Sony DCR-TRV80 MiniDV Camcorder The DCR-TRV80 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder doesn’t just deliver exceptional-quality digital video, digital audio, and 2.0 megapixel digital still images. This unit also features BIP (improved Bluetooth capability, enabling peer-to-peer data transfers between Bluetooth products) networking, USB streaming, the revolutionary Carl Zeiss Lens T coating for a 70% improved reflection rate, and a sprawling list of powerful features and design elements. An added bonus is the new touch panel (with included stylus) that can be used to access the functions of the camcorder.
Helpful consumer’s review
this miniCV camera is worth its weight in gold, perhaps the best single CCD one you can get at the moment?
If you want to be serious about making a DVD, then you need widescreen, and this camera has it natively – ie. doesn’t crop the picture, but has widescreen CCD sensor and outputs anamorphic video.
nightshot and super-nightshot modes work well, but you can also use slow-shutter modes at night and retain colour.
the camera stores stills on a memory stick (slot is “pro” compatible), and with the supplied USB cable acts as a disk drive for windows (special driver required), and also as a webcam streaming 320×240 video (with sound) over the USB.
A useful feature is that it will accept analogue in and output it as firewire, so that you can capture digital video from an older camcorder.
I’ve battled-tested it on holiday, recording a wedding, and it worked perfectly – battery life indicator works very well – the LCD screen is large and clear.
I’ve not used the bluetooth feature.
The only niggle is the menu layouts and the use of the touch-screen, it could be better – Sony removed the menu wheel system and could have put more thought into how they reproduced it on the touch-screen.
highly recommended!
