Sony Handycam DCR-TRV310E Digital-8 Camcorder
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- Recording System: NTSC
- Camcorder Type: Digital
- Recording Media: Digital-8
- Optical Zoom: 20x
- Weight: 2.1 lb.
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Is digital worth it? YES!
Pros
very easy to use, excellent picture quality, cool digital effects, up to 12 hours of battery life (with optional battery), uses less expensive tapes
Cons
cost of the optional battery
Recommended it?
Yes
If you're looking for a mid-range camcorder that has some nice features, then you may want to take a look at one of these.
To start with, this unit uses the newer digital format which is much better than standard analog formats for several reasons:
A - the digital format uses around 500 lines of resolution whereas analog only uses around 400 lines (much better image quality)
B - digital recordings do not lose image integrity over time
C - you can record on less expensive tapes without sacrificing image quality
D - when copying a digital video onto a standard VHS tape the image quality is very good (this I have done and was pleasantly surprised)
As far as features go, this thing has quite a few: nightvision capability, image stabilization, the ability to record for up to 12 hours on a single battery (optional), a remote control which can be used in either record or playback mode, a flip out LCD screen, smart batteries that tell you (to the minute) how much time is left on them, the ability to send video to your TV without hooking up any cables (via an infra-red link), and several digital effects that you can apply to your movies.
The only thing that I was somewhat unhappy about was the price of the extra battery - $150. Ouch! It is nice to not to have to worry about carrying more than one battery with you though.
One last thing... Don't bother with the package that Sony sells for hooking the camera up to your PC. It sells for around $600 and does NOT allow you to extract video from your camera. There is however another product called Pyro Digital Video that sells for around $130 and it works great.
To start with, this unit uses the newer digital format which is much better than standard analog formats for several reasons:
A - the digital format uses around 500 lines of resolution whereas analog only uses around 400 lines (much better image quality)
B - digital recordings do not lose image integrity over time
C - you can record on less expensive tapes without sacrificing image quality
D - when copying a digital video onto a standard VHS tape the image quality is very good (this I have done and was pleasantly surprised)
As far as features go, this thing has quite a few: nightvision capability, image stabilization, the ability to record for up to 12 hours on a single battery (optional), a remote control which can be used in either record or playback mode, a flip out LCD screen, smart batteries that tell you (to the minute) how much time is left on them, the ability to send video to your TV without hooking up any cables (via an infra-red link), and several digital effects that you can apply to your movies.
The only thing that I was somewhat unhappy about was the price of the extra battery - $150. Ouch! It is nice to not to have to worry about carrying more than one battery with you though.
One last thing... Don't bother with the package that Sony sells for hooking the camera up to your PC. It sells for around $600 and does NOT allow you to extract video from your camera. There is however another product called Pyro Digital Video that sells for around $130 and it works great.
