Sony DCRTRV230 Digital8 Camcorder

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [4.54mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005A3M7
• Item model number: DCRTRV230
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,034 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony DCR-TRV230 is similar to the Sony DCR-TRV130, but features a 20-percent smaller chassis, as well as a more powerful lens. A bright, vibrant 2.5-inch LCD monitor gives you a great portal to the world you're shooting. The 25x optical zoom lens is paired with Sony's SteadyShot image stabilization, which helps make up for random hand shakes.

To help ensure you get the shot you want in any situation, there are seven program AE modes, including portrait, beach and ski, sport lesson, etc. To give your footage a little bit more polish, Sony's built in seven fader modes, eight picture effects, and six digital effects. Included with the DCR-TRV230 are a battery, wireless remote, InfoLithium battery, stereo A/V cable, lens cap, and shoulder strap.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 111 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DO NOT BUY this for normal family/group videos, June 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony DCRTRV230 Digital8 Camcorder (Electronics)

After spending a week with this camcorder, I found that whilst the quality of videos from outdoors was nice, for normal indoor use this camcorder is far worse than my 8 year old standard 8mm camcorder. The picture gets REALLY GRAINY indoors under normal room lighting.

For many people, BY FAR the greatest use of camcorders is to take videos of family/group activities INDOORS (e.g. children growing up, birthdays, graduations, wedding receptions etc). For these situations, it is very important to shoot the videos in natural light and not have powerful video light/s which make people conscious of their videos being taken. Sony have lately neglected this capability for other stupid gimmicks like nightshot (0 Lux !).

Example: Sony's previous generation camcorders had MINIMUM ILLUMINATION specifications of 1 Lux or less whilst for the DCR-TRV230(, TRV330 and TRV530) Sony specify a minimum of 4 Lux!

Sony's previous generation camcorders had a 1/4 inch CCD sensor whilst the new 230/330/530 camcorders have a 1/6 th inch sensor. In fact you are better off taking pictures with SONY's current generation of Hi-8 camcorders for indoor videos for which Sony specify minimum illumination of 0.4 Lux. Unfortunately, Sony no longer offer Stereo sound or even external microphone inputs on their Hi-8 camcorders.

Finally, the new 230/330/530 camcorders have the cassette door latch at the bottom. This is really inconvenient if you have mounted the camcorder on a tripod and you need to change the tape.

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Best Buy for heavy users, August 24, 2001

By 

"paulacton" (Acton, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony DCRTRV230 Digital8 Camcorder (Electronics)

The 230 is this year's lowest price "complete" digital 8 camcorder. (the 130 does not play analog 8mm tapes). The camera is a pleasure to use. The picture quality is a startling step up from 8mm and the ability to display complete single frames one at a time is fun. I've compared to mini dv and can't see any quality difference (Digital 8 is 500 lines vs 525 for dv). The tapes are easy to find and less expensive that mini-dv... Sony has added a helpful "intermidiate limit" on digital zoom. This feature allows the digital zoom to be limited by the user to a range that is usefull. (about 3x over the tightest optical zoom.) The Color LCD screen is perfect for off eye shooting and great fun with children.

Any downside? -Some don't like the B&W eye viewer. I prefer it since the detail seems better in it. -The backlight button is easy to confuse with the adjacent control. -Sony dropped the "force to infinity" focus button this year. (This was often helpfull). -I'm not fond of the bottom opening deck, but it makes sense since you can keep the camera strapped on your hand while you change tape. -The standard video out plugs have been changed to a mini-video plug. This helps make the camera smaller but may make replacing a lost cable harder.

The features I'd most like to see next year: Move the menu button to the outside of the camera and add an option for a brief date and time display at the start of each scene in play mode.

What about the memory stick option in the 330. I suppose that this is a matter of personal preference, but I bought this to have very good video camera, if I want a good digital still camera, I'll go buy one.

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A step backwards from the previous year models, August 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony DCRTRV230 Digital8 Camcorder (Electronics)

While I am very pleased with the trv120 I bought last year, I have to say Sony has gone a step backward with the new x30 (130, 230, etc) line. Yes, it is slightly smaller, big deal... However, the inconvenience of the botton loading tapes is a real negative if you use a tripod (which I do most of the time). Many features that were on the 120, were dropped from the 130 (playing analog tapes, microphone jack, contrast control on LCD screen) and I went to the 230 when I needed a second camera just to get those features back. The batteries (M series) on the new x30 generation are different from the x20 series(which used L series). I still like the Sony line, but I'd buy a used TRV120 instead of the TRV230 if I had it to do again. The 230 is not as much bang for the buck for my uses.