Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 56
 Going strong after 4 years September 7, 2010
D. Lipsitz
As the title implies, I've had this device for some time now. It serves as a dash mounted video camera, streaming video to a laptop from a big rig. I chose this particular brand because I've come to expect extremely good picture quality in the lowest lighting conditions, which it has accomplished.
The battery life isn't quite what I expected in between charges, in fact it runs about half what I was led to believe it would. However, the battery is now almost 5 years old, and even under the extreme conditions it generally runs under, it still consistently has the same amount of power available (about 90 minutes). This is great when I have to exit the vehicle and get some video of whatever, since I have yet to run into memory issues with this one. However, if you're planning on fairly continuous usage similar to mine on the AC, you had better schedule an hour or so to recharge the battery every week or so, as it does drain even while on AC if the camera itself is on. This is a problem I run into with every video camera I own, so nothing new to me.
To say this device is easy to use is an understatement. I'm use to some fairly complex devices, so this one was a snap for me. When I handed it to a child who was also a novice, they were able to point and shoot right away, with the barest of explanations regarding the basics.
The picture quality, however, is not consistent, with the more motion equating to worse quality. This surprised me, especially since this camera is not designed to do still photography in any way. Sony's much praised reputation for extremely low light shots went out the window and into the trash with this camera, and bright daylight seems to be every bit as bad. Night time shots are grainy at best, and it is often difficult to make out the subject being recorded even with artificial lighting. Bright day shots tend to be overexposed a bit, making details like license plates difficult to make out, and in some cases the make and style of the vehicle! This surprised me, as I've come to expect much more from Sony.
As for the software, protect the CD-ROM at all costs if you want to do USB streaming to a computer. Lose the disc, and you'll have to go with Firewire or composite. Currently, the device has zero support for any 64 bit operating system, and no future support is planned. So, if you have a computer running anything other than Win98SE thru WinXP32, you can forget computer editing. To "upgrade" to far less capable versions, yo uwill need to do a manual download from Sony. Be sure you have the CD-ROM key, or you can forget the upgrade.
Firewire control over the camera is skimpy at best, playback and record, nothing else. If you need to rewind or fast-forward, you'll have to disconnect the camera from your computer and do it manually. Sorry, but even when paying premium prices, there's no more than WYSIWYG today.
While many recommend Sony's iLink, I'm doing just fine with a good old fashioned 2 pin firewire cable, albeit one that is heavily shielded and insulated, and costs less than 25% of what the flimsy iLink costs.
Customer service, the two times I called, was poor at best. Both individuals I spoke with on the two separate occasions were rude beyond belief. Between that and the high cost or unavailability of replacement parts and accessories, I've stopped purchasing Sony products altogether. They may be good, but they aren't THAT good that I have to put up with such nonsense.
If you're looking for durability, particularly in harsh or industrial environments, and you don't mind working with a tape based system, this camera is worth the money. If you're looking for a more professional platform that can work with today's modern 64-bit OS's, well, I would not recommend Sony at this point.
Useful for playing old tapes April 5, 2010
Uncle Gonzo (Texas)
I bought this just to be able to play our old Hi-8 and Digital-8 tapes. Unfortunately, it won't play the older regular 8mm tapes.
 Great Bargain Cheap Tapes July 27, 2008
J. Pruitt (DJ booth)
This camera is a great bargain and so versatile.
The optical zoom is incredible. I was able to film a drowning swimmer being rescued down on the beach from my 12th floor apartment!
Not only is this an excellent camcorder, it also makes a great webcam when connected to your computer with a Firewire cable
The USB streaming is useless: for some reason it won't let you record the audio track over USB even though it installs an audio driver when you plug it in, and the camera will go into standby while it's in use if you're not recording or playing the tape, so I recommend sticking with Firewire.
Note that if you buy this camera, keep the application CD that comes with it in a safe place. Sony does not offer drivers for download for this camera and when you call tech support to request them, their customer care doesn't know where to get them either. I was only able to find them by scouring random seedy websites.
One of the best features of this camera is that it records digitally on standard Hi-8 video tapes, which saves you a lot of money over the more expensive digital tapes. This is the only video camera in the world that does that.
Another great feature of this camera is its onboard stereo microphone. You can use this camera as a digital sound recorder by recording the sound and then dumping the video to your computer and extracting the audio track over Firewire.
I've had two of these cameras and I will buy another if something happens to the one I currently have.
 Mediocre - Average - Just OK (Picture very grainy in low light) June 17, 2008
T. Adams
I'm not sure why the ratings are so high on this camera [...]. Perhaps because the camera is pretty ok, for home-use only outdoors. I am on this site searching for a new camera because I produce online television shows, as a hobby. My budget is low, so I need an affordable camera (under $500), with professional-quality video. If such a thing exists. The Sony DCR-TRV280 IS NOT IT!
I've tried all sorts of tricks and can't get rid of the grainy (webcam) quality, nor the poor color in normal indoor lighting situations. The sound is just ok. For me, there is NOTHING spectacular about this camera, especially if you want to use it for more than just webcam or basic home video purposes.
Once unplugged, the battery life is short (2 hours, tops!) for the battery that comes with the camera. I suppose this could be addressed by purchasing a larger battery.
I am of normal female strength. After a while, my hands and arms are shaking from holding the camera. Something lighter is ideal, otherwise dont forget the tripod.
I do like the connections on this camera, except no jacks for headphones or mic. And no accessory jack either. The light is cute as an extra, but not very powerful. Wish it had more connections and features.
[...]
 Digital 8 is still best for money April 21, 2008
Jim Pilot (Easley, SC)
Picture quality is great! It downloads easily to computer. It may take longer than the newer digital memory recorders but you can still get this for a great price and in many cases the picture is better than the new hard drive models.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 56
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