High-quality camcorder

I purchased this camcorder a few weeks ago. I wanted a high-quality up-to-date camcorder but was not interested in paying over five hundred dollars for digital. It is extremely easy to use and is high quality. I have never used a camcorder before and this took me just a few minutes to learn. I have had no problems with it to date. The sound quality is wonderful when you play it back on the TV. If you are looking for the Sony brand and don't care about not having all the extras then this camcorder is for you.

Pros: durable small light and easy to use.

Cons: no LCD screen no image stabilizerMore detail ...

A Great Camcorder at an Affordable Cost

I am an aspiring filmmaker so I wanted a good-quality camcorder at a low price. I got it with this. It's only $499 (which is great considering all the stuff it has) and can do some cool effects. It has 8 filming effects 4 fading effects a 2.5" color LCD screen a black and white viewfinder and much more. You can even create your own titles! This is a great camcorder for beginners to use to get a feel for it. I think it's great!More detail ...

Picture Qua;ity

I read the other review which said that the picture was grainy. More so than a Sony camera of comparable qualty. I took pictures in good light and found that the video quality was excellent in normal and telephoto shooting. I used Hi8 video tape. The picture was grainy only in low light situations. In a low light situation I don't plan to take videos although the lens is light sensitive enough to take such pictures. I have several other camcorders of different models and types and this camera stands up with the best of them. It is also small and very easy to carry and take pictures... I plan to keep it. It is an excellent camcorder.More detail ...

Compact convenient and great battery life.

The camera really is easy to use and is loaded with features. The remaining battery life indicator is a GREAT feature. The special effects are fun to use. The night shot is cute but my use would be minimal. Overall it is a very good camcorder. I would buy it again.More detail ...

So far so good

Ok I have owned this camcorder for about 3 weeks and it has performed very well so far. The quality of the picture is very good. The high quality of the night shot picture in total darkness was a big surprise. For 50 bucks the infared hookup to the tv or vcr was a good choice. I wish the LCD screen could be a bit bigger 2.5 is a little small. 3 inch would have been better. A word of advice If you get the camera from somewhere other than a Ciurcut City or Best Buy type store you can get a very good three year extended warranty for ALOT less than a big chain store. Don't kid yourself these cameras will break and a one year standard warranty is not enuogh to cover your approx. $1000 investment.More detail ...

What's the Buzz about???

After looking at what Sony had to offer on their digital camcorder line I decided to buy a TRV340. I was impressed with all the features it had to offer. After playing with the shelf model for a while I purchased the TRV340. Once I opened the product at home and inserted the tape there was a hum or buzzing noise while recording or playing back a recording. In a quiet environment this buzz is also picked up in the recording. The location of the buzzing sound came from the tapes drive mechanism. I returned the product two times and all subsequent camcorders aired this buzz. If you are looking to buy this product play with a shelf model WITH THE TAPE IN. This way you can judge if this will be a problem for you.More detail ...

Cool Cam

This camera is so fun not to mention affordable! It is light durable (Ive even dropped it a few times) and totally easy to use. I take it everywhere. Be sure to get extra batteries though because they wear out before you know it.More detail ...

Nice Product

I really enjoy this camcorder. Lots of features reasonably priced. My biggest complaint is that it comes with only a 2 hour battery and upgraded batteries are expensive but that is not a specific problem with this camcorder but a general issue. I really like the infrared capabilities and steady shot features. You may want to upgrade to the TRV88 I believe which provides a Video Link capability which can transmit the 8mm taped image directly to your TV with the optional ...tv receiver. It would keep one from having to connect the camcorder to the TV via cables to view the images on the TV screen. The LCD playback screen on this camera works well and is pretty easy to view.More detail ...

Great little camcorder except...

I have used many video cameras in my life but I have never owned one until now. I worked at audio/video stores for several years and saw lots of different formats and brands come and go. Never a fan of the VHS format or its junky little brother Compact VHS I knew 8mm was the way to go at least back then. Nowadays though Mini DV seems to be taking over with even smaller cassettes and better picture quality. However I don't have that kind of money to afford a DV or Digital 8mm camcorder. Yet.

Enter the TRV-108 a nifty little video camera that uses the HiBand 8mm format superior to 8mm but certainly not in the ballpark of Digital8 or DV. Still its compact size and light weight make it easy to carry around almost anywhere and given the first 8mm camcorder I ever used was big enough that part of it sat on my shoulder this is a great improvement. It comes with a 160 minute `InfoLithium' battery and little else except a lens cap and strap. It takes great pictures and has a nifty menu system navigated by a little wheel at the back that works like like a volume control and when you have selected what you want from the on-screen display you just press the wheel to make it happen. This makes titling a snap. I do miss the title image-grabbing function from older 8mm cameras though.

The 2.5" color back lit LCD screen is clear and easy to read in all but the brightest sunlight and failing that it also has a small .5" black and white display through the view finder. The 40x zoom is fantastic but you better have steady hands in order to use it. And using the 460x digital zoom is impossible with anything but a tripod. The camera is equipped with a nightshot mode that actually does work amplifying light in dark areas making the image more visible if green. The TRV-108 also comes with some neat digital effects like sepia tone which gives video a nice old movie look a pastel effect which gives everything a cartoony look black and white 16:9 aspect shots plus other effects. It can also do snazzy digital fade-ins and fade-outs.

This camera only really has two failings. For the most part built in camera lights are useless but the TRV-108 doesn't even have an accessory shoe for mounting an external light source. Something I found kind of maddening to the point where I even toyed with the idea of finding a camera at a garage sale ripping it apart and super glue the shoe to the top. Second while the built-in microphone is very sensitive at picking up voices and ambient sounds it does not have a foam wind sock. In moderate winds the roar of the air as it passed over the mike caused a lot of noise. And if it's too loud like when I shot at the base of a waterfall the noise caused image distortion lines! These two missing features cost the camera a full five-star review.

All in all though this is a pretty decent little toy. It's not a serious camcorder and a far from a Canon GL-1s or Xl-1s but for what I use it for it's still pretty darn good. It's also low cost enough that purchasing it and using it as a good way to find out if you want to go for a bigger and better camera with more features whether it be a Digital8 or Mini DV camera. It has taught me a lot about framing shots and what a pain the noon day sun can be. The long life of the battery means that with a little mental effort you can shoot a full 2 hour tape on one battery. Not bad for a trip to the zoo to send a tape to your folks.More detail ...

Great Value for a Great Camera

I recently purchased this camera and have been very pleased with its performance. When weighing out the decisions of which camera to buy it can be very confusing. Which format should I choose? Hi-8 Digital MiniDV? All of these can seem confusing. For the novice cameraman this camera provides a perfect blend of form and function. The LCD screen is large and vibrant and provides for an easy way to see what you're filming without haveing to peer into a viewfinder.

The only drawback of this camera is that the battery life tends to be pretty short-lived. However you can purchase an extended life battery which comes in handy if you want to record for extended periods of times. One extremly useful feature of this camera is the light which really works well at night. Also a really cool feature of this camera is the ability to shoot in complete darkness (via an infared filming capability).

In a nutshell if you want great quality and extreme affordability this camera is for you.More detail ...

Great Hi8 Camcorder

I bought this camcorder to replace a Canon 8mm that was over 8 years old. My Canon camcorder stopped recording sound and finally stopped working. Canon would not repair it because it was an old model. My family has several Sony electronics products and none of them have had any problems. That says enough for me about Sony quality. About the camcorder...I like the video quality produced by the Sony Hi8 TRV98. It is a little better than the standard 8mm picture produced by my old Canon camcorder. I know Hi8 is not as good as the 500+ line resolution of Digital 8. However the Hi8 400+ line picture quality is great. The pictures are sharp with excellent color. This is a great camera for the price if you do not plan on "going digital" to load videos to your computer. I like the large 3.5 inch LCD screen Lithium Ion battery and the S-video out. ....More detail ...