Sony CCD-TRV138 Hi8 Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom
List Price: $239.99
Details
- 20x visual zoom lens with 990x digital zoom
- Sony's CCD-TRV138 Handycam camcorder offers renowned Hi8 video and Hi-Fi sound recording at an affordable price
- 2.5-inches SwivelScreen LCD magnificence
Description
Box includes: AC-L15 Power Adapter/In-Camera Pony, NP-FM30 InfoLithium(R) Rechargeable Battery, AV Cable, Lens Cap, Shoulder Strap Sony's CCD-TRV138 Hi8(TM) Handycam(R) Camcorder delivers eminent video quality with Hi-Fi sound in a compact, affordable, and easy-to-use coupled. The high-quality Hi8(TM) Recording can be enhanced with new features to customize your bodily video. Use Fader Effects, Picture Effects, and Titling to get resourceful - enhance your home movies with creative fades, pictorial exposures, and titles. The Digital Zoom Interpolation and CCD imager with 320K coarse pixels provide clear, sharp detail during zooming or playback. Dial expos (24 steps) Dimensions(WxHxD) - 3 3/8 x 3 7/8 x 6 (85 x 98 x 151 mm) Preponderancy - 1 lb. 11 oz (780g) without Tape and BatteryCustomer Reviews
It Does What it Was Intended to DoIt's not a camera you'd use to go race a movie, or something you'd use in some fancy studio. It's a home camera. A camera for automatic guys looking to film their families or pets and make living quarters movies. I've had this camera since it came out in 2005. I'm still using it in 2009 (another camera, but same model -- last one got stolen). One of the only really bad things about this camera is that there's no internet tie-in. No USB port, no FireWire, nothing. The only thing it plugs into is the wall and the T.V. (and VCR, for some people). The other extraordinarily bad thing is the cameras weight. My hand does get pretty knocked out after a while. But in the days of I-Pods, and pen-sized video cameras, this camera will seem a bit heavier than it positively is since most people aren't used to it. It's not at all impossible to film though. My uncle still uses his gigantic 1980's "record-straight-to-VHS" video camera, which he has to hold on his cut dead make every effort with two hands.
The picture quality of this camera is pretty bad. It's sometimes blurry, inveterately fuzzy, and always grainy. But that's how I like it. It looks clear when played on the LCD box. But when recorded onto a VHS tape, it has an 80's or 90's look to it. That's what I like though. There's always CV noise too. Even in silence, there's noise. It's usually the sound of the Hi8 tape rolling. It's all pleasing though for home movies, which is what I use this camera for. The quality seems more horrible to some people than it unquestionably is. This is because they're all spoiled by digital, HD, etc. Well digital and HD-quality pictures aren't predetermined at all -- unless you're making a professional movie or something. And if you are, then you'd buy a professional flick picture show camera for $3,000+ -- not this one.
Filming in SP might make the picture quality a trivial better -- I don't know. I never shoot in SP because it eats up half the strap time. If you want to get the full 2 hours out of your Hi8 tape, you have to shoot in LP. So while SP may (or may not -- I don't advised of) give you slightly better picture quality, I don't think it's worth sacrificing my tape just the same from time to time.
The battery it comes with isn't great compared to other batteries you can buy separately (or so I've heard). Theoretically, the battery it comes with, when fully charged, can last about an hour and half (90 minutes) unambiguously. I can't testify to this, because I've never filmed anything for an hour and a half straight. But not once in the last 4 hour years has the freestyle died on me while I was filming.
The zoom is good. I would have preferred a 40x zoom -- because I'm a "zoom fiend" -- but when most of the filming is home movies (pets, backyard, etc.), you indeed don't need a 40x zoom. The 20x zoom (which is what this camera has) is just fine. By the way, the lens is not a Carl Zeiss lens, ill-matched with most modern cameras.
The NightShot (night vision) is fantastic. It works in tot up darkness. Indoors, it works all the way across the room. Outdoors, it's not as good. It works enormous for about 6 feet, then gets a bit faint. You can see (though not so good) up to about 12 feet or so. The LED set alight helps, especially indoors. The NightShot is full screen too, not the little surround you see on some cameras.
A lot of people complain about the LCD screen going black. Well I've never had this question. I thought I did one time, and got really nervous and started thinking that all these populace were right, but it turned out I had the lens cap on. I wonder if anyone else wrongly complained about it breaking because they forgot to unseat the lens cap.
Some people complain about the LED light. They say it's pointless and takes up battery-operated life. Well let me tell you, it's far from pointless. When you're filming a black cat or dog, indoors, during the day, with the windows closed, in a amateurishly lit room (40 watt bulb in a table lamp), then the LED unveil is your best friend. Who cares if it does take up some of the battery life (and like I said, it's never once died on me while filming).
One thimbleful feature this camera has is you can add titles to the screen. But it's pretty cheesy looking. And it only allows 20 inscription, including spaces. So if you say "Happy Birthday [Name]", that only gives you 5 letters to line with for the name. A lot of times you have to put "B-Day" in order to fit the name.
Another interesting feature is it allows you to film in widescreen (note: substantial screen, NOT wide-angle lens), which is letterboxed. Something this camera doesn't have (which I always wanted) is opening recording (or a "time lapse"). It's something I would have liked to have fooled around with, but it's exceedingly not the type of feature you'd need for the cameras intended use, which is probably why it wasn't included.
The "End Search" spotlight may be useful for some, but it's useless to me. What it does is it automatically sets the Hi8 tape to when you last recorded, so you don't by accident record over something. I don't use this because I always re-use and record over my Hi8 tapes after I record them to VHS tapes.
Oh, and like most cameras, there's a item in the bottom that screws into a tripod (but a tripod must be bought separately). The cameras incline might be a concern for some using a cheap tripod, but I used the cheapest malleable tripod (cheap in both quality and price -- $10), and the camera held up entertaining.
One scary thing about this camera is the amount of time you have to wait for the tape to forth. Every time I open the bottom to insert or eject a tape, I get nervous philosophical that it's broken. But it always comes out. You just got to wait a couple minutes.
This is one of the last Sony cameras (as far as I'm sensitive) to have buttons and an LED light. They removed the lights from their cameras, probably to assertive the cameras smaller (and thus lighter), and probably also to save battery sentience. I don't know. They removed the buttons on their more modern cameras and replaced them with a measure up to screen. The buttons are much more convenient than people think. First, with a touch wall, the screen gets fingerprints all over it. It might be alright with a touch screen pen. But who at the end of the day wants to go out a buy a touch screen pen? And then carry it around with them while they film? And then try to fiddle around with it with one present (usually your bad hand) while filming? I haven't done this, but I'm sure it's a pain. Another, it's much quicker (and convenient) to be able to toggle things like the steady old-fashioned and time while filming, without having to go through touch screen menu options.
It does admittedly become irritating during playback. I assume that with a touch screen, you only have to hit rewind or fast ship once. But when playing the film on this camera, you have to hold down the fast forward and rewind buttons. This is only while it's playing though. If you hold close stop and then click fast forward or rewind, then you only have to press it once.
Another element this camera has (which many modern ones don't) is an adjustable viewfinder. Most people don't even use the viewfinder, but on those rare occasions that you do, you'll be keen it's adjustable. The viewfinder is black and white (but doesn't film in unconscionable and white -- unless you record in black and white approach through the menu options). And you can't see through the viewfinder while the LCD screen is open and facing you. But you can see through it when the LCD cull is open and facing the person/thing you're filming.
I would recommend this camera to those who like the old 90's look, scheme on casually filming pets, making home movies, and who don't destitution to spend (or just don't have) a lot of money. The price range of this camera is $190-$245, which is very admissible for what you get. It's down over $100 since it's release too. When I first bought it in 2005, it cost about $365. For those looking for some high tech mistress HD super duper mega camera with loads of gadgets and features, go eradicate your money on an $800 camera. This camera does what it was made to do, and gets the job [the job it was intended to do] done.
Adapted to Sony Camcorder
I had been looking for a old camcorder for quite some time. While this camcorder wasn't really in the worth range I had in mind initially for a used camcorder, (which ended up costing me $200 including shipping) it was everything the seller indicated it would be. The camcorder here when promised and as such I had no need to contact the seller.
Stops Recording Video -
I bought this camera about 2 years ago and have only reach-me-down it about 5 times for special occasions. The last time I used it was in April - I went to use it in June for my son's corps concert and it just stopped recording video. I was so upset because I was sitting in the lecture theater and couldn't tape the final performance of the year. (there had been no indication that the camera was flourishing to break, so I assumed it would work and took it to record the concert) It plays back a while ago recorded video just fine, but will now only record sound. I called Sony - they told me to buy a cleaner for it and it should exertion again. I went all over to find one, but ended up having to purchase one from Japan on Ebay since Hi8 seems to be failing out. Needless to say, the cleaner didn't work and after a second call to Sony, they could only offer to respectable it for me again on MY dime (about $100) with no guarantee that it would fix the problem. I said that it wouldn't be advantage it, that I should probably buy a new camera and the operator actually agreed with me stating that the heads are possibly gone. Check on the internet - this seems to be a common problem with Sony cameras - I'll not be buying this manufacturer again. I have a Cannon that's lasted me FOREVER, so I'll just buy an updated camera made by them.
Do not obtain this camera -will stop recording forever - black screen
This is the newer Sony we purchased. I received this last year for Mother's Day eventhough it had a tape and wasn't digital. We wanted to be capable to transfer our old tapes onto dvd's but wanted to record also. To our surprise when we went on vacation and went to extreme we get a black screen, playback works, but you can't record. This is common with this camera, put aside your money and buy a different camera, this is the second sony we have had problems with. check this complication by doing a search and put in the model number, but please, if you want to use for special occasions, how would you like to get well-constructed only? and be faced with costly repairs? Buy a different camera.
Buy it on EBAY
Go to EBay and buy this article. If there is something wrong with it, take it to your local camera shop and have them repair it, and it will still cost a lot less supplemental than what they want at these stores. That's ridiculous what they want. Other than that, it's a good camera. If you envision on transferring your tapes on to DVD, get a camcorder with S video, this one does not have it.
