Everything you need: unbiased reviews, product specs and great deals.
|
Sony Handycam DCR-TRV530 Digital-8 CamcorderBe First. Buy Sony now. DCR-TRV530 provides crystal-clear pictures and CD quality digital stereo. With Sony's entire line of Digital8...
Read More
Be First. Buy Sony now. DCR-TRV530 provides crystal-clear pictures and CD quality digital stereo. With Sony's entire line of Digital8 camcorders, you get a wide array of performance features. DCR-TRV530 records outstanding digital picture and sound on affordable Hi8 and 8mm tapes, offering high resolution with 3x the color bandwidth of VHS and significantly lower video noise. 1/6" CCD provides stunning detail and clarity, with exceptional video and still image performance. 25x optical/ 700x digital zoom brings the action up close from far away. SteadyShot picture stabilization system compensates camera "shake". DCR-TRV530 allows to capture video even in total darkness (0 lux) using the built-in infrared system up to ten feet (3 m) away. The Super NightShot mode automatically adjusts the shutter speed to increase picture brightness and clarity. 7-mode program A/E provides a quick and easy setting for the proper exposure, shutter, and depth of field for a variety of environments. You can capture digital st...
Minimize
|
|
11 Reviews from Shopping.com
|
Close to prosumer quality
| Author's Rating: |
|
Pros: High video quality, Large LCD monitor, good size, Hi8 Tape
Cons: No white balance ability, no microphone volume control
The Bottom Line:
An excellent buy for both home video enthusiasts and amateur filmmakers. Excellent picture quality combined with a good camera size and LCD make this very close to "Prosumer" quality.
The Sony TRV530 is a great digital camcorder for both home video and amateur filmmaking.
I am a film student and have found that in general, digital 8 cameras are much easier to use than the smaller miniDV models. The greater size and weight makes it more comfortable to hold and keep steady both for static shots and panning or dolly moves. It also mounts easily to a tripod for smooth tracking shots. The small miniDV cameras seem much less stable.
The LCD monitor is excellent, and at 3" is much larger than most. Color reproduction in the monitor is good, very similar to the actual recorded image. The viewfinder is only black and white, but you'll find that you won't use it very often.
The only major downside is that there is no manual white balance ability. In changing lighting and shooting locations, I like to white balance my camera for the best color quality, but this model has an automatic white balance that does not work as well as manual. For home video, this doesn't matter very much, but for filmmaking it's a feature I really miss.
Also, the camera is fairly quiet, so there is little background camera noise. Using an external microphone helps, but I wish that the volume was adjustable. It would be nice to have a volume control knob and display to avoid having to clean up the audio in editing.
Overall, this camera is very high quality. Many people prefer the miniDV format, but I have found the picture quality to be just as excellent and the larger size to be more stable and comfortable. This camera is just a small step below the 3-CCD "Prosumer" models by Sony and Canon.
Back to all reviews
