Sony CCDTRV308 Hi8 Camcorder with 2.5"LCD and Video Light

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Product Details

Product Manual [4.50mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5 x 3.8 inches ; 4.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000630ML
• Item model number: CCD-TRV308
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,372 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)

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  Camera & Photo > Camcorders > Analog 8mm & Hi8

• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

In a world increasingly dominated by digital, Hi8 offers a refreshingly good format to shoot in. Despite the big press that MiniDV, Digital8, and the new MicroMV have been getting, many people still prefer the tried and true Hi8. Hi8 offers the highest quality outside of digital and is a good choice for everyday shooting. As long as you just want to document your family's life, and send videos to grandma, you aren't really giving anything up.

The CCD-TRV308 is Sony's midrange Hi8 camcorder, and it offers an assortment of features that make it great for the average home videographer. Sporting a 2.5-inch color LCD and 20x optical zoom, there's really no situation that the TRV308 won't shoot well. Especially when you add in the NightShot mode, which switches the camera to an infrared shooting mode, and SteadyShot image stabilization, which helps eliminate those annoying shakes that accompany high zoom levels.

In addition the CCD-TRV308 offers a few fader and picture effects, as well as some titling options.

Product Description

With features like 2.5" Swivelscreen LCD, SteadyShot picture stabilization, NightShot 0 lux rating, titling, and fader effects, this Hi8 camcorder will become your new best friend. SteadyShot picture stabilization eliminates shaky recording during zoom usage or throughout recording, and the NightShot feature lets you record in low- or even no- light conditions. Zoom into the action with the 20x Optical/460x Digital zoom. Add to the fun with 8 picture effects and 6 program auto exposure modes!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Value for a Great Camera, April 23, 2002

By	David (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

I recently purchased this camera and have been very pleased with its performance. When weighing out the decisions of which camera to buy, it can be very confusing. Which format should I choose? Hi-8, Digital, MiniDV? All of these can seem confusing. For the novice cameraman this camera provides a perfect blend of form and function. The LCD screen is large and vibrant and provides for an easy way to see what you're filming without haveing to peer into a viewfinder.

The only drawback of this camera is that the battery life tends to be pretty short-lived. However, you can purchase an extended life battery which comes in handy if you want to record for extended periods of times. One extremly useful feature of this camera is the light, which really works well at night. Also, a really cool feature of this camera is the ability to shoot in complete darkness (via an infared filming capability).

In a nutshell, if you want great quality and extreme affordability this camera is for you.

73 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, but Great Hi8, July 10, 2002

By A Customer

If you want nothing more than a really good camcorder to take basic videos, the Sony CCDTRV308 is the way to go.

It's probably the best Sony Hi8 camcamcorder you'll get without all the bells and whistles that let you download video on to your PC.

It has a few great features like NIGHTSHOT (which allows video in virutal darkness) and STEADYSHOT. Also, the 20X zoom works really well. (Don't be impressd by the 460X digital zoom-- on any camcorder; the image becomes more blurry the closer you zoom in with it.)

You'll probably have to get another battery, as the one the Sony CCDTRV308 comes with will only last for about an hour or so when using all the functions (LCD screen, stop and start REC). I recommend buying the NP-QM71; it lasts between 4 and 6 hours.

BUT (A VERY BIG BUT), If you want to anything more than basic VCR editing, get at least a MiniDV, especially if you're willing to spend between $500 and $1000. I was willing to drop $500 for a MiniDV because I wanted to easily edit my videos, but I wasn't willing to spend another $500 to upgrade my PC to accomodate the large amounts of data.

Otherwise, the Sony CCDTRV308 is a great Hi8 camcorder for basic video recording and little or no editing.

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A better camcorder than I thought!, November 18, 2002

By	S Downes (Ballston Lake, NY United States) - See all my reviews

We purchased this camcorder for the holidays, selecting the CCDTRV308 over the CCDTRV108 due to it's added features such as image stability and auto-light. It arrived within three days - amazing! With my son's birthday coming up at the weekend, and the speedy delivery, it was a real test as to whether I could read the manual and become comfortable in the camcorder's use before the big day. The instructions are clear, concise and easily referenced.

We chose official Sony cassettes for this first run to ensure optimal picture quality and compatibility. Image quality is excellent, but we did notice that it performs better after it has 'warmed up'. This might be due to cassette stability or electronics temperature, but in no way detracts from this product's quality. Fade in/out options are excellent and with the 'cinema' setting gives your production that 'ER' feel.

I suspect that upgrading to a higher capacity battery may be a next step, but it lasted through the kid's party with ease. About 30 minutes of shooting remained, even though we used the LCD the whole time.

Title use is a little confusing, but you do get the option of creating two custom titles in addition to the standard fare.

The tripod was prepared, just in case the weight of the camcorder became tiring, but it was not needed. The lightness of these new camcorders over the ones of yesteryear makes life much easier, and is not burdening.

We researched considerably, before purchasing this product, which is no guarantee of success, but I have no hesitation in recommending it to those considering a Hi-8 camcorder.