Camcorder Reviews

The VF-58CPKS kit including a PL filter and an UV filter is supposed to support 58mm camera such as F717.
But in your introduction it's been changed to Wide angle and support the 37mm lens? Maybe it's a big mistake. Below is from Sony:

Circular Polarizing Filter Kit
VF-58CPKS
Use this circular polarizing filter to suppress unwanted reflections off glass and water and protects lens from dust and scratches at the same time. It fits a Sony 58 mm diameter lenses

58mm is the lens front diameter, and the 37mm is the focal length of the lens. These are somewhat independent values. Because of possible vegneting, particular polarizer filter can't be used with the whide angle lens, that has focal length lesser of certain minimal value (37mm in case of Sony VF58CPKS, as I get it).

We had been very happy with this camcorder - until we pulled it out to take Christmas pictures of our 15-month old son and the camcorder wouldn't record. It wouldn't eject the tape, and after repeated calls to customer service, we've been told that they'll pay for parts, but the labor to fix it is just over $200. Unfortunately even though we've only used the camcorder for under 15 hours, we're outside the 90 days for labor warranty (who'd have thought the camcorder would be unusable after under 15 hours of use?).

Still waiting on a callback from customer service, but having gone up 4 levels already, it's not looking like they'll fix the product.

Think our model will be headed for the trash - and we'll be looking at anything BUT Sony for future purchases. I would definitely steer clear of a Sony after this experience.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF DIGITAL8 a 520 line video & hi-fi stereo!!

The DCR-TRV140 Digital8 Video camera recorder (Digital Only). This camcorder is awesome. This is Sony's introductory level Digital8 model. The DCR-TRV-140 is a low price, high value, versatile and sophisticated video cam. This is all you will ever need.

Bottomline - This is what you get; uses Hi8 or Digital8 video tape (the simple difference is a 120 minute Hi8 tape converts to a 60 minute Digital8), 20x Optical Zoom (Most important zoom which maintains hi-res feature), 560x digital zoom ( loses hi-res feature when magnified - I recommend staying with OPTICAL ZOOM ONLY!), 2.5 hi-res color LCD screen (opens 90 degrees & can be rotated 180 degrees with an auto mirror image), built-in light with 5 foot range, remote control & sensor, Steady shot (stabilizer), USB streaming, DVIn/Out - Sony iLink (BEST FEATURE - A 4 pin 2 way FireWire(IEEE-1394) for direct digital video & stereo transfer with no signal loss), digital effects, frame recording, hi-fi sound, interval (lapse) recording, SUPER NightShot ( shooting in a dark room without light), backlit feature ( allows to subdue rear light to increase foreground subjects lighting) and much, much more.

This camcorder comes with a 3 hour battery (its real life is about 75 minutes using the LCD screen. The actual battery time remaining is displayed on the LCD screen. The stabilizer eliminates the camera jitter and the hi-res digital pictures are awesome. The supplied video cables allow you to hook up to a tv or vcr. The video transfer via USB (with supplied PC software) or the awesome Sony iLink (FireWire)allows a 2 way direct digital link to a DVD recorder (ie Philips DVDR-985, DVD+RW (rewriteable) or DVD+R (one time) SEE MY DVDR-985 REVIEW).

In Summary - this is an OUTSTANDING DIGITAL8 Video Camcorder. Again this a DIGITAL ONLY unit. The DVR-TRV140 is a great economical way to move into the hi-res (520 line) digital world. Transferring to PC or DVD burner is so simple and digital pictures & hfi stereo sound is the only way to go. Enjoy.

This is Sony's lowest level digital camcorder, but it is not low-level at all. It records picture at a stunning 520 lines of resolution and sound in PCM digital stereo. You can truly see the difference in picture quality between Digital and Hi8 or VHS-C. The Digital8 system records digital pictures on inexpensive Hi8 tapes. It's got an incredibly large 20x optical zoom. Optical zoom is the most importaint type of zoom because there is no loss of picture quality. It also has a 560x digital zoom which is less importaint because, the farther you zoom, the worse the picture quality gets. One of the most amazing features of this camcorder is the Infrared Super NightShot. What it does is project an infared light, invisible to the human eye, allowing you to see in no light at all. It comes with various special effects and fade options. The FM30 InfoLithium battery allows use for 3 hours (1 hour w/LCD). It includes an i.Link DV Interface (IEEE1394) for editing video on your computer. It also allows you to have streaming video via USB. This camcorder is a good, moderately priced introduction to digital video with features surpassing those of other brands.

The B&W viewfinder is better than color for manual focus and contrast. Having both in the package is a plus and not a negative.

The Sony DCR TRV310 works _very_ well as a Windows XP camcorder. Windows XP Professional include Windows Movie Maker. This el-cheapo free-bee isn't adequate. In 2002, Microsoft released a free upgrade: Windows Movie Maker 2. Version 2 ROCKS. With a whole host of new camera effects, a zoo of fades, excellent title and credit control, and very controllable multiple audio tracks, it's possible to do quite a bit of movie editing, without paying a dime more for software. Version 2 even allows you to re-record your finished video back onto the camera!

I bought my Sony DCR TRV310 used (partly broken). Since the input/output connections don't work properly, I just plug my TRV310 into the FireWire port, and use Windows Movie Maker 2's capture mode to control the camcorder -- right on the computer screen!

I sent somebody some video I had shot, stored as a .WMV file on a CD-R. He sent me back a note thanking me for the DVD!!!

This model is aging, and its cost is going down. Since it does everything you'll want, including playing back 8-mm and Hi8 tapes directly into Windows XP in digital format, it's still an excellent buy -- and an even better value than ever!

Windows Movie Maker 2's minimum computer requirements are, CPU 1,500 Mhz (1.5 GHz), 512 K RAM, lots of disk space (20 GB+), and a FireWire port. Since Windows Movie Maker 2 uses Microsoft-specific storage formats, you may want to spend a few $$$ to purchase third-party video editing software, which will record to more formats, or give you DVD authoring capability.

Suggested equipment upgrades for the TRV310: External clip-on microphone for better forward gain & extended bass sound; 8-hr InfoLithium battery HIGHLY recommended.

I bought this camcorder for two reasons:

1) Exceptional imageand sound quality 2) Ability to digitally edit videos on my PC

Thevideo quality is superb, with excellent auto-exposure capabilities. The 20x optical zoom is great -- I leave the digital zoom switched off. Good fades are complimented by some neat SFX modes -- image trails, sepia effect, slow "shutter speed" and (limited) image keying. The standard battery doesn't last much longer than an hour, so you should factor in the cost of an extended battery into your budget.

If size is the most important thing, then you should look at DV format cameras. I found them to be too small -- the Sony camera size and weight make it easy to handle while not being a burden. Hi8 tapes are also much cheaper than DV tapes.

For editing, there are several fully digital capture cards available for PCs and all support this camera You can edit and review video on your PC (in real time on some cards) and render back to the camera for final recording on tape. All without any analog<->digital conversion and therefore without any loss in quality.

If quality is important, or you have any aspirations to editing your videos rather than just taping the kids, vacations and weddings, then this is the camera for you.

I Downloded the User manual (Adobe Acrobat) from Amazon and was able to read all the gory details about the product before buying it.
The big motivator was the price! I looked in Best Buy and the baseline cost for a MiniDV camcorder is Four hundread bucks.
The rebate of 100$ brings it to a very attractive price point.
This was a Fathers Day gift ("Thank you Dear wife!!"). I owned a Hi8 camcorder for nearly 6 yrs and It was time to upgrade. This will last me for another 5 yrs easily, until the next technology (Maybe HDTV quality recording on blue laser discs).
I am very satisfied with how it looks and what its doing.
My dad what impresssed that it looks more like a Camera than a Comcorder. Make sure you order the IEEE 1394 (6pin/4pin) cable for transfer to computer and get MiniDV (ME) tapes. Amazon had good deals on them too.
If you download the user manual which is provided on Amazon - you wiff find out all the technical info you need to know.
I a very happy with my decision. I found out that I can edit my movies on Windows movie Maker 2 (Free program on Windows XP and Me), and transfer it back to the MiniDV.
Just Buy it !! You'll Like It!

This is a really useful little camcorder. For my hands, it's almost too small, but has a lot of very handy features, like the fade in/fade out and single frame capture via SD card. The video capture is consistent with all entry level cameras: it likes a lot of light! The digital camera function is OK, but don't expect the same performance as a 3 Mpixel camera that costs as much as this camcorder. If you really want low-light high performance or a bunch of professional features, you will have to cough up a LOT more money. If you want a handy little gizmo to record casual lifetime moments, this is the one!
I want to make a specific comment about Firewire performance: my WinXP machine recognized this device and loaded the drivers in 30 seconds. I was downloading and editing video in less than 5 minutes. Earlier notes from other correspondents regarding Sharp's non-performance in this arena are misinformed.
I recommend adding a Firewire (IEEE-1394 or iLink)card to your computer (and a lot of drive space), you'll be wondering how you ever did without this!

This was my first actual purchase for a camcorder. I have experience with other units because of my job in computer technology. My main reason for buying this camcorder was the price. It had all of the features I needed as well. It has Firewire (IEEE 1394) to download the video to a PC, and it has USB to download the still shots to a PC. The quality is very nice. We took it on vacation to the Gulf of Mexico and were pleased with the convenient size and weight. I would definitely recommend this unit for someone to purchase. (By the way, at the time of our purchase, we received a $100 rebate from Sharp since it was purchased on Amazon.com but I don't believe that is currently available).

I got this camera for christmas and was very excited but in just a few days it broke. Its true that the picture quality is great but its not worth it. I tried this camera three times and it never lasted more than a week. eventually i decided to just give up. Theres only room for about 3 mp3s with a 128mb card. All in all its decent for a person who uses a camera a few times a year, but for the true enthusiast interested in mp3s and durability, I would say spring for the more expensive cameras.

I bought the Aiptek with mixed expectations. The video quality is not as nice as a $400 digital camera/camcorder, but I didn't expect it to be. Its a fun gadget for family movies and vacations. The low cost of ownership, and nice compact size is good for trips. The camera comes with a tripod, case, cables, strap, etc. Hard to believe its so cheap.



The digital camera is nice.



I am right now working on ripping some of my kids dvds to mpeg4, so that they can watch their videos on the plane/car via the 1.5" lcd.



I picked up a $40 512MB SD card for it also from another retailer.



User interface VERY easy. So much easier then our Digital (DV) camcorder.



All in All, for the price you can't beat it.

Great camera, easy to use, for those that have a mac G4 like myself go to www.videolan.org to get a free player for this format (asf), info came from apple.com/uk windows media player will not play it on da mac. For those that are trying to shoot music videos of their kids, get out the flood lights, and you will get a better picture indoors, or spend the big bucks and get a low lux cam, otherwise it works great outdoors, and indoor photos with a flash are fine, this is the next generation of "kodak disc camera" that was out in the 80s using negative film. Cheap small I will be more than happy to take this cam on my next trip. Buy it if you like small cool gadgets that document a moment in time, via video or pics. Don't buy it, if you haven't read up on digital cams. Visit your library and get an understanding of light, or go to school and study the "eyeball" same principle. Great little gadget with many options.

Bought this camera thinking I would be replacing my digital still with a double-duty camera. 1 megapixel photos are sufficient for my purposes (1000-1500 photos per event ftp'd to a server), as long as lens and processor are quality. Don't think you're getting that here. I take close-up shots for auctions and the lack of a macro mode for these shots makes the images very grainy and dark. I can't comment on the video capabilities, but I'm taking this camera back to Circuit City and going back to a digital still :-( In my opinion, if the still image capability is going to be a feature on a digital video camera, the quality should at least be comparable to a digital still camera of the same megapixel rating.

After months of research we chose the TRV27 but it had been replaced by the TRV33. We bought the TRV33 sight unseen Sears great price and return policy made the decision easier. This thing is great. It is as small as my Canon G2 and a third the size of my old Sony Hi-8. It's very easy to use, and very intuitive. While my brother can just point and shoot, it still allows me to do spot focusing and spot metering which if you've never used these features on a camera, you will now--it's that easy. Low light features are great--while the infrared feature is a little creepy, the slow-shutter feature lets you take cool MTV-style videos in low light with great color quality.

GOOD: features, compact size, outdoor image quality, ease of use. Little flip-cover is cool too.
BAD: lack of windscreen, LCD is very difficult to see in bright light, and the software isn't great. I didn't bother with the still photo feature, same reason why I don't make movies with my G2. Overall, this is a terrific camera and a good value, esp, if the price drops below $650 or so. Only caveat: the wind noise is really awful when filming outdoors. I have to go find a microphone to attach now.

The DCR-TRV33 is a spectacular option for those looking for great video and stills in a compact camcorder.

• 1.0 Megapixel (Gross) Advanced HAD™ CCD Imager
• Ultra Compact Design
• MiniDV Recording
• Professional Quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® Lens
• 10X Optical/120X Precision Digital Zoom
• 2.5" SwivelScreen™ Touch Panel LCD Display (123K Pixels)
• Color Viewfinder (113K)
• USB Streaming
• Digital Still Memory Mode
• MPEG Movie EX Mode
• i.LINK®* DV Interface (IEEE 1394)
• Super SteadyShot® Picture Stabilization System
• Super NightShot® and Color Slow Shutter
• Progressive Shutter System
• Playback Zoom
• Analog-to-Digital Conversion with Pass-Through
• InfoLithium® Battery with AccuPower™ Meter System
• Stamina® Power Management System

What's in the box? DCR-TRV33 Camera, AC-L15 Power Adapter/In Camera Charger, NP-FM30 InfoLithium Rechargeable Battery, 8MB Memory Stick® Media, RMT-814 Wireless Remote Commander® Remote, 2 AA Batteries, A/V Cable, Lens Cap, Shoulder Strap, USB Cable, LCD Cleaning cloth, CD-ROM with USB Driver (Pixela ImageMixer Ver. 1.5)

The Intel PC Pocket Camera has the greatest webcam quality out there IMHO. It is affordable with a simple and nice design. The batteries last long. The USB connection is a fast and more efficient way for this came. Very user friendly and easy to install.
As a digital camera, it is best ONLY for beginners. The quality can be surprising wonderful in the right light. It's portability can let you take quick snap shots of anything quickly. It has 8MB of memory which is about 100 640x480 pics. A great digital camera for anyone starting out and to progressive onto the bigger names, like Kodak and Fujifilm.

This camera is great for quick snaps while out, webcam shots and netconferencing. Great deal!

what i needed was something simple, inexpensive but not cheaply made. i didn't really need megapixels because i post most of my photos on the web, so i prefer them to be a smaller size. the intel pocket pc camera fulfilled my needs.

this camera is a GREAT BUY if you want smaller images @ 640x480. it's compact and easy to take everywhere. downloading the pics is easy as a click away with its software. plus, it makes a great webcam so you can have video chats with friends on the 'net. also, webcam stills are very good quality!!

DO NOT BUY this camera if you want a camera that takes HQ images. there is no zoom and no flash, which is a setback because i can never take pictures at night. also, when objects are not in good lighting, images tend to be grainy and blurry. otherwise, images are usually sharp and clean during the day.

The Intel Pocket PC Camera is a great camera to own. I find the quality to be AMAZING. Sure it has no flash, but that's one thing i can live without seeing as to how i have ANOTHER camera with a flash that i use for backup. Anyhow, the CCD Sensor is probably the best thing about it. CMOS sensor cameras are usually [bad]and you can't see colors in shady areas (non-lit areas). The intel is very easy to operate and anybody could figure it out. The software is wonderful and the webcam is too. This whole camera is a great buy...the pictures will blow you away, just like it did to me. I have the rare black one so it looks less childish, heh. :o)

After an extensive market review, I decided to buy this one. Recording quality is excellent when you have appropriate light conditions, and it works ok with poor light. Excellent zoom, and very good stabilization features. The digital still camera feature takes average pictures (640*480), good enough if you are just sending them to friends/family and the software included is quite easy to use. In order to download your movies, you must have a firewire connection in your PC. Consider to buy an extra battery.

The major problem I found is the fact that the microphone records the camera noises, making your movies have an annoying background sound. This is really unacceptable if you want to have good quality audio. If you are concerned about the sound, I would suggest you either to try another camcorder or wait until Canon fix this model or release a new one. Or, if you have the expertise (I don't have it) edit the film with your PC.

I love this camcorder. First of all, I am going to start this review by telling you about the biggest concern I had when I bought this camera. Many people say that there was a lot of motor hum, this may be the case when the room is TOTALLY silent, however an external mic fixes this. ALL MINIDV CAMERAS HAVE THIS PROBLEM!! People complain that the mic adds extra size, but if you want to spend the same amount of money on a digital 8, with less resolution, much bigger, and heavier, than get a Mic for your MiniDV, then you have some problems. However since I usually overlap music onto my videos, its not such a big probelm for me. The size is great (any bigger and it wouldn't be comfortable, and any smaller it would be difficult to hold). I had the Sony TRV-340 Digital 8 Camera and then returned for only one reason, it was heavy and big (it cut off circulation in my hand when I was filming, and would have to take it out every 5 minutes or it would become numb). The picture quality is pretty much the same as all other minidv's which are better than digital 8's but not enough to make a big difference. Pretty much, this is a good camera at a great price. If you want a MiniDV, go with this no doubt, however if you have hi 8 or 8mm tapes you should probably go with a digital 8. They are pretty good for the price, but big and bulky.

This is one great camcorder! I know because I have one, but have lost the software when traveling. Would anyone know how I can get the software? Called Canon, it's discontinued. Searched the Web, nothing! Help!

After minimal use, it won't play a thing!

I purchased the JVC XV-N50BK DVD Player which plays all formats, including my below mentioned VCD, without any problems. I am very happy with the JVC XV-N50BK, and this is the best in the market. Incidently all my other AV components and TV are JVC, and which can all be linked and interconnected with the JVC Compu-Link control system.
Previously ten days before, I purchased the Panasonic S35S DVD Player because I needed a player to play ALL formats including VCD, WMA, MP3, CD-R, etc. Unfortunately, when playing one of my commercially produced VCD's, the Panasonic S35S Player would play for awhile, and then lock and freeze the screen forever, until I turned off the power. And the Panasonic kept on doing it, repeatedly. Sadly I returned the Panasonic for a full refund. (The VCD was not defective, because it plays fine on my older JVC player, and on my computer.). I then purchased the above JVC XV-N50BK DVD Player which plays everything, works great, and looks fabulous.

I just bought this player a couple of weeks ago and i am extremely pleased. I initially bought a Sony in the same price range (maybe 20 or so dollars more) and took it back because it wouldn't play some of my DVD-R's (although the picture and sound were decent). I'm glad I switched to the JVC. The picture is much better than the Sonys. The colors are WAY more vibrant and the blacks much sharper. Far superior picture quality. I also like the zoom and play at 1.5x features that the sony didn't offer. I have noticed absolutely no stutter. Those concerns seemed to have been adressed. As far as the light goes...I don't like it either so I turn it off by using the dimmer button on the remote. I believe there are 3 different settings for the light. The only problem being (for some) that it also dims the LCD. Personally I like the simple, sleek look (lights out). Also, if you buy this or any other high end player be sure to invest in some good component cables. You get a much better picture. I believe you can get the monster cables for 30 dollars or so. Well worth it.

Ok, so I was walking in a Best Buy store and saw this cool toy. I picked it up, read the package, put it down, continued shopping, went back, read the package again and bought it. It has it's good and bad points.

Good points:
cheap ...; cool (small, pocket sized); expandable (has a compact flash card socket); photos can be set to 1.3, 2 or 3.1 megapixels; can connect via USB, hook up to your TV or if you use CF, just pull the chip and plug it into your CF reader.

Bad points:
It feels cheap, all plastic; 1t only has 16MB of memory built in, so you'll need to use that CF card (BTW, the CF card REPLACES the internal memory, not suplements it, so if you add a 16MB card, you still only have 16MB); no zoom (the book talks about 2x digital but I can't figure out how to activate it); NO FLASH (indoor pictures and videos are grainy and red tinted); pictures and video are easy to shoot, just open it up and press one button for stills or another for video; voice recording requires you to open it and select voice recording from a menu (guess they couldn't afford another button).

Misc:
It comes with all needed cables, a cheap tripod and they even throw in the batteries.
Files are stored as jpeg, avi and wav.
with just internal memory, figure 5-15 pictures, 2 to 4 minutes of video or 1 hour of audio. (256MB CF is now about $50.00, buy one).
I still think it's a neat toy, but next year's will be better.

I'm a sucker for cost-effective gadgets, and by those standards, this nifty little 4-in-1 camera is up there with the best of them. First and foremost, you get a 3.1 megapixel digital still camera for a third of the cost of most other products in that category. If it stopped right there, this would still be an amazing deal. However, you also get a palm-sized digital video camera, a digital voice recorder, a USB webcam, and a removable USB storage device. All for $$$ . Now that's a deal I just couldn't pass up.

However, approach this product with eyes wide open, and don't expect it to be the greatest performer in each of its distinct capabilities. For example, as a digital still camera it isn't very tolerant of low light situations. Adequately-lit photos come out fine, but indoor lighting or overcast outdoor shots tend to produce muddy, red-tinged tones. A built-in flash would have overcome this problem, but alas, there is none. So take your shots in well-lit areas and situations, and you'll be fine. Also, the fact that its native image format is lossy JPEG rather than a lossless format such as TIFF is of concern, but probably only to gearheads like me. Most casual digital auteurs won't really care. You can shoot and store roughly 60 digital photos at full quality (2048x1536, Fine Quality) on a 64Mb CompactFlash card (not included, purchased separately. On-board storage is 16Mb.)

Next, as a digital video camera: don't expect it to fulfill all of your home movie needs. At 10 frames-per-second and 320x240 video resolution, it's hardly broadcast quality. However, I find this limited quality just right for shooting, editing, and posting quickie, low-bandwidth web movies. The camera saves movies natively in .AVI format, so usually no conversion or extra steps are required to get your movies out of camera and on the web. As a Mac user, I prefer QuickTime to .AVI, but I found that conversion to .MOV format was quick and easy. You can shoot about 20 minutes of compressed video on a 64Mb CompactFlash card (not included, purchased separately -- internal storage is 16Mb only). The length of your videos is limited only by your available storage space and supply of batteries.

As a digital voice recorder, it features no Cue or Review buttons, so going back and forth over the day's notes can be a pain. The workaround is to keep your notes short; the camera creates a new audio file for each new note you record.

As a webcam, it works quite as most low-end USB webcams do. No real complaints in that department.

The 1.5-inch LCD screen does its job well enough. The fact that it's present at all in a product this low-end is a pleasant surprise. However, it does drain the two AA batteries rather quickly. You can sidestep this issue by using rechargeables, as I do.

PROS: Small, light, handy, packs an amazing amount of features and value for an unbelievably low price.

CONS: Picture quality suffers in low-light situations, no flash, digital video is web-quality only, digital voice recorder has no Cue/Review buttons.

BOTTOM LINE: This nifty litttle gadget is a jack-of-all-digital trades, but master of none. However, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts -- having one device that does all these things makes it a great little toy for the big boys in your family. It won't replace your main digital still camera or digital camcorder, but it makes a great backup unit to either, in situations that don't warrant lugging around the first team. Buy it -- you know you want it.

I love this little camera. It is fun and easy to use. to thee TV/Pc playback is not difficult at all but if you would like longer recording times then no but this is a graet present and i really have been enjoying it