Guest: Film maker
Reviewed on: 27/Oct/2005
90%
Purchased From:
Kelkoo
Price Paid:
?209
Introduction
This is a lovely little camera suitable for both novices and more advanced users. On the one hand it has an 'easy cam' funtion where all buttons are simplified and the on the other a generous amount of options to customize filming. Although considered fairly old in comparison to Sony's latest products, the TRV255e a generous majority of features displayed on one or two newer models up from it. Very hard to fault this camera, especially at the price some places offer it at.
Good Points
Key aspects such as picture quality (frame rate/ resolution) are perfect. For specs the manual is available to download online from numerous places. It delivers a sharp analogue and digital picture. The extra features on the camera are fantastic such as time lapse mode (to film speeded up films like clouds/flowers opening etc) frame record (to do animations). There is a title creator, several faders, onboard light, night vision (which works in complete darkness and is amazing), 20x optical and 40x or 990x digital zoom with excellent switch control for ultra slow or fairly fast, still photo capture, widescreen, steadyshot, special effects (negative, sepia, B+W, solarize, slim, stretch, pastel and mozaic) to use on videos or photos on recording or add them after during playback, backlight, and an analogue video scene editor interface though I don't use that so not sure how well it works. Lens has a screw thread for attaching lenses (37mm) tripod mount. Output is S-video or composite video (3 poled minijack) USB (ideally USB2) or firewire - works best. Screen (brilliant quality/ colours) bevels 270 degrees or you can use viewfinder (B+W, adjustable focus. Battery life fully charged is about 120 mins and you can view all sorts of info on the battery remaining (with screen, viewfinder etc.) Sound quality is fantastic - can be set to 16 bit and uses a stereo mic.
Bad Points
As I see myself of more of an advanced camcorder user I highlight negatives that are trivial really - further features I would like to see on the camera.
Recording media is digital 8 tape which means there is still the rewinding etc to view recordings.
Still photos are not saved to a memory card, instead recorded 5 seconds on the tape and loses quality (unless you are absolutely still you cannot tell the difference though picture quality is generally very good).
Manual focus is with a fiddly little wheel (the menu cursor control) and so is hard to manual focus smoothly (obviously there is auto focus).
No mic input or headphone output though if you jiggle a 3.5mm mini stereo jack in the composite video output u can get audio output only.
The overall size is good for what you get but it could be smaller in todays age. Don't get me wrong it's not huge!
Although zoom control is good once you've mastered the minute movements on the control, it can be very fiddley.
The ports/ jacks are covered by plastic flaps which can be quite flimsy and break off.
The Verdict
Pros outweigh the cons - very minor faults. Perfect for that intermediate photographer that no longer considers themself as an amateur.
