Sony DCRTRV310 Handycam Digital Camcorder

Excellent product after 4 years - only a few small gripes

I have had this camcorder for 4 years and I am still happy with the purchase.

For myself being a big guy, I was never comfortable with the tiny MiniDV camcorders out there, and the size of the Digital8 camcorders is a nice fit in my hands, without being too large and heavy for my wife to use comfortably.

I have not had much chance to do comparison testing, but the picture quality is very good. In some cases I might think the color is a bit undersaturated, but I prefer this to seeing colors pushed beyond what they should be. I have no complaints about the sharpness of the video. In very low light the picture doers become grainy; I suspect that new camcorders out there may do a better job in low light than the TRV310.

One thing I really like about this camcorder today is that it seems better built than the Digital8 models than Sony is currently producing. In addition, the lens is a bit larger on the early Digital8 models, so low light performance may actually be better than the current ones (but I have not done a comparison). I also will recommend the TRV130 for video editing; I have had no problems loading video off of the camcorder onto my Windows XP PC with a firewire cable.

My complaints on the camcorder:
1. Still uses tape, which can jam up inside the camcorder (luckily I havent lost a tape yet). I've also been told specifically to use *only* Sony Hi8 / Digital8 tapes with this unit.
2. There is a manual exposure setting, which is good for shooting candlelit scenes, etc. But the camera is missing a manual white balance that I wish it had. The white balance is done automatically when the camera is turned on; when indoors with natural light I will point the lens to a blue object at powerup to eliminate a bluish tint to the picture; likewise if the indoor scene is lit I will point at a warm-toned object to eliminate everything looking orange.
3. The supplied Infolithium battery is useless. I which Sony would include one of the larger batteries as standard.
4. As mentioned above, low light performance could be better. The low light settings the camera provides are rarely used.

Altogether, I'm very happy with this camcorder.

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TRV310 & Windows XP - A great combination!

The Sony DCR TRV310 works _very_ well as a Windows XP camcorder. Windows XP Professional include Windows Movie Maker. This el-cheapo free-bee isn't adequate. In 2002, Microsoft released a free upgrade: Windows Movie Maker 2. Version 2 ROCKS. With a whole host of new camera effects, a zoo of fades, excellent title and credit control, and very controllable multiple audio tracks, it's possible to do quite a bit of movie editing, without paying a dime more for software. Version 2 even allows you to re-record your finished video back onto the camera!

I bought my Sony DCR TRV310 used (partly broken). Since the input/output connections don't work properly, I just plug my TRV310 into the FireWire port, and use Windows Movie Maker 2's capture mode to control the camcorder -- right on the computer screen!

I sent somebody some video I had shot, stored as a .WMV file on a CD-R. He sent me back a note thanking me for the DVD!!!

This model is aging, and its cost is going down. Since it does everything you'll want, including playing back 8-mm and Hi8 tapes directly into Windows XP in digital format, it's still an excellent buy -- and an even better value than ever!

Windows Movie Maker 2's minimum computer requirements are, CPU 1,500 Mhz (1.5 GHz), 512 K RAM, lots of disk space (20 GB+), and a FireWire port. Since Windows Movie Maker 2 uses Microsoft-specific storage formats, you may want to spend a few $$$ to purchase third-party video editing software, which will record to more formats, or give you DVD authoring capability.

Suggested equipment upgrades for the TRV310: External clip-on microphone for better forward gain & extended bass sound; 8-hr InfoLithium battery HIGHLY recommended.

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B and W view finder

The B&W viewfinder is better than color for manual focus and contrast. Having both in the package is a plus and not a negative.

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The last of the great Sony Handycams

This must have been the best handycam for the price when I bought it! And I love the death out of it! All I can say is that this camera would still be great if it were still manufactured, 3 years later! If you find one someone who is selling this camera in good condition, by all means get it! It's a great camera!

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Sony digital Handycam

This camcorder is great and has every feature you need. It is self expainatory and easy to use. The best feature is the digital camera which takes photos along with being a digital recorder. The only thing that would make it better is if it recorded onto a floppy. The color screen monitor is awesome and the microphone picks up every quite detail. It is well worth the investment and we enjoy it a lot!

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