Sony DCRTRV530 Digital8 Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [4.54mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005A3M9
• Item model number: DCR-TRV530
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,252 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 DCR-TRV530 is a full-featured Digital8 camcorder. Digital8 utilizes the digital video format, but records onto Hi8 tapes, and can play your old Hi8 and 8mm movies. The 25x optical (28x digital) zoom is combined with image stabilization, a boon since high zooms can lead to increased shakiness. Additionally, the DCR-TRV530 features Sony's NightShot system for 0-lux shooting. An assortment of special effects and faders help give your footage a more professional feel. Also, a 16:9 widescreen shooting mode lets you shoot movies in the same aspect ratio as Hollywood films.

The black-and-white EVF is adequate, but the large 3.5-inch color LCD monitor is the better bet for framing your shots. Digital stills can be recorded onto the accompanying 4 MB Memory Stick, and images can be downloaded to your computer via USB. Like all DV camcorders, the audio is recorded at CD quality levels--PCM digital stereo. Should you need more professional sound than the built-in mic provides, a mic input jack is located on the camcorder.

Because the DCR-TRV530 uses the DV format, you can download your footage to a computer for editing using an IEEE 1394 cable. Analog pass-through ports are built-in, letting you digitally archive all your old analog footage. Also included are a shoulder strap, lens cap, battery, AC adapter, and remote control.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Camera, but has its annoyances, May 19, 2001

By 

"mrboy" (Royal Oak, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony DCRTRV530 Digital8 Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode (Electronics)

Sony's Digital8 cameras have been consitently good for a number of years. This new line (the 30 series) seems to be a step down from their usual high quality.

I bought the TRV530, and for the most part, I am pleased.

First off- the good features: this camera has a very nice, high-rez 3.5" LCD screen, a more sensitive focus ring than previous cameras, and all of the built-in connections are streamlined along the camera's base, freeing up room around the headphone and mic connections near the base of the lens.

Now, the bad. Most of these comments are more aesthetics than anything, so it'll just take a little getting used to.

Sony's new line now uses the InfoLithium M-series batteries, which are about half the size and twice the price of the L-series batteries used on all previous D8 cams. All of the digital, picture, and auto-exposure options are deep within Sony's on-screen menu instead of having easy-access buttons.

This camera is very compact in size and shape, which is very nice and sleek. However, one compromise of the camera's size is that now, the tape loads from the bottom. At first this is kinda cool, but then you realize that if you're using a tripod and need to change tapes, you must pop the camera off the tripod, remove the mounting plate, eject the old tape, pop in a new one, and remount the camera on the tripod, which, in my opinion, is extremely stupid on Sony's part.

Another thing that really annoys me is the Black and White viewfinder. Whereas all of the cameras in the 20 and 10 series had color viewfinders, all of Sony's new cameras have Black & white viewfinders, which makes it impossible to pick out anything colorful when it's too bright to use the LCD screen.

Also- whereas Sony's TRV720 had a huge 4" LCD screen, the largest LCD screen you can get now is the 530's 3.5" screen. (The TRV730, the so-called "replacement" to the 720, only has a 2.5" screen.)

But again, all of the above comments are aesthetics only, and I'm sure that eventually I can get used to these changes. However, one new feature that bothers me a bit is the grain. Sure, all cameras will become grainy in low-light situations because you have to gain up the iris in order to see. But I've been noticing a subtle but distinct graininess even in full sunlight. The cameras in the 20 series had a slight grain to them all the time, but in this camera the grain seems a bit more defined.

All-in-all, it's a good camera with many nice features (like the 1/30th sec shutter speed- great for a more film-like look.) But the problems with grain and the overall stupidity of a Black and White viewfinder knock down my rating for this.

The TRV-20 series was a work of art. The new TRV-30 series seems more like a step in the wrong direction.

Sony, why mess with a good thing?

64 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME!!!!, March 23, 2001

By 

Gary Baugh (West Lafayette, Indiana USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony DCRTRV530 Digital8 Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode (Electronics)

I purchased this camera a few weeks back. I've had camcorders for nearly 15 years and I can tell you that this camera is definantly worth every penny. The 3.5" screen is so easy to use. It makes every shot a breeze. The 7oox zoom allows you to get close-up that were previously not possible. I use it alot at my daughters musicals,etc.No longer do I have to position myself near the front on the floor. I can go to the back of the gym at the top of the bleachers and do my filming. Having the memory stick feature to be able to take digital pics is just an added bonus that puts this camera over the top. Hats off to SONY for an all round PERFECT camera. No complaints.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice camcorder, some disappointments, May 22, 2001

By 

John Neff (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony DCRTRV530 Digital8 Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode (Electronics)

I have been using a Sony 8mm camcorder for a number of years. I bought this because my wife wanted a digital camera and I wanted to edit video on my computer.

The digital editing has worked out well and it has been fun, once I got my firewire card to work right. The software that comes with it works adequately. I was disappointed in the video quality in low light situations. It gets very grainy compared to my old 8mm unless you turn on Nightshot, but then everything is a shade of green.

The digital camera piece is also disappointing. The picture quality is very poor, though OK for my wife that prints mostly 2X3 inch pictures for scrapbooks. She went with this size because anything bigger looks bad. I do not like looking at the pictures on screen because of the poor quality.

For the price I don't know that you can get any better and I still enjoy and use it, but the quality wasn't as good as I had hoped.