Customer Reviews

Sony DCRTRV310 Handycam Digital Camcorder

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I purchased my 310 about 3 months ago and am nothing short of thrilled with it. It is truly an amazing camera. I am a professional cameraman and that makes me ultra critical when it comes to any type of consumer video gear.

The only downside to this camera is that I have no way of controlling the dB video gain level on the camera. The 310 uses it's own automated gain according to the amount of light in a given scene. For those who don't know what I am talking about I mean that the image recorded becomes automatically more less or less grainy with the fluctuation of light levels. For example, if you are outside the camera automatically records at 0 dB, but as soon as you move it to an area with less light, the gain level begins to change, thus the image is recorded grainier as you move into areas with less light. That is my only real complaint about the 310.

Among the main stellar features on this camera, one feature that I love is the true 16:9 aspect ratio. Other cameras and even the DCR-TRV8, which is the next step up in the Sony line of camcorders, do not have true 16:9 ability. They instead just put out two black borders on the top and bottom of the screen to simulate 16:9. This is a great feature especially if you have a 16:9 aspect ratio television.

All in all, if you are looking to spend under a grand, look no further than to the DCR-310.

I've played with this digital camcorder for about 5 days now and I am delighted with it's quality and features. If anyone's disappointed with the quality of the video (see reviews below), they are probably being unrealistic in their expectations. To get better video, you'd have to go up to a 3CCD camera (at about 3times the cost!). As for those who say that the camera is too big and heavy, I say just TRY shooting a still video without a tripod with a camera as small as a paperback book! You NEED something larger to get a good steady picture (even with "steadyshot"). I appreciate Sony's innovative digital 8 because the tapes are less expensive, but you still have the quality of digital recording (the Pauses are terrific!). I'm not worried that these tapes are not interchangeable with the mini-DV format. I mean, how often would I want to trade digital tapes with someone? I also have the option of playing back any old 8 or hi-8 videotapes that were previously recorded, and converting them to digital (try THAT with a mini-DV camcorder)! I like having A/V outputs AND inputs so that I can digitally record from a source other than the camera lens. The Sony infrared "nightshot" is astounding. It's like have nightvision goggles for your camcorder! The LCD screen on the TRV310 is WONDERFUL... 3.5 inches! The 20X optical zoom is sufficient, and going partway into the digital zoom ain't too bad either (as long as you don't try to actually use the full 360X!) I cannot say enough good things at this point. If I have to find something negative to say, I wish some of the controls were in easier locations to get to while I'm still filming. All in All, a nifty camcorder that I HIGHLY recommend!

I bought SONY's similar top of the line model TRV 510 shortly after becoming a new dad, this after much debate between the 310 and 510. I decided that the 510's features and extras were worth the added expense. Overall this camcorder does a very decent job of making digital home videos and digital stills, but make sure you have plenty of light, otherwise the results will be slightly grainy. Didn't notice the difference between the regular video and S Video hookups to my TV, SONY should have also included a titling function, the included battery is not sufficient for heavy taping and use, need to get the optional battery, at least 4 hrs, use the original for back-up. Still satisfed with my decision to get the TRV 510, but the TRV 310 would probably be a good choice too and also at less cost.

Forget the other cameras. TRV-310 and the TRV-510 are the best ones for today... by far. Don't loose your time looking for other options because no other portable camcorder (in this category) can provide the features and the quality of these cameras. I've played with my TRV-310 for about 10 days and I am really impressive with this camera. This is my fifth camcorder (all 8MM and HI-8) that I have used and this the best camera that I have seen.

Some comments...

The LCD screen on the 310 is amazing. Certainly the best LCD that I have seen in my life. It is clear, bright, sharp and big... 3.5 inches. The color is truer. It is a real pleasure to play my videotapes in any place with no connection with TVs. This is one of the most important features of this camera and you have to consider that in your analysis. You will use it a lot.

The 20X optical zoom is enough and works fine (much better than my old hi-8 camera).

The PAUSEs are terrific. It is impossible to avoid the PAUSE key. Try to press the SLOW key and you will get a limpid and crystalline image.

I have lots of videos recorded on 8 and hi-8 format. The 310 is capable to play black perfectly any videotape on these formats. This camera is the right choice for everyone that have 8 and hi-8 tapes. Don't loose your time thinking to buy a mini-DV camcorder, you will have much more flexibility using the digital camera that supports your old tapes, with the same quality and flexibility. By the way, the hi-8 tapes are cheaper than the mini-DV tapes.

I didn't see notable difference between the regular video and S video hookups to my TV.

The included battery in not sufficient and an additional battery is very important.

The infrared nightshot works very fine (do you think that is it really important ? ).

The 16:9 aspect ratio feature is wonderful At the beginning you don't give so much attention on that, but when you start to use you will love this alternative. If you have a 16:9 aspect ratio television this feature will be fantastic for you. If you are considering to buy this kind of TV (to see your DVDs) this can be a considerable feature to consider.

One of the big things and rarely I see comments is the SOUND. The PCM System is fantastic. I connect the camcorder to my receiver system and I was surprised with the quality, clear and powerful sound. There is a huge difference between this PCM AUDIO SYSTEM and the audio system in my old hi-8 camera. Normally, when we study to buy a camcorder we don't invest so much time analyzing the audio, we keep focus on the video system and don't give importance to the audio. I am sure that the AUDIO SYSTEM of this digital camera will surprise you positively. You will feel the big difference if you connect the camera to a pro-logic Dolby surround sound receiver or a digital receiver. If you have a home theater system with Adobe Digital 5:1...

THE BAD THING: The missing feature on the 310 is audio dubbing. For this kind of camera this feature will be important and convenient. I would like to record narration or add a sound track on the camera after I've recorded the video. Based on the manual I can do this editing the video on my PC, but until now I didn't try it. So, I really don't know if it will work well...

GRAINY VIDEO: I read some comments about to make sure you have plenty of light to avoid a slightly grainy on the video. This is true but not at all. The illumination is not a bid deal... Don't make your decision using this comment as important ! In most of the 95% of the time you will be recording with enough light to make a brilliant and wonderful video.... So, the other 5% of the time you can face poor light and you will have a little bit grainy in your video... And so what ? The important here is that other cameras have the same problem, so it is not a decisive factor for buyers... Don't waste time with these comments...

Finally... I made a very deep analysis comparing the TRV-510 and TRV-310, the 310 is probably the good choice because it has the most advanced features with less cost.Repeating a comment that I saw below... The 310 is LIGHT YEARS beyond the other ones...

Traded up from a 6 year old Hitachi Hi-8 camcorder, hoping for greatly improved image quality. It is better, but not as great as I had expected. The camera is easy to use. The zoom works well and the 3.5" screen is super. My 4 year old loves to watch himself right after I film. Special effects are cool too. So far, only problem was a spec on the inside of the lens. It was exchanged, but I was surprised that would happen in a factory-sealed box. Otherwise it has functioned perfectly, which is a welcome relief after all the trouble I had with the Hitachi. Battery life is incredible! They actually last as long as they say. I reccommend the camera.

Well, I had read all the reviews of this model on Amazon and based my purchasing decision partly on this information. I expected picture quality from the 310 to be at least as good as my old PAL Sony 8mm. However, after 2 weeks of using the 310 we had to conclude that it simply provides inferior picture quality in most lighting situations. Inferior in both colour reproduction and in clarity, whatever the technical specs. say. For example, I have a coat with a maroon sleeve but this appeared bright red whatever exposure or program setting I used; same with the shop model we checked with when returning the purchased unit to the store - it didn't appear to be just a snafu with the particular unit we had purchased. We also compared the 310 picture with the supposedly inferior Panasonic 910 and both colour and clarity were actually better on the latter. Why? What is Sony playing at? We were expecting twice the clarity ("resolution") and 3 times the colour depth from this Digital 8 camera, as widely advertised. What are they talking about? When it comes down to it, its about picture quality, no matter what bells and whistles the machine has.

Boy, was I glad to get my money back!

I bought this camcorder for two reasons:

1) Exceptional imageand sound quality 2) Ability to digitally edit videos on my PC

Thevideo quality is superb, with excellent auto-exposure capabilities. The 20x optical zoom is great -- I leave the digital zoom switched off. Good fades are complimented by some neat SFX modes -- image trails, sepia effect, slow "shutter speed" and (limited) image keying. The standard battery doesn't last much longer than an hour, so you should factor in the cost of an extended battery into your budget.

If size is the most important thing, then you should look at DV format cameras. I found them to be too small -- the Sony camera size and weight make it easy to handle while not being a burden. Hi8 tapes are also much cheaper than DV tapes.

For editing, there are several fully digital capture cards available for PCs and all support this camera You can edit and review video on your PC (in real time on some cards) and render back to the camera for final recording on tape. All without any analog<->digital conversion and therefore without any loss in quality.

If quality is important, or you have any aspirations to editing your videos rather than just taping the kids, vacations and weddings, then this is the camera for you.

This camcorder is highly capable. The quality of the pictures/zoom and the features are outstanding. However, instead of buying this camcorder, I purchased the similar TRV-510. The TRV-510 has a color viewfinder rather than the B&W that comes with the TRV-310. Even better, the TRV-510 comes with the ability to take digital stills and save them onto a 2MB memory chip rather than onto tape, and then to download these stills directly into your PC WITHOUT any need to buy a video capture card. The TRV-510 is a great way of getting a 640x480 digital camera and a digital camcorder in one device!

The only problem, of course, is that Amazon doesn't (yet) sell the TRV-510...

I have owned my TRV310 for approx. 9 months now. For the money this is a fantastic camera that completely blows away similarly priced analog cameras. The main reason? It's digital! No more tape dropouts! I videotaped an entire season of High School football on the same 2 tapes (9 games) and even after 9 re-cycles, there was not a single dropout or tape error. Amazing! The image is equivalent to mini-DV (the main varaible being the type of lenses that the cameras may use) and it has been totally reliable under many different conditions. On the downside, there is no manual white balance and no manual volume control for the audio. If Sony had included these 2 features I would have given this camera a 5 star rating. Also, the LCD screen is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to use outdoors in bright sunlight. (This is a problem with all camcorder LCD screens and not just this one). All in all I would say that for the money, this camcorder is a spectacular value. Now if Sony will only come out with a Digi-8 record/playback deck so I don't have to use my camcorder as a VCR.

As a camcorder it lives up to all the expectations of an average buyer. But I found it really excel when I connected it to my Sony VAIO computer through the i-Link (IEEE-1394 / FireWire) port. With the DVGate Motion software supplied with the computer, capturing digital video with precision becomes child play. I can edit these videos with Adobe Premiere LE and upload the video back to the camcorder and transfer it to VHS tape through a VCR. What makes this process incredibly easy is the controlling capability built into the camcorder. You connect it to the PC and forget it. You can then Rewind, Cue, mark In and Out points and initiate a perfect video capture all from the computer with just mouse clicks! I was transformed from a video novice to an expert in just a week! Check out this combination.