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Sony DCR-TRV19 Mini-DV Camcorder
Sony (
22 January, 2003 )
Electronics |
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£
399.39 |
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subject to change. |
This item is not in stock or has been discontinued. |
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Best for your bucks?  |
My sister-in-law and I both bought a camcorder at the same time. We did our research independently, and when it was time to hand over our hard-earned cash we compared notes.Wed both started with simple criteria: a compact Mini-DV camcorder with good battery life, firewire and ideally a nice set of features such as a good Steady-Shot and 0-lux (night filming). My sister-in-law also wanted some kind of camera capabilities, although that was not important to me as I already had a Canon Digital IXUS which does the job. Over our couple of weeks independent research, I looked and almost finalised on various camcorders of various makes (JVC, Panasonic, Canon) but all of them had that one issue which kept my wallet safely in my back pocket. After asking around friends and reading reviews in camcorder magazines and on the internet, one brand name seemed to stand out for being consistently high quality - Sony. Fair enough, I thought... but do they have a model for me? They did - the Sony TRV19. Compact, feature-packed, and well finished. It even has the nice-to-have features I wanted... and more. Now Ive had it a few weeks and Im impressed and happy to recommend it. Tip though: dont bother with the USB... spend a few quid on a firewire card. btw... remember I mentioned my sister-in-law who wanted photo capabilities and did all her own research? Sony TRV22. :)
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Sony TRV19 - Great! |
I did a bit of research before buying my first camcorder, and narrowed it down to either a Sony, Panasonic or JVC camcorder. I looked at the current models in my local Comet and decided the JVC was a bit too plasticky, so it was between the Panasonic NVGS-50 and either a Sony TRV19, or Sony TRV22. I read plenty of reviews, and looked at reliability charts, and there still wasnt much between them. The thing that swung it to the Sony TRV19 was the fact that it didnt have a memory stick/card. I decided that with the low quality of stills from a camcorder compared to that of a basic digital camera, I would end up not using it; so why pay extra for something that wouldnt be used? The Panasonic also felt too small in my hand, and so uncomfortable to use; and the Sony seemed to have better low light shots, so I went for the TRV19.I have used this now for a month, over Christmas, and have been very impressed by the results. The infa red night shot works well at close range (up to about 4 metres), even in total darkness. The anti-shake works very well. It has an easy to use touchscreen, which makes the adjustment of setings easy to do, even when recording.
The picture quality is excelent, although the auto white balance is not always very acurate under tungsten lights, but that can be sorted in a reasonable PC editing software (not the one included). It picks up sound very well, but is not a directional mic, so in a crowded room can be just a lot of noise.
These are just minor points though, which are no different from any other camcorder, and there is usually a way to overcome the problem.
In summary, a very good camcorder, well built, at a good price. Ideal for the beginner or low user.
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Non expert view |
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This camera is perfect for anyone new to digital camcorders. Why pay more for higher spec makes when you can do all your editing on your PC with a fairly basic editing software... take the plunge and buy one!
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