Sony DCRTRV530 Digital8 Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode

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Manufacturer: Sony
Price at amazon.com:

Product Features:

• Digital8 camcorder
• 25x optical and 28x digital zoom with image stabilization
• 3.5 inch color LCD monitor with black and white EVF
• Records 640 x 480 digital stills onto included 4 MB Memory Stick media
• Uses Sony's NP-FM30 InfoLithium battery; features Sony's NightShot 0-Lux shooting capability

Product Description:

The DCR-TRV530 is a full-featured Digital8 camcorder. Digital8 utilizes the digital video format, but records onto Hi8 tapes, and can play your old Hi8 and 8mm movies. The 25x optical (28x digital) zoom is combined with image stabilization, a boon since high zooms can lead to increased shakiness. Additionally, the DCR-TRV530 features Sony's NightShot system for 0-lux shooting. An assortment of special effects and faders help give your footage a more professional feel. Also, a 16:9 widescreen shooting mode lets you shoot movies in the same aspect ratio as Hollywood films. The black-and-white EVF is adequate, but the large 3.5-inch color LCD monitor is the better bet for framing your shots. Digital stills can be recorded onto the accompanying 4 MB Memory Stick, and images can be downloaded to your computer via USB. Like all DV camcorders, the audio is recorded at CD quality levels--PCM digital stereo. Should you need more professional sound than the built-in mic provides, a mic input jack is located on the camcorder. Because the DCR-TRV530 uses the DV format, you can download your footage to a computer for editing using an IEEE 1394 cable. Analog pass-through ports are built-in, letting you digitally archive all your old analog footage. Also included are a shoulder strap, lens cap, battery, AC adapter, and remote control.

Description from Manufacturer:The DCR-TRV530 is a full-featured Digital8 camcorder. Digital8 utilizes the digital video format, but records onto Hi8 tapes, and can play your old Hi8 and 8mm movies. The 25x optical (28x digital) zoom is combined with image stabilization, a boon since high zooms can lead to increased shakiness. Additionally, the DCR-TRV530 features Sony's NightShot system for 0-lux shooting. An assortment of special effects and faders help give your footage a more professional feel. Also, a 16:9 widescreen shooting mode lets you shoot movies in the same aspect ratio as Hollywood films.

The black-and-white EVF is adequate, but the large 3.5-inch color LCD monitor is the better bet for framing your shots. Digital stills can be recorded onto the accompanying 4 MB Memory Stick, and images can be downloaded to your computer via USB. Like all DV camcorders, the audio is recorded at CD quality levels--PCM digital stereo. Should you need more professional sound than the built-in mic provides, a mic input jack is located on the camcorder.

Because the DCR-TRV530 uses the DV format, you can download your footage to a computer for editing using an IEEE 1394 cable. Analog pass-through ports are built-in, letting you digitally archive all your old analog footage. Also included are a shoulder strap, lens cap, battery, AC adapter, and remote control.Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: very good picture, pathetic built-in mic Rating:
I'm very happy with the image quality presented by this camera. The built-in mic, however, is quite sad. It picks up the buzzing of the camera when recording. This is especially annoying during quiet moments, but it can still be heard even when there are other environmental sounds.

Will a external mic fix this problem? Guess I'll have to shell out around 80.00 Sony dollars to find out.

As noted by others here in the reviews, the digital still picture component of the camcorder is useless (but taking digital still pics is not the reason to buy this camera - - moving into the digital video recording/editing realm is).

Also, it is true that the picture quality degrades quickly under minimal lighting conditions (more so than my previous analog Cannon Hi8).

A decent camera, overall. I hope to be more on the positive side once I start editing video with it.

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Comment: Excellent Digital Camera Rating:
Excellent, digital and optical zoom. Special efects wonderfull. I would be great better resolution for taking pictures.

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Comment: VERY disapointing - this camcorder [is bad]! Rating:
I recently bought the 530 some time ago and let me tell you it was the biggest mistake of my life.

I am so happy this camcorder is discontinued because it won't make others as angry as it made me.

First off, the digital stills are laughable. VERY WEAK!

The camera is bulky. I can't even get my finger to rest confortably on the zoom. I end up holding the damn thing with two hands!
Okay, the optical zoom is good (that's where it gets ONE star from me). However, the digital zoom is so awful that its pointless that its even there.

Picture is very grainy at times when seen on my TV. This had my family very disapointed as I was filming my first born's first few steps. I was REALLY angry.

This camcorder was a bust for Sony and I'm glad they threw it out.

I will be getting the MINI DV soon.

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)