Electronics: Buy Sony CCDTRV108 Hi8 Camcorder with 2.5" LCD Online

Average Rating:

To someone who's used to MiniDV camcorders, the TRV108 feels big. It's actually normal for a 8mm camcorder. The LCD screen is sharp and bright -- but as we shall see later, also a battery hog. The traditional eye-piece viewfinder is b&w, which is bad if you want to use it to conserve battery power.

The TRV108 gives out good video quality on Hi8 tapes. I would rate it "high" for a Hi8 model, but even the cheapest MiniDV camcorders (except for Samsung) can match such quality -- plus they offer more bells and whistles. One nice thing is the inclusion of Sony's NightShot infrared technology -- now you can turn your lights off and make those ghostly videos like in Blair Witch Project and Silence of the Lambs. :) The TRV108 also includes a host of effects you can add to your video footage.

One bad thing, though, is this model does not have the stabilizer. The TRV308 and other more expensive models include Sony's digital stabilizer. On the other hand, digital stabilizers degrade quality, so they work better on a digital camcorder than an analog one like the TRV108. Just make sure you have sturdy hands and arms.

Now the battery. The battery is definitely a problem and you'll want to buy an extra capacity battery. While the LCD turned on, you'll run out of the included battery in a matter of minutes. You can save power by using the b&w viewfinder, but that defeats the purpose of having the LCD, doesn't it? One plus feature is the included AC adapter works at both 110V and 220V.

If you have [the money], I highly recommend a MiniDV camcorder. Otherwise, make the TRV108 your entry-level home video making machine. You just can't beat its price and good quality for a Hi8 model.

Enter the TRV-108, a nifty little video camera that uses the HiBand 8mm format, superior to 8mm, but certainly not in the ballpark of Digital8 or DV. Still, its compact size and light weight make it easy to carry around almost anywhere and given the first 8mm camcorder I ever used was big enough that part of it sat on my shoulder, this is a great improvement. It comes with a 160 minute 'InfoLithium' battery and little else except a lens cap and strap. It takes great pictures and has a nifty menu system navigated by a little wheel at the back that works like like a volume control and when you have selected what you want from the on-screen display, you just press the wheel to make it happen. This makes titling a snap. I do miss the title image-grabbing function from older 8mm cameras, though.

The 2.5" color back lit LCD screen is clear and easy to read in all but the brightest sunlight and failing that, it also has a small .5" black and white display through the view finder. The 40x zoom is fantastic, but you better have steady hands in order to use it. And using the 460x digital zoom is impossible with anything but a tripod. The camera is equipped with a nightshot mode that actually does work, amplifying light in dark areas, making the image more visible, if green. The TRV-108 also comes with some neat digital effects like sepia tone, which gives video a nice old movie look, a pastel effect which gives everything a cartoony look, black and white, 16:9 aspect shots, plus other effects. It can also do snazzy digital fade-ins and fade-outs.

This camera only really has two failings. For the most part, built in camera lights are useless, but the TRV-108 doesn't even have an accessory shoe for mounting an external light source. Something I found kind of maddening to the point where I even toyed with the idea of finding a camera at a garage sale, ripping it apart, and super glue the shoe to the top. Second, while the built-in microphone is very sensitive at picking up voices and ambient sounds, it does not have a foam wind sock. In moderate winds the roar of the air as it passed over the mike caused a lot of noise. And if it's too loud, like when I shot at the base of a waterfall, the noise caused image distortion lines! These two missing features cost the camera a full five-star review.

All in all though, this is a pretty decent little toy. It's not a serious camcorder and a far from a Canon GL-1s or Xl-1s, but for what I use it for, it's still pretty darn good. It's also low cost enough that purchasing it and using it as a good way to find out if you want to go for a bigger and better camera with more features, whether it be a Digital8 or Mini DV camera. It has taught me a lot about framing shots and what a pain the noon day sun can be. The long life of the battery means that, with a little mental effort, you can shoot a full 2 hour tape on one battery. Not bad for a trip to the zoo to send a tape to your folks.