Get what you pay for (Sony Handycam DCR-TRV330)

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Product:	Sony Handycam DCR-TRV330
Date:	21/11/01 (978 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good image and sound quality, a possibility of reproduction and digitization of analog video, high contrast of LCD-screen and color viewfinder

Disadvantages: In conditions of insufficient light exposure the picture very much "noises"

This camera is already third generation of video cameras of format Digital8. This format has good popularity due to lower cost cameras on a comparison with miniDV-cameras. But they have equivalent quality of shooting and possibility of using inexpensive cartridges Hi8 (by the way, many use usual cartridges Video8, and the quality practically does not suffer).

The apart from it TRV330 has a possibility of reproduction and digitisation of analogue video, and also record of analogue signal from an external source, as possesses not only outputs, but also inputs of digital and analogue signals. Thus, TRV330 can be the excellent digital converter of video archives of old records in formats Video8 and Hi8.

Camera has a slot under a flash card Sony Memory Stick (in delivery is card 4 Mb, on which finds room up to 40 images with a size of 640 x 480 mm).

DCR-TRV330 has a matrix from 800 thousands elements (400 thousand effective), broad area of adjustment of magnification (from 25-multiple optical up to 700-multiple digital with a spline interpolation), contrast monochrome viewfinder, colour LCD monitor, modes of an auto exposition and many special effects.

As always, Sony has pleased with high ergonomics. The camera conveniently places in a hand, that allows longly to shoot, not hanging up camera on a shoulder. The image is inspected in the viewfinder or on a small LCD-screen. And that viewfinder is black and white and has high contrast, even is more convenient for an operator, as allows inspecting a situation more flexibly.

All settings are made with the help of simple menu, which is called by a button located behind a screen. For navigation is used the universal solution of Sony - wheel-button "Jog dial". The navigation in the menu is rather convenient, and all settings are simple and intuitively clear. Actually, the operator selects only mode of a focussing (manual/automatic) and turn on/off a mode of night shooting. All remain
ing camera makes itself. Unfortunately, the automatic choice of balance white frequently works unsuccessfully (especially with artificial illumination). And the setting of balance white manually on these cameras is inaccessible.

In a camera is applied the new small matrix 1/6 " (3 mm) with sensitivity from 6 lux. The application of such small matrix has the dignities and defects. From dignities of such solution it is possible to mark large depth of sharpness. However on such matrix hits less light and, therefore, in conditions of insufficient light exposure the picture very much "noises".

From defects it is possible to mark also unsuccessful, on my sight new design, when loading of the cartridge is carried out from below.

For connection with the computer the interface IEEE 1394 (in the interpretation of Sony - ILINK) is used (and USB - for single images). For connection with additional peripheral equipment are realized a system of wireless infrared communication (Super Laser Link).

Summary: