ask for the Carl Ziess lense to see a clearer picture under normal circumstances, but in low and mixed light, it gets a little confused. You can't go wrong with this camera for typical situations. I'm still amazed at the overal performance of this product.

For the money, this camera cannot be beat. The video quality is simply stunning. The interface is top class, you can open the box and use the camera right away. The software that comes with it allows easy editing and storage of the videos on CD or any other media you want. The only drawback is the cost of Sony accessories, simply absurd. Also, the stills are not great but if you want still, you should buy a digital camera. This camera has more features than most users can ever master. The steady shot is simply fantastic as is the Zeiss lens.

If you are looking for a Mini DV camera and don't need the larger view screen this camera is perfect. No need to spend more bucks to get the bigger screen because this camera will do everything you need at a much lower price.