DCR for Dummies er...beginners

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great price. Easy to use for a first-timer.

Cons: Too many options. Still shots could be better. Does Sony need a manual writer?

The Bottom Line: 
Buy if this is your first camera. Experienced users stay away from this.

Author's Review
Before I begin, I must point out that I am a novice videographer and this camera is my first attempt at moving from still into the more complex world of video recording.

I decided on a Sony after hours of reading up literature and grilling less than enthusiastic salespeople. The company just seemed to be everyone's first choice where video was concerned.

Narrowing down on this particular model was much simpler and dictated by the voice none of can argue with...cost. The DCR TVR 330 is the entry-level model for digital camcorders in the Philippines...the next model is a good 50 percent more expensive...so my choice was almost automatic.

Having said that, I must say I have few regrets to buying this camcorder. I have found using it is almost instinctive. The controls are easy to understand and navigate and you can actually be up and shooting reasonably well within a very short span of time.

The memory stick for still pictures is a great idea. I have seen earlier models of the Sony DCR, which actually record the still image onto the tape--, as they do not have a separate recording media for still images.

I have read elsewhere that the quality of the video output is not good. I cannot really say I have had any problems. I have shot both outdoors during day and night as well as indoors in dim light situations. Yes this is no broadcast quality camera...but the image resolution and colors are good enough to pass muster on most television sets. The audio quality is pretty decent...though I think an external mike is required to keep out environmental noises. I found this to be a problem when I tried to shoot in windy conditions. The sound of the breeze drowned out everything else.

The night vision quality is okay, not great. But it at least allows you to record in extremely dark conditions...so that is a definite plus.

Overall I am enjoying myself with this camera...but I know that I will probably upgrade to a higher end model if only to give me the satisfaction that I am recording in broadcast quality.

One plus point with this camera is that it uses Hi8 tape. These are widely available and very reasonably priced. Some of the other modes tend to use proprietary recording media...these can be hard to come by and expensive.

On the flip side, I find the quality of still pictures to be pathetic. I have taken better quality shots with my Kodak Palmpix!

Another negative is the manual. Another reviewer has commented that more effort seems to have gone into producing multi-lingual rather than detailed manuals. I agree. My model came with four or five different manuals. The English one was not even adequate for me to get started. Instructions are poor, in most cases inadequate and most functions not properly explained. I wish Sony had produced a manual disk with more details. But they haven’t and that is really sad.