Sony CCDTRV16 Hi8 Handycam Camcorder

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [2.20mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 4.2 x 7.6 inches ; 1.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000JMML
• Item model number: CCD-TRV16
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,998 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Sony TRV16 Handycam offers a great range of high-end camcorder features in an affordable package. It combines easy operation with a wide variety of advanced features, such as preset exposures, special effects, and Sony's unique NightShot feature. Sony's elongated Handycam design fits easily in one hand and is well-balanced. While not the lightest of camcorders, we found the Handycam line to be one of the most ergonomic and easy to use.

The Sony TRV16 Handycam has a nifty status screen on the outside of the LCD screen module that lets you know how many minutes you've recorded or how far you've played a tape. It also tells you if there's a tape in the camcorder. The LCD screen swivels 210 degrees, which lets you record above your head, or put yourself in the picture. The optical viewfinder is black and white, which is not a real drawback since we ended up using the LCD screen for most of our shooting.

The Sony TRV16 Handycam lets you manually adjust focus and exposure; it also includes six programmed exposure modes, plus backlight compensation, to help optimize your video under different shooting conditions. It features a 180x digital zoom, great for getting closeups and recording faraway events.

We enjoyed Sony's full range of special effects, including the distinctive pastel, slim, and stretch picture modes. The TRV416 also provides widescreen, black-and-white, sepia, negative, and solarized modes. We liked the range of fade options, which included fade to black, mosaic, monotone, and a bounce-image effect.

The camcorder includes Sony's exclusive NightShot capability, which lets you shoot video in total darkness. The TRV16 emits an invisible infrared beam to light the scene. The resulting video is basically black and white, and usually lower quality than normal video, but being able to get decent images in complete darkness is nonetheless pretty amazing.

This camcorder uses the 8mm format, which means you can't play the tapes in your VCR; you have to connect the camcorder to your TV for playback.

Pros:

• Ergonomic design
• NightShot capability
• Wide range of exposure settings
• Good selection of special effects

Cons:

• Optical viewfinder is black and white

Product Description

Sony 8mm Handycam Vision camcorder with 180X digital zoom, Nightshot (TM) Infrared 0 lux system, special effects, 2.5" SwivelScreen color LCD, and 16:9 recording mode

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Camcorder at an Affordable Cost, August 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony CCDTRV16 Hi8 Handycam Camcorder (Electronics)

I am an aspiring filmmaker, so I wanted a good-quality camcorder at a low price. I got it with this. It's only $499 (which is great, considering all the stuff it has) and can do some cool effects. It has 8 filming effects, 4 fading effects, a 2.5" color LCD screen, a black and white viewfinder and much more. You can even create your own titles! This is a great camcorder for beginners to use to get a feel for it. I think it's great!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great value!, January 11, 2000

By 

Anthony S. Zorn (San Salvador, El Salvador) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony CCDTRV16 Hi8 Handycam Camcorder (Electronics)

I bought this for christmas and I must say I am quite impressed! light enough for easy handling, good image quality, a lot of features for the low, low price. LCD panel does drain the battery quite quickly but with the eyepiece (black and white...aaarrgghh) you can get almost 8 solid hours of filming in...more than enough...recommended for first or second camcorder owners...

36 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't underestimate "Night Shot" technology!, December 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony CCDTRV16 Hi8 Handycam Camcorder (Electronics)

For an avid hunter and outdoorsman, like myself, the Sony "Night Shot" technology cannot be more fun! The liturature I have seen on this camcorder emphasizes the ability to record in total darkness; however, I find the little camcorder's performance in very low light conditions, such as moon light, to be very exciting for animal observation.