Sony DCR-TRV350: My First Camcorder
Written: Dec 03 '03 (Updated Nov 30 '05)
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Pros: Great camera with loads of features for a low price.
Cons: LCD display kills the battery quickly.
The Bottom Line: This is a great camera for a good price. Easy to use and records awesome quality video.
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| Gr8ful's Full Review: Sony Handycamâ„¢ DCR-TRV350 Digital-8 Camcorder |
Last spring my wife and I collected a very handsome return from Uncle Sam for the previous year and we decided to spend it all on ourselves for a change (as opposed to paying off credit cards, bills and the like). My wife bought herself a Plymouth Voyager (used of course) and I sent my sights on a camcorder. I didn't have much knowledge of camcorders other than removing tapes from stubborn ones at my ex-place-of-employment (which shall remain nameless) when customers would bring them in.
Why I decided to buy the DCR-TRV350
I decided on this particular camcorder for several reasons. I had been torn between this one and a very similar Panasonic model that had all the same features. The reason I chose the Sony was the price. The Sony was $100 less than the Panasonic and I couldn't see any other difference.
Features
The Sony DCR-TRV350 is capable of 20X optical zoom with fantastic clarity and up to 700X digital zoom with very good clarity up to about 500-550X. At full 700X zoom the image gets pixilated and somewhat fuzzy, not to mention extremely hard to stay focused on anything moving at all. The zoom feature works great up to about 300 yards, after that the camera has a hard time focusing in on objects. However, I was able to get a very clear shot of the full Harvest moon with it around dusk.
Transfer and Connectivity
The camcorder can take still pictures as well as motion video and has USB connectivity for transferring still images to the computer. The still images are not as high quality as I would like but I don't use the camera for stills very much, I have a digital camera for that. It comes with a USB cable as well.
In addition to using USB for still transfer, you can also use it for streaming video capture with the provided software that comes with the camera. This is good for anyone who has a computer with USB but no 1394. The quality is not as good as DV but it's ok for USB (Much better than most USB cameras I have seen).
It has a 1394 (Firewire) connection to transfer motion video to your PC but it does not come with a 1394 cable, which must be purchased separately.
There is also an A/V port and an A/V cable for video transfer. The A/V cable has a triple connection 1/8" jack that plugs into the camera and splits three-way to yellow, white and red RCA connectors for sound and audio. You can also run this straight to your television to play tapes from the camera on your TV. There is also an S-Video connection on the camera so you could use that instead of the yellow RCA video with the white and red audio RCA for sound (I have done it both ways and using S-Video is the best for TV... if you have S-Video on your TV).
Media
The camera uses Hi8 tapes and can playback the older 8mm tapes as well. I have not tried to record on 8mm so I don't know if you can but the manual says to use Hi8. You can set the camera to record full screen or widescreen. If you plan on using the video to place on DVD or if you have a widescreen television, you may want to use the widescreen feature for the best picture.
Still pictures are saved on a memory stick which also does not come with the camera and must be purchased separately.
Nightshot
This camera has a "Nightshot" feature which allows you to record video with little to no light. Using the built in lamp works great at night especially at close range. The nightshot feature works well but does not give the color quality that you can get when not using it. If you use the nightshot, don't forget to turn it off before you out the camera away... I did that once. I shot some video the next day and when I replayed it, the video was saturated with light and everything looked pale green.
Remote Control
One of my favorite features is the remote control. The camera has an infrared beam remote that is great when you want to be in the video. The remote runs on two AAA batteries and allows you to:
Record
Pause
Stop
Rewind
Fast Forward
Lamp On/Off
This feature wouldn't be as good if the camera didn't have my next favorite feature which is the 2.5" LCD display. The display is very good quality for it's size and capable of spinning 270 degrees around. When you do this, the image flips upside down to a mirror image so you can look into the camera and see what is being recorded at the same time. I would recommend a good tripod for this. It does not spin all the way around so don't try to do that or you'll break the display!
When using the LCD display, the battery runs down very fast. I only use the LCD when I really need to use it to save battery power. The battery that comes with the camera is good for about two hours without the LCD and about an hour or less with the LCD.
Sound
The sound quality is excellent. I recorded a live band at our local park and when I played the tape back at home it sounded like I was back at the park. The microphone on this camera is amazing. Things you wouldn't think it would pick up it doesn't just pick up, it records them very audible and clear as a bell. I set the camera on the carpet and recorded the sound of a guitar pick falling from about three feet (on carpet!!) and it picked it up very distictly. Yes... you can say I am very impressed with the sound quality.
Battery and Charging
The battery that comes with the camera is a Li-ion 7.2V 5.0Wh and as previously stated lasts about two hours when not using the LCD display. To charge the battery all you have to do is plug in the A/C adapter that comes with the camera and plug it into any house hold socket. You can use the camera while it is plugged into A/C but the battery does not charge unless the camera is turned off. You do not need the battery to run the camera while plugged into A/C power.
Software
The Image transfer software for the USB connection also installs drivers for the USB interface on the camera so when you plug in the USB cable from the camera to the PC, Windows automatically finds the camera and loads the driver the first time you use it. Just make sure to load the software first.
I have not used the video capture/editing software that came with the camera because I use Arcsoft ShowBiz which I already had installed, so I can't give you my opinion on Sony's software. I also use Adobe Premier for editing and Roxio's Easy CD/DVD Creator 6 for DVD authoring.
Additional accessories
The camera comes with a shoulder strap and a hand strap for easy grip, one handed recording. It also comes with a plastic lens cap to protect the lens when not in use. You can purchase a "Long-life" battery for this model that lasts approximately four hours without using the LCD display. I would strongly recommend getting a carrying bag for the camera with enough extra pouches for additional tapes, extra battery and your remote. I would also recommend a good tripod for outdoor events you wish to be included in. A good tripod will also increase the steadiness of the video being recorded (Works great for little league football games!).
Conclusion
I have had my Sony DCR-TRV350 for over six months and I love it. I use it to make video for DVD and to make music videos with my original music. I have had no problems with the camera and it has performed like a trooper every time. My wife likes it too; she has used it to provide evidence of water damage in our home for insurance purposes as well as special occasions like Birthdays and such. All in all we both love it.
Thanks for reading,
Gr8ful :-)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 499.99
Recommended for: Professional Videographers - Broadcast Quality Videos
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