Camcorder Reviews

this camcorder is okay. its not very good for making pro movies, but it gets the job done. its pretty cool. i lost the remote control to it, but with it, you can re-record sound, play it back, all that cool junk.

I really like this machine. The owner's manual is good and the features are useful. For VHS-C format, one has the option of standard-play for 30 minutes of recording or extended-play for 90 minutes of recording. The night vision feature is good - I recorded shots in almost total darkness and the camera made it look like the lights were normal in the room. The LCD screen is really good so that the user can use it for shooting or for playback viewing. The zoom freaked me out at how sharp the picture could be at about 50 or so yards. The price seems okay and this camera is a pretty good deal - for my purposes anyway.

it is very difficult to tell but i think it good

I am very happy with these cables and the sound and video they deliver. I only have one complaint which is the cables are very tight when pushed onto the rca jacks for the audio. When you try to pull them off they are difficult to pull off because they grip the rca posts so tightly. This condition may get better as they are used more.

If you need to edit video tape or just copy it to a medium such as VHS tape, get this. It is not only easy to use, the quality of your finished product is fabulous. I love it.

the picture is crystal clear on a 36" screen. clarity and definition can't be beat.

Once again, Sony has produced a superb Hi8 camcorder miles above competition in features and image quality. The CCDTRV88 is a fantastic addition to the handy cam line. While I'm not dissapointed with my ...... purchase (... price), I was a little chagrined when my friend showed me his 2000 (last year's) model Sony Hi8 Handycam that he bought at ... for .... Perhaps to encourage users to switch to digital, Sony has begun to streamline their Hi8 line of camcorders. While optics are just as good as last year's models, a few useful features for advanced users (who will most likely be buying the CCDTRV88/98 models) have been mysteriously omitted from the new 2001 models. The first glaring fault is the absence of stereo sound. Come on, Sony. ALL sony Hi8 camcorders have had stereo sound since their coming into being five years or so ago. While, admittedly, in general use you don't really need it, it was a nice touch. My next gripe is closely related, and that is the lack of an external mic input. This is a serious flaw, and as a user who was looking forward to taking advantage of the near cd sound quality capabilities of Hi8 tape, I found it put a damper on my plans to tape record local jazz groups, as the built in mic, while decent, just cannot deliver the clarity and response that a good external microphone can. Fortunatly, the S-Video output is still present (whew!) but the full size A/V analog out has been replaced with a special 1/8" "mini a/v" output, which I believe yields slightly poorer output quality for those who do not have the ability to utilize S-video. I've also found the pause and fastforward/rewind images when viewing on a television are full of noise. This is a crying shame, Sony. The 2000 model's pause image (and even fastforward/rewind!) were completely free of video noise. Smaller perks that were not as crucial as the above but still were nice included the LED screen located on the outside of the LCD viewscreen that displayed time remaining, battery life, and how time was left for the battery to charge; Sony has also removed the LANC interface which would make the product more useful when using it with an editing controller or even more importantly a Sony analog to firewire converter or a Dazzle Hollywood DV Bridge analog to firewire converter, as it lets the computer take control of the hardware and makes life easier for the editor. You must now also pay a premium for the use of a remote, only avaliable on the highest level models.

Don't get me wrong - I've done a lot of complaining here but the CCDTRV88 is still a really good product. If I were you, I'd save about 50 dollars and buy the CCDTRV68 as it is ABSOLUTELY IDENTICAL save for the smaller LCD screen. But if you can live with a smaller screen, it will save you 90 minutes or more on your battery life. Better still, if you can still find them, buy one of last year's models. I found the image quality to be virtually identical (although the CCD's resolution might have been upped a bit on this year's models), and they were more feature rich, with features present on them that are now only avaliable on the digital models. Plus, they're cheaper!

In conclusion, the CCDTRV88 is a great product, but I just wish Sony hadn't streamlined it so much, as it has hampered avid camcorder users like me who are on a very tight budget.

This camcorder is great for any level and a bargain for the features and quality you get. The camcorder is very compact and very manageable under any conditions. A teacher told me once the picture quality of these hi8 camcorders is broadcast quality and he wasn't kidding!! The zero-lux feature enables a picture in total darkness. Great!! The zoom feature is nice and crisp, the digital zoom realm gets a little questionable for my taste. The menu provides lots of options and effects to play with. My family has a blast with this and I truely believe that Sony makes the best for the dollar in this camcorder catagory!! You won't be disappointed with this one!

just like other SONY camcorders, TRV88 meets my expectation with the price and quality. the only thing I am only 90% satisfied is the size. I also ordered the leather bag from SONY. Quality is superb! I love SONY!

While Sony equipment allows great interoperability between Sony laptops, cameras, and other Sony gear, it is by no means at all difficult to connect to other equipment...The reviewer below indicates that Firewire is a Sony only protocol. Hogwash! IEEE 1394 is a multiplatform I/O option that allows you to connect to any firewire card available. This allow high speed transfer of digital video to any computer platform that supports it (ubiquitous today; PC, MAC, LINUX).

Don't listen to the negative comments about interconnectivity. Sony gear also easily connects to USB devices. I can only conclude that the reviewer below had equipment that did not conform 100% to the standards for both USB 1.0 and IEEE 1394.

This is good equipment, and worthy of your dollar.

The first review of this item below, in addition to the mistake about the firewire standard, mentions a Flash Card. This camera uses neither a flash card or memory stick. Perhaps that review was for a different camera.

That said, this is a great little camera, works flawlessly with Final Cut Pro for video editing. Takes great video for the size. The camera is of couse no longer available as it was replaced by the TRV11. But if you come across one for the right price, go for it -- it's still very much up to date.

This is a very practical camcorder. Proves that Sony is the leading japanese mfr with an eye for innovation. Very intuitive controls, and the camcorder _almost_ worked without even having to read the manuals. The flash card, the hotwire - or whatever its called - are all extremely good - I could view my tapes on a VCR in a coiuple of minutes.
Only things I found somewhat weak - the camcorder was not that good in semi-dark indoor areas. And the plastic "covers" for the poer cord and hotwire - were not the easiest to snap on and off. These are minimal hindrances though - believe me, this camcorder takes excellent still pictures and videos and it is smaller than my (NEW cannon rebel camera) ..
The battery life seems to drop off with age. But since I use this at home (a lot) this is not usually a problem

A big issue to watch out for, is how Sony compatible your lifestyle is. I mean, is your laptop a Vaio. Is your PDA a clie. Is your camera a Sony. Because Sony makes it lovely and easy to integrate with other Sony equipment, but a miserable experience integrating with industry standard protocols like USB. My camcorder does not have a USB bus. Firewire is a sony specific protocol that is useless if you dont have a Sony laptop. So - watch out. ALso, I feel that compact flash (used by other equipment makers - Sony uses the memory stick) is faster but too proprietary for my liking.

This is a really good camera. It works great at places with little light because of its twlight effect. I shot a skating video with this camera and it turned out great. Get this camera.

I find that this camcorder was great when I was taping sporting events such as my daughters soccer game or outside family reunions. This camera has a great LCD moniter, which is good for future editing purposes, and offers fairly good zoom options. For it's price I think it is a good deal.

I got this camcorder for my fiance and I for Christmas and so far we have like it a lot. We are still learning how to use all the features but it is pretty easy to figure out the basics (even without reading the manual). I really like the side vision feature because it makes it really easy to see what you're tapeing. Get it!

I am an aesthetic person and i love beautiful things, so when i saw this, I bought it automatically on looks alone. Its functionality is great too but it all went wrong after 6 months. The flip out 2 inch screen started going blank when i pulled it out. Because of this it has soured my experience of the product hence only 3 stars. Has anyone ever had this problem and how, or how much did it cost you to fix it.

es una excelente camara de video, con una resolucion deslumbrante , facilidad para poder manejarla con solo una mano, y una calidad de construccion esplendida.
tambien hace soberbias tomas estaticas con su sd card .
Puede fimar con muy poca luz.....y en color!!!
La duracion de la bateria es razonable, pero mejor comprar otra aparte de la que viene con la maquina
Una segura eleccion, de las mejores mini dv del mercado.

This camcorder is an amazing piece of engeineering. The image quality is quite clear on the video as well as still pictures that are taken. The LCD screen is very clear, and the feature set is quite impressive. The menus could be a little more intuitive, but over time, you get used to their placements. Battery life tops out at around 90 minutes or so, so I do recommend getting an extended battery for it.

One more thing, according to the box, it works with Macintosh MacOS 9 only. However, it works perfectly fine on MacOS X 10.2. This camcorder is definitely worth the investment.

GOOD / PROS --
- Compact and small
- Good quality screen
- A neat gadget
- Plays and records sound clearly

BAD / CONS --
- Complicated
- Buttons are TOO small
- Hard to focus -- takes bad still pictures

The trouble with most combination devices is that they try to do too much, and thus end up doing lots of things poorly. With the D-Snap 50, Panasonic has avoided this all too common design flaw... mostly.

The D-Snap 50 is an excellent gadget for professionals on the go, combining a two megapixel video camera, a digital voice recorder, and an MP3 player all into a package smaller and lighter than a pack of cigarettes. The bundled software is complete (if unexceptional) and the controls are fairly intuitive - most people familiar with digital cameras should be able to master the basics in a few minutes of use.

Nonetheless, there are a few questions I'd like to ask the D-Snap engineering team. First, did you intend for me to amputate my right index finger in order to take a decent picture? Second, just how many songs, memos, pictures, and videos do you expect me to fit on a measly 8 megabyte memory card? Third, why so many different quality settings for images when only Superfine (or Fine and big) is even good enough for email? Finally, would Macintosh support have killed you?

Despite these grievances, this is a great buy for a select target audience, such as people considering the Palm Zire 71 that prefer to organize their thoughts using spoken words instead of text. With a little practice - and a 256 MB or 512 MB Secure Digital Card - the D-Snap's annoyances will quickly fade. Three-and-a-half stars now, four when the price comes down a little.

I really enjoy this product. I ordered it off the internet and i had read some reviews saying it was just ok... so i felt a little wary. However, this is the coolest product ever! All of the photos and video are good quality and the MP3 is really cool! I am so pumped to show all of my friends! It is a real attention getter and I love it! It is so tiny that you can take it ANYWHERE. SMALLER THAN MY CELL! Its a great product and i encourage anyone to buy! Im gonna go use it some more now! LOVE IT! 5

I bought this camcorder from amazon.com for $313.88. This camera is stylish, small with many features. Auto Exposures modes, Preset titiles like Anniversary, Birthday, Our Son, Our Boy e.t.c. The normal zoom is great but when you activate the digital zoom which is 440x and zoom in at a far object it zooms but the focus becomes blur some what. This is even written in the guide which comes with the camera. I dont know why this kind of fault is left in such a good camera with so many functions which are difficult to get in this price range. It also has a BLC function. On activating it the background becomes dull and the object becomes bright so that you can shoot in front of a window also. The tape insertion and ejection system is fully automatic and works only with power on. I like this feature the way the compartment comes up and opens automatically and how it goes back. Thats the coolest feature. There is also a range of languages to select from and the lcd viewver, TFT screen works fine if you see it from the front and not from sides. Overall this is the best camera with so many features the only thing lagging is the focus on doing digital zoom.

I enjoy this camcorder alot and think is useful whether you are watching a soccer game or just recording fun times at the park. This camera is top of the line and is a good value.

I used it for weeks. It was astonishing. After I actualy shot some baby pictures, I knew my dedision was correct. Great picture and steady shot....

We purchased a Mavica that came with a NPF330 battery several years ago. Like another reviewer mentioned, our battery began to act up in very little time though we could never associate any particular event with why it happened. The old battery would show over 100 minutes available until you used the camera - especially with the flash on - an then would go to zero! It never worked well after that.

This new battery is great and I appreciate the other reviewer's mention of luggage inspection machines perhaps being a problem. I'll try to keep this battery out of harm's way now that I know what might harm it!

Sony's battery works as promised; nothing special about it. It works the same as any other lithium battery, starting out with great battery time, but slowly decreasing over the years. The one thing that bothers me...

I bought this battery to replace a Sony NP-F330 that came with my Sony camera. That battery started experiencing problems only one year after purchase. I noticed that the battery seemed to jump from 90 min of battery life to, suddenly, 0 min left. This only atarted to occur after my luggage went through those metal detectors at the airport. The security people said that it was possible that all lithium batteries, not just Sony, could be ruined as a result of going through airport security. Since the time I've bought this new battery, I have not gone to the airport, so I don't know if this battery gets ruined also. But just beware, going on vacation could ruin your...battery.

I haven't seen this problem in other reviews, so it might just happen to me. Who knows...

Other than that problem, this battery has no problem charging, being used, etc. I just don't think that a battery should cost almost half the price of the camera itself. Oh well...

We have this battery as well as the 2 hour Info-Lithium that came with our Sony Mavica. It's a great addition, especially when we're out and about and don't want to miss a shot because of a dead battery.

what can I say: Its the right battery for my Sony D8 camcorder. Longlasting and not overly big. 5 stars if the price was better.

This battery works in all conditions and is a never fail battery. I have used it for 7 years and never had problems.

My original sony battery was short lived, ordered this one...et voila! super long duration! I can film and film without worrying about the battery dying. another product that works exactly as advertised! congrats sony and thanks.