Too Bad It Ain't Digital

Author's Rating:

Pros: Good features, Solid Craftsmanship

Cons: Not Digital

Author's Review
For those contemplating a new camcorder purchase, the
first decision to make is whether or not to go digital. There
are many advantages to owning a digital camcorder as
opposed to a traditional analog one, however there is a
significant accompanying price jump. The digital/analog
debate can most simply be described by noting the
following; an otherwise identical digital camcorder will cost
about $300 more than its analog counterpart, in exchange
for providing you slightly better audio/video quality as
well as extensive post-recording editing/data transfer
options (such as transfer of still photos to a computer).

Once you have decided that you do not need to spend the
extra cash on a digital camcorder the CCD-TRV57 is about
the best camcorder you can get. It is a little more expensive
than the average analog model, but in return you get a
couple of extra features. The key features of the TRV-57
are: a Lithium Ion Battery System, 20XOptical/360 Digital
Zoom, O lux recording, and a built in video light.


Lithium Ion Battery

Remembering back to my childhood days, I can remember
vividly my father’s frustration at the limited battery-life of
his video-dinosaur. It always seemed that no matter what he
tried he would always run out of battery just as my
basketball team was mounting another 4th quarter
comeback.

The TRV-57 makes use of the Lithium Ion battery system,
which with an investment in an upgraded battery (NP-
F960) can offer recording power for up to 12 hours, long
enough to satisfy just about anyone’s recording needs.



Digital Zoom

Consistent with most of Sony’s latest camcorders the
TRV-57 comes equipped with a powerful digital zoom.
While the resolution drops rather dramatically the digital
zoom does come in handy up to around 250X.



0 Lux Recording

Years ago my parents purchased their first home video
recorder. It consisted of a rather large video camera which
had to be wired into an equally large VCR at all times. The
picture quality was extremely poor, something like 16 LUX
or so (which meant that recording in any light conditions
short of perfect was pretty much impossible). Since first
introducing camcorders years ago Sony has continued to
remodel and improve their models to the point that they
now include a nightshot setting which performs at a
remarkable 0 LUX (recording in complete darkness).



Built-in Video Recording Light

This light comes in handy when recording in low light
situations. Even considering the aforementioned 0 Lux
capabilities it is still a good feature to have because the
more light you can put on a subject, the more colorful and
the sharper your recordings will be.



Final Verdict

The CCD TRV-57 is a solid camcorder which you will not
be disappointed with. The only issue is whether the price is
right. I believe that this camcorder is reasonably priced,
however I also believe that there are better options for most
consumers. On the one hand, a budget-conscious consumer
would likely be better served by going with the TRV37,
which will save them over $100 without having to give up
any key features. On the other hand, consumers who are
looking for the best recording ability while still keeping the
price reasonable will most likely find enough of a quality
increase to warrant paying the extra $100 to go digital and
select the DCR TRV-120.



Internet Deals

Should you eventually decide that the TRV-57 is for you,
please do yourself a favor and do a little online research.
There are some great deals out there if you take the time to
look. For example, http://www.aaanet-inc.com/store offers the
TRV-57 for $530, a decent savings off of the Epinions list
price of $599.