Camcorder Reviews

It's much better than I expected. It's sturdy and nice looking, with all the functions as the manufacture describes. It even comes with a piece of instruction to assist you to know this tripod better. With this kind of price, I am totally satisfied. Maybe just one little thing here: I agree with one of the reviews here: It'd be great if it comes with a carrying bag. Well, it's OK by me.

I was considering spending $95 for a sturdy tripod but felt it was too much of money to spend on a tripod so decided to check out this model.
Since this model was much cheaper than the one I had my eyes on, I was skeptical about its build quality. You shouldn't. This is a very well made and sturdy product. They even include extra quick release platform with bubble level (so you know if the camcorder is placed even). This is really handy if you have more than one camera or have both camera & camcorder. You can just quickly release camera without screwing/unscrewing from the tripod. I am sure you can find better built tripod but this unit does the job for a casual user like me. I highly recommend this unit and considering its price, it's a bargain!

I was amazed with the price tag and the features this tripod was offereing and immediately switched to this one when I read about it.
Its been one of my best choices in terms of quality, fetures and price. The extra quick release plate gives you a lot of flexibility if you have two photo devices. The high - tilt adjustment are superb.

Sunpack could have been more innovative with providing a handle to carry the tripod. Providing a carry bag would have been really great, particularly when others are offering the same. But thats too much to ask for this price.

Overall this is a must buy item.

This Was An EXTREMELY Good Buy. It Is Perfect For My Camcorder. I Love It!

I bought the Samsonite Worldproof 4.1 to house a Canon es8200V. The bag is perfect for the camcorder, and wastes little space so that you can still enjoy an overall compact convenience. Along with a buckle that secures the lid, the main compartment is further secured by a zipper which is hidden under the hood of the lid, preventing it from clinking annoyingly or accidentally unzipping. There is mesh netting on the inside of the top lid that you can use to store something slim. Also, there are mesh pockets on each side of the case. Even with the camcorder inside, I still have a couple of inches to spare, just enough to use the adjustable partition to store the adapter. Additionally, the front pocket can store videotapes, etc. The one thing that I found different from the posted image is that the blue coloring isn't nearly as bright as it appears. Although much more subdued, I find that the actual blue color is much more fashionable and blends in nicely with the black. The padding is ample, and the material is water resistant and durable.

Got this for my JVC-GRDVM90U....works great...got the camcorder and all accessories including charger, cables, extra tapes and manuals to fit comfortably....very stylish....nice handle which makes it very easy to carry....highly recommend it....

hai
|THis is the only model with color viewfinder at this price. I have visited many shops but this is the only one with color viewfinder at this price.
great piece

Great Product for its price and only camcorder in the market to be campatiable with PAL and NTSC . Take wherever you want shoot and view

...ofrece muy buenas caracterisiticas, inclusive tiene Pantalla LCD a Color y Color Viewfinder, ambos a color !!!! muy dificil encontrar esta caracterisiticas en otros productos similares, normalmente los competidores usan pantalla LCD a color pero el viewfinder es Blanco y Negro, tiene un zoom EXCELENTE ! 500X, los efectos son maravillosos, en la oscuridad es formidable, ademas posee lampara propia para oscuridad extrema, la opcion del snap shot es muy buena y comoda de usar a diferencia de la Sharp Viewcam que tuve anteriormente y por ultimo un estabilizador de imagen.... todo esto por un precio justo.

La unica preocupación es la facilidad de encontrar suministros tan necesitados como por ejemplo Baterias de larga duración, espero no tener problemas al respecto, ya que el mercado para Sony, panasonic y JVC es mucho mas amplio.

... pero en conclusión LA RECOMIENDO AMPLIAMENTE,....

This is a very nice camcorder with the best video imaging available in a single-chip camcorder. Video pictures are crystal clear, digital images are the best of any consumer level camcorder anywhere, and the manual switches on the camcorder put you in control of important functions. i must say this is better than any other camcorder. buying this camcorder is not overkilling. if you want good quality go for this. but if you think this is expensive then you have choice. you can go for trv27. but remember you cann't compare TRV50 with TRV27 becoz the features are different. TRV50 is latest....for this century.

Sony's MiniDV DCR-TRV50 is their upgrade to the popular DCR-TRV30. The camcorder is a standard form factor, with many neat features and good still quality. The DCR-TRV50 carries a street price around [$$$].

The Sony DCR-TRV50 has a 1/4 in. 1.5 Mega Pixel HAD CCD. The effective video pixels used is 970K while the still is 1,390K, but more about the still performance later. The DCR-TRV50 has a 10x optical, 120x digital zoom while the horizontal resolution is rated at 530 lines, the top for the MiniDV format.

An upgrade of the DCR-TRV50 over the DCR-TRV30 is the addition of a touch panel LCD screen. The LCD is 3.5 in. and 246K pixels. The camcorder also has a color viewfinder. When you first hear of the touch screen feature you?re likely to think it?s frivolous, but it?s actually quite useful. Using the touch screen LCD you can adjust the focus and the exposure. If you have an area that is under or over exposed or an area that you want to put in focus all you have to do is touch on it an the camcorder adjusts automatically. This is a great intermediate between automatic and manual control. It gives the inexperienced user a way of tackling the camcorder controls which can be very daunting. Sharp was the first company to add a touch screen LCD but I think Sony has really taken this option and flown with it. It?s a really great feature, especially for those less experienced camcorder users.

if you are planning to buy a good handycam go for trv50. if you are planning to buy trv950 or sony vx2000 please have a look this camera too. i bought this camera last month....it is really nice. picture quality is excellent. still mode is wondeful and touch screen is very useful. the only gimik is bluetooth technology, but other features are just fantastic...you cann compare trv50 with trv950 only.the difference is only 1ccd and 3 ccd. but otherwise you will not feel much difference. i recomend this handycam to semi professionls too.

We bought this camera in the summer of 2003 to replace our older video camera and have had a great experience. The video quality is excellent. The color is superb. Great audio quality. The video records at more lines of resolution than current televisions use, so I have no doubt that the quality will still look great after high definition televisions dominate the home television market.

Recently, my 4 megapixel digital camera needed to be sent in for repairs ... it is not a Sony :( ... We were upset as we did not think we would be able to print pictures until it returned...we decided to test printing out the Sony TRV950 digital pictures...we were amazed that we were able to print out wonderful quality pictures (3x5). So, we have been very impressed with a feature we never intended to use.

The features included on the camera are great...but two that stand out in my opinion are the super steady shot to help get rid of the "jiggle" and the auto white balance...the best I've seen.

This camera does cost more than other consumer level cameras, but the value is well worth it in my opinion. We bought it to take good video of our baby growing up...we are convinced that this is, by far, the best option and we will never regret spending the extra money.

We purchased a 3 Watt light attachment, a 256MB memory stick card, and an additional M71D battery (250 minutes). I would strongly recommend these accessories.

great camcorder. the 3CCDs really make a difference in video quality in my opinion. unfortunately, you pay for this quality!

pros:
- as expected from a 3CCD camcorder, the trv-950 delivers excellent video quality - colors are reproduced accurately.
- 1 megapixel still capability.
- miniDV media is widely supported.
- 12X optical zoom!
- steady shot optical stabilization system works well.
- ability to record mpeg videos directly to memory stick.
- progressive shutter system.
- offers color bars and zebra striping.
- the 3.5" LCD screen is great.
- built-in flash for stills.
- built-in mic does a good job picking up sound from the target, not the operator.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.
- buttons along the left side and back of the camera body control essential camera functions (manual settings for focus, white balance, audio level, shutter speed, and special lighting situations) so you won't need to dive into menus for these commonly used capabilities.
- side-mounted cassette means you can change tapes while the camcorder is mounted on a tripod.
- low motor noise.
- intelligent accessory shoe - very useful if you use the appropriate accessories.
- allows a great deal of manual control.

cons:
- no built in video light but you can get a video light for less about fifty bucks.
- you could do better on the still photo department. for example, sony's trv80 and trv70 have 2 megapixel capability while panasonic's pv-dv953 delivers 3 megapixel stills.
- as with most sony products, you pay a premium, pushing up the price.
- don't expect miracles from 1 megapixel stills.
- not as compact as i would like. dimensions are 4"H x 3-3/4"W x 8"D, weighing 2.4 lbs.
- the included 8MB memory stick is unacceptable. be prepared to shell out more money for at least a 32MB or bigger memory stick.
- does not have a NightShot mode (although i'm not a big fan of this feature).
- MPEG movies saved to Memory Stick are much darker than the same scene recorded to a miniDV tape.
- noticeable shutter lag for still captures.
- bluetooth communication requires optional purchases = more $$.
- touchscreen menu system is not intuitive.

this is great camcorder if you are looking for a 3CCD system. it sits atop sony's prosumer line. the competition is catching up though so make sure you also consider the panasonic pv-dv953. peace.

Pros: Compact three-CCD camera; large, readable flip-out screen; one-megapixel still-image capture; clean, clear video images.

Cons: Poor low-light sensitivity; low-capacity Memory Stick supplied; stills require more light than video; Bluetooth communication requires optional purchases.

Summary: I bought the TRV50 2 weeks ago.I returned it for the TRV950 because zooming with the auto focus made video blurry.The TRV950 is instantaneously sharp.I also had made a tape just filming around the home with the TRV50.I compared that tape with the one I just made with the TRV950,just experimenting around the home.Now I see why 3ccd's are better than 1ccd.My best overall experiment was the digital alarm clock(with the big red LED numbers)in the bedroom.With the TRV50 the numbers always looked fuzzy.With the TRV950 those numbers looked crisp and sharp.Hence, I guess that where they get the term "color bleeding"from.I noticed that alot with the TRV50 while looking at bright objects.I even experimented with an UV and Polarizing filter on the TRV50 with no success.I know TRV950 is getting some bad press because it doesn't have Progessive scan,like the TRV50, but TRV950 has what's called Progessive shutter.Sony says it 's a step up and I believe it is too.I compared some of the stills I captured on tape and to me TRV950 comes out on top.I wonder if the number of ccd's has anything to do with this.If not then Sony needs to do more marketing in the Progessive shutter business.TRV50 has and TRV950 does not have infared.Does anybody out there ever really use the thing.Especially when it's only good for what 20 feet at most.Go to your local gun shop and get the real thing.I know the Carl Zeiss lens gets alot of publicity, but the TRV950 does not come with those lens. The less quality TRV50 does. What's the story with that?Logic only tells me that the higher end Sony lens must be better than the Carl Zeiss lens.Also TRV950 eats up more battery time than the cheaper TRV50.Be prepared to spring for a larger battery.I wonder if this has anything to do with the number of ccd's also.

I am so glad I purchased this camcorder! It was truly worth the money! Very light weight, easy to use. Very easy to play back or make a vhs copy. Many, many features that will make videoing a lot of fun! This camera was an awesome investment!

I had to replace my old VHS camcorder but didn't want to go digital yet, so chose the HI 8 format. I liked the features on the Canon, remote control, great zoom, fade and recording formats. I was able to charge and practice shooting within a few hours after it came in the mail. The size is great too, nice and compact. Very happy with the purchase!

I've had my camera now for about a month and I love it. I didn't want all the technical stuff that came along with a digital camera so that's why I wanted the next best thing. Although, this does have a lot of extra features that I look forward to using in the future. It's small, light weight and very easy to use. Basically I wanted to document my kids growing up and this will certainly do the job. I did get a little frustrated at the beginning though when reading through the manual and tried to follow the vague instructions in setting the date. If you buy this camera and go to set the date, it says to use the controller to scroll through the month, year, etc. what they are talking about is the FlexiZone controller not the remote controller that comes with it. In my last efforts, I picked up the phone and called the 800 number, to my surprise, I wasn't left on hold very long and actually got a live person to help me through the process. I was very impressed and won't hesitate to call them again for any questions. One drawback now is getting a VCR that is "S-Video" compatible. But in the meantime, playing back the footage and seeing it on the LCD monitor isn't so bad. A great camera to have. Get it now while it's cheaper than when I bought it! A great buy certainly!

Considering the low price, this camera has tons of features and the output is awesome. All you need is a Firewire cable and you can start editing movies right on your computer. This camera is actually less expensive than many VHS-C analog/Hi-8 analog cams. Good deal if you can find it.

WOW! What a great camcorder, and what a great price. A lot of value in this product. Does everything I wanted in a camcorder. Pictures are crystal clear and it is so easy to use. You do not need a PHD in cameras to use this one. The Camera takes stills as well as movies. This camera has most of the features that are seen in very expensive cameras. Thanks for the value.

I must say when I bought the $400 camera that it wouldn't compare to, say, Canon or other big name digital cameras. I've already edited several videos on my computer that I imported from this JVC. Color me impressed! It is very full featured for such a low cost camera. I've used it several times already and am VERY happy with the results. It's a good camera with suprisingly good quality. Go for it!

I don't want to repeat what the other reviewers have said, I agree with everything. Small buttons? Sure, but the unit itself is small - you can't fit buttons that are any larger on this sucker.

I've used the professional Cannon broadcast quality camcorders, and if I had the means, I would certainly own one. I'm fanatical about picture quality and being able to transfer the video to PC and play with it - you know, the modern day necessities when living in the digital age. This unit is the highest quality sub $1,000 camera I've found. I did quite the Pepsi Challenge too (the folks at Circut City and I are all on a first name basis now).

This is THE BEST camcorder I've ever owned. I love the fact that I can shoot video and take a snapshot without changing modes. It also doubles as an awesome digital camera. The info shoe makes the accessories the most functional of any other unit I've used.

I first bought the Video Light because the unit slightly underperforms in low light. The second was the flash unit for taking awesome digital pics. The third (and the coolest, but not necessary) is the directional microphone for zeroing in on a single person's voice from a distance. When you zoom in on their face, it 'zeroes' in on their voice, canceling out the ambient noise. Is that cool or what!

If it sounds like I'm gushing, I am. This camcorder, feature by feature, it cannot be beat!

The Part numbers listed below are the accessories I recommend all of which are currently sold on Amazon.com:
Description - Part# - AISN#
---------------------------
Video Flash - VLF3U - ASIN: B00006HTJO
Video Light - VLV3U - ASIN: B00006HTH7
Directional Microphone - MZV3U - AISN: B00006HTJN

I have owned this camera for about 7 months and I must say I an impressed.
The quality is outstanding!!
It has every feature you could hope for (except a built in flash).
The thumb buttons are a little hard to get use to but that is a small flaw.
This thing has soooo many features that I have not even got to use them all.
The best in my opinion, is the ability to take pictures without interrupting the Video!!
You push the button half way down while you are shooting video and you get a preview of the still then push all the way down and it snaps the photo while the video rolls along uninterrupted!!
I highly recommed this DV cam.
PS. I would recommend you buy the external flash.It is great.

After looking over the vast range of camcorders available, we selected this model and could not be happier!! We have used it for app. 3 hours so far and the picture and sound is sensational. It was a bit hard to get used to the features at first (there are so many) but it is second nature now. My only suggestion is, get a Tripod. When you use the zoom, it is impossible to stay steady without it. I would buy this camcorder again and highly suggest it. I saw this camcorder cheaper at many different locations on the internet but opted to pay more at Circuit City and have not regreted it. Their policy gives you PEACE OF MIND, and can you really put a price on that?

This is my first introduction to the world of Hi8 camcorders(having previously owned a VHS-C format camcorder) and I must say the SCL610 from Samsung really surprised me. The first thing that caught my eye was the price and how many features it had. Next, was the ease of use and picture quality. I'm the type when taking home a new gadget, wants to play with it already before even reading the manual. So, I opened the box took out the camcorder (wow, and how light it felt in my hands) plugged it in and charged the battery. I also installed the lithium battery for the memory and the date and time settings which I will adjust later. After an hour or so, I placed a blank Hi8 tape in the camcorder and started recording! The 500x digital zoom is really cool, I was able to focus the camcorder on a small object about 10 feet away from me and read the tiny little label. The light is bright enough to be able to record in total darkness. The microphone picks up human voices really well and does not distort it. After a couple minutes of recording, I plugged it in the VCR, played it, and voila! - I recorded my first segment and copied it into a VHS tape.

I have yet to explore this camcorder's vast features, I am overall very impressed with it. The only bad thing I could say about it is that the button placement could have been more ergonomical for people with tiny hands. I found the viewfinder to be of exceptional quality and it really makes recording that much more easier. The Samsung SCL610 is truly a great buy!

Fantastic picture. Excellent zoom and clarity along with the night light makes for recording in any condition.

We brought it to take video of the Kids and send to family, we are not pro's and this is the first camcorder we have owned, and it is great!!!

Very easy and clear picture I cannot recommend this more, go ahead and treat you're self you wont regret it!

I purchased this as an accessorry for my Sony DCR-TRV38 camcorder. It's got a long life and a neat battery check function on it. However, it is on the bulky side and extends the overall length of the camcorder when attached. One nice thing is that the viewfinder on the camcorder extends to accommodate the longer length. Sony really should have made this standard, as the included battery is woefully inadequate. It may be of interest to note that I needed to purchase a separate charger ($100) to take advantage of the quick charge function.

I can't say enought about Sony, if it has the name Sony on it its great. The battery holds up very very well, I've had one for a very long time and wouldn't change to any other name.

An additional large capacity battery is an essential purchase to replace the inadequate batteries supplied with most mini-DV camcorders. This battery is the best of the bunch, providing great battery life without being too bulky or pricey. Sony's other batteries are either too large (e.g. the QM91D) or don't last long enough to be worth the additional expense (e.g. the FM30 or FM50).

Moreover, if you are willing to pay an additional $150 for the Sony AC-SQ950 Quick Charger, this battery can be charged in under an hour! Highly recommended.

Notes: (1) Don't confuse this with the older QM71. The "D" is important (no on-battery power indication or Quick Charge without it). (2) Be sure your device takes an "M Series" battery. Sony has several lettered infoLithium battery "series" (e.g., the super small "C Series" for compact digital cameras) that all tend to look alike in unscaled online product photos, but batteries from different series are NOT interchangeable.