Sony DCRTRV19 MiniDV Camcorder with 2.5" LCD and Remote

the trv19 is the lowest priced camcorder in the trv19/22/33 family. still, this is a camcorder that has a very nice feature set.

pros:

compact design, light weight.

larger size CCD should provides better low-light performance.

miniDV media is widely supported.

great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.

carl zeiss lens.

intelligent accessory shoe.

steady shot and night shot.

progressive shutter system.

supports exif 2.2.

cons:

it would have been nice to get a bigger 3.5" LCD.

you can only record stills at 640 x 480 on tape; memory stick not supported!

no pop-up flash for taking stills and no built in video light but you can get a flash/video combo light for less than a hundred bucks.

black and white viewfinder.

as with most sony products, you pay a premium, pushing up the price.

if you're looking for a camcorder and still capability is not important, this camcorder should be on your short list. if you want still capability, skip this camcorder and consider the trv33, pc-105, or the panasonic gs70 (top pick for me).

i myself have a dedicated digital camera to complement my camcorder but i still want still capability of at least 1 megapixel. you just never know when you might need to take a still picture and you've left your digital camera back in the car/hotel room/house. capturing still pics on DV tape just does not cut it unless all you want to do is post it on the web. if you want to print out your picture, you'll be disappointed.

all in all, the trv19 is a nice camcorder. just don't expect it to do what it wasn't designed to. cheers.

I was looking for a MiniDV camcorder that was small, easy to hold, with the best image and sound quality I could afford. I didn't want still picture recording, MPEG recording, a memory stick, or any of that other stuff that a digital still camera does better, and which just jacks up the camcorder's price.

After trying low-end JVC, Panasonic, Sharp, and Sony models, I settled on the Sony TRV19: it has the best image quality by far of all the low-end MiniDV cameras, and meets my other criteria as well. Only thing that's less than stellar is the sound: the stereo separation is good, but I hear camera motor noise occasionally on playback. This is endemic to low-end cameras, and no worse in the Sony than others I've tried, so I'm OK with it. This model has a hotshoe for an external mic, so I have an out if I need it.

I've shot about 6 hours so far, all handheld, and I'm very happy with this model.

Buy Sony DCRTRV19 MiniDV Camcorder with 2.5" LCD and Remote Now

Extremely well done top to bottom.

NOTE for Macintosh Users: Cannot interface via USB. But no worries, a FireWire cable makes the camcorder totally Mac-compatible. Must get a "4-to-6-pin Thin FireWire cable" and use the iLink DV interface on camcorder. After you have this $8 cable, everything is pretty easy. An hour later we were editing video clips in iMovie. (The included USB cable is useless for Macintosh.)

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I'm not an aspiring director. I don't want to edit my films, or make stunning documentaries, and I have a digital camera so I don't care if my camcorder takes still pictures. All I want to do is take it with me on vacation and get some good video to rememeber my trips by. This Sony is great for this type of thing. There aren't many bells and whistles, but it takes good pictures indoors and out (unlike the Cannon that I returned which shot grainy pictures indoors.) Its really small so you don't have to leave it behind. It fits easily in a fanny pack with your map and guide book. If you are looking to be the next big Hollywood director, go shell out some more cash for a different camera, but if you just want good home movies, this is your best bet.

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The first thing I moticed when taking this camcorder out of the box was it's size. It's soooooo small!! And light weight too...which means for those of us who tire of wighty hand-held video cameras....no problem here. You barely even know it is in your hand. Picture quality is good for a single chip, entry level MiniDV....audio is standard built in stereo mic quality. For a while it was a toss up between this camcorder and the JVC line. But I have always liked what Sony produces...and they always come out ahead in low light tests.

The one thing I am still not 100% comfortable with is the fact the menu is a touch screen on the LCD. I still prefer to have actual buttons...but it does save space on the unit. I have always been one to never touch the LCD screen if I don't have to. Now I have too!! Maybe I will use a dull object to do so. Don't want oils from my skin marring the image on the LCD.

Speaking of the LCD...it is great indoors but outdoors difficult to see the image as well...hoping to be able to compensate with the brightness control.

All the opearting controls are right where they need to be when the camcorder is in your hand. It is comfortable and easy to use...right out of the box...thanks to factory defaults settings. Cost is a bit more than others at this level, but I think in the end it is a good choice.