Sony DCRTRV310 Handycam Digital Camcorder

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Manufacturer: Sony
Price at amazon.com: Used from $250.00




Product Features:

• 360x digital zoom
• High-quality Digital 8 format
• Infrared night video capability
• Stereo recording
• 3.5-inch swivel LCD screen

Product Description:

Hi-8mm Handycam vision digital camcorder w/stereo recording and playback. 360X digital zoom, nightshot infrared 0Lux system, special effects, 3 1/2" swivelscreen color LCD. Laserlink connection. IMAGE Stabilization, remote.


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Description from Manufacturer:The Sony TRV310 Handycam provides top-of-the-line digital recording with a host of advanced options, including a large 3.5-inch LCD screen. Its powerful 360x digital zoom, wide range of special effects, image stabilization, and Sony's unique infrared night recording capabilities make it a great choice for those needing high-end digital camcorder features. Sony's elongated Handycam design fits easily in one hand and is well-balanced. While not the lightest of camcorders, we found the Handycam line to be one of the most ergonomic and easy to use.

The Sony TRV310 Handycam has a nifty status screen on the outside of the LCD screen module that lets you know how many minutes you've recorded or how far you've played a tape. It also tells you if there's a tape in the camcorder. This screen is backlit for maximum visibility.

The LCD screen swivels 210 degrees, which lets you record above your head or put yourself in the picture. The optical viewfinder is black and white, which is not a real drawback since we ended up using the LCD screen for most of our shooting. The unit's playback buttons are backlit, making it easier to use the Sony TRV310 Handycam as a VCR. This video camera also comes with a remote control unit.

The Sony TRV310 Handycam lets you manually adjust focus and exposure; it also includes seven programmed exposure modes, plus backlight compensation, to help optimize your video under different shooting conditions. It provides three recording modes--normal, hold-down, and five-second--to help you take short, lively video segments. The TRV310 also lets you record still photos. It features a high-powered 360x digital zoom, great for getting closeups and recording faraway events. This Handycam also provides electronic image stabilization to minimize camera shake, which is especially useful when using the zoom or during fast-action events.

We enjoyed Sony's full range of special effects, including the distinctive pastel, slim, and stretch picture modes. The TRV310 provides widescreen, black-and-white, sepia, negative, and solarized modes. We also liked the range of fade options, which include fade to black, mosaic, monotone, overlap, and a bounce-image effect. The camera includes digital effects for playback, including still, flash, lumi, slow shutter, old movie, and trail modes. You can even insert a scene in the middle of a recording.

The camcorder includes Sony's exclusive NightShot capability, which lets you shoot video in total darkness. The camcorder emits an invisible infrared beam to light the scene. The resulting video is basically black and white and lower quality than normal, but being able to get decent images in complete darkness is nonetheless pretty amazing. The TRV310 also comes with a mount for an external standard light.

This camcorder uses the Digital 8 format, which lets you record digital video on a standard Hi8 tape. Digital video gives you extraordinary video quality--up to 500 lines of resolution and CD-quality sound; it's the top-of-the-line format. The digital format allows you to take digital still pictures, just like a digital camera. If you want to download and edit your digital still images and video on a computer, however, you have to purchase a separate video capture card first. You can also use this camcorder to play back analog 8mm and Hi8 tapes--a handy feature if you have previously recorded video in these formats.

Pros:

• Large 3.5-inch LCD screen
• Super-powerful zoom
• Still photo capability
• High-quality digital format
• Great selection of special effects
• Image stabilization

Cons:

• Optical viewfinder is black and white

Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: Sony's DCR-TRV310 is Unbeatable! Rating:
Sony has been the top in electronics for many years, and the DCR-TRV310 Digital Handycam just gives them a bigger push. The new age of digital camcorders is amazing, especially the new Digital8 technology. I didn't have an 8mm camcorder when I bought the 310, and most people think the only reason to get D8 is because of all around 8mm compatibility...not true at all! I researched for at least 2 years, from VHS, 8mm, DV, Hi8- virtually every format in the industry, until my grandfather received the DCR-TRV103. I was amazed with the digital picture, sound, PC compatibility, and overall SUPER HIGH QUALITY! The only other digital format I had looked @ was MiniDV, but in my eyes, I found it physically too small and fragile, and if some people think the MiniDV tapes are expensive, the camcorders are 10 times worse. Also, the MiniDV usually jitters much more than any other format, (even with image stablization). I started looking at Digital8 and fell in love! I never imagined a Consumer camcorder to be equipped with SO MANY features. From Steadyshot, Stamina, InfoLITHIUM, Laserlink, i.LINK, to Nightshot- there's nothing this digital wonder doesn't have (except audio dubbing, but that's what i.LINK is for!) Even if you don't have old 8mm or Hi8 analog tapes, D8 is still a heavy competition with DV. Yes, compared to MiniDV, D8 is slightly larger, (usually an inch or so in width or depth), but D8 compared to regular DV, VHS, and even VHS-C, the DCR-TRV310 is TINY enough to carry BACKPACKING, HIKING, FISHING, CAMPING, or anywhere where your isolated and need to remember it without regretting it. And the low-power consumption raises performance to a longer an better level. About tapes...the cost of high-quality analog tapes is CHEAP compared to MiniDV. HME, HMP, and standard 8mm all give convience to D8 that MiniDV just doesn't have, and with the SAME extreme high-quality. LCDs and Viewfinders...the most difficult decision to make. What size? 2.5"? 3"? 3.5"? 4"! Hard decision? Not with the DCR-TRV310, unless you don't mind paying a little bit more for awesome viewing control (it's worth it!) Viewfinders are also an issue with some people who rely on it as much as the LCD. Some find color to be much better for quality, and others Love black and white, (I do! It conserves power more than color) And if you only care about a viewfinder as an occasional backup for bright sun, low battery, or even privacy, B/W might be good. The 310's 3.5" LCD and B/W viewfinder are a perfect combo. Last, quality and reliabilty...the TRV310's amazing (Sony-built) ability to deliver EXTREMELY high-quality images, sound, and effects is not uncommon for a SONY! In fact, that's how most people see the DCR-TRV310 and Sony, as the BEST! Sony's products, especially the D8 DCR-TRV310 camcorders are the most reliable and products today! Sony's done it again with the amazing, revolutionized, SEMI-PRO DCR-TRV310...AWESOME JOB SONY!

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Comment: TRV310 und Windows XP - A great combination! Rating:
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 und extended bass sound; 8-hr InfoLithium battery HIGHLY recommended.

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Comment: B and W view finder Rating:
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.

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)