A handy Piece of Kit (Sony Handycam DCR-TRV480E)

Member Name: Donf18

Product:	Sony Handycam DCR-TRV480E
Date:	01/11/05 (823 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Takes great filmd and pictures

Disadvantages: battery time, at max zoom you really need a tripod to steady the camera

My son was 21 in June and was going to Jamaica for his hols, which were during his birthday. Buying him a present that he wouldn't open before his due date would have been impossible. he's like me would have opened it as soon as he was in the hotel. He didn't have a decent camera and we asked what he'd like. This item was his choice and very pleased he is indeed with it.

With a 2.5inch LCD screen it it easy to find the subject matter for your video or picture since this nifty machine will take digital photos..is that cool or what. Of course you don't have to use the screen you can fumble about using the eyepiece and get the same results only slower since finding the subject can be a bit tricky. It uses Digital 8 tapes which give 90 mins recording time max. The quality of picture is superb and the colours are vivid and very realistic. 3 tapes cost around £15, but as you will see later you can transfer everything onto DVD or CD then use the tape again. So you are unlikely to need more than 3.

A 20X optical zoom is available for those close up shots, with a digital zoom increase you can get far greater zoom but the quality deteriorates accordingly, plus shooting movies using this requires a very very steady hand. The slightest move at camera point can mean a huge diversion from the original object if it is very far away. On the occasions My son has allowed me to play with it I have found the optical zoom to be more than adequate for most purposes.

Apart from all the basic functions it has special features, which include sepia mode, thats making your movie look old fashioned. It has a cartoon mode which makes the film look kind of funky blurred and pastel shades instead of the normal vivid colour. With various fade In and out modes you can create a very professional looking video if you spend a bit of thought beforehand on what you actually want to create.

The battery lasts for about 1 1/2 hours with continual use and an indicator on the LCD keeps you informed of how much time approximately you have left. This function also informs of how much tape is left too.

Weight wise it is not the lightest camcorder I have used but by no means the heaviest either somewhere between lightest and medium weight would probably be about right. Filming for a long time could get a bit painful on the wrist.

The software supplied enables the user to transfer their art work to their PC and edit as required before outputting to DVD or CD. A few nice pieces of software come with it that are extremely easy to install and use. You can add music, commentary and titles to your masterpiece with little effort. You can of course add primitive titles whilst using the camcorder but the options here are limited.

The sound quality is also very good and we have had no problems here. In fact the microphone picks up sounds way out of the area you are filming. The unit is equipped with an easycam button which puts it in easy cam mode taking away most of the additional controls until you get used to working with the camcorder, another pretty good idea.

On the LCD there are 3 quick use buttons for quick recording when something needs to be caught quickly. All options are obtained through a menu system which after a few minutes practice becomes very easy to use. An extremely handy night light is position on the front of the camera for those shots that need extra light. It does have night vision which even in very little light produces good night shots. The light just adds that little spookieness. The zoom button is located so as that access during filming is easy to either zoom in or out. On the inside of the camcorder where the screen folds in there are all your normal VCR buttons forward reverse etc. There are also set buttons for stting the time and tpye of film you wish to use.

Silver seems to be the in colour just now and Sony have decided to go with the flow on this model too. It's nice brushed silver unit with all buttons being very accessible during use. The menu system as I said takes very little time to get familiar with. My son is well pleased with it and I am very happy with the money I paid for it, which was £349. I have seen it available recently on the net for £279.

All in all an easy to use camcorder producing excellent results. The added software lets you enhance your creations and export to your chosen format. The instruction manual is in many languages and again is very easy to understand. A very good buy which i consider to be really good value for money. Apart from my son's Ps2 this is my first Sony purchase, and if the quality of this unit is anything to go by Sony could get quite a lot of my custom in future.

Summary: Great camera with superb results

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