Sony DCRTRV230 Digital8 Camcorder

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.

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.


SONY LIVES UP TO REPUTATION!!!! A GREAT CAMERA!!!   June 30, 2001
This is a great camera!! ...I've had NO problems with this camera. I'll admit that it's kind of pointless to have a 700x zoom and it doesn't work to well after about 400x, but who needs that much zoom anyways. This camera is far better than our last SONY camcorder which was about 12 or 13 years old. It was good at the time, but technology changes. The picture is great quality and the feature that includes editing on the computer is great! The night-vision feature comes in handy too. The only thing I partially agree with, that the other reviewer stated, is that the tape release button is on the bottom, so this could make it hard if you are using a tripod, but I haven't used a tripod yet with this camera, and I would assume that you could easily insert a new tape. Overall, I HIGHLY-RECOMMEND this camcorder.


It just rocks   August 10, 2001
4 out of 15 found this review helpful

if the size doesnt matter this is no doubt better product then any other mini dv camcorder in low midle class... as picture can esly match any mini dv, or even better... soo, if weight (size is quite compact) doesnt metter go for it, as it has superior zoom...!!!

Iown 330, but there cant be diff.


A step backwards from the previous year models   August 28, 2001
42 out of 44 found this review helpful

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.


Works fine   March 30, 2002
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I read all the negative reviews and whining in the reviews of the Sony TRV-230 Digital 8 camcorder, and bought it anyway for use of live-action reference for my animated projects. I didn't need stellar image quality, anyway, so the complaints didn't apply to me. I was suprised when I got this thing.

The image quality is wonderful! It has natural looking colours, excellent sound reproduction for a built in microphone and is razor sharp. While it is true that indoors you may have a bit of grain, it isn't a detriment like the people here would make it out like. I lit my subjects evenly and brightly, and the grain disappeared. Scratch one problem. If you have good lighting, there's no grain. Very simple. But, if you do not have even, bright lighting, it can become very grainy indeed.

The camera has a mind-boggling array of effects, all of which can have a nice effect if used in moderation. The effect I particularly like is the "flash" effect. If you crank it down to one bar, you get a nice cinematic look that is very similar in look to 35mm film at 26fps. The lens is very good, but in very bright situations some glare can appear on subjects. However, all cameras do that in some respect so if you're doing a lot of outdoor shooting, Sony has some lens filters that you can screw on. Scratch another complaint.

I especially liked how virtually everything is near your thumb. Record mode, play mode, zoom. The zoom is amazing, but you can forget a 700x zoom. It gets blurry around 400 or 500x, but as someone else at Amazon put it, who needs that much zoom anyways? If you really want to shoot something, then get off your [behind] and shoot it.

The remote is also handy, as well, especially if you are doing stop-motion/steadycam work. It may seem like a toy, but when it's on a tripod, you don't want to jolt the camera when you're doing stop-mo. It has most of the functions of the camera itself.

One complaint that I have is the tape loading mechanism. Most 8mm camcorders have a simple door, shove in the tape and slam the door shut --- just like a cassette deck. Not this one. It has a fancy little motor that wheels out the cassette like some kind of science fiction movie. It definitely looks cool but if it breaks down, how are you supposed to get the tape in? demerit point for Sony there. I did like the bottom tape loading mechanism, though, because most 8mms have the door where your palm is, so you have to slip your hand out. Not so here. Tripod could be a problem, but a display tells you how much tape you're used and how much tape is left, so it doesn't reall matter because you have more than enough notice to change the tape anyhow.

It is a simple point and shoot camcorder which does a good job. It also suits me well in professional ways, as it runs circles around all the other broadcast cameras at Cogeco. This camera exceeds quality than any of the other cameras at the Cogeco studio, before or since. It takes some photography know how and a true artistic eye to get professional quality out of this camera, but it can certainly be accomplished.