Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony DCR-TRV27 is a solid MiniDV camera with a load of functions, including that of a 1-megapixel digital still camera. Demanding video enthusiasts will find their needs satisfied with a 10x optical zoom, manual focus ring, a night-shooting function, and a large 3.5-inch LCD screen.

Lens
The lens is a famous, high-quality Carl Zeiss construction with a single 1/4.7-inch CCD capturing the image, enabling the camera to produce 520 lines of resolution. The SteadyShot function stabilizes the picture and reduces camera shake. Use the infrared NightShot for shooting at night or in dark settings. The TRV27 also sports a 10x optical zoom, which is enough for most purposes. Turn on the digital zoom, which electronically magnifies the optical image, and reach up to 120 times.

Digital Stills
Digital stills can be stored on a Memory Stick, which works independently from the DV tape system. The camera performs with 1-megapixel resolution, making it capable of sharp images that are up to 1,152 x 864 pixels in size. The camera can also shoot in MPEG movie mode, storing 320 x 240 videos onto the memory stick. MPEG movie lengths range from five seconds to the length allowed by the capacity of your Memory Stick.

Inputs and Outputs
The TRV27 is equipped with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire) for a super-fast, lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines. The USB connection is used to transfer digital photos and MPEG movies. The traditional S-video and RCA connections are also present for direct viewing on a television or VHS dubbing.

The DCR-TRV27 comes with one 8 MB Memory Stick. Memory Sticks are reusable, but if you tend to take a lot of digital images, then you'll want a bigger card.

MiniDV Format
MiniDV digital technology delivers clear, sharp video with over 500 lines of horizontal resolution--far superior to the 240 lines of resolution offered by 8mm camcorders. You'll also get minimal color noise interference for a more stable picture.

You'll also get excellent sound quality, recorded in either 12-bit or 16-bit audio recording modes.

• 16-bit audio includes on set of stereo audio tracks to produce CD-quality sound.
• 12-bit audio utilizes two sets of audio tracks so you can easily add background music or commentary into your videos while maintaining the existing soundtrack.

This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of two full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD. ... Read more

Features

• MiniDV camcorder
• 10x optical, 120x digital, zoom with image stabilization
• 3.5-inch color LCD monitor; color EVF
• Records still photos onto tape or included Memory Stick media
• Analog-to-digital conversion with pass-through analog inputs

Reviews (27)

Little Giant
After reading many reviews and shoping at several stores, I took home my new Sony Handycam. ( DCR-TRV27 )
Don't let the compact size of this little giant fool you!
The power and fetures found in the TRV27 are many you might pay more money for in other cameras. The image quality was great!
I used it to record live music with very nice sound & video.
Low light video was brighter than stills in same light.
I found the controls laid out well and easy to use.
The manual that came with it was good for basic operation, but when geting onto some of the advanced operations it was some times confusing. My bigest dislike about the camera is loading tapes is done from the bottom of the camera. If you have it mouted on a tripod, you must remove it for tape loading. Overal I love the camera and would recomend it to anyone.

Sony DCR TRV27
Excellent camcorder!

Was looking for TRV30 which went out of production and came across this one.

Pros: 1) clear and vibrant video picture (video 690K pixels and still 1 mega pixels CCD)
2) Fast focusing when using zoom in auto mode
3) simple to use knobs and buttons
4) Value for price
5) still photo fairly good with 1 megapixel rating
6) video looks great on TV (at least in Sony Wega TV) than the LCD screen (May be I have reduce the brightness of screen)

Cons:
1) 10x optical and 120x digital zoom slightly less than the competion JVC, Panasonic, Canon
2) Battery life is short with LCD usage
3) No memory stick holder/case supplied
4) No flashlight/ video light (have to buy separately)

Will recommend for anyone who wants good decent video with high resolution and money to spend.

Excellent value
I've used the DCR-TRV27 for almost a year and a half now. Excellent image quality, light weight, great battery life, data flows through FireWire to computer very well.

Down sides: Sony's web site doesn't even acknowledge they ever made this camera; searching on its model number will not produce any results. So if you lost the manual, the best source to get it in .pdf form is Amazon! Also, the zoom is a little over-sensitive.

These are minor quibbles though. For the money, this camera is a bargain.

Versatile and High Quality
I bought this unit for Christmas 2003. After one year, the device is still flawless.

The features are more than enough to satisfy the recreational videographer. I usually use the automatic settings (auto focus, auto brightness, etc.) whenever I can, but I'm glad the device has so many options, if I find myself in a situation where I need them.

The 9-point auto focus is spectacular. While most camcorders use a single point to focus, this unit has a group of 9 points or boxes it uses to determine the optimum focus for the shot. It's really amazing, and almost instantaneous.

I love the small size, and the 3.5" LCD screen is much better than the 2.5". When taking video of people, especially kids, they love it when I flip the screen toward them, so they can see themselves. To them, it's like they are on TV. They tend to be more expressive. When I do this, I just look throught the viwfinder to keep the subject in frame.

It's rugged. My wife dropped it at Disney World 9 months ago. It scratched the case a bit, but otherwise the unit wasn't phased.

I've made a few CD-ROM-based videos on my computer. The Sony TRV27 easily transfers video to the computer through the Firewire connection. The USB connection also works, but the compressed image quality is far worse the the pure Firewire transfer.

It's nice to have the capabilities to shoot digital stils. However, the 640x480 1 megapixel image is too low-res for printing phoro-lab quality prints on a photo inkjet printer.

I think of the digital camera feature as a quite a bit above most cell phone cameras, and quite a bit below most 3+ megapixel cameras.

Battery life is great. I have not yet bought a spare, and haven't needed it. If I shot more video, I would probably get one of the larger batteries, which would, however, make the unit a little heavier.

All in all, this is an excellent product. I'm sure the newest models are even better. Sony costs a bit more than some of the other brands, but when it comes to camcorders, you can't beat 'em.

Not satisfactory
I bought this camcorder 11 months ago. Used it 7-8 times. Now the tape is getting stuck. It is difficult to get through with Sony customer support and when I get in, they said parts are under warranty , but labour is not. It costs usd 220 to repair it. Picture under low light is not good. ... Read more

Features

• 0.79-inch XGA LCD panel technology
• Up to 2,500 ANSI lumens of brightness, 350:1 contrast ratio
• 40 to 300-inch diagonal projected image size
• 1-watt mono speaker; auto-setup feature
• 80211.b wireless port; PC and Mac compatible

Product Description

A special professional version of the Sony HDV camcorder with over forty unique feature enhancements tailored specifically for the professional videographer. The new HVR-Z1U features three newly developed Super HAD 1/3" CCDs. These new 16:9 native CCDs, combined with a high quality 12X Optical Zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar® T* Lens and Sony's new 14 bit A/D and DXP Digital Extended Processor, result in precise image acquisition with superb detail and clarity. The advanced CCD design allows more light to reach the pixel imager, reducing video noise and improving the signal-to-noise ratio. The new HVR-Z1U records this exceptional imagery using the recently adopted HDV 1080i format onto a DVCAM™ mini cassette. HDV 1080, 50i/60i/30F/25FRecording and Playback capable 3-1/3" 16:9 newly developedSuper HAD CCD Imagers, 1.12M Pixels Gross High quality 12X Optical ZoomCarl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* Lens Super SteadyShot® Optical Stabilization System Non-Perpetual Manual Zoom RingManual Focus RingManual Iris Control w/24 steps3.5" (-viewable area, measured diagonally) 16:9 Hybrid LCD Display (250K Pixels) Large 16:9 Color & B/Wswitchable;electronic viewfinder Simultaneous use of Electronic Viewfinder ;and LCD display Built-in Wide Range Stereo Microphone with internal noise nullingtechnology Balanced Audio XLR input connectors (x2) with Selectable Phantom Power 6 User Assignable Buttons forquick access to frequently used functions i.LINK® DV Interface ... Read more

Features

• 6 buttons for your special custom setting memories and menu selections
• Outputs component video in 1080i, 480i and 480p formats
• 60 frame, 50 frame, 30 frame, 25 frame and 24 frame standards
• HD to SD down conversion
• Record in widescreen HDV and output widescreen DVCAM and DV video

Amazon.com Product Description

From its professional Carl Zeiss lens to the 3.5-inch LCD, and everything in between, the DCR-TRV50 screams quality. It is unequivocally Sony's top consumer model, and well worth the expense.

Imaging System
The foundation of any camcorder is the imaging system: the lens and CCD. The lens is a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar. While less expensive models may have a larger zoom, the truth is that the larger the optical zoom, the larger the chance that any lens defects will show up in the video you are shooting. A 10x zoom is a good tradeoff in terms of image quality and zoom length. Additionally, Super SteadyShot technology helps keep your video from suffering from the common malady known as handshake, an unavoidable consequence of high zoom levels. Super SteadyShot essentially means image stabilization. There are varying types of image stabilization, but the Super SteadyShot variety moves the internal mechanisms of the camcorder to compensate for any camera movements. Finally, the lens on the TRV50 also has a manual focus ring--a step better and more immediate than the clunky interface most often used in digital camcorders with a manual focus.

The CCD in the TRV50 is of enough resolution to capture 1,360 x 1,020 digital stills onto the included 8 MB Memory Stick--about a 1.38-megapixel image. That resolution is currently tops in the digital-camcorder world (the digital still resolution of camcorders hasn't risen nearly as fast as that of digital cameras), and is good for prints up to about 6 by 9 inches. As far as video is concerned, Sony claims the high-resolution CCD translates into a video resolution of around 530 horizontal lines.

LCD
LCDs are probably the best way to frame your shots on a camcorder, and that usually means the larger the screen the better. At 3.5 inches, the argument could be made that the TRV50 offers the best, just based on size. The only downside? The larger the screen the larger the battery drain. This isn't that serious an issue, as there are many other factors in battery life besides LCD size.

Inputs/Outputs
Two items jump out as features that should be included on all camcorders: a headphone jack and a mic input. Not only do most camcorders have poor built-in microphones, but also they are often situated too near the tape mechanism, meaning you get the annoying throbbing sound of the tape pulled through the heads. Additionally, a headphone jack takes some of the guesswork out of your audio sources. For example, if you're recording a child's presentation, you'd most likely want to make sure you can hear the child.

Of course, the TRV50 also has a slew of other ports, including the standard IEEE 1394, which is used to transfer footage to a computer digitally. Other important ports include S-video, a special AV port, and USB for transferring stills and use with the USB-streaming mode. Additionally, the analog ports (S-video, special AV), allow you to archive your analog footage. Sony has taken the extra step of making the ports pass-through, which means you can plug an IEEE 1394 cable into your computer and archive directly to that without going through the extra step of recording to a tape first.

Special Features
USB streaming essentially allows you to use your camcorder as a Webcam, broadcasting 320 x 240 video at 30 fps. It's a fun feature that should allow you to get even more use from an already loaded machine.

Finally, Sony also added an MPEG movie mode; essentially, this allows you to record movie clips onto a Memory Stick. While the quality won't replace MiniDV anytime soon, it's easier to shoot short MPEG movies and e-mail them than it is to edit your DV footage to a manageable length, render it into a format that's easy on the bandwidth, and send it off.

Included with the DCR-TRV50 are a power adapter, InfoLithium battery, remote control, stereo AV cable, lens cap, shoulder strap, 8 MB Memory Stick, USB cable, and a software CD-ROM. ... Read more

Features

• MiniDV camcorder
• 10x optical, 120x digital, zoom with Super SteadyShot image stabilization
• 3.5-inch color LCD and color EVF
• Records 1.3 megapixel stills onto included 8 MB Memory Stick
• USB streaming turns your camcorder into a webcam

Reviews (4)

great machine
This is a very nice camcorder with the best video imaging available in a single-chip camcorder. Video pictures are crystal clear, digital images are the best of any consumer level camcorder anywhere, and the manual switches on the camcorder put you in control of important functions. i must say this is better than any other camcorder. buying this camcorder is not overkilling. if you want good quality go for this. but if you think this is expensive then you have choice. you can go for trv27. but remember you cann't compare TRV50 with TRV27 becoz the features are different. TRV50 is latest....for this century.

real handycam
Sony's MiniDV DCR-TRV50 is their upgrade to the popular DCR-TRV30. The camcorder is a standard form factor, with many neat features and good still quality. The DCR-TRV50 carries a street price around [$$$].

The Sony DCR-TRV50 has a 1/4 in. 1.5 Mega Pixel HAD CCD. The effective video pixels used is 970K while the still is 1,390K, but more about the still performance later. The DCR-TRV50 has a 10x optical, 120x digital zoom while the horizontal resolution is rated at 530 lines, the top for the MiniDV format.

An upgrade of the DCR-TRV50 over the DCR-TRV30 is the addition of a touch panel LCD screen. The LCD is 3.5 in. and 246K pixels. The camcorder also has a color viewfinder. When you first hear of the touch screen feature you?re likely to think it?s frivolous, but it?s actually quite useful. Using the touch screen LCD you can adjust the focus and the exposure. If you have an area that is under or over exposed or an area that you want to put in focus all you have to do is touch on it an the camcorder adjusts automatically. This is a great intermediate between automatic and manual control. It gives the inexperienced user a way of tackling the camcorder controls which can be very daunting. Sharp was the first company to add a touch screen LCD but I think Sony has really taken this option and flown with it. It?s a really great feature, especially for those less experienced camcorder users.

all neat
if you are planning to buy a good handycam go for trv50. if you are planning to buy trv950 or sony vx2000 please have a look this camera too. i bought this camera last month....it is really nice. picture quality is excellent. still mode is wondeful and touch screen is very useful. the only gimik is bluetooth technology, but other features are just fantastic...you cann compare trv50 with trv950 only.the difference is only 1ccd and 3 ccd. but otherwise you will not feel much difference. i recomend this handycam to semi professionls too.

Feel like professional
I bought Sony DCRTRV50 MiniDV Digital Camcorder last week. i can say that this is the camera of my dream. this is my second handycam. before this i used sony trv120. even i have tried sony trv900 too (trv900 was good). but trv50 is very cool. nice features. very good video quality. if you want to buy a handycam in mid range (i prefer not very expensive like trv900/950 or vx2000) this the machine you will love. compact size, looks good, video quality is just like professional and still is far better than my 1.3 mega pixel fuji camera. sound quality is really nice. just check the trv50 in stores, i'm sure you would love to buy this camera for this price. i must say this is the camera for 21st century. a new generation handycam. ... Read more

Features

• Dye sublimation technology with 2,466 x 1,664 dpi resolution
• 4-by-6-inch color photos in just 90 seconds
• Directly accepts Memory Stick media cards
• Prints on 4-by-6-inch, 3.5-by-4-inch, and sticker paper
• USB interface; PC and Mac compatible

Reviews (4)

Perfect Printer for do it yourself household
This is a great printer if you are using a good camera like the dsc-v1. The only thing is it takes 90 seconds for one photo but the photo IS worth the wait. Good quality.

Very disappointing!
There are several reasons why I do not recommend this printer:

1. Lack of Customer Support. Sony is notorious for bad support. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and tried getting support via email, chat and phone and did not get any help.

2. Picture Quality. While the pictures are sharp, the colors are really off. When I have tried printing several pictures, they come out with a yellow tint. These same pictures were sent to an online printer and came back okay.

3. LCD Screen. Even though Sony makes the screen really easy to use, it does not always reflect the exact way a picture comes out. I found myself wasting a lot of paper because the picture on the screen looked good but then printed out too yellow, etc.

4. Documentation. The documentation they include with the printer is very poor.

I received this printer for Christmas and I am definitely thinking about bringing it back. It is definitely not the quality I expected from Sony.

Lab quality prints @ Home!
"Wow!" That's just what we thought when we hooked up Sony's latest DPP-EX7 digital photo printer. The DPP-EX7 is an on the spot photo editor, borderless coated printer, and memory accessible device (no need for a PC). These qualities make it the perfect printer for quick high quality prints. Today Bytesector will explore the ups and downs of this printer. (full review @ Bytesector.com)

Dye-sub printing at home!
You know you've got quality whenever you buy a Sony product. The DPP-EX7 photo printer is no exception. The sample photo this printer comes with will absolutely floor you. I have yet to produce a picture as beautiful as the sample, but I'm hardly the expert photographer. I think the trick to stellar prints is stellar photos. I take most of my digital pictures at a low setting (best for email and such) but the prints still come out great. No grain, no pixelation, nothing that looks even remotely like a home photo printer picture. Even pictures taken at 640x480 come out crisp, sharp, and beautiful.

The printer is a little noisier than I expected, but it's nothing unbearable. The print-time is also not bad. 1.5-2 minutes really feels like nothing, mostly because I don't just stand there waiting for the photo to print. It's always a good idea to multitask anyway.

The editing features are nice (basic ones such as cropping, lighting, saturation, etc.), as are the creative print options (calendars, cards, stickers, etc. - all from the LCD screen on the printer). I'm definitely a novice, though, so these options may not be enough for professional photographers or people with lots of PhotoShop experience.

My only "complaint" would be that the reds in the prints come out REALLY pink sometimes, like the bright pink in drugstore lipstick... Ask them to wear neutral shades of lipstick. And for those gals with naturally red/pink lips, you're out of luck! You will always look like you're wearing [$$$] lipstick.

If cost is an issue, I'd suggest the DPP-SV77, which costs about half of the EX7. The only difference is that the LCD is a teeny bit smaller and the unit is grayish/silver. You'll be happy with either choice, especially if you're looking for a stand-alone printer that produces photo lab-quality results. If you have a digital camera that uses memory stick media, you'll be even happier. ... Read more

Features

• Pocketable, 8-ounce MicroMV camcorder and digital still camera--the size of a deck of cards
• 10x optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 120x) with Super SteadyShot image stabilizer
• 2-inch rotating precision SwivelScreen hybrid touch panel LCD
• Memory Stick Pro slot, wireless remote control, and Handycam Station
• NP-FF51 InfoLithium Rechargeable Battery

Reviews (34)

Great Editing, but buy another DVD authoring program.
I suppose that, considering the whole package, I shouldn't give Screenblast 5 stars, but the editing functions are that good. I've used other programs, but only Screenblast gives me the kind of precision editing I needed. And only Screenblast gives me truly professional-looking titling functions. After many frustrating hours trying to get Pinnacle to work, Screenblast was a pure joy from beginning to end.

The down side is that for DVD authoring, it provides a separate program, Sonic MyDVD. MyDVD worked once for me, and produced good results. But when I went back and wanted to make a second DVD from exactly the same project, MyDVD reported that my video files were incompatible. Looking at other people's comments, it's apparent that MyDVD is an albatross around the neck of Screenblast.

Just install the Screenblast portion of the software to do your editing and get a different product to do your DVD authoring. It's worth it.

Get this if you want a "better" home movie.
Look, you want to make your home movies interesting to watch...right!? You want some flexibility in your video effects and transitions...right!? You want to score your clips to existing CD tracks...right!? You're not afraid of spending a few hours on your PC instead of using a cut/paste video editor...right!? Get Screenblast. This software is great for someone who is interested in quality video editing. Even if you're a beginner, the tutorials will walk you through every step. The only part I didn't like about the package, is the DVD authoring software from Sonic DVD (Not part of Screenblast). It's like working on Windows 98 with 32MB of RAM. Buy the cheaper version of Screenblast without My Sonic DVD and find something that let's you display more than five buttons per screen. Anyway, good luck and enjoy this crash-free, easy to use video editor.

Excellent Editing Very Good Output
I've used Adobe Premiere in the past, excellent but too expensive, I tried Ulead what a horrible experience, pinnacle reviews said crash after crash. Based on the reputation of Video Vegas I gave this product a try and it is really excellent.

I've used it so far to create 2 online projects for work documenting team meetings and posting the video online. It's easy to work with different pieces of the timeline and then output them in an appropriate format like Windows Media 9.
Excellent integration with external codecs - quicktime, wmv, mpeg1 and 2, and real video. The only drawbacks I've found so far are no control over the output only fixed templates. For example if you wanted to fine tune the audio bit rate, SB will not let you do that. Oh well I guess it is an entry level package. Secondly, the outputted MPEG is a little bit halo prone. It's supposed to be main concept encoder, but since you are not allowed to tune it at all, there's no way to fix it.

Lastly the NTSC mpeg2 video it creates is actually non-compliant for DVD production, since it only supports mpeg audio. In the US you really should output either PCM or AC3 Stereo. Neither of those are an option. I've filed a bug against Sony, but they have not responded. If sony would allow a little more control over the output I would definitely give this package 5 stars.

First the pros: excellent stability, very easy to use capture, good editing capability, easy to generate output.
Cons: lack of control over output.

Frustrating
I wish I had not purchased this software. It has many flaws. One, if you have several pictures on your timeline and wish to extend or shorten the play time of that particular picture, you have to edit ALL the pictures after it. Not much fun when you have 50 pictures up there! Pinacle automatically moves surrounding pictures, much easier!

I Can't Believe It
Look people i will tell you right of the bat this program does it job. I am a film student and I am currently working on a 20 minute piece. And let me tell you i was editing within an hour. I have tried many other progams but this one really works. You will not be dissapointed. Pinnacle is a waste of money. Sony has done a good job. ... Read more

Features

• Input voltage: AC 100-240V
• Input amps: 19.5V
• Output amps: 6.15A
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 3¿ x 6¿ x 1.5¿ (main unit only)
• Weight: 1.63 lbs

Reviews (1)

Picture doesn't match actual item
The picture displayed on the website doesn't match the actual item. The item is the same as the factory power supply. I was expecting a slim design power supply. ... Read more

Features

• 0.79-inch XGA LCD panel technology
• Up to 2,000 ANSI lumens of brightness, 350:1 contrast ratio
• 40 to 300-inch diagonal projected image size
• 1-watt mono speaker; auto-setup feature
• NTSC, PAL, SECAM, NTSC, and HDTV signals; PC/Mac

Amazon.com Product Description

These 3" CD-R discs were designed to meet the demands of your Sony Mavica digital camera. Save, back-up and transport your important files with these discs. Each disc has a capacity of 156MB. This storage will allow up to 1,300 images at 640 x 480 resolution. These discs will store both compressed and uncompressed material in various formats (JPEG, GIF, TIFF or MPEG.) This media package comes with five, 3" (8cm) discs, plus their jewel cases.

What's in the Box
Five-pack of Sony 8cm CD-R discs. ... Read more

Features

• 3" (8cm) CD-R disc can hold 156MB of material
• Will store compressed and uncompressed files
• Store, back-up and transport JPEG, GIF, TIFF or MPEG files
• Store up to 1,300 images at 640 x 480
• 5-pack with jewel cases

Features

• Plugs directly into the computer’s USB port
• 128MB of embedded storage capacity
• Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (USB 1.1 compatible)
• 16MB Memory Stick included
• Two drives in one – easily transfer data between Memory Stick® and Micro Vault

Reviews (5)

Excellent Little Camera
I have spent about a month and taken about two hundred pictures with this camera. I was wary about it after reading the reviews below, especially related to the graininess comments. I spent a year or so as a photography major in college, so I know a thing or two about photography. If I found these problems, I had planned on selling it on eBay soon while the prices were still close to retail.

I purchased this camera because I often don't take my other digital camera (Canon G4)with me due to it's size and the fact I'm worried about damaging it while traveling. I do end up taking the Sony as it is small enough to put in my pocket or in a hip case.

I am happy to say that I have not experienced any problems with graininess, outside of the normal circumstances when graininess is a problem (not enough light). I shot in a number of settings, indoor and out, etc. and did not have any problems with graininess. In fact, the tiny flash on the camera puts out a surprising amount of light when needed. I shot a picture of my cat in an almost completely dark room, and it lit up the whole room (granted, it was a fairly small bedroom).

I just received my first set of prints back. I chose to have some prints done in 5x7 to test the graininess, and there was not sign of any. The prints looked great. I purchased a 128MB card for it, and it holds well over 200 pictures at the 2M (larger) size. I'd say based upon some of the comments made, a little knowledge of how to edit (size, dpi, etc.) digital pictures would go a long way.

Not to say that this camera doesn't have some downsides, it does. However, if you want a small camera that you will take with you because of it's size that takes fairly good pictures, this is the camera for you.

Just Awful
I bought this camera for my birthday in an attempt to replace my bulky Kodak DX3700. I downloaded the photos onto my computer and they looked like photos I had taken with a cheap no flash digital camera I bought for $40.00 four years ago. I even tried to change the settings, but the photos still looked pretty bad.

It's a good size camera, but it takes the worlds most grainiest photos. But I think I'll stick to Mr. Bulky.

Wonderful Little Camera
I got this camera a few weeks ago, and I love it. I read a ton of reviews of "micro" cameras before deciding on this one and it drives my nuts when someone says "The quality sucks compared to my Mofo 6000 Digital Camera from Canon that cost me $2000". It is not a super high quality camera, how could it be, it costs $200?!?!

It is tiny, it fits in your pocket and it takes nice little pictures. It has some neat features such as burst and movie mode w/o sound.

The biggest thing though is the size. I thought that the absence of an optical viewfinder would drive me nuts, but I haven't really noticed. If you order this camera, go ahead and order a new memory card with it. The 8MB one it ships with doesn't hold many 2MP pictures though it will hold about 70 shot on VGA (perfect for Websites and E-mail).

A great purchase.

The ultimate spy-cam!
The latest in the U series Cybershot is great! I've owned the original U10 and the Exilim and this is the most pocketable camera ever--it is roughly the size of my index and middle fingers put together and my hands aren't very big. It is sturdily constructed and never feels cheap, so I never have any worries about it being damaged while in my pocket. With its tiny size, you won't need to get a cameraphone that takes low-res VGA photos!

The photos are crisp and very good for a 2 megapixel camera this size. It doesn't produce quality 4x6 photos, but can make very nice 3x5's. Combined with its miniature size, its fast startup time and almost nonexistant shutter lag (depending on auto-focus time) make this the perfect camera for those candid shots you wouldn't normally be able to get otherwise.

The U40 also takes MPEG movies with a beefed-up web-perfect 320x240 resolution (twice that of previous models) and unlike previous models, there is no time limit for the movie clip--it can be as long as you like, depending on free memory. Please note, though, that the movie clips do not record sound.

Pros: Small size, excellent photo quality, good startup and shutter lag time, improved MPEG Movie mode

Cons: Uses the expensive Memory Stick Duo (rather than the standard Memory Stick), no optical zoom

This is a slick camera that is sure to cause a buzz when you take it out in a crowded room and the perfect camera to take around with you everyday for catching those memories you would have normally missed.

Excellent Ultra-Portable Camera
When looking at the picture, I didn't truly get a sense of how small this camera is. Barely 2/3 the size of my credit cards, and only 1" thick, I am able to just toss this beauty into my pocket and be prepared to snap pictures wherever I am.

There are two picture size settings. VGA (640 x 480) and 2M (1632 x 1224). The pictures at both modes are quite excellent for a cam of this class; however, this cam by no means should be your primary camera, since it does not have optical zoom (nor digital zoom, but that shouldn't be used even if it were available). I bought it so that I could always have a cam to carry around, and I have found that at such a compact size, I can with ease. The pictures come out to be just a bit grainy and slightly blurry, but that depends on the lighting and how steady your hand is, considering the size of this tiny wonder.

Although without sound and quite small, the movie mode is nifty to have, just to have it.

Start up time is superb. To turn on the camera, all you have to do it slide open the cover, and the camera is instantaneously on (< 1 second). Shutter lag is also quite negligible since there are no zoom lenses to adjust for. I've found that if the camera is set to Fast Action mode, there is virtually no shutter lag at all, and the pictures still come out nearly as good as when in normal shooting mode. To turn the camera off, just slide the cover back over the lens.

Although there is no optical viewfinder (which I never use anyways) the LCD is quite sharp and viewable, even only if 1". Also, as a power saving option, the LCD back lighting can be turned off, and the screen can still be seen, if there is ample sunlight or lighting in the background.

Overall, the body has a solid feel with its all-metal construction and is quite lightweight. It has a small array of features such as shooting modes (portrait, landscape, etc...), focus options, and flash mode, but I find this very nice since I don't have to worry about fiddling with controls when all I want is to point and shoot. I'll save those intricacies to situations where I bring my primary digital camera.

I also appreciate that Sony included a pair of 800mAH rechargeable NiMH batteries and a battery charger with this camera.

PROS:
Incredibly small, compact and lightweight.
Superb start-up time, perfect for those unexpected photo opportunities.
Ease of use, simple operation, truly point and shoot.
For its class, very good picture quality.

CONS (Minor):
The Memory Stick Duos are a bit pricey; I wish this camera used the slightly more affordable SD card, but the Duos, I suppose, are very, very small, and are well suited to the camera. This is just a minor thing, and does not detract from the quality of the camera itself. ... Read more

Features

• 330x digital zoom
• Night video capability
• 2.5-inch swivel LCD screen
• Image stabilization
• 6 programmed exposure modes

Reviews (7)

Sony TRV 43
This is by far one of the best entry-level camcorders. With all the features including night vision, it is well worth the $$.

Fab all rounder
This camera is as close to digital as you can get without the price, it has many features and is simple to use, a great buy

Better camcorder out there
Hi Everyone, I believe that this is a good cam corder but recently I bought Sony DCR-TRV 120. It is year 2000 model and has got all the features normally you find them in Sony camcorder, plus it has got 45x/450X zoom and I got it for 650$. Very good deal. Picture quality is amazing. 21/2 " screen is kinda small but still it works fine. In short check out this camara before you go for any other model.

Great Camcorder
This is my first camcorder and I'm very pleased. It is easy to use, has many features and the output looks clear and sharp. I could not ask for more.

Great picture, lots of features!
I've had my camcorder for 2 1/2 weeks now and LOVE IT! Has lots of features but yet simple to operate. Great picture and I think the nightshot feature is cool. Can't go wrong on this one! ... Read more

Features

• 15% more capacity than PCGA-BP71
• Dimension: 5.5" (W) x 0.8" (H) x 3.0" (D)

Reviews (8)

I'm not alone!
I thought I just got a bad battery with my Sony Vaio. It has been a great laptop with the exception of this stupid battery. Within 3 months it wouldn't hold a charge for longer than 10 minutes.

Seeing these other reviews makes me realize I'm not alone. I feel your pain! I tried the Energizer brand but it was doa.

I'm tempted to buy some cheap unknown brand. Can't be any worse than this Sony OEM.

An inferior product
I didn't realize how universal the problem with the Sony laptop battery is. A friend of mine has a new 12" Sony, where the battery currently lasts many hours. I was shocked. I have never gotten more than 45 minutes out of my battery. Now it lasts under 10. I need a new one, but am more outraged at the price. Batteries for every other company are around $80-140, but Sony makes an inferior product for more than twice the average price.

High Price for Short Life
I have a Sony Vaio Notebook that I purchased 2 years ago, and during that time it was ahead of it's time, and in some respects, still is. I always have it hooked up to an outlet, but whenever I try to do stuff wireless, the battery life goes damn quick, even doing the simplist of tasks, like word. God forbid if I tried to listen to a CD, that would just be like drilling a 2 inch hole in the gas tank of a car. I am a very loyal customer to Sony, I got the Sony MiniDisc Player and recorder, Sony Studio Headphones, a Sony Handycam, Sony Playstation 2, and of course a Sony Vaio. But my loyalty cannot deter my feelings for the damn high price for this lousy battery. Hell I hardly used the battery and it already has been killed, how f***ed up is that? C'mon Sony, your squeezing my balls here, I am disappointed in this and I am forced to rely on the cord till Sony comes to gripes and lowers the price down dramatically.

A side note to Sony: When making your damn laptops, make them so that people can actually upgrade the damn thing without having to rip out all the innards and replace everything, I want to upgrade my video memory, but you pricks embedded the graphics chip in my motherboard, so now I'm screwed and I have to get a new laptop with a better graphics card to even play some games. Now I have a headache, thank you Sony.

Hurts your laptop's value
This is a terrible battery. Mine now loses its recharge in about 15 minutes. I was so frustrated to discover the poor quality of this battery, and to realize that I don't have a laptop anymore, I have a paperweight. Shame on Sony, who sit by quietly and don't try to make amends to the owners of these batteries. I have already seen other, smaller quality problems with other Sony products, but now, for sure I won't be buying any Sony product again for fear of the little surprises like this that can skunk my investment.

Bad, bad battery! but we have no choice
A very poor quality battery indeed. Battery life is very low indeed, about half an hour. And then from 1 day to the next, after about a year (for us) it just stops charging. And then you find this ridiculously high price to buy a new one. Shame on you, Sony! but it's not like we can do anything about it, since our Vaio only takes this one battery. Nevertheless, very disappointing. Be warned before you buy a VAIO that uses this battery. ... Read more

Features

• 1/4 CCD
• Carl Zeiss Lens
• 10x Optical Zoom
• 640x Digital Zoom
• 123,200 pixel 2.5 Touch Screen LCD

Features

• Reads and writes Memory Stick media to a USB port
• Includes SonicStage software version 1.5 for Microsoft Windows operating systems
• Memory Stick media sold separately
• Read at 1.2 Mbps or write at 700 Kbps
• Ideal for transferring images and data between computers, digital cameras, CLIÉ Handhelds and other Memory Stick media devices

Reviews (1)

Absolutely the Best!!!
This saves time and battery life. Use it over again and again- just like a floppy disk drive. Buy Sony original products and you'll be safe- don't save a few pennies by buying generics, you get what you pay for. Recommendation: Strong Buy ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Sony's compact, affordable CCD-TRV318 Handycam camcorder, with a built-in video light and SteadyShot picture stabilization system, makes it a snap to take great-looking videos. It features a 20x optical zoom, 560x digital zoom, a black-and-white viewfinder, and a 2.5-inch color swivel LCD.

Image Stabilization
Sony's SteadyShot picture stabilization smoothes and steadies your images without degrading picture quality. Sony does it with motion sensors--a more accurate system than many other camcorders on the market.

Optics

• 1/6-inch CCD with 320,000 gross pixels
• 20X optical zoom
• 560x digital zoom
• f1.6-f2.4
• Focal distance: 2.5-50mm
• Shutter speed: 1/60 t 1/4,000 (AE mode)

More Features
Now you can capture video even in total darkness. Sony's NightShot system uses infrared light to capture images invisible to the human eye. You can shoot subjects such as a sleeping baby from up to 10 feet away in total darkness. With the optional HVL-IRC NightShot light, you can even capture images from up to 100 feet away.

Sony's Stamina power management system and InfoLithium battery give the TRV318 incredible operating time. To keep tabs on battery life, Sony's AccuPower meter displays the number of minutes remaining--right in the viewfinder

Hi8 Format
In a world increasingly dominated by digital, Hi8 offers a refreshingly good format to shoot in. Despite the press that MiniDV, Digital8, and the new MicroMV have been getting, many people still prefer the tried-and-true Hi8. Hi8 offers the highest quality outside of digital and is a good choice for everyday shooting. As long as you just want to document your family's life, and send videos to grandma, you aren't really giving anything up.

Size, and Contents
The TRV318 measures 3.63 by 4.00 by 7.88 inches and weighs 1 pound 12 ounces. This package includes the TRV318 camcorder, power adaptor/in-camera charger (AC-L15), InfoLithium rechargeable battery (NP-FM30), mono AV cable, lens cap, and shoulder strap. ... Read more

Features

• Hi8 camcorder with 20x optical, 560x digital zoom
• SteadyShot picture stabilization system
• 2.5 inch color LCD and black and white EVF
• NightShot infrared mode for lowlight shooting; built-in light, easy dubbing features
• Comes with NP-FM30 InfoLithium battery; Stamina power management system

Reviews (14)

Great Camcorder!
This camcorder is one of the best camcorders I have ever seen. It has great features such as titleing and a lcd screen 2.5 inch. I went to best buy one day looking for a camcorder. So I asked the guy working there if I could get a camcorder [for a certain price range]. ... So I saw the sony model below mine for [a price]. He said your best bet is to buy the sony ccd-trv318. So I said show it to me. So I looked at the camcorder and really knew that I was going to get that one. So the guy showed me how to use it. Then when he was done i said I will take it. So I brought it home and gave it a try. It worked great. It was very easy to use. So from then on I still use this same camcorder.
Thank You!

Best available for your average user
Buying a camcorder can be difficult. Do you want VHC? 8mm? Hi-8? Digital 8? Mini-DV? Then there's whether or not you want to be able to take stills, have firewire output to a computer, image stabilization, etc.
One can easily find themselves saying, "All I wan't is a basic camcorder to record random things." If that's you, this is your camcorder.
Though the picture is not digital, Hi-8 offers a nice clean picture that gets the job done. And since you can plug right into your TV or VCR, transfer to video is simple without having to store all your old tapes like you did in the VHC and VHS days. Being a Sony, you can expect a great zoom that let's you get nice detail from a good distance away. Add Steadyshot, probably the best image stabilizer out there, the ability to manually adjust your lighting, nightshot, and you have the ability to record in any situation.
Having sold Sony's for over a year, I can tell you the number returned due to dissatisfaction was minimal. Same for broken or damaged camcorders.
Bottom line is this. In the TRV-318, Sony makes a great camcorder that's not only easy to use, but able to take a nice clean video. And as long as you don't care about capturing the light flicker off a snowflake, you'll love it too.

AWESOME CAMCORDER!!!!!!!
I really believe this is the best camcorder.It is very cheap and really easy to use. I'm 14 and I just used it to film my spring break and I still haven't even touched the instructions, if I can use this camcorder anybody can. I highly recommend buying this camera it has so many features like nightshot, steadyshot,a really powerful zoom, a really long battery life, and many more. It can even play back those old 8mm tapes you have lying in your closet. So if your looking for your 1st video camera or a camera to bring on all of family vacations this is the camera for you.

Problems just out of the box!
Problems just out of the box!

1st camera we received did not charge the battery. We returned and got another one that after 5 months of storage and perhaps 2-3 hours of TOTAL use (recording time), it went back to "Not charging the battery" since it is out of warranty (30 days - Amazon will not exchange it) and under the (1 year Sony warranty), we called, they said the camera needs to be repaired and it is $166 plus shipping which is about $190, for a camera that we purchased for $260

JUNK!!

It is all I have to say about this camera, I got to use the camera for a total of 3 hours.
I paid about $90/Hour to use this junk, went for the name brand and GOT Burned.

I do not know why I was talked into buying a Sony it is overpriced and now the quality is JUNK, we have had Panasonic electronics all our lives, and they just get old and outdated, but they keep in working! Guess what my next camera will be? - Panasonic-

A Small Step Below Digital
The choice was pretty difficult. Either an entry level digital, or this higher-end Hi8 unit. I picked this one because I like the zoom, the night vision, and all the other great features I could not get in a digital at the same price. I also own an analog to digital box for my PC, so I can plug this Sony into my Firewire port anyway.
The digital would have been nice, but I know I would have lusted after the bells and whistles after a while. This buys me a few years until the digitals improve and come down in price. ... Read more

Features

• Unique 180-degree rotating lens; fast start up (0.9 seconds)
• Built-in flash with red-eye reduction; 1-inch LCD monitor
• Includes 8 MB Memory Stick; compatible with Memory Stick Pro media
• Includes rechargeable NiMH AAA batteries and charger; connects to PCs and Macs via USB 1.1

Amazon.com Product Description

Sony's Mavica line of digital cameras has been revered for its quality optics and great batteries and especially for its use of floppy discs as a storage medium. But with the advent of higher and higher resolution CCD imaging sensors, the small capacity of floppies has made them a much less practical form of storage, requiring unacceptable levels of JPEG compression to fit even a few images on a disc.

Sony has solved the floppy capacity problem with its newest Mavica--the MVC-CD1000--by using a much more forgiving storage medium: CD-R. To keep the camera's size as reasonable as possible, the CD1000 uses miniature 3-inch CD-R discs that offer 156 MB of image storage--enough space to store 160 2-megapixel images at maximum quality--as well as what is effectively instant image archiving. Additionally, the smaller CD-Rs are readable in almost every CD-ROM drive (including the slot-loading iMacs), and for those few drives that can't handle the smaller CD, the MVC-CD1000 comes with a snap-on adapter.

A high-powered storage medium is worthless without the optics to back it up, and the MVC-CD1000 comes with most of the same high-quality components used in Sony's other high-end Mavica cameras, including an f2.8 to f11 10x optical zoom lens with SteadyShot optical image stabilization. New for the Mavica line is the ability to save images as uncompressed TIFFs for maximum image quality (and huge file sizes). The MVC-CD1000 uses a less harsh compression ratio of 6:1 for its high-quality JPEGs. The camera's numerous shooting modes include: aperture priority, shutter priority, twilight, twilight plus, landscape, and panfocus. Additionally, the MVC-CD1000 can also be set for fully automatic operation. Focus is auto or manual. White balance can be set on automatic, indoor, outdoor, or one-push, which allows you to have the camera set the white balance situationally. A macro mode rounds out the package.

A quick note about the zoom lens: it has a 10x optical zoom, plus a 2x digital zoom, for a 20x total zoom. Every other digital camera manufacturer calls this "10x optical and 2x digital zoom," but Sony chooses to describe this lens as "10x optical, 20x digital."

The MVC-CD1000 uses a 2.5-inch LCD monitor on the back, and the optical viewfinder also uses an LCD to provide a through-the-lens type view, similar to what you'd get with an SLR. In another first for the Mavica line, the MVC-CD1000 includes a USB port as an alternate method to download images. Power is provided by a Sony InfoLITHIUM battery, and a readout on the monitor estimates how many minutes of energy are left in the battery, a big plus. The MVC-CD1000 also comes with an AC adapter, which plugs in to the camera and recharges the battery when the camera's not in use. The software included is Sony's Picture Gear Lite and MGI's PhotoSuite and VideoWave. ... Read more

Features

• 2.1 million pixels
• 10x optical/20x digital zoom
• Images saved on 3'' CD-R disc
• Images can be viewed on Macs and PCs via CD-ROM drive or USB connection
• Uses Sony InfoLITHIUM NP-F550 rechargeable battery; movie mode records up to 60 seconds of audio and video

Reviews (44)

Sony's hot new flagship product is almost there!
I take a lot of digital pictures. I am a freelance photographer shooting a lot of drama, music and dance events during stage performances. I bought and used the earlier Sony Mavica FD-91 with the image stabelized 10x zoom. People loved the closeup and personal images I could capture with it. However, at .8 Megapixels, the FD-91 was limited to smaller prints, and the 3.5" floppy disk had to be changed every 10 shots or so.

This new Sony CD1000 has same high quality zoom, plus 2.1 Megapixel capture for larger prints, external flash ability and a 156MB CD-R mini disk to store the pictures on. I get over 160 high quality images shooting the same 3:2 aspect ratio as traditional 35mm cameras.

But Sony, if you want five star reviews, read on... You will have to shorten the 1/2 second delay and viewer blackout after pressing the shutter release until the image is captured. I have to anticipate where a subject will be, take the picture and hope. And, if miss my shot, which happens a lot, I have to wait 3 seconds until I can try again. Sony, add some RAM memory, let us take three or four fast pictures in a row, then store them. You are so close.

Great camera! Could only ask for one more thing...
This little gem is the world of digital cameras -- I wouldn't trade it for anything but a professional model. First off, the cd media is the most convenient and best storage method around -- you can store more pictures at higher resolution for the most convenience. And the Sony 3" disk prices aren't that unreasonable (...). Granted, it is a still camera only, if you're looking for plenty of video options, look elsewhere. But for the camera enthusiast, the 15 seconds of video is a novelty item.
The size may seem a bit bulky at first, but Sony has tailored the camera's ergonomics perfectly, no matter HOW you like to hold the camera.
I shoot most pictures in 1600 x 1200 just so that I have the flexibility of blowing them up later and usually can fit anywhere from 130-150 pictures on each disk.
My only complaints are that it doesn't perform well in very dark setting without an stronger flash added on and for the 'quick shooter' it may seem slow -- it takes about 5 seconds to write the image to the disk, so you can't shoot in rapid sucession. But you're not going to find any camera that can write much faster than that.

Still a great camera!!!!
I have had this camera for 4 years now and its still a great camera!!! I bought this camera new.
Writing to cd is really great. I can take 155 pictures on the highest quality setting.
The disc needs to be initialized before using, this can take about 30-45 secs. Then it has to be finalized, another 30-45 secs. That has to be done before you put it in your computers cd rom drive to view your pictures. However, you can just connect the usb feature and save from there.
The lcd on this camers is great too. You can also take a 1 minute long video.

Still very happy with it.

My what a large camera
Yes it's big. It's got a big 20X zoom lens and image stabilization. It's got big 8cm CDR's that permanently hold 160 or more 1600x1200 pictures. It also has a great battery that is good for hours of shooting. The LCD is a big 2.5 inches and the viewfinder allows framing good shots in bright sunlight. What I think is the most outstanding feature of this camera is the CDR format that allows endless picture taking without have to download to a computer. The blank CDR are cheap, I have found them for as little as $... each in tens. I think this camera will maintain a high resale value for years to come and become a coveted item.

After two years still haven't seen a better digital camera.
How often do you buy an electronic device that is still "best of class" after two years? I will buy another digital camera when they make one. It hasn't been done yet.

I bought this camera in October of 2000 based upon experience with two other digital cameras. (One was a Kodak and one was a Sony)

The built in CD is important for two reasons. Large file size, 800k per photo, and archiving of original photos. Don't under estimate the importance of having access to the original image files.

My daughter-in-law has a newer Sony 3 megapixel camera with a 3x optical lense. I get virtually the same quality of images using my 2 megapixel 10x camera. At close range, without using the zoom, I can get better results with her camera. In most situations that is not an option. It does have a nice feature for locking in the light settings.

Even though this camera is not being manufactured any longer, I bought a second one for our office. Five different people are using the same camera, but we each have our own set of 3 inch CD's for recording and storing our photos.

Using a ... HP Deskjet 940c printer I get photo quality, or better, 5x7 prints cropped from 50% of the original images.

I won best of division for an 8x10 print of my grand-daughter in the local 2002 county fair using my camera. The digital print was in the running for best of show, but got beat out by a 35mm black/white photo of a sand crab. (Actually, I damaged the print while trying to mount it. I may have won judges choice if not for that.) I still remember one of the judges looking at me with a skeptical expression on her face when I entered the 8x10 print in the digital category. She didn't necessarily believe me. ... Read more